Success | Barbara Huson

How Do You Know if You’re Financially Independent?

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

In the spirit of the 4th of July we recently celebrated, I have a question for you. Are you financially independent?

I’m curious how many of you responded with a resounding YES! But I’m guessing many of you are either shaking your head ‘no’ or furrowing your brow, wondering if you are.

Let me clarify.

You are Financially Independent if you have enough to meet your needs and satisfy many (not necessarily all) of your wants…free from the stress of overdue bills and struggling to make ends meet.

Financial Independence has nothing to do with how much money you earn, but how much money you keep. You achieve it by spending less than you have and saving more than you need.

But for some of you, spending less and saving more is akin to self-imposed poverty. I’m reminded of an email I once received…

“How can I SAVE money to create wealth (which means cutting back spending) and still have a feeling of ABUNDANCE (which means the desire to SPEND) and not a mentality of LACK?”

In her mind, spending provided the pretense of prosperity while saving felt like self-denial.

To someone with a wealthy mindset, saving means giving the money to yourself (not Visa or Starbucks) so that ultimately you can purchase whatever you please without pressure or worry.

The difference between the two mindsets is not deprivation but delayed gratification.

I remember, as I struggled to clean up my financial mess, my mentor, Karen McCall, saying to me, “It’s ok to have massages, but what if you had one a month instead of every week, and deposit what you would’ve paid into your savings?”

I followed her advice. And because I did, I gave my future self the gift of financial independence.

What could you do to give yourself the gift of financial independence? Leave me a comment.

Financial independence is easier with support. Join my virtual community, The Wealth Connection today! Learn More.

How to Save When You’re Cash Strapped—A True Story

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

Q. I know saving money is important, but what if there’s nothing left over to save?

A. I’ll let Suzanne Ahmed Leonora respond. She answers this question better than I ever could. When I got an email from her last week, I was so inspired, she gave me permission to share it with you.

Pondering Your Purpose

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

Mark Twain once said: “The two most important days in life are the day you were born and the day you discover the reason why.”

I can’t think of a more productive way to use this time in quarantine—even as restrictions begin to lift—to ponder your purpose…to ask yourself: Why am I here on this planet at this time?

There’s immense power in having a clear and focused purpose, especially when you’re navigating turbulent seas.

No matter how frightened you are or how impossible it seems, a strong sense of mission turns ‘I want to’ into ‘I HAVE to.’

Purposes can range from the extremely ambitious (create world peace) to the seemingly trivial (spread joy). And your purpose may change as you change.

If you’re unsure of your purpose, here are 4 places to look.

1. In Past Pain

I’m not sure our life purpose has to come from pain (though mine did), but it’s a good place to start. What has been your most painful challenge in life?

2. In World Problems

Ask yourself: What is the one problem in the world that you yearn to see solved, and would be willing to spend the next 10 years of your life working on, talking about, and being part of the solution for?

3. In Childhood Play

As we look back at the tapestry of our lives, it’s easy to spot certain threads that show up in our youth and continually repeat, displaying an unwavering pattern holding clues to our purpose. What did you love to play as a kid?

4. In Secret Wishes

Once, someone asked me: “If you could have anyone’s job, whose would it be?” That was easy. Neil Diamond’s. I yearned to write my songs and sing them. OK, so I can’t carry a tune. But I’ve managed to write my songs (books) and sing (teach) them. If you could have anyone’s job, whose would it be?

I’d love to hear about your purpose. Leave me a comment below.

Get the support you need. Join my virtual community, The Wealth Connection where women support women! Learn More!

Let Go! A New Future’s Emerging.

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

In one of my books, I tell a story about a mountain climber who falls off a cliff, grabs hold of the ledge, and dangling in midair, desperately cries out, “Lord help me!”

The Lord answers: “I will help you. But first you have to let go of the ledge.”

