Sil lai Abrams: Dealing with Financial Insecurity

by Sil lai Abrams – Sepiaprocess.com

When times are difficult for us financially, we can become paralyzed by fear. As the fear grows in our mind we often get stuck focusing on the problem and not actively searching for a solution. Our attention becomes fixated on our creditors and as we look at our mountain of debt we can become weighed down in despair and shame. “I’m never going to get through this” or “This is more than I can handle” begins to play on a constant loop in our brain. Some of us respond to our problem with denial. Instead of facing our lack of money, we spend as if we have unlimited resources, compounding our original financial instability. Or, we may isolate from others and numb ourselves with food, alcohol or television. Sometimes we avoid dealing with our situation by throwing ourselves into a relationship that takes up all of our time. None of these counterproductive behaviors do anything to bring us closer to a solution. They only keep us stuck in our problem by postponing or delaying our eventual day of financial reckoning.

The only way we can get out of a financial valley is by facing it head on. Yes, it is overwhelming, but it will only get worse if we continue to put off facing it. Financial problems rarely appear overnight. They build over time with the help of many different influences. Likewise, financial health takes time to develop.

Often, our intuitive response to a desperate financial situation is to panic. This is a not a time to allow our emotions to take over. We need do all we can to stay calm and centered while in the middle of a storm. One of the ways we can stop focusing on our problem is by remembering to give thanks for what we have. Sometimes gratitude is all we need to do begin to shake off the fear, which then frees us to take constructive action.

The ability to successfully deal with a problem stems from our perspective. Shifting our attention away from the problem is the first step towards finding a solution. We can trust that we can recover financially by taking a thoughtful, steady approach that improves our situation, one day at a time.

I accept that I may not get everything I want, however God will provide me with everything I need. I will stop focusing on what I am lacking and do something today that will move me closer to a financial solution.