Tag: money

Step outside your comfort zone.. its not as scary as you think!

HastonHelpingHands1 Comment

Dear Readers,

I have signed up to do a 10 mile walk/run at the end of March and I am scared but I am doing it. Between now and then I need to run longer and faster but work myself up incrementally, I know that I can do it but it seems a daunting task at the moment. I got sick right after my birthday which impeded my progress but I am back on it now. I will work out tonight no matter how late it is or how tired I am when I get home. I know that sometimes you have to let that go and sleep instead of work out or sleep in instead of working earlier like you planned but there is also something to be said for accountability and the fact that I have told the 1087 of you following my blog that I will do it means that I have to.

A note about that, I started this blog 3 years ago and it astounds me that I have that many followers. Lots of people have a lot more and lots of people have a lot less. It’s not a measuring stick, but a factoid. If I am going to accomplish my goal of world domination it is nice to know I have that many people’s rapt attention.

I tell you this because I think it is very important we do things that scare us – To paraphrase the great director Baz Luhrman- “Do one thing every day that scares you” — I am not talking about crossing the street without looking both ways or purposely doing something you know will endanger you. I mean step up to do something that scares you because its “unfamiliar” and “unknown”. You will never truly know what you can accomplish until you try. If you don’t believe me, try it and see and then argue with me about how I was wrong. Even if you don’t succeed, you have lived a little more fully than you did the day before. We all hear those platitudes- “Seize the day” “Do one thing a day that scares you” but what do we really DO about it? Well I will tell you beyond the 10 mile walk run, I have volunteered to do a work presentation which may not seem scary but I have not done one before so I am scared and it represents a major step as well putting myself out there for an even bigger opportunity all in aid of getting to my Ted Talk.

It’s scary to type but there it is in black and white. Ted Talk, I will do a Ted Talk.

In the world of doing the baby steps I inquired and found out that you can’t even apply to give a Ted Talk till Summer 2016. I was disappointed, a big part of my “but I want it now” and the total impatience that does not go with delayed gratification but as my darling husband pointed out, this gives you time to be perfect. Well, if not perfect at least the most prepared. One more thing about that, I started realizing that if I have a long-term goal like that I need to go from that goal and work backward and develop a game plan for “getting there” much like my “steps to a marathon” coming up in March!

Think about it!

1. What represents stepping outside your comfort zone to you?

2. What is something you say that you want to do but never take any steps toward? (mine was learning French as an example)

Could you, would you give up your IPhone? Guest Post by Tami!

HastonHelpingHands2 Comments

I first heard of Dave Ramsey from my “work mom”.  She has listened to him on the radio for years!  When I would worry about money issues, she always said “you should listen to this guy Dave”  I actually Googled  Dave Ramsey and discovered Financial Peace University.  I also discovered it cost almost $100 to take the course!  As a single mom, I had no idea where I would find the money, so I brushed it off.  Whenever she mentioned him again, I would say “Yeah, but who can afford to spend money to learn how to deal with money?”

               Fast forward to 2012, I was married and we were really struggling to organize combined income and combined debt. .  The debt was overwhelming me, and we were fighting all the time.  Often times, we were going on outings we shouldn’t, and spending money we didn’t have because the financial communication was non-existent.   It went like this… Everyone was having fun and enjoying themselves, then there was me:  with a scowl on my face because I was so worried about how I was going to shift the money around to cover the “fun” we were having.  I felt like the kill-joy of the bunch…

I prayed that God would show us the way!  At church the very next Sunday, it was announced that Financial Peace University would be held at our church for the first time in 3 years!  I was like whoa!  Get this, there was financial aid available!  And God said “I got your back Tami!” I tell JR “Hey honey!  I want to take this get out of debt course on Sunday mornings, and you have to come with me or we won’t get the scholarship” Of course he came along and our journey began!  I ran some basic calculations and got him excited about how fast we could get out of debt.

               Before class started, I read a few chapters of the book and became proactive to make sure we could get the $1,000 BEF saved.  I cancelled my contributions to the deferred comp plan, reduced my Federal withholdings to zero for the rest of the year, and we managed to save the $1,000 two months early!  We were so excited to be in BS2 before the end of class!  We cancelled our cable a few months before we heard of the class, but I shopped around our insurances and we cut our food budget to cut back on expenses.  Christmas that year was an all cash experience which hadn’t happened in many, many moons… Credit cards were cut up and accounts closed.  We were well on our way, and even shaved a few months off our Debt Free Date!   

               Since then, I decided I wanted to take the class again (it IS a lifetime membership after all) However, there were none available in my area… that’s how I became a facilitator!  I now co-facilitate FPU at our church, and our next session will begin this October.  I am very excited and I love sharing the program with others who are struggling.  Their excitement feeds me, which in turn feeds my husband. Of course there are times though when he says “honey there are other things in life besides Dave Ramsey and you need to talk about them too!”

Our most drastic change to date has been cancelling our iPhones… That is a whole experience in and of itself!  Our Total Money Makeover journey is continuously changing as our attitudes and self-discoveries evolve.  Our DFD has changed again, but the opposite direction.  Some past issues came up that need dealt with, but we are dealing with them together.  My husband and I are both eternally thankful for the knowledge we gained through Financial Peace University.  We are both certain that without taking FPU, our marriage would be in crisis.  We will get through this mountain of debt, and we will do it together!

 

Like this post? Read more from Tami about getting out of debt and her sacrifices for financial freedom here

at http://iquitmyiphone.blogspot.com/

Make a difference. Right where you are…

HastonHelpingHands2 Comments

Friends, I have to tell you I am extremely passionate about making a difference and helping others realize their dreams and if you are reading this, chances are you are one of three types of people.

1. Friend of mine who reads my blog because you have been asked to. (thanks!)

2. Someone who I gave a card to and you are checking out the blog address on the back (thanks)

3. Someone who is searching for “motivation and advice” and so my blog comes up in your search as something you should read (thanks!)

For whatever reason, you have been directed to my blog, my podium and soapbox for all things I am passionate about and the list is legion.

However, back to you, my gentle reader who is the reason I write. I was recently lucky enough to be exposed to a wonderful podcast all about making a difference right where you are which I think is a wonderful notion. I can’t speak for anyone else but I can tell you I often say to myself, “well, when I am (speaking professionally) (have more experience) (have my masters) (have my new position) (FILL IN THE BLANK with your perfect state of being) I will have such wonderful things to say on that topic and I can’t wait to help people” well the truth is I have everything I need to help people (if they need it) right now. All I have to do is listen and make myself available to be there for someone who needs help. It sounds simple because it is.

The truth is, that you have opportunities every day to help people. I am not talking about money, but occasionally 20.00 can make a real difference to someone struggling. You can offer to spend time reading to someone who can’t read, you can listen to someone who desperately needs to talk, you can just sit there silently and smile as they vent because that might be what they need.

You can be there in many ways for other people, all you have to do is look around. I have recently started asking successful people their best practices for how they got there and the thing that continues to come up is a generous spirit and a loving heart.

Here is the podcast from my friend, Tammy Helfrich who has inspired many people and continues to do so daily. She has interviews with people like Jon Acuff and many others.

http://www.tammyhelfrich.com/2013/07/01/right-where-you-are-introduction-podcast-episode-01/

I leave you with this question. Are you waiting to help people? Why?