Archives For Greg Whitaker

058 DSR – It’s Never Too Late

October 15, 2012 — Leave a comment

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Don’t wait until you’re behind on your house, car, or credit card payments to reach out and ask for help. It doesn’t have to get that bad. It’s never too late to stop what you’re doing and change direction.

Too often we don’t ask for help with our finances because of fear, ignorance, or embarrassment. Talking about our personal finances is still taboo in America. Why? Because how/where we spend our money reveals to the world exactly what’s important to us. If you’re telling the world one thing is important and your spending says otherwise, it’s time for a checkup from the neck up.

It’s never too late to ask for help. Just remember, a bankruptcy isn’t a magic pill. After the smoke clears you still have to learn to pay your bills on time and make wiser financial decisions. And, yes, a foreclosure isn’t a pleasant experience. AND it’s not the end of your life. After a foreclosure you have to live somewhere. If that means renting for a while, then so be it.

Help is out there. You have to make the first move. If there’s a funny sound coming from under the hood of your car, ignoring it isn’t going to fix it. Your money is no different. Whistling in the dark isn’t going to keep you safe. Reach out and turn on the light switch.

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email at: greg [at] debtshepherd [dot] com

In Money, Motivation , ,
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057 DSR – Football: What is a Fan?

October 11, 2012 — Leave a comment

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fan
Before you call yourself a fan of any sport, be sure you know exactly what the word fan means. It, of course, is short for fanatic. Let’s take a closer look at what it means to be a fanatic.

From dictionary.com:
fa·nat·ic, noun
1. a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.

Origin:
1515–25; < Latin fānāticus pertaining to a temple, inspired by orgiastic rites, frantic, equivalent to fān ( um ) temple + -āticus, equivalent to -āt ( us ) -ate1 + -icus -ic

The football stadium is a temple? Sports are orgiastic rites? I don’t know what sports are to you. What I’m encouraging you to do is look deeper at what you’re doing when you call yourself a fanatic.

Are you a person with an uncritical enthusiasm for sports? Have you taken a deeper look inside yourself and asked why do I enjoy watching controlled violence? And, while we’re at it, how much money do you spend on sports?

Gotcha’ thinkin’? I certainly hope so.

Resources:
Mandate – The Temptation and exploitation of a college athlete

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email at: greg [at] debtshepherd [dot] com

In Psychology , , ,
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056 DSR – 401k Fallout

October 10, 2012 — Leave a comment

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I’m encouraging you to take a closer look at what your 401k really is. Not because I stumbled on the 60 minutes video above and now am sounding the alarm bell. I’m encouraging you because I’ve kept my mouth shut on this subject far too long.

I never tell people where to invest their money. That’s a very personal decision that should be done only after becoming educated about what you’re doing. I can tell you what I don’t invest in and that’s a 401k. It’s a savings plan that was designed so you won’t win.

High risk, low returns, zero control on your part. Hidden fees are just the tip of the iceberg. You have to truly understand what the stock market was meant to do. Check out the resource below and get the real skinny on Wall Street and how a 401k can mean financial suicide.

Resources:
How Wall Street Fleeces America

In Retirement , ,
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055 DSR – Becoming Color Blind

October 3, 2012 — Leave a comment

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color blind

Getting rid of debt isn’t the only thing we can shed to live happier, simpler lives. We can get rid of some old ideas as well.

I was recently a caller on an online radio show called Ms. Cyndi. Click the play button above to listen in on some of that conversation. It speaks to how we label each other and how destructive it can be. The conversation also covers solutions.

We use a lot of labels to categorize people, places, and things. One of the most troubling labels we use is skin color. It causes division, friction, and a lot of heartache in our world. The cause of defining people by skin color is simple: Ignorance.

We can end racism now. We have to stop thinking we are the color of our skin. That goes for the oppressor and the oppressed. Finger pointing perpetuates the problem. God is no respector of color and isn’t narrow minded. We shouldn’t be either.

You are so much more than what shows up on the outside. You have power beyond measure. Everything we use as a label hides the true light that is within us waiting to shine out into the world.

