Dear Younger Self. . What I wish I knew sooner

How many times have you said MAN I WISH I KNEW THAT SOONER! That would be the theme of my 20's if I had to choose one. 

Whenever I thought I was finally getting a good grip on life I would learn a lesson that had I known it sooner, my journey would have been a lot smoother.

For instance all things money. Do you know it's people out here helping their children turn 18 with top notch credit. I'm not talking about putting the phone or electricity bill in their name. Parents stop doing this. Please! I'm talking about adding your child as an authorized user on your good standing credit cards so they can establish credit. Or adding them to your LLC. Or putting $25 a month in a savings account for them from birth so they have assets when they turn 18.... These are all examples of ways to set your child up for success before they reach adulthood. 

I wish I knew anything about money sooner. I had no idea how to balance a checkbook, what credit truly was or how to use it. Did you know you can purchase a home while in college? I had no idea. I definitely did not know that you could turn your passion into profit.. So much potential left on the table.

I learned all things money from doing allllll the wrong things. Yes I thought credit cards were free money and by the time I grasped the concept I was deep in the hole. While working at the bank I was the master at explaining to college students how to balance their checkbook because I had paid more than my fair share of overdraft fees. I had zero financial knowledge until I became fed up with being rejected and realized I had to educate myself in order to spare my children the disappointments that I had ( check out my tips to boosting your credit realistically here).  I made the choice to better myself so I could help them ( and now others) avoid that part of life.

It's actually easier for me to talk about my past finances as bad as they were than  the next topic but YOLO let's discuss.

I ran from the disappointments of my childhood for the majority of my adult life. I lived in a state of survival because that's all I knew and it ran my life. I wish I knew that I could let go of the childhood disappointments and live a life of peace. 

Parenting is hard. It's hard, hard. The deeper I got in the web of parenting the more I realized, if your parents did the best they could you have to let it go. If they didn't do the best they could, you made it to adulthood alive and let it go. If you can't let it go ( some things you simply can't let go of and that is ok too) seek counseling. Clean up your heart so you can find peace in your life, heal and begin LIVING.

My ups and many many downs shaped me into the woman I am today, I get that. But if I had 1 minute with 16 year old Renee ( I have to go that young because I became a mother at 17) I would tell her to focus on school, learn as much as you can about financial stability and that nothing could stop her. 

I did not know I was UNSTOPPABLE, UNBREAKABLE, UNMOVABLE until I was well into my 30s. 

If you haven't realized that yet, realize it today. Sis you are UNSTOPPABLE, UNBREAKABLE, UNMOVABLE

(Yes I made one or more of those words up)

Take a few moments to answer the questions below. This is to you from you. 

Reflection is one of the most powerful tools we have towards capturing the essence of the life we desire to live. Once you know better you do better and theres no way to know when you need to shift if you don't reflect on where you are and where you have been. 

What would you tell the younger version of yourself?

What are you still holding on to from your past?

Are you ready to move on?

Let's Move on together... 

Youtube Video 5 Things I wish I knew sooner

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