Feeling broke? Here’s why.

Here’s some cold hard truth for your Sunday morning: nobody cares if you’re broke.

If you are an able-bodied adult fully capable of working, no one cares that you have no money. Not even if you've got kids, not even if your man cheated on you, not even if you're a single parent, not even if you took a risk going after your dream and it's not working, not even if you got fired, not even if you're struggling to find a job. No matter what caused you to get there, no one cares. Here's why:

If you're broke, there’s about a 98.87% chance that you created that situation. Somehow some way your actions led you to a place where your financial situation is dire.

So what are you gonna do to change it?

As always, I speak from experience. Every single time my money was funny as an adult, it was my own actions that got me into that situation. But here is why that is such amazing news: because it's also my own actions that can get me out of that situation.

You are the author of your own story. So let’s not make it a sob story. Let’s make it a hero’s journey (hint: YOU ARE THE HERO) where you get to learn from your mistakes and even when it seems like you couldn’t be further from your dreams, the truth is you are just moments away from greatness.

“Most of us are slaves of the stories we unconsciously tell ourselves about our lives. Freedom begins the moment we become conscious of the plot line we are living and, with this insight, recognize that we can step into another story altogether.”—Carol S. Pearson, The Hero Within   

If you are having a rough week, financially or otherwise, take a moment to breathe deeply, close your eyes and become a fly on the wall (or an angel in the sky). Step outside of yourself and take on the role of the Observer. When you open yourself up to having a bird’s eye view of your life, you will see the full road map with your personal pot of gold at the end. And you will find that your pot of gold (aka your dream life), is so much closer than you think it is. It’s just a matter of changing your mindset. The person you are now is not the person who collects that pot of gold, you will have to grow in order to get there. The hard stuff, like being broke, is what helps you grow.

In other words, being broke is exactly what you need to experience right now in order to achieve your goals.

Exciting stuff, right? I think so!

So what can you do right now to turn things around, improve your financial situation and get closer to your dream life?

Clear your mind, pick yourself up and get to work. And I mean, do The Real Work, not the fake work so many of us pretend to do at our desks all day.

Here’s what The Real Work looks like:

• Waking up at 4:30am everyday to create new content, write your book, shoot your videos or record your podcast.
• Missing the parties and other social gatherings to write sales pages and proposals.
• Hustling to make payroll.
• Getting paid less money than your employees so you can make payroll.
• Calling past clients and asking them if they are interested in your new thing.
• Calling potential clients you never closed on, and asking them if you can help them with anything.
• Firing people you love because they are not serving your business.
• Investing in your new ideas, taking the risk and not giving up when, at first, it doesn’t work.
• Missing out on spending time with your kids so that you can afford to take care of your kids.
• Working on the weekends to get the client work done because that’s what’s required right now (but not forever).

Risking your ego over and over again, creating, hustling, getting rejected repeatedly and continuing to show up the next day ← This is what The Real Work looks like.

Put in that work. Cause when you say you've tried everything, the truth is you've barely tried anything. You've barely sacrificed anything. Ask yourself: what are you willing to give up to have your dream? To end the feast or famine cycle? To be your own boss? To work in your pajamas? To do work you love? To take a day off (or three!) to be with your kids whenever you want? What are you willing to sacrifice? And please don't lie to yourself. There is no shame in deciding that this entrepreneur life is not for you.

But what I won't listen to is your sob story. Cause you're better than that. You're a hero.