I believe this is what we’re all being called—or in some cases, forced—to do: let go of the ledges that once kept us safe. And that’s scary as hell.

But I’m beginning to think this may be the whole point. Widespread global fear is triggering our own personal fears, especially ones we’ve long kept buried.

Our tendency is to avoid uncomfortable feelings, stuff them down. But these bottled up emotions must come up to be healed. Or they will forever hold us back, tethered to the past.

A new future is emerging. And we are being asked to take time to reflect and release dysfunctional emotions that are weighing us down.

My daughter, Melissa Siig’s experience mirrors what many of us are feeling. She found herself becoming increasingly irritable and unhappy, struggling to adjust to all the sudden changes. Then one day, she realized, “I had to shed my old skin to make way for the new.” Here’s what she shared on Facebook:

“Last week, I took a shower, went into my closet to get dressed, laid down on my closet floor and stayed there for two hours, curled up in the fetal position in the dark.

“I cried and mourned and let my grief pour out of me for what my family and I and the world had lost. I needed to release my life as it had been for 47 years to make way for acceptance of something new.

“I had to let go. I needed to be reborn. Like the butterfly breaking through its cocoon, I slowly emerged from my dark womb and made my way to my bed. I laid in bed another hour or two. My family worried about me, I worried about me.

“But eventually, having purged my old self, I reemerged, transformed. I wiped the tears from my eyes, went upstairs, poured myself a glass of wine, and played Clue with my family.”

What ledge do you need to let go of, what do you need to shed, to make way for the new? Leave me a comment below.

Join me for a FREE Coaching Call—on Wednesday, April 8th I’ll answer your questions and offer you coaching to help you ReWire for Wealth + Well-Being during this time of Crisis & Chaos. Register here!

Losing Sleep Over Sinking Markets? Advice from a Wall Street Expert…and a Veteran of 2 Major Crashes—Me!

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

Last week, the market took the worst dive since 1987. Ahhhhh, yes, 1987. I remember that October day quite well. Black Monday they called it.

I’d been in the market for about a year. I knew nothing about investing, but I trusted my broker. However, when the market went into free-fall, I went into full blown panic.

I called my broker, insisted he sell everything. He begged me not to, insisting the market will go back up…it always does.

I didn’t listen. If I’d stayed put, like he instructed, I’d be a lot richer today.

Yet it was a priceless lesson.Ten years later, in 1997, almost to the day, the market crashed again. Only this time I didn’t see disaster. I saw a sale.

Fast forward to today. I’m not saying you should go on a buying spree. Though it is a sale. But I am imploring you not to sell everything in a panic. Investment decisions, based on emotions, rarely end well.

However, if your nervous system can’t stand the heat, don’t rush out of the kitchen or do anything rash. Take advice from my favorite financial writer, Jason Zweig,

“If you feel you can calm yourself only by ditching some stocks,” he wrote in last Fridays Wall Street Journal, “sell a fixed amount each month for the next year.” By taking small steps, and automating them, you take the emotion out of the decision.

And if you’re going to sell, sell the losers, he advised. “That will turn some of your losses into cash—and a write-off on your taxes.”

Or, instead of selling, “You could direct your dividends into cash, rather than more shares, for now.”

To give you some perspective, take a look at this chart, sent to me via Therese R. Nicklas, CFP:

I’d love to hear how you’re reacting to this crazy market? Buying? Selling? Waiting and watching? Or frozen in fear? Leave me a comment below.

Could you use some extra support during these crazy times? I’d love to mentor you in my 5-month ReWire Mentorship Program. Click here to learn more about this life-changing program.

The Sky is Falling…or is it?

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

Don’t you just love the media? First they warn you: Don’t Panic. Then they give you all these reasons to panic.

How do you stay calm when both your money and your health feel dangerously at risk?

Over 5 years ago, I created a radically new formula for training your mind to rewire your brain for wealth and well-being. With all the growing fear and uncertainty, I realize now is the time to share with you the simple 3 step ReWire formula. Register here for this FREE call.

