The Poem That Forever Changed My Financial Life

I was leafing through some old files when I found a poem from a lifetime ago. Suddenly waves of painful, memories flooded my brain.

My life was in shambles. My husband’s gambling was out of control.  I begged God for help, just as I begged my husband to stop gambling. Both ignored me.

Then one day an envelope arrived with no return address. There was a poem inside- no title, neatly typed, all caps, on crisp white paper. I read it and gasped. The message was clear—I had to face my fear.

But in a different way. Not as a victim, woefully wondering, ‘Why me?’ It was time to ask a different question: “What do I need to do, even if it scares me, to learn what lies on the other side of this fear?”

Slowly things began to change. I went to 12 step meetings, like Alanon and Debtors Anonymous. I found a therapist and got a divorce. I read books, went to class, hired an advisor.

Out of the blue, I was hired to interview women who were smart with money, which turned into my first book. Before I knew it, I had become a financial expert.

It all started with this poem:

I’d love to hear your reaction to this poem. Did it help you find the courage to do what you fear? Leave me a comment below.

Comments & Feedback

  • Misty

    The nice thing is that you have someone writing to you who cares about you. I have no one except for the God of the Holy Bible. I also don’t like the end of the poem. It is a blaming the victim mentality. People are still blaming the victim because they have not been taught to not do that. God BLESS all people with success and salvation!

    • barbara huson

      Actually Misty, I have no idea who sent me that poem…I’ve always attributed it directly to God, wanting me to face all the stuff I’d been avoiding. And it worked. I never felt blamed. I felt loved, supported and encouraged…and guided. And I started tackling my fears, one by one!

    • Lisa

      Hi Misty,

      I have a feeling you might have someone other than God and the Holy Bible…

      I’m not comfortable with that line “give up self hatred” either, but I do believe we need to give up being a victim at some point and take responsibility. How many times have I heard people blame breaking up with a boyfriend and going on a wild shopping spree to get me to feel sorry for them for being broke and playing these stories for years instead taking a little responsibility.

  • Lisa Miners

    WOW!! this poem has resonated so much for me all of my life and especially now. It is ok to print it out? x

  • Barbara J. Simon

    Yes, I’ve already done the thing I feared the most – and my life keeps unfolding in strange and unusual ways. What I did was downsize my living space significantly, and let go of a lot of belongings that did not serve what I wanted to do in my life. They were just remnants of my old life. And I remember them vividly, but don’t need them in a material form. Very strange. But it all helped me to move on, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come and changed, and grown. Stay tuned for new progress. I can feel it coming.

    • barbara huson

      I’m SOOOOOO proud of you too, Barbara. This is an incredible accomplishment! I can’t wait to see what else your courage reveals….Thank you so much for sharing this with me here!

    • Lisa

      Hi Barbara S,

      I need to let go of some of my stuff, too! It’s scary, because it triggers so many memories.

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Meet Barbara Huson

When a devastating financial crisis rocked her world, Barbara Huson knew she had to get smart about money… and she did. Now, she wants to empower every women to take charge of their money and take charge of their lives! She’s doing just that with her best-selling books, life changing retreats and private financial coaching.

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