You are far greater than any debt. When you stop letting money define you, you can create anything.
In a world where societal expectations often tie value to financial status, whether it’s the pressure to “have it all” or the subtle judgments about lifestyle choices, it’s easy to let money dictate your self-esteem.
But your worth isn’t measured by your bank balance, your credit score, or the designer labels in your closet. Even if the clothes in your closet are from a secondhand store and you are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to get out of debt, your financial status does not determine your value and it certainly need not limit you.
You bring something to this world that no one else does and when you start to acknowledge the intrinsic value that you hold, your entire life begins to change.
By embracing your value, shifting your mindset, and taking actionable steps toward debt freedom, you can reclaim your confidence and live a life where finances support you, not define you.
Here are five empowering mindset shifts to help you break free from debt while anchoring your value beyond finances:
1. You Are The Source For Change:
Years ago, I found myself in $187,000 of debt. For quite some time I ignored this reality in hopes that it would go away or that someone would come along and save me from the mess I had created.
But one evening, sitting on my veranda with a glass of wine, I confronted reality: no one was coming to fix my financial mess. I alone could change it. This realization was empowering! I didn’t need a saviour. I am the architect and the source of my life, and just as I created debt, I could forge a path to financial freedom.
The same is true for you. You are a gift the likes of which the world has never known. You have talents and abilities that are unique to you and when you recognize this you stop making excuses for what isn’t working and start taking actions that will create change.
2. Your Debt Is Not Greater Than You
My mentor, friend and the Co-Founder of Access Consciousness® once asked, “What have you decided you cannot handle that you actually can?” This question has shifted my mindset in many ways, including finances.
As automaker Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t . . . you are right.”
When you believe that your debt is greater than you and that there is nothing you can do to be free of it, you are right. Conversely, when you recognize that you are greater than your debt, and that you have what it takes to change your situation,becomes your reality. It really is up to you. Yes, you are that powerful.
Another question you can ask is, “If this debt wasn’t a problem, what would the possibilities be?” Or “What else is possible here that I have never considered?” When you get out of the “I can’t” mindset and begin to look for possibilities, a whole new world opens up.
3. Focus On What You Have Created
When facing financial struggles, it’s easy to dwell on scarcity and what’s not working. This mindset, however, attracts more of the same. Instead of fixating on what you lack, embrace what you have.
Begin a gratitude journal and each day, list things in your life you’re thankful for. Practicing gratitude cultivates joy, and the more joy you feel, the more your wealth will grow. If no one has told you, money chases joy—joy doesn’t chase money.
4. Discover What You Desire
Stop looking at what others say you should desire and be honest with yourself. What is it that you would like? If you could have, do and be anything, what would you choose? What would you like your financial reality to be? How much money would be fun for you to generate and create?
When I first truly started asking what is it that I desire as my life, I was given one of the basic tools from Access Consciousness for changing my reality with money which is the tool of creating a 10% self-honouring account. A 10% self-honouring account is where you put away 10% of everything you make just so you can have it, just for you, and you don’t spend it – ever.
When I first heard of the 10% account, I was resistant to the idea. How could I be setting money aside when I still have debt? Shouldn’t I pay off my debt first? Despite my uncertainty with this idea, I made the choice to try it. I made the demand of myself that for 3 months I would use the tool and see what showed up. For every dollar I earned, I put 10% in an honouring account just for me. At the end of 3 months, it was not that I had a huge amount of money, but what I noticed was that I had more of a sense of peace with money. I did not have the feeling of lack or scarcity. The energy that it was for me was the energy of actually having money that I had previously not allowed myself to have.
5. Keep Living!
Whatever your current financial reality is, it is vital that you keep living. Far too often, people look at their debt and decide that every extra dollar that comes in must go to pay off that debt. If you choose this, you will cut off the joy of living which also limits the amount of money you can receive. This is a very key piece. You still have to live. You are allowed to live.
Look at the dollar amount of your debt and ask, “How long will it take me to pay this off? How much money can I set aside to pay it off? Have the awareness of all of this. Now, keep moving forward. Keep choosing the things that bring you and your body joy. Give yourself permission to live and enjoy life while you are on your way to Getting Out of Debt Joyfully.
About The Author:
SIMONE MILASAS
International Speaker, Entrepreneur, and Best-selling Author
Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect, whether in whole or in part, the views of The Open Chest Confidence Academy, its owners, directors, management, employees, subcontractors, partners, affiliates, clients, or members.
