Here are the two best prayers I know: ‘Help me, help me, help me’ and ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’A best-selling author revealed that she grew up in a family that had always lived from paycheck to paycheck. As an adult however, she appeared on Oprah, her books climbed the best-seller lists and suddenly she had earned a million dollars and enjoying a life she anticipated would continue. It didn’t. Her book and speaking contracts ended, her adult daughter was diagnosed with cancer and passed away fifteen months after she was diagnosed, her husband left her and she lost her house, even though it was paid for, because she couldn’t pay the taxes. She was broke and declared bankruptcy. After exhausting all her financial and emotional resources she realized she needed help. She prayed and let people know she was in trouble. Miraculously, an anonymous individual who had heard of her situation wrote her a check for the amount she needed to rent a place and get back on her feet.
Looking back, her message was: don’t be too proud or too independent to ask for help when you need it. Reach out to people close to you and even to those on the periphery of your life, if necessary. She also encouraged people to pray and put a request for help out to the universe but also to let people know you need help. When you keep a stiff upper lip and no one knows that your life has taken a turn for the worse, no one will know to reach out to lend you a hand or lead you to the resources that can help you. And, of course, when you have received help, at some point you will provide a hand to someone else who needs support.
Money Saving Tip
Although saying thank you by e-mail is becoming more and more common, mailing a thank you note and spending the extra for postage often is worth the effort and expense since it makes a positive impression and carries more weight. So, the next time you’re in a store and see thank you notes (or blank notes) on sale, stock up so you’re ready.
What made you smile today?
What made you proud of your money choices today?
