What Do We Do When We Are In Real Trouble?

What do we need to do when we are in real trouble? Very recently a reader wrote me “I am fighting to save everything I have and need real help.” I wrote a long letter in reply, and decided there are others who are facing similar feelings. Many of us face a crisis in our life at one time or another. Having walked this path myself I know a lot. Here’s what I want to tell you.

Nothing is Impossible. No matter what the economy, no matter what the times seem to imply, miracles can happen. Appearances are also very deceiving. An absolute not to miss article is called Appearances Are Deceiving. While you may not be able to change the outside world, you certainly can change the inside world, and how you respond to events.

Having been through tight spots myself, and having lost my home through foreclosure, I know what a challenge it is. Amazing things can come out of adversity, however, unexpected gifts and outcomes. When you are in a “fight to save everything” chances are that you are in scarcity and lots of worry. Being in the state of mind of scarcity and worry brings more of the same. It cannot be otherwise. Survival and Contraction is an article that might help.

So here’s what I recommend, or what I did. I did everything I could to keep myself inspired to trust and have faith. I listened to inspiring tapes. I read uplifting books. I practiced imagery like mad. I knew that I could not afford my home and so I fixed it up and put it on the market. I imagined someone coming who could pay cash for my home. I imagined seeing my home for sale. My daughter and I would do our 17 second exercises together.

And I put everything I could into improving the appearance of my home with curb appeal, staging the home inside, and repairing anything that was broken.

When others talked to me about the condition of the housing market, quickly changed the subject, and talked to myself internally saying “Nothing is impossible. There is someone who wants to buy this particular home and they will appear soon.”

Was it easy? No. Did I cry occasionally? Yes. Did I persist? Yes! Here are the facts. The future will happen whether I want it or not. I can however have a huge impact on that future by how I am conducting myself today. I can help change what future occurs, and I can definitely change how I feel today going through difficulty.

I reached for inspiration and hope, no matter what appearances looked like. I practiced seeing my future the way I wanted it to turn out. Simultaneously I used everything I knew about selling a home to make that home saleable. And I continued that process through the 8 months that it was on the market. I did not listen to naysayers. I enlisted my family’s participation in both the outer work and the inner work.

I put everything thing I had into building a state of mind that moved me out of feeling like a victim, and feeling the real pinch of scarcity into a different state. I really practiced moving my attention from worry to deep breathing, and remembering who the true Source is.

I didn’t tell my friends about the foreclosure - part of that was shame, but part of it was that I didn’t know how to talk with them in such a way that I wouldn’t radiate victim and rehash a focus on “ain’t it awful.” I didn’t want to tell the story of “What a fix I am in.” I think it really helped not to focus on how difficult it was, but instead put my energy on “I am so glad that things will be getting better soon.” Make sure that you observe “the story” you are telling yourself about your life, and what you are saying to others about this time. I highly recommend that you look at the article: Tell a New Story.

I did the process of 17 seconds many many times during that stretch, and when I was in despair, I prayed. I also taught myself to Look for Signs that the Universe was supporting us.

And I persisted no matter what, at continuing to work on my state of Being. Almost everything on this website is the result of what I learned walking through a great time of difficulty.

Positive thought is important in that it raises your vibration where you can utilize the laws of success and laws of attraction. For that reason, it is essential. Optimism can be learned.

No matter what the economic times, there are people who thrive financially. There’s an article on the site about choosing not to pay attention to economic forecasts, and really paying attention to what you would like to create, Focus and the Law of Success.

Those two years was perhaps one of the most challenging of my life, and yet, I was able to live through it with hope and a degree of happiness. I did sell my home before I was evicted, and was able to reclaim the property and pay it off. Then I started a wonderful adventure which was my reward for making it through. It was also my strategy to give myself time to renew and repurpose my life. Things worked out far better than my best imagination.

When we have a lot of momentum built up over time that results in circumstances that become dire, it takes some time to turn that energy momentum around. That is the time when you have to persist the most. And really ask powerful questions of yourself. What is it I need to learn? How can I have more gratitude? What more can I appreciate about what I have now?

As I repaired my home, I had to learn to value my work, and value my energy, and really soak in appreciation for what I did accomplish, rather than look at all there was yet to do. I literally had to relearn how to live in such a way that would not perpetuate more scarcity.

Success really is an inside job. It is easy to forget. I wrote a summary blog about things that you can do when you occasionally lag or forget. called Success Strategies and when you forget at

In that article are lots of resources you can use. Especially
When You Forget
Survival and Contraction

The thing about dire circumstances is that the consequences are so high, that we are compelled to bring all of our resources to bear to solve the issues. And that is an immense gift we give ourselves. It was comfortable in my home, I didn’t have to push outside my comfort zone. When I finally was pushed to make the decision. I chose to sell, and that opened more possibilities for a fuller more joyous life that I ever dreamed was possible. You are reaping a part of the result of that decision, because I have had the time to write this blog.

I walked through my crises and now see it truly was an amazing opportunity. You too can walk through yours. Look for the signs of support, and look for the gifts that are coming now and will come from this time. You will have far more strength, focus, courage, faith, and power for having this time.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 26th, 2011 at 6:17pm and is filed under Strategies, When You Forget. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.