My US bank just sent me an email with this subject:
Assistance for Members Affected by the Government Shutdown
They were offering loan assistance and early withdrawal of CDs without penalty for people who’ve been affected by the recent shutdown.
Now I’m about as far away from US politics and happenings as I could be (and not just because I’m on another continent) so I did a little digging.
It turns out about 750,000 people have been put on unpaid leave because Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on the spending bill.
While this may not touch you and me directly, it does have effects that ripple across the nation and beyond.
And it may touch on an all-too familiar fear:
What will I do if I don’t get paid?
When forces beyond your control cut off your income, a shift in the market, a global pandemic, or just a collective “meh” from your audience, it can trigger the same panic as a paycheck that never arrives.
I know the feeling.
Years ago, our first big product launch at Book More Brides made over $50,000 in two weeks. It was a huge win…until our merchant bank froze the funds because it was an unprecedented amount for a new customer.
We had bills and affiliate commissions to pay, and we couldn’t touch the money.
I remember calling customer support and completely losing my shit. Screaming, crying, furious. Someone was holding my money, and I was powerless to do anything about it.
So how do you deal when life (or a bank) cuts off your cash flow?
My honest answer is, “Variably.” And better these days.
But here’s what I do know:
Something always occurs to me to get through the challenges and obstacles.
When I’m calm enough to listen, I get ideas. Practical ones. Common sense. Crazy ideas that just might generate some cash.
Something always comes.
I was just speaking with Jacqueline Hollows in our podcast conversation today (episode coming soon!) and she shared what she does when money fear kicks in.
She cranks up the music and has a dance party with her whiteboard. She writes down as many ways to make money today as she can: practical, magical, illegal, doesn’t matter. Every idea goes on the board.
Within ten minutes she’s got a board full of ideas and more importantly, a completely different state of mind.
It’s not really about the ideas, but the shift from panic to possibilities. That’s where resilience, creativity and ease live.
And that’s exactly what we do inside the IMPACT Membership — quiet the noise so the ideas can flow.
Rather than generating money from a frenzy of panic (my old go-to strategy), you start creating from clarity and inspiration. The results are always better (and a lot more fun).
This month we’re playing with Big Ideas and taking inspired action on them. You can join us here:
https://www.theawakenedbusiness.com/impactinvite/
Yours in love and play,
Steph
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