Financial Wellness
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Have a Legendary Love Affair with Your Money

Written by Barbara Huson

I wonder. Perhaps the reason so many women ignore their finances is actually their fear of relationship.

Money and a (good) man are a lot alike. All money wants (like a good man) is to serve you and support you. All they require in return is your respect and appreciation.

In other words, just like a man, money needs your attention; it needs to feel understood, cared about, and valued.

Otherwise, neither the man nor the money will stick around for the long haul.

As in all relationships, there are good times and bad times.  Bad times are not the time to turn your back, throw in the towel or ignore your money. At least not if  you want you and your money to grow old together.

How do you improve your relationship with money?

By creating more intimacy. Get to know it better. Learn what it needs and how to best care for it.

Make sure it feels the love. (The “love of money” is NOT the root of all evil—deprivation and destitution is.)

 

The Absurdity of Arbitrary Deadlines & My New Decision

Written by Barbara Huson

“Want to make God laugh? Tell her your plans”--anonymous

Let’s talk about arbitrary deadlines. We’ve all made them.

A first-time writer I know gave herself a year to complete a novel. But health problems kept interfering. As the year came to an end, she sank into depression. “I feel like a failure,” she kept saying.

Don’t get me wrong. Deadlines are a useful tool to keep us on track.

The trouble comes when we don’t meet them. Rather than rethink the timing, we cling to our commitment or brutally reproach ourselves for screwing up.

(Warning: Self-flagellation does not further the creative process.)

I once read something from Abraham Hicks I’ll never forget: “Life is supposed to be fun. If you are doing it for any other reason, then you are not connecting to your Source Energy.”

Instead of freaking out when arbitrary deadlines go unmet, ask yourself: Would I rather live with the tranquility of trusting a Higher Source or tolerate the stress of self-imposed pressure?

It may be time to step back rather than doggedly pursuing a rigid decision,

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Is this YOUR Drug of Choice?

Written by Barbara Huson

I’m here to tell you, constant busyness can be hazardous to your health and well being!

I call it ATBS–Addicted to Busyness Syndrome. 

And it’s epidemic among women. We stuff every cranny of our lives with so much activity that we’ve lost touch with what’s truly essential and what’s really irrelevant.

Busyness has become our drug of choice.

And I’m the first to admit—busyness is a bitch to give up!

Without endless activity, we’re left with empty space. And empty space gives rise to painful feelings.  Rather than experience the pain, we fill up the spaces.

But, as I’ve learned from my own busyness detox, when  you face what you fear, you find it no longer controls you. When you eliminate the unnecessary, you discover what really matters. And, though detoxing from frenetic activity is never easy or comfortable, it’s freeing beyond anything I expected.

When I slowed down, I saw my life more clearly. Decisions became obvious, thus easier to make. Opportunities abounded and I had the energy—and time—to grab them.

If you enjoyed these “Words of Wealth”, head over to my website and sign-up for my FREE weekly newsletter at: www.barbarastanny.com

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8 Things I Wish I Knew About Money When I Graduated College

Written by Barbara Huson

In honor of graduation season, I offer these Words of Wealth as a gift to all college grads (and their parents)

1. If you can’t afford something, don’t buy it. Delayed gratification is the doorway to wealth (and a sign of maturity).

2. Make savings a habit. Every month, have a small amount–say $5 to $10–automatically transferred from your checking account to a savings account.

3. Exploit the miracle of compounding: your money earns interest, then your interest earns interest, and then that interest earns interest. Before you know it, you’ve accumulated wealth.

4. Never, I mean NEVER, get into credit card debt. Mounting credit card bills destroys your peace of mind and your quality of life.

5. Learn about investing. To make sure you don’t outlive your money, put at least some of your cash in long term assets (like stocks & bonds) that will grow faster than inflation and taxes will take it away.

6. Never invest in anything you don’t understand. Otherwise, you won’t know what you’re buying. You won’t know when to sell. And you can’t accurately evaluate the advice you’re given.

7. Don’t put off investing until you’re older. If you start now, regularly investing small amounts (in mutual funds), your money will grow into millions. (See #3)

8. Own and respect your value. Never settle for less than you deserve or desire. Always ask for more than feels comfortable.

If you enjoyed these “Words of Wealth”, head over to my website and sign-up for my FREE weekly newsletter at: www.barbarastanny.com

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Got Luck?

Written by Barbara Huson

“Everything that happens is for your own best interest.”
A Course In Miracles

Luck is a fascinating and frequently misunderstood phenomenon.

For one thing, luck can only be recognized in hindsight. We actually don’t know, at the time, what anything really means.

What we initially perceive as “bad luck” may, in the long run, be the best thing that could ever happen.

Take my story.

When I got a tax bill for over $1 million dollars, I felt like the unluckiest person on the planet. No one could’ve ever convinced me otherwise.

My ex-husband, who got me in this mess, left the country. My father refused to lend me the money. I had nowhere to turn.

Fast forward 30 years. I now realize that my father’s refusal was a stroke of luck. If he’d bailed me out, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today.

I’m convinced you can amp up your luck by altering your point of view.

When I got the tax bill, my friend gave me an affirmation to say when I’d freak out: “This million is making me millions.”

And it actually did!

The key: instead of bemoaning a “raw deal,” start searching for the potential gift. Luck comes to those who suspend judgment and seek out lessons.

