Credit Cards. Medical Bills. College. Car. What do all of these things have in common? Besides the fact that they're considered part of good adulting? You guessed it... Debt. Wallet squeezing, stress-inducing, soul-crushing debt.
You have it. I have it. She has it. They have it.
Our nation has it. To who? The aliens...Irrelevant, unless you work on Capitol Hill. But I digress. It's there's. No debting it. I mean doubting it.
Don't get me wrong, I hate my debt. However, I wouldn't trade it for somebody meaningful in my life. I imagine that you wouldn't either. But debt taught me a lot about how I treat the people around me and how the people around me treat me. Debt has given me qualities that changed who I am today. I imagine that these same qualities can be found in the people who surround me today. Of all the people in this world, there are very few people that you want to keep in your circle. Honestly, my circle is more of a semi-circle. I surround myself with people who I know have their priorities right. This includes what they need and what's important. I've learned to value people more because of my debt.
First hand, I can tell you that you don't learn humility when you have money to throw around. You also won't learn frugality. We know prosperity is not the best teacher and when you're living paycheck to paycheck, you learn what's important. You know what can wait. Those Gucci belts and Louis Vuitton bags won't put food on the table and gas in the tank. I've learned what the real struggle is.
Speaking of paycheck to paycheck survival, if you know the feeling, and have come out of the other side, odds are, you've learned strength and patience. I know I did. The strength to keep your head above water, and the patience to whittle down a mountain. When you know what it's like to be at the bottom, you know that there's no place else to go. And at the end of the climb, you'll feel pride in knowing you conquered the climb, and it will make being at the top that much more satisfying.
I've been broke and paying debt for nearly a decade...almost half my life. Yes, I'm still climbing, and yes part of it was from falling down my own slope. But I'm working these character muscles bringing myself up. And I believe I'll be that much of a better person for it. You will too. It may not seem like it, but I can tell you from experience that it will be worth it. When you get to the top of that mountain, that first breath of relief is going to feel so good in your wallet. More importantly, you'll know how to stay there. I guarantee that you'll promise this to yourself, just as I promised myself. Never again will I let it get like this.
It sucks being this broke, and under this much weight of debt. I know this first hand. Although I do miss money, I'd rather struggle and be a great person. Not everyone can be lucky enough to become a billionaire via GoFundMe.
So what's my point?
Build some character, learn some responsibility, gain some knowledge, know your priorities, sit down and be humble. Everyone can be lucky enough to change the way they spend their money and to understand more about how to better manage it. There's no need to be too flashy. Wealth is quiet. When your paycheck is being stalked by debt, you'll know to be quiet. It's a harsh lesson, but it's one I would have gladly learned a thousand times over.
