financial recovery | Total Wealth

Preparing for a Financial Resurrection

Kate Phillips — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 17:57:39 +0000

Ten years ago, I described the Financial Crisis as “the dark before the dawn” in an blog post that went viral. At the time, I was a financial coach, but after transitioning into my own business just before the Financial Crisis, I was beginning to have my own money troubles.

I was entering into my own financial dark night of the soul, and those troubles were about to get much worse....

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Coming to terms with financial loss.

Kate Phillips — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 04:29:11 +0000

Coming to terms with financial loss is a challenge. My encounter with Stan in Orlando and his mantra of "It's hard."

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How to Recover from a Financial Setback

Kate Phillips — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 03:57:10 +0000

Nearly every American will experience multiple financial setbacks during their lifetimes. Incomes fluctuate. Investments fail. Emergencies strike. Life happens.

Very few people travel a straight road to financial success. Most of us encounter detours, potholes, even road blocks and dead ends along the way.

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The Transformative Power of Gratitude

Kate Phillips — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:14:40 +0000

Yes, her challenges were greater than I could even imagine, but still… I hoped - almost ashamed at myself for suggesting it, fearing I might be wrong - there must be a hint of sunshine somewhere. (Right?)

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Taxes and Tummy Aches

Kate Phillips — Tue, 04 May 2010 23:29:35 +0000

Ten Tips to Get Your Bookkeeping, Taxes, and Bill-Paying Done! A funny thing happened on the way to getting my taxes done… Some kind of “tummy bug” hit. Not that awful have-to-sit-on-the-toilet-with-a-bucket-in-your-lap flu that leaves you wondering what else your body could possibly purge, but a milder I-just-don’t-have-an-appetite-and-my-stomache-kinda-hurts thing. Now, with all the “work” I’ve done with my relationship with money, I’m pretty conscious about how my mind, body, emotions, and financial world fit together. Was I resisting doing my taxes? To be honest, it’s one of my least favorite things, though I’m not sure the tummy ache was related. (I actually was in a pretty good mood after I got into the swing of things…) I’ll admit, I relish exploring the more creative, emotional, right-brained aspects of money… from brainstorming business ideas to helping someone process through their “stories” about money, perhaps gaining big “aha’s” or even reframing how they relate to money. But I’m not an accountant type; I struggle with mundane record-keeping tasks, and I’m not the person to come to with your questions about Quickbooks! Having huge breakthroughs in my relationship with money — and developing many distinctions that help others to do the same — created a new world of possibilities for me, but it didn’t make me a bookkeeper! Still, the bills must be paid, the taxes must be filed. And if you’re like me (naturally resistant to mundane financial tasks), you might even find your mind and emotions working against you to accomplish these things. As they say, awareness is a perfect place to start…. but awareness itself doesn’t guarantee change or even progress. What’s needed is focused attention and energy. Changing our focus and energy around something can have profound effects. Law of Attraction coach Sandy Forster, an Australian single mom who went “from…

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Financial Failure: The Dark Before the Dawn

Kate Phillips — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:37:52 +0000

I spoke with a friend tonight who is in the process of filing for bankruptcy. She has lost her livlihood, her credit, her car, even her own place to live. After two failed business ventures followed by a health challenge that left her briefly incapacitated, she finds herself now with mountains of debt and no real income. Falling on the mercy of family and friends who have fed and sheltered her the last few months, she has retreated to an earlier profession, wrangling a few hundred dollars a month from friends and aquaintances who can afford to hire her on occasion. She has lost what most people would consider “everything.” As I spoke to my friend, I noticed a palpable shift in her since we last spoke a number of weeks ago. Was it depression? Resignation? Anger, shame, or blame? Not at all. While those emotions had become her loyal companions a few months ago, now, in her words, she has discovered “peace.” Even joy, gratitude, and new reasons for living! She talked about the the importance of “living in the present,” letting go of past regrets and future fears. She spoke of her newfound certainty that she would be alright, no matter what circumstance came her way. And she decribed her confidence that she has not been forgotten by God, but is rather sustained by a God who has been faithful through this storm. She knows the road to financial recovery could be a long one, but she is discovering how to enjoy each day to the fullest, regardless of her financial situation. Contast this to the tales we have heard the last few months in the news, of devastated fund managers and unsuccessful or unemployed executives who have chosen to end their own lives. French fund manager Thierry de la Villehuchet, a well-respected man of significant personal wealth and honorable morals, committed suicide when he learned that several of his clients’ fortunes, as well as much of…

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