With Every Hardship Comes GrowthPart Two of the “Thankful Living Series”

As a loan officer, I look at people’s financial situations all day long. I have watched people become successful homeowners and watched people, unfortunately, lose their homes. In this month where we reflect on what we are thankful for, I am thankful for an economy where many of us have learned some difficult financial lessons which have changed our lives. Coming from the “boom years” where it was the norm to leverage and borrow against our assets, keep up with the Jones’, charge up our credit, it has been a big financial wake up call for many of us.

The lesson that I am so grateful for is that our financial life can be simplified. Getting control of it is simple, but not easy. We need to be disciplined with spending and saving, and not live outside of our means. It’s a time of rebuilding, and for some of us, starting over. But with every hardship comes growth…and for that I am thankful.