Life Lessons
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What REALLY $cares Us About $uccess!

Written by Barbara Huson

What scares us most about financial success is not that we may fall short, but that we may actually take flight and discover that we are, indeed, “powerful beyond measure.”  For many of us, that’s the very thing we’re trying to avoid.

When we claim our power, we raise the stakes. Power insists that we become responsible adults—the primary authority in our life— autonomous and accountable, too big to ignore. That’s precisely what’s so scary!

A woman afraid of her power is like an eagle afraid of its wings. We were born with power. It’s who we are, why we’re here, how we create our lives.

I am reminded of a story of a Zen monk who, when asked the secret of Buddha’s smile, replied, “It can only be that he smiles at himself for searching all those years for what he already possesses.” 

We, too, may smile at ourselves when we finally figure it out. Financial success is really about reclaiming our power—power that lies dormant within—by realizing our potential, expressing our passion, owning our value, and being well compensated.

Have you conquered your fear of being a powerful woman? Share your story in the comments.

Looking for a supportive, active community where you can learn to take charge of your finances (and your life)? Check out my virtual community, The Wealth Connection. **Special Pricing Now Available—Only $47/month.**  Learn More!

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The 3 Questions. (Everything You Need to Know About Creating Wealth)

Written by Barbara Huson

I’ve recently had a number of conversations that centered on 3 questions.

  • What is Wealth?  
  • How do you create Wealth (without becoming a workaholic?) 
  • Why is creating Wealth so scary?  

Today, I’d love to share my responses. Let’s begin with the first. Simply put, Wealth is having more than you need…so money ceases to be a source of stress and becomes a tool for living life fully.

But like any tool, you must understand how to use it skillfully and wisely to get maximum benefit with minimum risk. Which brings us to the 2nd question.

Creating Wealth is actually quite simple.  Just follow these four rules: 1) Spend less; 2) Save more; 3) Invest wisely; 4) Give generously. In that order!!! The first 3 are the How’s. The 4th is the Why.

If it’s that simple, why is it so scary?Because the 3rd rule feels r-r-r-risky. But as Warren Buffet once said: “Risk comes from not knowing what you are doing.” 

In other words: The biggest risk you take, in investing as in life, is making decisions based on fear, ignorance or habit…rather than knowledge (knowledge about investing AND yourself).  

The more you understand the way investing works AND what makes you tick, the easier it is to separate from the herd, manage your emotions, and make informed investment decisions.

Now it’s your turn.  Do you agree or disagree with my responses? Leave me a comment below.

Changing your mindset about Creating Wealth can be a challenge…but you don’t have to do it alone. Join my virtual community The Wealth Connection for the support you need to Become a Savvy & Confident Investor! Join today for only $47/month. 

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Does It Ever Get Easier?

Written by Barbara Huson

I’ve begun another journey. And I’m wondering: do the first steps ever get easier?

A few years ago, I birthed a new body of work:  ReWIRE: Mind Training for Wealth + Well-Being, combining neuroscience with personal finance. Last week I finally finished the book proposal.

My agent is shopping it around. Even after writing 7 books, I have to say: beginnings are a bitch. Let me tell you why. Perhaps you can relate. 

We rarely feel certain that we’re actually ready to begin. If anything, beginnings are a disturbing blend of excitement and fear, optimism and despair. (What if every publisher rejects me? What if I still need to learn more, be better prepared?)

And beginnings are scary. In order to start one thing, you have to let go of something else. For me, I’ve had to stop giving workshops and retreats in subjects I know and love to find the time for studying a brand new subject.  

Beginnings are also frustrating. They are full of interruptions and false starts. I began working on my proposal last summer. But fear, resistance, and various distractions kept delaying my progress.  I kept worrying I wasn’t doing it right, that I’d never finish. 

Yet beginnings can’t be rushed. They must emerge. The key is to stay focused but surrender control, allowing one thing to lead to another. For example, I spent months trying to find just the right agent. I’d been spoiled by my old one—a razor sharp editor—who’d quit the biz.  As I’m about to give up hope, I find out she’s back. And she whipped my proposal into shape, just as it needed.

Now I wait. Will my baby find a good home? Beginnings are mired in uncertainty. Then I read this on social media: “Be okay with not knowing for sure what might come next, but know that whatever it is, you’ll be ok.”  

And I sigh with relief! It may never get easier. Yet I know, I’ll be fine, regardless of the results.

How do you handle the beginnings in your life? Join the conversation here.

It’s not too late to join me and an amazing group of women in the Spring 2019 session of my 5-month ReWIRE Mentorship Program. Click here to learn more!