This formula—combining neuroscience, psychology and spirituality—is based on the premise that nothing ‘out there’ has anything to do with you feeling happy or upset. Your thoughts are always the cause.

If you want to change the effect (your experience)—more money, greater peace, less stress, more success—you must first change the cause (your thoughts). Who you are, what you do, and the life you have comes from what you think.

As A Course in Miracles explains: “The world you see does nothing. It has no effects at all. It merely represents your thoughts. And it will change entirely as you elect to change your mind”.

And Albert Einstein echoed: “The world we have created is a product of our way of thinking.”

I want to show you how to change your thinking and calm your anxiety! Please join me for a FREE call: The ReWire Response. I promise this call will be worth your valuable time. Register Now!

The call is Thursday, March 19th at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET. If you can’t make it live, I’ll email you a link to the recording.

I hope you’ll join me. Register Now!

The Only (True) Antidote for Fear

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

It’s hard not to freak out these days. Between the rapidly spreading coronavirus and the deeply plunging markets, how’s a girl supposed to stay positive and avoid panicking?

I’ve been asking myself that question a lot. Then I found a way to quiet my anxiety. And I’m excited to share it with you.

It’s called Selective Attention. You focus on what inspires you and stop dwelling on what scares you.

Easier said than done, right? Which is exactly what I thought…until I remembered the Receiving Journals I handed out at my Sacred Success retreats.

Keeping a Receiving Journal serves the same purpose as tracking your spending. But instead of increasing your awareness of money going out, a Receiving Journal forces you to face all the abundance flowing in.

As A Course in Miracles tells us: “Every day a thousand treasures come to me with every passing moment.” The problem, however, we fail to notice those numerous treasures, especially when fear is ever-present.

To fully access the power of a Receiving Journal, you must understand this: everything that happens is a gift for the receiver, whether it feels ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ The challenge, of course, is to find the treasure in what may seem unpleasant. But even the good stuff can be challenging to receive.

For example, I started noticing how often I’d gloss over expressions of praise or appreciation, without fully taking in the words. So I started listing, in my journal, every compliment I got.

And when I had a tiff with my husband, I actually stopped to figure out the gift. I not only discovered a pattern I was repeating that had messed up other relationships, but it led to the most loving discussion. This went in my journal too.

It’s only been a few days, but I feel a big difference. I’m actually happier, more loving. Maybe that’s what a Receiving Journal is all about. Not just expanding our ability to receive, but actually increasing our capacity to love.

After all, says the Course, love is the only antidote for fear. “Any attempt to master fear is useless. The true resolution rests entirely on mastery through love.”

Are you open to receiving or do you resist? Leave me a comment below.

Want to learn the art & science of rewiring your brain for Wealth & Well-Being? Join me for a FREE call—March 19, 2020. Register Now!

Pruning vs Pushing

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

A little over 10 years ago, in a rush of adrenalin brought on by a surge of ambition, I suddenly shifted into high gear. I hired a team, restructured my website, created a new marketing campaign, purchased complicated new software, and created all sorts of new products. I was driven.

Until my enthusiasm dwindled and I couldn’t understand why. The answer came loud and clear when I helped my daughter, an organic farmer, prune the fruit trees.

“If you don’t prune back most of the new buds,” Anna explained, “too much of the tree’s energy goes into producing foliage instead of growing fruit. You don’t want the trees to spread themselves too thin, reducing the amount of fruit they bear.”

The metaphor was inescapable. I was that fruit tree, spreading myself too thin, letting too many budding projects sap my creativity, my energy, my focus.

Busyness, or the act of spreading oneself too thin, is an occupational hazard for high achievers. It’s basically the absence of discipline. Discipline means doing with discernment, thoughtfully pruning rather than tirelessly pushing.

