The Hidden Danger of Higher Earnings

Written by Barbara Huson

I noticed a disturbing theme in my conversations with successful women. I call it the Illusion of Affluence. Whopping wages can be deceptive and dangerous.

I see it repeatedly: High earners spending too much, saving too little, or plowing all profits back into their business. Their ample earnings gives them the appearance, but not the security, of affluence.

Even if they can easily make a bundle whenever they want, high earners are as vulnerable to hard times and sudden change as anyone else.

Absolutely, women making big money are to be applauded. But the real measure of success isn’t what comes to you…it’s what stays with you (i.e. your net worth—the sum total of what you own minus the sum total of what you owe).

I Really Truly Want To…But I’m So Damn Scared!

Written by Barbara Huson

You’re ready. It’s time to open your own business, ask for a promotion or set stronger boundaries. You truly want to take the next step.

But you can’t. Fear, like a colossal boulder, stands in your way.

Of course you’re afraid. Fear is a normal, inevitable, reaction any time you leave the comfort of the familiar and venture into the unknown.

The goal, here, is not to eliminate fear. Because you can’t. The goal is to act in spite of it. I love how writer Ray Bradbury put it.

“Just jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down,” he said, adding, “If you’re too cautious, you’ll miss life.”

There’s no way around it. If you want success, there’s only one path: feel the fear, endure the discomfort, observe the resistance, and go for it anyway.

But hear this! You don’t have to do it alone. The best antidote to fear, for us women, is surrounding yourself with a supportive community.

As high earner Karen Page once told me: “Success is a social activity. You can’t do it alone. You just can’t.” Amen to that!!

It’s precisely why I created my virtual community—The Wealth Connection—for financially aspiring women.

If you’re looking for a safe, welcoming place to talk openly, intimately, deeply about money, receive personal coaching from me, and encouragement, support & inspiration from the others, you can learn more HERE.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how a supportive community (of lack of one) has impacted you. Leave me a comment below.

Joint vs Separate Accounts

Written by Barbara Huson

If you’re married, or about to be, I have a question for you. Do you have money in your own name?

Even if you’re blissfully in love with each other, even if (s)he’s filthy rich or a financial genius, it’s critical to have your own economic identity–a bank account and credit card in your own name.

In part, it’s a matter of self-protection. If anything happens to your Prince(ss) Charming, you could be in big trouble.

Oh, the horror stories I’ve heard from women who couldn’t get credit or had all kinds of legal problems after losing a spouse through death or divorce because everything was listed under their spouse’s name.

Success Insists: “Toughen Up…But Not Like A Man!”

Written by Barbara Huson

We women, by nature, tend to be pleasers. We want everyone to be happy with us. Believe me, successful women are no different. Almost all the high earners I’ve interviewed confessed to a “little girl inside me who wants to be liked.”

Yet these women were continually required to make difficult, even painful, decisions that often had negative consequences for other people. The secret to their success: they had to toughen up.

‘Toughening up’ does not mean we have to harden our hearts, numb our senses, or act like men. The women I interviewed taught me four techniques for becoming strong, effective leaders without compromising their feminine nature.

Is Busyness Your Drug of Choice?

Written by Barbara Huson

Are you achieving the kind of success along with the quality of life you truly desire? If the answer is no, you may be addicted to busyness, a condition that’s epidemic among women.

We tend to stuff every cranny of our life with so much activity that we’ve lost touch with what’s really essential as opposed to what’s actually irrelevant.

But ask us to say no to a task, and we start to panic. As if our world would shatter if we slowed down. The truth is, we’ve lost sight of what’s honestly important and truly necessary.

I didn’t realize busyness was my drug of choice until the pandemic when my life slowed down significantly. I’m the first to admit—busyness is a bitch to give up.

Feeling Stuck? Ask Yourself This Compelling Question

Written by Barbara Huson

I’ve been feeling stuck for a while now. Like I need to make a change, do something different, but what?

This feeling started about 5 years ago. I lost interest in my work, which took me by surprise. I loved what I did, but suddenly my heart wasn’t in it. I kept wondering: what else can I do?

I had no desire to change careers. I definitely wasn’t ready to retire. So I decided to write another book. The research was fun. The writing was challenging but fascinating. The book, Rewire for Wealth, published last year, has done quite well.

And yet, here I am—still restless…still dissatisfied…still feeling stuck. This time, there’s no book in me. So I’ve been praying hard: God, show me what to do!

The Motivating Power of Divine Connection

Written by Barbara Huson

Well, I’ll be darned. An article in The Wall Street Journal declared faith is the key to phenomenal success

A slew of pop singers, pro athletes, and movie stars told a reporter that while talent is important, the “motivating power of divine conviction” is what stacked the odds in their favor.

“Believing that God wants you to be famous,” claimed the article, “actually improves your chance of being famous.”

The Unhealthy Dependency on Self-Imposed Deadlines

Written by Barbara Huson

I’m making myself crazy. I’ve been doing it for months. Ever since I decided I was ready birth to my next body of work. In a fit of over-zealous optimism, I gave myself till spring to create a brand-new class, complete with a workbook.

Well, spring is quickly coming to a close. Neither the class or the workbook is near completion. Not even close. I’ve been beating myself up—unmercifully—for missing my deadline.

I’m a big believer in setting deadlines. They’re terrific tools for staying on track. But, I’m recognizing, there’s a major downside to made-up deadlines.

The trouble comes when I don’t meet them. Rather than rethink the timing, I scold myself severely for screwing up.

Power is Scary. Let’s Change That!

Written by Barbara Huson

I’ve long known that women’s difficulties with money have little to do with money per se and everything to do with their fear of power.

In a 2012 study, “Women and the Paradox of Power,” 38% of respondents said they’d rather be well-liked than powerful. As if the two were mutually exclusive.

Our confusion around power should come as no surprise. Historically, girls haven’t been groomed, expected, or encouraged to be successful, powerful adults.

If anything, we were raised to be the power behind the throne, often punished for even aspiring higher.

I’m convinced, beneath our dislike of or discomfort with power, lurks a deeper, more ominous concern—the dire consequences we might suffer if we become truly powerful.

Financial Success as a Spiritual Practice

Written by Barbara Huson

Are you having trouble making more money or managing it wisely? Is financial lack a constant source of stress and pain? Consider this.

What if you stopped approaching finance as a purely practical process and started treating it as a spiritual practice?

What if, along with learning the practical facts, you focused on developing a deep sense of trust in the inexplicable forces of the Universe, along with learning the practical facts?

In my experience, the moment you inject faith into finances, the instant you invite the Divine into your relationship with the ‘almighty dollar,’ your experience with money grows deeper, richer, and more meaningful. Everything changes.

Financial success becomes a transformational journey, a personal healing, a sacred initiation, empowering you to become all you’re meant to be and to do what you’re put on this planet to do.

Blog

The Hidden Danger of Higher Earnings

I Really Truly Want To…But I’m So Damn Scared!

Joint vs Separate Accounts

Success Insists: “Toughen Up…But Not Like A Man!”

Is Busyness Your Drug of Choice?

Feeling Stuck? Ask Yourself This Compelling Question

The Motivating Power of Divine Connection

The Unhealthy Dependency on Self-Imposed Deadlines

Power is Scary. Let’s Change That!

Financial Success as a Spiritual Practice

Meet Barbara Huson

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