$uccess As a Spiritual Practice

Written by Barbara Huson

Deepak Chopra once said, “We need a more spiritual approach to success and to affluence.”

I couldn’t agree more.

I even coined a word to describe this approach: Metafiscal–that which blends financial know-how with metaphysical principles; a melding of the sacred and the mundane in regards to money.

You don’t have to be religious to be Metafiscal. I’m certainly not. But something happens when you develop a deep sense of trust in the inexplicable forces of the Universe.

Having a Hard Time Saving and Investing? Let Me Make It Super Easy!!!

Written by Barbara Huson

After my divorce from the gambling husband and after I paid the outrageous tax bills, my nest egg was almost depleted. But I had a few properties that paid rent every month.

One of the first things I did, when that rent came in, before I spent a cent, I immediately put a portion of it into savings. Otherwise, I knew I’d spend it all.

And I did it automatically. It was so simple. I filled out a form and the bank automatically transferred money from my checking account to savings. The amount was small at first, but it added up quickly. I didn’t even have to think about it.

Automating gave me discipline without having to work at it. It’s easy to say that you’ll move money monthly into savings. In practice, however, it just doesn’t happen. You forget. You overspend, You have a hundred excuses.

But by automating, you don’t miss what you don’t see. This was the beginning of my creating really good financial habits—habits I still practice today.

Looking for Yaysayers? Here’s How You Find Them.

Written by Barbara Huson

Are you having a hard time achieving the level of success you desire and deserve? Here’s some sage advice: No one will do it for you, but you don’t have to do it alone!

I learned this from the savvy women I interviewed for my book. Prince Charming Isn’t Coming. Not one of those women succeeded in isolation. I realized I couldn’t either.

Listening to their stories inspired me to take action, despite my crippling fear, and showed me what to do to get smart.

Support is particularly critical for us women. We are relationship oriented. Connection is extremely important to us.

We thrive on the synergy of mutual support and collaboration. We love to share our experience with another. We do our best when others are cheering us on and holding us accountable.

But a word of warning is in order. Be selective when seeking support. There are basically two kinds of people: the Naysayers and the Yaysayers.

The Real Reward for Taking Control of Money: A True Story

Written by Barbara Huson

It was a lunch I’ll never forget. Just after I sold my first book to the publisher, I flew to NY and met my editor at a restaurant.

As we got acquainted, I asked if she invested. She got really embarrassed. I felt horrible.

”Oh no!” she stammered. “I have no money.”

I felt terrible and dropped the subject never to address it again. Two years later, after my book hit the shelves, she called me out of the blue.

“Remember that lunch when I told you I had no money. Well, I did, but it was sitting in cash in my retirement account,” she told me. “But after working with you, I realized how foolish that was.”

So she started educating herself, found an advisor and her 401 (k) was now fully invested. She even emptied her spare change into a jar every night and had invested that too.

Another (Better) Way to View Market Volatility

Written by Barbara Huson

The market’s looking pretty scary these days, right? But honestly, it’s not the turbulence that will get you in trouble. It’s your emotional reaction to it.

Studies show that most investors, regardless of gender, tend to act on emotion, instead of rational thinking, when making financial decisions.

When markets take a tumble, our emotions, especially fear, take over, and we abandon ship, suffering losses.

The emotional reaction also happens in reverse. When the market is on a big run, there’s a tendency to take on too much risk and follow the herd, like so many did during the dot com and real estate booms.

May I suggest another way to view this volatility? Heed the advice of my favorite Wall Street Journal columnist, Jason Zweig: Be thankful that stocks are going down.

A Pep Talk For a Plunging Market

Written by Barbara Huson

What do you do when the market has more stomach-churning dips than a roller coaster? Like now!

Obey the rule of the roller coaster: You only get hurt when you jump off. Same with the market. You only lose money when you sell.

So what do you do when the market plunges? Follow the sage advice from investment firm, Ellevest, in their newsletter What the Elle.

Do Nothing.

As Sylvia Kwan, Ellevest’s Chief Investment Officer, explains: “Over the past 93 years, the stock market has gone up by an average of nearly 10 percent a year. But it didn’t go straight up!”

Indeed, markets always do what markets do: bounce around wildly. Like now.

Fear of Success? Or Fear of Power?

Written by Barbara Huson

She sat across the table, looking like the savvy businesswoman she was.

As we chatted over kale salads, she told me how her company, not yet two years old, was growing exponentially.

Then she lowered her voice and leaned in close. “There’s something I need to talk about. I’ve never shared this with anyone.”

“What is it?” I asked, also leaning forward. I could tell this was difficult for her.

“I’m afraid of success. I can already see little ways I’m holding myself back.”

When I asked what scared her, she replied, “I’m afraid people won’t like me. I’m afraid people will want more of me than I can give them. I’m scared it will all be too much.”

5 Simple Steps to Overcome Resistance

Written by Barbara Huson

I remember the moment it first happened to me. I was researching my book, Prince Charming Isn’t Coming, learning so much from the savvy women I was interviewing, finally getting a grip on my finances.

When suddenly, Resistance hit…hard! I lost interest in anything financial and, try as I might, couldn’t get past my inertia. So I made an appointment with a therapist.

“I really want to get smart about money,” I cried in desperation. “I really, really do!”

Looking me square in the eye, he calmly responded: “No you don’t!” I couldn’t argue.

Clearly, part of me didn’t want to get smart. I tried hard to ignore that part, afraid it would take over. But in truth, my repression gave it power.

Get Rid of Imposter Syndrome…For Good!

Written by Barbara Huson

When I interviewed over 150 high earners for my book, Secrets of Six-Figure Women, I expected these women to be extremely confident. And they were.

What I didn’t expect was how many struggled with fear, self-doubt and felt like a fraud, afraid others would find out. Which was exactly how I felt!

But there was a difference between them and me—they didn’t let fear stop them. Their courage inspired me.

After one of those interviews, I grabbed a blank piece of paper and wrote, in red crayon: “Do What You Fear. That’s How You Succeed.” I framed it and put it on a table across from my desk where it still stands today.

An Exercise for Rewiring Your Brain

Written by Barbara Huson

Last week, a client called, close to tears. Her husband’s business unexpectedly went belly up. Suddenly left with no income, she was forced to get a second job.

“Do you think this crisis has anything to do with my decision to make more money and my lack of action?” she asked.

Obviously it was a rhetorical question.

I see this pattern all the time. Women who avoid money—making it or managing it—until a crisis hits. Either their world falls apart or feels like it’s about to. That’s when they finally take action.

I did it myself. I waited until a million-dollar tax bill almost wiped me out. Not smart!!

How about you? Are you avoiding your finances until the pain gets worse than your fear? Are wanting to move forward without having your world violently–or even mildly–shaken?

Women & Wealth

$uccess As a Spiritual Practice

Having a Hard Time Saving and Investing? Let Me Make It Super Easy!!!

Looking for Yaysayers? Here’s How You Find Them.

The Real Reward for Taking Control of Money: A True Story

Another (Better) Way to View Market Volatility

A Pep Talk For a Plunging Market

Fear of Success? Or Fear of Power?

5 Simple Steps to Overcome Resistance

Get Rid of Imposter Syndrome…For Good!

An Exercise for Rewiring Your Brain

Meet Barbara Huson

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