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5 Things $mart Women Do

Written by Barbara Huson

There’s an old joke. Why did God create economists? To make weather forecasters look good.

The truth is, no one knows what the economy, or the various markets, are going to do.

I used to think there were a list of secrets that smart people, mostly men, knew. And if I could just get my hand on that list, I’d finally understand money.

But as I grew smarter, it became apparent. There are no secrets. But there are smart things that smart people do.

Here are five of them that really helped me.

1. Trust your intuition—most smart women tell me they made their worst mistakes when they didn’t trust their better judgement.
2. Learn from your mistakes—too many women become paralyzed by their fear of making mistakes. But smart women told me their biggest blunders were actually their best teachers. You can minimize those mistakes by following the next 3 suggestions.
3. Go slow—take time to educate yourself and develop a game plan,
4. Start small. Invest regularly. Diversify broadly.—invest small amounts of money, on a regular basis, among various categories, or asset classes, putting only what you can afford to lose in any single investment.
5.Understand what you’re buying—never put money in anything you don’t understand. Not only do you not know what you’re buying, but you won’t know when it’s time to sell.

What’s the best investment advice you ever received? Leave me a comment.

There’s still time to join the next session of my 5-month ReWIRE Mentorship Program!  Click here to learn more.

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Gambling vs Investing

Written by Barbara Huson

I’ve often heard people say: “Investing is no different that gambling.”

Au contraire. There is a big distinction between gambling and investing.

Gambling looks like this:

  • Buying stocks or bonds willy-nilly
  • Following a hot tip
  • Purchasing the hottest fund
  • Trying to time the market (buying when it’s high, freaking out and selling when it plunging)
  • Deferring decisions to another and sticking your head in the sand

Investing, on the other hand, looks like this:

  • Creating a financial plan based on your goals and risk tolerance
  • Building a diversified portfolio, based on the plan
  • Adhering to the plan until something changes
  • Making decisions supported by your plan not your emotions
  • Taking a long term approach (gambling is all about rapid gains)

Having a plan is the key distinction. If you don’t have an idea of where you want to end up, it will be far more difficult to make the right decisions.

Do you have a financial plan in place? Leave a comment below.

Did you miss my free call, The ReWIRE Response: Mind Training for Wealth & Well-Being? I shared 3 simple steps to train you mind to rewire your brain. Click here to listen

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An Eye-Opening Exercise

Written by Barbara Huson

Having trouble getting a handle on money? Try this eye-opening exercise. I call it The Sacred Wealth Circle.

On a blank piece of paper, draw a large circle. Inside the circle, write the names of people you can talk to about money.

Then, outside the circle, write down the names of people you are close to, but can’t discuss finances with because they tend to be naysayers or aren’t interested.

What did you discover?  If you’re like most, there’s not many names inside your circle.

Finding support is critical to gaining financial savvy—from friends, family, mentors and role models. While no one can do it for us, we cannot—should not—do it alone.  

The world needs more supportive communities of women talking openly, candidly about topics that have been taboo for centuries: money, wealth, and power.

That’s why I created my online community,The Wealth Connection—a safe place to talk about money, as women. If you’re interested, click here to learn more.

I’d love to hear what you discovered from doing this exercise? Leave a comment below.

Did you miss my free call, The ReWIRE Response: Mind Training for Wealth & Well-Being? I shared 3 simple steps to train you mind to rewire your brain. Click here to listen

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Unexpected Miracles & Exciting Changes

Written by Barbara Huson

Sometimes change comes quietly, unexpectedly, when everything lines up perfectly. Tiny miracles, cosmic winks, unmistakable signs that a Higher Power is orchestrating the whole thing. That’s exactly what happened for me last weekend.

It all began at a Seattle Lady Bosses event, an amazing gathering of women entrepreneurs. Seated in small groups, we were asked to briefly introduce ourselves. When my turn came, I said, “I’m Barbara Huson, a Wealth Coach.”

Then something surprising happened. That title didn’t feel right, like a dress that no longer fit.

“Wait!” I said, without a clue what was coming next. “What I really am is a Financial Therapist.”

I’d never used those words before! Yet it felt like a moment of self-revelation, a declaration of a deep-seated truth.

I’ve always called myself a coach. Yet I was trained as a psychotherapist. My true passion is diving in deep with a financially challenged client, tunneling through the darkness to find the light, revealing and removing what’s blocking her from creating the wealth she desires, the life she deserves and the power she’s denied.

I also love talking about investing, creating wealth. But number crunching…not so much. I guess I assumed I had to do it as part of the package.

