My Best Days Really Are Ahead of Me

I used to get annoyed with people that talked about the power of believing in yourself, or the power of positive thinking.

I figured they'd never been through the things I had, were probably born optimists. I couldn’t get away from those types fast enough.

Hitting rock bottom was the best thing that could've happened to me, with nowhere else to go but up, and nothing to lose by espousing to a little faith.

That lesson hit me hardest while sitting in a debt relief counselor’s office, feeling like a total loser. A single mom with very little money, I stared at the mountain of credit card debt I’d run up in order to buy groceries, keep the lights on, and pay medical bills from a child’s accident. I couldn’t even begin to negotiate with creditors, since there was no money to negotiate with.

The counselor, a kind-faced, middle-aged man, went through the usual paperwork and procedures. Then he put the papers aside and talked to me like a human being.

“One big thing to remember,” he said, “Is that all is not lost. Situations change every day. It could change tomorrow.”

I thought about it as I drove home, crying most of the way, frustrated and embarrassed that I’d had to meet with a debt relief counselor. My pride was badly dented.

A month later, I came into some unexpected back child support. The month after that, I got a bigger tax return than planned. The month after that, my tiny business secured a large contract job that paid well and on time.

None of these windfalls were expected; yet, three months later, I was miraculously out of debt. This might sound Pollyanna, but please know this comes from a former pessimist and non-believer that historically has not had ‘lucky’ things happen.

A tiny grain of belief got planted in my psyche by that debt counselor. It took root, then it grew into a small plant, then a shrub, then a tree. It’s still growing.

Your circumstances can change. They can turn around in as little as a day. All you have to do is believe that they can.


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