Are You Tied to a Financial Lead Balloon?
Julie Murphy • January 6, 2021
A dear friend of mine, Susan, said to me, “Julie, I sold my house and I bought my freedom!” We are taught to believe that buying a house is the American Dream, and for many of us, it may very well be. But, if you face the monthly stress of a home mortgage you can’t really afford, you’re holding the string of a financial lead balloon. Financial lead balloons are items we purchase that look good on the outside, but in reality, they weigh us down and rob us of our personal and financial freedom.
Why do we make these choices? Because there is always Emotion Behind Money. What we do is driven by how we feel, both consciously and unconsciously. When we open ourselves to these emotions and take control, we can heal our financial past and move toward building real wealth. If you aren’t where you want to be, financially, personally, or otherwise, you need to forgive yourself for where you’re at. When you forgive yourself, you create space for the new to come in. And, when the new comes in, it will often surprise the heck out of you!
Susan decided she didn’t want to live the way she was “supposed” to and let go of the financial lead balloon that was her family home. She realized that every decision in her life was based on trying to keep her lead balloon afloat. She put up with an abusive boss and was trapped in her job because she needed her paycheck to cover housing costs. She thought of her mortgage as “good debt” and didn’t realize how her “investment” blocked her from doing the things she loved, like traveling, and was draining the joy from her life.
After taking the time to tune into and accept her inner knowing, Susan realized she needed to give up chasing the trappings of a “successful” life to live a full and satisfying life instead.
Today, at age 64, she has thrown out all the rules. She left her staff position to be an independent contractor and has built a thriving business. With today’s technology, she can work from anywhere and she now splits her time between Seattle, where her home was; Chicago, where the majority of her family lives; London, where she frolics with a lifelong friend; and for three months of every year she lets the wind blow her to a new adventure.
What I love is that Susan is doing what is financially healthy and brings her joy.
The change that came when Susan decided to stop beating herself up for taking on a hefty mortgage was impressive. Deciding to sell her home, quit her job, and find her freedom all started with her forgiving herself for poor financial choices that she made in the past.
Kudos to Susan. She found the courage to face her financial reality and now is happier than ever.
Are you ready to release your financial lead balloons? It really is your choice. Make that decision for yourself. Choose you. Choose to forgive yourself for your current reality. Choose to forgive yourself for what debts you have, the financial patterns you’ve imprinted on your kids, for the crappy boss or company you put up with for years that sucked the life out of you. Forgive your spouse and the patterns you put up with, and most importantly, forgive yourself for being human.
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