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Written articles are designed to enlighten and motivate readers on topics that address everyday challenges. Nancy will provide tangible advice that will empower your readers to live full out.
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This column is designed to build community. Readers will identify with the personal questions asked and will look forward to gaining tips from Nancy’s positive guidance.
Article Format
Do you find that you are anxious and struggling with financial challenges more than ever these days? Worrying about money can easily make you feel discouraged and hopeless. The key to turning your financial situation around is to analyze your budget and change your point of view.
Whether you are dealing with heaps of debt or lack the funds for the life you want, the first step is to assess your present needs. Whenever money is involved, and especially when it’s tight, your initial reaction may be to dodge deadlines. However, this can be avoided by first prioritizing food and health related expenses. Ensure your most essential bills get paid then ask yourself if there are areas where you are being reckless with finances. Maybe you have been spending too much on shoes when this money would be better put towards a retirement fund. Figuring out what you can afford, and keeping plans for the future in mind, will lead to more control over your financial situation.
The next step is to change your outlook. If you are struggling with unemployment, view it as an opportunity to stretch and learn. You can take an online class or polish your resume. It is a chance to develop the skills necessary for an ideal position and invest in yourself. If you recently had to close your business and are feeling anger and disappointment, instead remember the positive impact on people from the product or service you provided. Whatever financial setback you may be facing, look at it as a pause to get excited about your next chapter.
Money hardships can feel overwhelming, but you can always turn the situation around. Financial difficulties can be seen as a chance to redirect your path. By taking smart steps in budgeting, you will see fast results and a rising bank account.
Q & A Format
Dear Nancy: I’ve been defeated and tired because I feel like my voice and opinions aren’t being heard. On many occasions, I’ve tried expressing my exasperation to my friends over all the bad news in these polarizing times, but it’s like I’m shouting and no one can hear me. I constantly feel stuck with outcomes I don’t like and it’s as if I have no control. How do I deal with feeling like people aren’t listening to me? Sincerely, Unheard.
Dear Unheard: When you feel like no one understands what you are trying to say, there can be overwhelming emotions of anger and sadness. You have to push past these reactions to see if there are any positives that were overshadowed by frustration. When you notice another negative headline in the news, you have the power to switch the station and not absorb the information. If a friend only wants to talk about a topic that annoys you and won’t let you get a word in, it can be best to respectfully leave the conversation. Take in what serves you, and limit views that do not. Write out a list of concerns you feel you aren’t being heard on, then crumple it up and throw it away. This will purge any pent-up anxiety. Feeling unheard can also lead to assumptions that the person not listening to you doesn’t value your thoughts. To conquer this, consider an effective communication method to express your emotions. Draft a message to a friend you feel neglected by, then walk away from it for a time. When you come back to it, you might adjust phrases that were too hot-headed and not entirely true due to the emotion clouding the situation. Finally, remember that times and opinions are constantly changing. Release any obsession over what you wanted an outcome to be, and open yourself up to inevitable, hopeful change.
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