I have always been good at math. It was my highest score all throughout grade school and I aced my accounting classes in undergrad. So you can imagine my surprise when I found myself in a $90,000 debt with no job and no perspectives interviews. The self-critic in me just kept repeating, “How did you let it get this bad Taynah? What is wrong with you?”
Debt or Investment?
I later found that the root of this voice didn’t belong to me, but the nagging feeling of disappointment was harder to shake off. I was embarrassed. I had managed to accumulate this debt in a span of 3 years and no one would hire me. You would think a Master’s degree in Global Mass Communication would help me land a job quickly but clearly, this was not the case. However, while that voice kept telling me what a failure I was as an adult, I had forgotten to take a step back and realize that this debt was an investment in my future.
Anyone who has taken the time to complete a master’s degree will fully understand that it’s a full-time job. It requires every bit of your intellectual capacity while challenging you to expand it even further. Even so, this wasn’t enough to put my stress at ease. So I started looking at my spending habits, tracking every penny. I wanted to get a better sense of what kind of patterns I had been repeating that no longer served me. I found out, I didn’t spend much at all. My expenses consisted of food, physical therapy, gas, my life coach, and my cat. Yes, I spent some money on date nights and partying with friends, but it never amounted to my monthly spending on my fixed costs. This analysis helped me realize that I wasn’t being irresponsible, but I needed to find a way to pay back my student loans.
What my leap looked like
This is when Katie Byron’s work really came into play:
“Money is not your business, truth is your business. The story ‘I need more money’ is what keeps you from realizing your wealth. Whenever you think your needs are not being met, you’re telling the story of a future. You’re supposed to have as much money as you have right now.” – Katie Byron
Don’t believe me? Check this out. I’m currently in the process of moving to Spain however when I first bought my ticket I had a little over $300 in my account. As I bought the ticket I knew I was taking a leap of faith. I wanted to test the theory of the universe having my back. Before I clicked submit, I said a little prayer. I asked my ascended masters, guides, and God to provide me with what I needed in order to make this possible. A week later, a business partner called me about a property I had purchased in Pennsylvania a few years ago. He wanted to buy my portion off of me. Just like that, I had an additional $8000 in my account! I’m a believer in miracles but this was the cherry on top.
(Accurate footage of me celebrating when I hung up that phone call)
Today, I still tremble at the thought of not having money but the realization that I am protected, guided, and supported for everything I need is stronger than ever. I will be moving to Spain on Thanksgiving of this year and I will continue to take leaps of faith in whatever my heart calls for.
Have you taken a leap of faith yet? I’d love to hear about it! For some more resources on how to get a better understanding of your relationship with money, Financial Freedom at its finest is here to help.
Much love,
Taynahmite.