Resources:
Listen to Ms. Cyndi on blogtalkradio.com

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email:
greg [at] debtshepherd [dot] com

In Psychology, Spiritually Speaking , ,
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The Robert Wesley Branch Show: Debt Shepherd Interviewed

October 1, 2012 — Leave a comment

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I recently had the honor of being a guest on a radio show out of the Washington, DC area. What a treat this was! Amazing host and co-hosts. The shows’s content is described as: “Writer and executive producer Robert Wesley Branch anchors this weekly conversation, covering news and politics, entertainment and lifestyle topics.”

The show topic was The Metaphysics of Money. The question arose, naturally, of how to manifest more money into your life. The answer given is quite the opposite of what you might be used to hearing.

Remember to first be absolutely clear on what it is you are bringing into our life. And then look at what you can get rid of (subtract) before you draw something new into your experience. Why?

If we’re unhappy with what we already have, we’ll very likely be unhappy with anything new that shows up. If you’re already happy with what you have you won’t go chasing what you think you need. This is truly life’s greatest paradox and one of life’s toughest lessons.

Robert Wesley Branch is a talented radio host and excellent interviewer, among other things. I recommend you visit his website and absorb the essence of his message. Visit his YouTube page. His videos are unique, personal, and bring a spiritual thread to his message that is intimate and speaks clearly to the viewer.

Resources:
Robert Wesley Branch

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email.

In Interviews, Spiritually Speaking ,
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054 DSR – Self-Invented Restless Dissatisfaction

September 26, 2012 — Leave a comment

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Are you suffering from Self-Invented Restless Dissatisfaction? First, let’s give credit where it’s due for this interesting “condition” I’m exploring. Joshua & Ryan use this term in their latest blog post Eschewing Advertising in Favor of Authentic Marketing.

So, what exactly is Self-Invented Restless Dissatisfaction? It means if we can’t seem to get our satisfaction and keep searching for it, it’s our own damn fault. We’ve invented our own unhappiness! And there are a lot of advertisers who would love to talk to us about it. Because they want to sell the instant solution (not) to our mysterious problem.

Sounds depressing, doesn’t it? There’s good news. Becoming aware you are the creator of your discontent solves 50% of the problem. Doing something about it is the other 50%, the solution. So what I’m saying is:

1) You are responsible for your unhappiness.
2) You can change it.
3) You can’t buy the solution.
4) It’s gonna take work.
5) You are 100% in control of your life.

Advertising serves a purpose. If you’re buying something you need to know if/where it’s available. Just ask yourself, “What am I buying and what problem am I trying to solve?” Always remember you can’t buy eternal life, skinny, rich, or instant happy. You’re already eternal. Skinny requires sweat. Rich requires sweat. And happiness is within.

Just take an honest inventory and ask why do I need so much? Stuff won’t fill the hole in your heart. Only love of self followed by love of others will. Stop with all the self sacrifice. If you can’t take care of yourself first, you can’t take care of anyone. Serve others, yes, but not to the detriment of your own wellbeing.

Resources:
Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email.

In Motivation, Psychology
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052 Women Obtaining Wealth: Dina Harbour Interview

September 22, 2012 — Leave a comment

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Women Obtaining Wealth LLC is a unique wealth building and networking company geared towards bringing entrepreneurial men and women together for the purpose of enhancing the lives of people through health, wealth and education.

Debt Shepherd interviews Dina Harbour of Women Obtaining Wealth, LLC out of Atlanta, GA.

She shares with us:
Who is the real Dina Harbour?
She tells us her story.
Shares her favorite book.
Lets us know if she could change one thing about America, what it would be.
Reveals how she wants to be remembered and what her legacy looks like.
She reveals her number one piece of life advice.

Resources:
Women Obtaining Wealth

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email.

In Motivation, Self Employed , ,
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051 DSR – Time Over Money: People Over Stuff

September 21, 2012 — Leave a comment

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time money

Start thinking about how much time you spend at work. Have you ever missed an important life event because of work? Has a funeral you couldn’t attend or a milestone in a child’s life come and gone because you were stuck at work? How did it make you feel?

What if you slowly started to choose to work less and have more time for yourself and family? It can be done. One way to start is by getting rid of debt first so you’ll have the option of working less hours. Hmmm……

Quotes:
“People feel dissatisfied, depressed, and unhappy because they try to buy their identify thru consumerism.” – Tammy Strobel author of Smalltopia: A Practical Guide to Working for Yourself

“When you choose time over money and people over stuff, happiness awaits.” Courtney Carver author of Simple Ways to Be More with Less

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email.

In Psychology , ,
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