So, I often times encounter and end up in conversations with other men who are struggling and feel defeated. I guess its because I know the feeling all to well.
I know what it feels like to want more to provide for your family but every time you take one step forward, you get pulled back two. Just hard to get ahead. I’ll share part of my story. 4 years ago, I was laid off from my job. At the time, my wife was 9 months pregnant with our first child. Aaaaand….we just purchased our first house. If it wasn’t tough enough to crawl my way to having just a little something, I got snatched right back down…so it seems. There really are no words that can describe how you feel when you can’t provide for your family. As men…that’s our nature, our job…to provide security and lead the way to “the good life.”
All the emotions and fighting off feeling depressed all the while looking at my new born son in the face, not wanting this situation for us. Just felt low. In those moments you realize you are not prepared… nor do you have the proper knowledge or wisdom in that moment because there virtually is no manual for it. But if you pray to God, He will lead you.
So, here are some things that I done to help keep our faith strong, stretch my wife’s faith and still enjoy life…
1) Ask God for guidance…I believe you can never go wrong with asking Him.
2) Plan your financial success. Get all of your bills together. Write them down in categories like household, medical etc. Then go and get your credit report. You can get one free and write anything else on there, that you already don’t have written down on there. Go to the LIBRARY and check out books (FREE) on repairing credit, paying off debt and investing. Elevate your mind and thinking and start with paying down the small debts first. It may take some time…but you can do it.And follow instructions on how to improve credit.
3) Discipline. Start spending less money on things you don’t need and start seeking ways to earn some extra income. All in all, its not how much you make but how much you don’t spend.
4) Start dreaming again. Take yourself, if you have a family, take your family and go look at million $ homes in your city. Its FREE. You may not want a home that size, but you must dream. Paint the vision for your family on what is next to come. Inject HOPE. Inject FAITH. Do little things like feed the duck (if there is a park near by) Go to the nicest side of town and just hang around. Take a 1 day or 2 day trip with your family to somewhere near. Yep…I said it….I know in step 3 it says watch your spending. But this is key…you have to get away from where the pain is sometimes to clear your thoughts and feel alive. It will help ease the frustrations in your home.
5) Start planning for your dreams. If you have a talent…get to working. If you have a gift…get to working NOW so that when your time does arrive, you will be ready.
Well, that’s all for now. I pray and I hope it helps…have a blessed one!