“I’m not willing to go into debt for my business.”
“I invested tens of thousands in my business and I am still trying to make that money back.”
“I don’t use credit.”
“I spent the last five years getting out of debt and I’m not going back there again.”
“I just need to make a plan to make the money to get the help I need to make a plan.”
“When I get to the next level then I will hire help.”
“I really want to buy new clothes that represent who I am becoming, but I don’t know how to decide whether to spend money on that.”
Do any of these sound familiar?
I hear different versions of things like this on a regular basis. And it’s one of the toughest parts of my job. Because I ‘get’ the fear around making financial decisions that seem as if they don’t make sense. And I’ve made those decisions myself.
I have to say, I never see anyone markedly grow their business from that place of fear. We talk ourselves into believing that our own thinking and perceived limited resources can get us where we need to go, but it won’t. If we could get there by behaving the same, we would have been there by now.
Our society has a lot of judgment about debt. And, interestingly, in the midst of all that judgment credit card companies are still thriving, so the judgment and fear is clearly not causing LESS debt in the world. In fact we often create what we fear. So what if we let that fear go?
And what if there were another side to debt?
“Where the desire is present, the way to fulfill it is also present.”
This is a Universal Law that I first learned from David Neagle, one of my business mentors and colleagues, and it has made all the difference in my business and life.
Desire is from spirit, and when a desire is placed within us, it is only placed there when we are ready to fulfill on that desire (i.e. have it).
This means that when we want support in our business, the time is now. When we want to move to a more aligned home, the time is now. When we want the new outfit, the time is now.
But what if the only way to fulfill it is using debt?
Debt is a tool to allow us to finance something we do not yet have the cash for, or that we do not want to part with cash for. That is why it was developed. And most businesses grow by leveraging debt.
The problem with debt is when people incur it and then don’t take the action to fulfill on the commitment they just made. And sometimes people take the action, but they don’t become the person they need to BE, energetically, to have the action be successful. In other words, I’ve seen people follow all the ‘steps’ with the general attitude that they aren’t going to work, and a bitterness or fear that repels results.
When you use debt to fund your desire, it’s critical to have a willingness to take the corresponding action. (Like talk to potential clients, and charge what you’re worth).
An alternative interpretation of debt
People are afraid of debt because it’s judged as bad. What if there were another interpretation?
See I wouldn’t have grown my business without using credit. I simply wouldn’t have. I so appreciate it as a tool.
Consider that debt is nothing more than a signal that it’s time for you to grow.
What if, rather than viewing debt as something to be ashamed of, you used it as a celebration of your soul’s desire to grow?! If you’ve got a certain level of debt, it is a representation of your inner desire to grow your income to match up with your spending. The celebration is that it means that the WAY to create that income is accessible to you right now.
I know this can be hard to imagine, but if you’ve got $10,000 in debt, it means that $10,000 is just waiting to come into your life right now. The same is true for any amount. The opportunity is there, waiting for you to open up and pay attention to it, or waiting for you to grow into it.
But, Darla, I’m not sure how to grow into it
Sometimes (often) it can be hard to see the opportunity from within your same view. It’s there but either you don’t think it’s for you, you don’t think you’re ready for it, or you’re afraid to step up and be the person you need to be to take advantage of it. (E.g. publicly declare your new value by raising your rates!)
Sometimes the opportunity ‘comes disguised as misfortune.’ The opportunity itself may cost money, and you may think, ‘I’m already in debt, how can I take advantage of this?’ and yet investing more is exactly what you need to line yourself up energetically with the opportunity. People who go into despair about their misfortune of not being able to ‘afford’ the opportunity are the ones who often create more misfortune.
It’s not about simply throwing money at it
I’m not suggesting that the way to opportunity is always spending more money. In fact spending money because buying stuff numbs the pain, or helps you avoid actually taking action (e.g. just one more class and then I’ll be ready) is often the reason many people find themselves in debt with no plan.
Yet I have found that often the right, strategic next step… the one that helps you access opportunity, does involve an investment.
The key is to learn how to decide which investment will truly support you in getting where you need to go.
Does the opportunity scare you just a little?
Does it make you more visible?
Does it force you to let go of old habits that aren’t serving you?
Does it connect you with the right people?
Does it connect you to a higher-level energy that will draw you up?
If yes, these are the opportunities to jump on, because they will move you closer to your goal every time. And when you say yes, you’ve got to play full out and step fully into that opportunity, paying attention to your ideas and connections as they all flow in support of you having what you desire.
You’ve got to grow
You won’t be able to line up with your new desires and stay the same person. This is why so many people invest on credit and don’t do what they need to do to pay it off, and then point the finger at debt as bad. Because they are unwilling to grow into the person that their desire is guiding them to become.
Are you willing?
Join me at Captivate to become the person you need to be to have people want to pay you. June 29-July 1st in Asheville, NC. Lets resonate with the right opportunities for you! https://retreatandgrowrich.com/captivate