Incremental money

Money is a sticky spot for most people. I know few who don’t have some stress about it in some form and as a full time massage therapist I’ve spent many nights wondering where the rent would come from.

I accrued 5k in credit card debt over the years and it came and went several times. Payed down, built up again and though my practice would grow, bills always seemed a little larger than my income. I’ve never been one to spend extravagantly but when you need groceries and you don’t have that paycheck for two weeks, credit card debt can build up easily when you stack car repairs on top.

Today I payed off my credit cards in full. That 5k in debt has taken me a year to work on incrementally and with good luck it’ll never come back. Compound interest I’ve heard it said is the strongest force in the universe and I believe it. Like gravity it can weigh you down.

Altering and changing ones life in a way that fits your values is important. I’ve resisted the stress of the holidays and instead of buying gifts, I payed off what I owed in the hopes of a year where I can afford gifts without interest payments. Want to help me avoid more debt? Schedule a Thai massage with me or come to my yoga classes, every little bit helps.

Just as your yoga practice will grow as you lengthen your spine, that incremental buildup leads to great things. Your breath expands as your diaphragam strengthens and your focus is more sharp. I’ve always been impressed at how the physical integrates into the emotional and energetic body and in the past week my oldest back pain dissipated to the point where I realized it no longer seemed to be there.

I’ve been working on that since the accident that led me into my current work. Twelve years it’s been a lingering annoyance and pain. It came and went, sometimes better sometimes worse but this is the longest it’s been gone. Lengthen your spine and breath indeed. Incremental is the only way things work.