If you enjoyed these “Words of Wealth”, head over to my website and sign-up for my FREE weekly newsletter at: www.barbarastanny.com

Treasure Chest

8 Secrets to Higher Earnings

Written by Barbara Huson

When I interviewed six-figure women, I discovered 8 secrets to becoming a high earner.

They weren’t at all what I expected.

I’ve listed them below.  Try them on. Test them out. Apply them to your situation. Do any conflict with your current assumptions?

Secret #1: Financial Success is possible in almost any field, and lack of education doesn’t have to hold you back!

Secret #2: Working hard doesn’t mean working all the time.

Secret #3: Focus on fulfilling your values rather than achieving financial goals.

Secret #4: Loving what you do is much more important than what you do.

Secret #5: Feel the fear. Have the doubts. Go for it anyway.

Secret #6: Think in terms of trade-offs, not sacrifices, to find a workable balance.

Secret #7: Sometimes you just have to shrug it off and have a good laugh.

Secret #8: Appreciate abundance

These 8 secrets became the guiding principles that shaped these women’s success. They certainly shaped mine. May they do the same for you.

Want to know more about Wealth Building? Listen to the recording of this call I hosted, The Wisdom of Wealth: Unraveling the Secrets to Creating Wealth & Power…as Women! Click here to listen.

If you enjoyed these “Words of Wealth”, head over to my website and sign-up for my FREE weekly newsletter at: www.barbarastanny.com

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Let the Truth Be Told

Written by Barbara Huson

I constantly get this question.

“I want to make more money. Where do I begin?”

My response usually comes as a surprise.
“Begin by admitting what’s not working in your life,” I say.

They look puzzled.

“There’s tremendous power in telling the truth,” I explain. “I noticed, in interviews with former underearners, that their financial achievement was often preceded by a financial or personal challenge.”

Problems have a purpose. They are there to get our attention.

Until you stop denying, or diminishing, your difficulties, you can’t possibly do anything differently.

Your first peek at the truth may evoke temporary panic. Rest assured, situations can rapidly improve once you take off the blindfold.

If you’re ready to see the truth, I’d love you to join me at my last LIVE Overcoming Underearning Webinar Course beginning April 4th.

Learn More

If you enjoyed these “Words of Wealth”, head over to my website and sign-up for my FREE weekly newsletter at: www.barbarastanny.com

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Afraid of Risk? Here’s the Antidote…

Written by Barbara Huson

Warren Buffet once said: “Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing.”

In other words:

The biggest risk you take, in investing as in life, is making decisions based on fear, ignorance or habit rather than knowledge.

You want to minimize risk?

Keep educating yourself.  When it comes to investing, there’s always more to learn—which is what makes the subject so interesting.

If you enjoyed these “Words of Wealth”, head over to my website and sign-up for my FREE weekly newsletter at: www.barbarastanny.com

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Gambling vs Investing

Written by Barbara Huson

I’ve often heard people say: “Investing is no different that gambling.”

Au contraire. There is a big distinction between gambling and investing.

Gambling looks like this:

  • Buying stocks or bonds willy-nilly,
  • Following a hot tip
  • Purchasing the hottest fund,
  • Trying to time the market (buying when it’s high, freaking out and selling when it plunging),
  • Deferring decisions to another and sticking your head in the sand.

Investing, on the other hand, looks like this:

  • Creating a financial plan based on your goals and risk tolerance
  • Building a diversified portfolio, based on the plan.
  • Adhering to the plan until something changes.
  • Making decisions supported by your plan not your emotions.

If you don’t have an idea of where you want to end up, it will be far more difficult to make the right decisions. Which is exactly why I created One Year to Wealth…Becoming a Savvy Investor. If you want to become a Savvy Investor in 2017, join me for this year long course. Learn more.

If you enjoyed these “Words of Wealth”, head over to my website and sign-up for my FREE weekly newsletter at: www.barbarastanny.com

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Investor, Know Thyself!

Written by Barbara Huson

“If you don’t know who you are, the stock market is an expensive place to find out.” Adam Smith

You know what your biggest market risk really is? Not volatility. It’s YOU. Or rather YOU acting on emotions.

Any decisions based on fear or ignorance are never good in the long run. Their only purpose is to defuse tension so you feel better in the short term.

Research studies prove that people, you and I, hate to lose more than we love to win.

So, when markets correct (go down 10%), which they do quite regularly or when markets crash (fall 20% or more) which they do every so many years, our emotions, especially fear, take over. And we make very bad choices.

It also happens in reverse. When the market is on a run, there’s a tendency to take on too much risk. And follow the herd…like so many did during the tech boom and real estate boom.

That’s where knowledge—of the market AND of yourself—plays a critical role. The more you know about the way investing works AND what makes you tick, the easier it is to separate from the herd, manage your emotions, and make wise investment decisions.

Want to learn more investments and yourself? Join me for my year-long course One Year to Wealth…Becoming a Savvy Investor. Click here to learn more.

If you enjoyed these “Words of Wealth”, head over to my website and sign-up for my FREE weekly newsletter at: www.barbarastanny.com

 

Meet Barbara Huson

When a devastating financial crisis rocked her world, Barbara Huson knew she had to get smart about money… and she did. Now, she wants to empower every women to take charge of their money and take charge of their lives! She’s doing just that with her best-selling books, life changing retreats and private financial coaching.

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