Meanwhile, sitting next to me is Linda Lingo, a ReWire client, Wealth Connection member, a CPA and financial coach for women. I’d had my eye on Linda for years, impressed with her knowledgeable (and compassionate) responses to financial questions from others on our calls.

And there she was, having just flown in from California. Divine intervention at its finest. The next day, we met. We talked. We got excited. And a few days later, we signed an agreement.

I’m thrilled to announce that the incredible Linda Lingo, CPA, is joining my team as a Financial Planning Coach. She’s ready to help you with budgeting, retirement planning, investment strategy, debt repayment. Click here for the details.

Now I can focus on what I do best: Financial Therapy. Truly a miracle!

Have you experienced any unexpected miracles lately? I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment below.

And if you live near Seattle, I urge you to check out Lady Bosses: http://seattleladybosses.com/lady-bosses/ 

The world needs financially empowered now more than ever. That’s why I’d like you to join me for a FREE call on April 16th. Register now for The ReWIRE Response: Mind Training for Wealth & Well-Being.

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Taking Your Power Back

Written by Barbara Huson

Check if any of these apply to you:

  • You’re angry, but don’t say anything.
  • You’d like to say ‘no,’ but you can’t.
  • You want something, but don’t ask for it.
  • You get an idea but don’t act on it.

If you’ve checked even one, it’s a sign you’re giving your power away. And I promise, you’re not alone.

The question is: Why are so many women reluctant to say what we think, feel, or need? 

Mostly, to avoid conflict. We’re afraid if we take a stand, we’ll be rejected, disliked, or disapproved of. Instead, we water ourselves down so as not to make waves.

Over time, such acts of self-betrayal destroys our self-esteem, our level of success and quality of life.

Good news! If you can give your power away, you can also take it back. How? 3 Steps.

  1. Ask yourself the Power Question—What do I want? Not what does my husband, or kids or boss or society wants. What do I want? This isn’t a question we’ve often asked, so it may take time to answer.
  2. Look for opportunities to say no to what you don’t want, ask for what you do want, and express what you feel and think. If this is new, it will be very uncomfortable. Do your best.
  3. Get support. Seek out people to be cheerleaders, sounding boards and role models. We women need support when things are scary. And risking backlash can be very scary. But when you think about it…self-betrayal is even scarier.

I’d love to hear where you’ve given your power away…and how you took it back! Leave me a comment below.

If you desire power and control over your money, have a reliable and are no longer debting, I’d like to invite you to schedule a FREE Wealth Clarity Call with one of my team members. Schedule your call now!

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No More Claw Marks

Written by Barbara Huson

There’s a story about an experienced mountain climber who trips, falls and is clinging to the side of a ledge.

“Help me, God,” she cries. Then she hears a voice:

“I’ll help you Sadie, but first must do one thing,”

“I’ll do anything,” she cries.

And the voice replies, “You gotta’ let go of the ledge.”

That’s what adversity continually calls us to do: Let go of what is holding us back. If you’re struggling with a seemingly insoluble problem, ask yourself, right now: What do I need to release? And see what comes up.

It may be something tangible, like a job, a relationship, a geographic location. Or it could be an attitude, belief or emotion, like anger, fear, or self-doubt.

I promise you one thing: it’ll probably be what you’re most afraid to give up.

Why is this important? Because letting go creates space for something new to enter.

What do you suspect you need to let go of? Share in the comments.

Wondering where to begin on Your Path to Prosperity? Take this short quiz to find out. Click here.

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The Psychology of Affluence

Written by Barbara Huson

Scott Fitzgerald once said to Hemingway “The rich are different from you and me.” To which the other author replied: “Yes, they have more money.”

True. But let’s take it a step deeper. The reason the rich have more money, I believe, is that they think differently.

My family was wealthy. So were most their friends. I’ve talked to thousands of affluent women. One day, I made a list of things I consistently hear them say, or imply. I’m not talking about highly paid celebrities that go bankrupt, but those who sustain their wealth over a long period.

I came up with 9 common threads that seem to represent how they think.

  1. I am confident about my ability to create wealth. It’s part of my self-image
  2. I respect money and I value myself.
  3. I understand and follow the financial basics.
  4. I see no obstacles. Only opportunities.
  5. I talk possibility. Not limitation.
  6. I’m willing to do the tough stuff (that scares everyone else…and also me!)
  7. I know how to use risk to amplify my wealth.
  8. I rely on a team to help me manage my money.
  9. I take responsibility…for everything.

These 9 traits make great affirmations. There are probably more. Anything you’d add to this list? Share in the comments.

Wondering how to take charge of your money? Don’t know where to start? Take my short Path to Prosperity Quiz to find out. Click here.

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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