I wonder if we instinctively recoil from discipline, like a kid ordered to eat veggies. It may be good for us, but damn it, we’re not going to like it and we’ll try anything to get out of it.

Instead we slip straight into our drug of choice. I call it ABTS—“Addicted to Busyness Syndrome.” We stuff every cranny of our lives with so much activity that we’ve lost touch with what’s really essential and what’s truly irrelevant.

But ask us to lighten our load, actually say no to a task, and we start to panic. As if our world would shatter if we slowed down.

Over time, I learned to value Disciplined Action—making prudent, sometimes unpleasant choices, doing what I need to do to, even if it’s not what I want to do. It’s the only thing I’ve found that allows me to successfully do what I love without sacrificing my sanity, or my Soul.

Where are you pushing in your life when you should be pruning? Leave me a comment below.

Want to learn the art & science of rewiring your brain for Wealth & Well-Being? Join me for a FREE call—March 19, 2020. Register Now!

Are You an Underearner? Part 2

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

Underearners (UEs) can be hard to spot. Here are seven traits that all UEs share.

1. Live in financial chaos—UEs tend to go from one financial crisis to another, struggling to make ends meet, often drowning in debt.

2. Vagueness about money—UEs usually have no idea how much money

they have, earn or need and depend on wishful thinking instead of strategizing and negotiating.

3. Underestimates worth—UEs give away their time, knowledge, skills for free or bargain prices because they devalue themselves.

4. Anti-money attitude—UEs are ambivalent or downright negative about money and people who have it, believing there is virtue in being poor.

5. Self-saboteurs—Bright women remain UEs primarily by taking on too much, being scattered and unfocused or procrastinating.

6. Co-dependent—UEs put everyone else’s needs first, which leads to anger, resentment and pain (not the qualities conducive to success).

7. Craves comfort—UEs are unwilling to be uncomfortable and therefore unwilling to take risks.

Did you say to yourself, Yes, that’s me, as you read this? If you struggle with Underearning tell me about it in the comments below.

Underearning doesn’t have to be a life sentence. I know because I’ve helped thousands of women Overcome Underearning. Join my virtual community, The Wealth Connection for the support you need to Overcome Underearning. On February 25th, we’ll be discussing Overcoming Underearning in our quarterly book club discussion. Join Today!

Are You an Underearner? Part 1

Written by Barbara Huson, The Leading Authority on Women and Wealth

Ever wonder if you’re underearning?

All underearners share one common trait: A high tolerance for low pay. But that description can be deceptive.

“Low pay” is a relative term. You can make six figures and still be an underearner. Conversely, you can earn far less and not be.

My definition of an underearner—someone who makes less than she needs or desires despite her efforts to do otherwise.

Underearning is not the same as VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY—a conscious choice to live on less in order to create a simpler, saner life; or A MINDFUL LOW EARNER, someone who does work that feeds her soul and still makes enough to meet her needs.

Underearning is never a conscious choice. It never leads to a saner, more satisfying life. It is always a CONDITION OF DEPRIVATION, not just of money, but of time, joy, freedom, choices and self-esteem.

Do you see yourself in any of the descriptions above? Share in the comments below and be sure to watch for next week’s blog where I’ll share some specific traits of underearners.

Exciting News! My virtual community, The Wealth Connection, has a brand new feature—Barbara’s Book Club. Every quarter we’ll discuss a different book, beginning with my book, Overcoming Underearning on February 25th. Learn More Here.

How Do You Know if You’re Financially Independent?

How to Save When You’re Cash Strapped—A True Story

Pondering Your Purpose

Let Go! A New Future’s Emerging.

Losing Sleep Over Sinking Markets? Advice from a Wall Street Expert…and a Veteran of 2 Major Crashes—Me!

The Sky is Falling…or is it?

The Only (True) Antidote for Fear

Pruning vs Pushing

Are You an Underearner? Part 2

Are You an Underearner? Part 1

Meet Barbara Huson

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