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Secrets of Financial Survivors
Mary Hunt
Debt-Proof Living
I found a recent interview with author Ben Sherwood to be so compelling that I couldn't wait to read his new book, The Survivors Club. This book reveals the hidden sides of surviving car accidents, violent crimes and serious illnesses, giving insight into why some people beat the odds while others don't and why some people bounce back and others give up. In the end, based on pretty amazing research, Sherwood reveals how anyone can become the kind of person who survives and thrives.
I couldn't help but mark certain passages as I flew through one chapter after another and found principles that relate perfectly to surviving financial challenges like unemployment, soaring interest rates, rising prices through inflation, the cost of college or any number of other financial challenges so many people face these days.
The First Rule: Everyone is a Survivor. "Survivors keep going," says Sherwood, "despite opposition and setbacks. They may want to quit, but they still persevere." Some financial survivors even manage to excel under the worst circumstances. They make the most of misfortune. This first rule brings to mind a reader who calls herself "Grits." Through a series of life challenges, she has found herself living on about $10,000 a year. You read that right. Still, she has managed to pull herself out of debt, lives below her means and is about as joyful and full of life as anyone I know. You can read her Turning Point story in the June 09 issue of the Debt-Proof Living newsletter.
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marysunkes
8/10/2009 6:22 PM
A link to this article has been posted on the website GoodNewsNow.com.
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lyddiebee
8/8/2009 3:07 PM
into my name. It was a difficult time for both my uncle and myself. My car was repossessed due to the bankruptcy and my own financial struggles. For a long time, I was bitter about that, but I realize now that my uncle didn't have to take a chance on me to help me out in the first place. He didn't have to cosign. It was a learning opportunity for the both of us and I would rather have my relationship with my uncle than have a car anyday. I would rather take a hit on my credit than lose a relationship with my uncle. Because you can't take your credit score with you when you die, but hopefully when I die, I will be able to be reunited with my uncle when he passes as well. And that reunification will be so much better without a bitter taste because of some "worldly" thing like credit getting in the way. Sorry about the "book." I felt too strongly about this not to speak.
lyddiebee
8/8/2009 3:03 PM
Perhaps the "deadbeat" nephew defaulting on a car payment was an opportunity God placed before you to help you witness and grow in your relationship with the nephew, or perhaps it was an opportunity God placed before you to help your nephew grow in his journey. To better explain where this perspective is coming from, when I was in high school I purchased my first vehicle from a dealership. My uncle co signed on the loan because I didn't have enough credit. I worked full time and went to school. When I moved away to college things became financially more difficult for me, as there are a lot of costs associated with college. I struggled for a couple of months with my car payment. I had others help me and am very thankful they chose to do so at that time. However, my uncle also began to have financial difficulties that led him into bankruptcy. This caused the lender to become more strict with the financial arrangements and because I was still so young, I could not get the loan transferred
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