Moving forward, I am going to aim at an overall tone of positivity for this blog as well as its accompanying Twitter account. Instead of pointing my finger at ole’ Aunt Sallie, I will try and point my finger towards meaningful things that bring hope and have a chance at making an impact in the lives of those who read this blog.
Make no mistake, I am not agreeing that the repayment system is no longer unfair and stepping down from the fight; that is not the case. However, now that I myself am out of the deep waters and can begin to see land, I will lock in my line of sight straight towards home. Straight towards home INTENTIONALLY and with a POSITIVE attitude by my side. Looking back to where I was, I think I found great comfort in searching for and joining the online team of ‘Sallie Mae haters’; there was a common level of understanding within that community. I think what I really needed to know, aside from the fact that there were other people aboard, was that intentional living and positive motivation on a constant basis would be the extra power that would steer my boat safely towards shore.
It is easy to have hate in your heart. It is easy to point the blame. It is easy to get overwhelmed. You have to decide to make the switch into beast mode and challenge the peanut butter and ramen noodles out of yourself. And beast mode is indeed what it takes. Thankfully, I have found both Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey to be very relatable, and that is the reason I have stuck with it; you may not find any hope or inspiration in their words, and if that is the case, I encourage you to seek out other financial advisers/approaches until you find one that motivates you.
My hope is that this blog can now serve a community of people who have chosen to live an intentional life of positivity all for the purpose of getting their boat to shore. I for one know that I was completely fed up with sitting out in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of other motionless boats just waiting in anticipation for the next storm. Something clicked and I realized I had to be the captain of my own boat and do something DIFFERENT if I had any chance of getting to shore. My love for those still remaining motionless out in the ocean runs deep; to them I send out this blog as an SOS received in hopes that they too can implement the necessary steps to have their compasses point them home.
I don't plan to delete any of my previous postings as it helps for me to read about my darkest days so that I have a reminder of just how far I have come. I know this struggle has made me a stronger and much wiser person. Believe me when I say I am not to shore yet, (I still need about 40K more to get me there) but the fact that I can see land is something I will never take for granted. Since intentionally staying focused and trying my best to think in a positive manner has gotten me this far, I am going to stick with it. My hope is that you do as well; because when you do, that also helps me to do the same. Together we can get to shore; besides, what fun is it going to be if I get to shore and am the only survivor?
"It's not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to start to see new options and new possibilities."
― Kristin Armstrong
“Impact is never about knowing all the steps ahead, but about taking one intentional step after the other.”
― Bidemi Mark-Mordi
“Empowerment is the intentional absence of negativity.”
― Stephanie Lennox
