Stop Drowning…in Guilt. Get Going Forward!

Suzanne ShinnIt's probably safe to say that most of us were raised with the adage: "If you create a debt, you had better pay it. You're a bad person if you don't pay your bills." But, most of us when we are making decisions do not intentionally set out on a course to simply skip out on paying our bills. In fact, I have never, ever, in over 25 years of practicing law had one person sit down in my office and say, "I am so glad to be here because about 5 years ago, I woke up one morning and thought, 'Wouldn't it be great to file a bankruptcy?'"

I am here to tell you that my number one goal in counseling clients that come into our office for a consultation is to re-emphasize that they need to stop beating themselves up and stop drowning…in guilt. People are fascinated to find out that many, many celebrities, businesses and ordinary people find themselves in situations that are far more difficult than they ever planned on or could ever plan for.

We always want to encourage you that regardless of how you may have gotten to this point, stop feeling guilty, stop beating yourself up and get moving forward!!! Once you take the first step to solving a problem, there is an immediate sense of relief. There is wisdom in a multitude of counselors. The situation usually only worsens when you don't take immediate steps to resolve your issues. But walking around with a cloud of guilt hanging over you will never solve anything.

My mother used to tell me when I made a mistake, "We can't cry over spilled milk. We can only go up from here. Pick yourself up because God still has a good plan. He's not going to beat you up with a 2x4 so don't beat yourself up anymore." Great advice in my book. The other advice was to always learn from your mistakes. Don't get bogged down even more. You can't do anything about yesterday. It's gone. If you try to drive a car forward looking in the rear view mirror….you will end up in a wreck.

If you are having difficulties with paying your bills or have become overwhelmed with how to develop a plan, please contact one of our offices nearest you to schedule a free consultation. All of our attorneys are experienced with helping you through and working out a plan that is best for you.

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