Conquering debt with a mindset change

Julie Murphy • February 23, 2011

Whether it be student loans, a mortgage, that car note or plain old credit cards, the majority of Americans are in some sort of debt. And most of us have some sort of shame associated with it. A lot of us blame our debt on not being able to do the things we want in life. But it’s really the shame that holds us back from our true life purpose.

A few weeks ago, I talked about attracting wealth. If you set the intention to create a better life and take significant steps towards it, you will attract positive people with the same goals. This principle works the other way as well. If you think of your debt as insurmountable and you tell yourself you’ll never be able to get it under control, you put yourself in a negative place. When it comes to debt, your motivation needs to come from a positive place in order to make major changes.

Letting fear dictate our actions

There’s two ways to conquer debt: the positive way or the negative way. When you come at debt from a negative perspective, you don’t get very far. Negative self talk leads to lackluster efforts and failed attempts at making long-term changes. Eventually, you fall of the wagon completely. And then you feel worse than before.

After the recession really hit home, people acted out of fear. Seeing our friends or family lose their jobs was a terrifying wake-up call, and we anxiously reacted. We started saving money out of fear of losing our jobs; a recession means we have to cut back on anything fun. And we stopped going after the things we wanted in life because we were discouraged by the economy; and we told ourselves that our dreams could wait, right? It’s difficult to look at what you can do with what you have when you’re focused on what you can’t.

Letting of fear and truly conquering debt

When you come at conquering debt from a positive perspective, you net totally different results. Instead of being fearful of what might happen, be excited about what will happen. When you’re putting away money in savings, think about positive things that money is going to do for you.

Come from the same place when paying down your debt. Allow yourself to be happy when you put money on a big bill; celebrate the fact that you’re closer to your goal. Thinking positive about the changes you’re making in your financial life make the process easier. And always keep your end goal in mind. All those inches you take towards your dream are significant habitual changes, and you should be proud.

Tags: conquer debt, get out of debt, emotion behind debt, emotion behind money, personal finance, money advice, Julie Murphy, money, debt, psychology of money

The post Conquering debt with a mindset change appeared first on Julie Murphy.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Share Blog On Social

A woman is smiling while money is falling around her.

A book titled the spiritual laws of money

Get it NOW!

Recent Blogs

The Life You're Waiting For Is Waiting for You to Wake Up

By Julie Murphy • August 4, 2026

What if nothing is wrong with your life? What if the frustration you feel... The anxiety around money... The constant striving... The feeling that something is missing... Isn't a sign that you're failing. What if it's simply your soul trying to wake you up? So many of us spend our lives searching for the next thing we believe will finally make us feel whole. More money. A different relationship. A better job. A healthier body. Another vacation. Another achievement. Another finish line. Yet somehow, after every accomplishment, that feeling quietly returns. "There has to be more than this." And there is. Not because your life is lacking. Because you've been taught to look for fulfillment in places it was never meant to come from. One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that life is always working for us, even when it doesn't feel like it. Every challenge... Every financial struggle... Every relationship... Every fear... Every success... They're all invitations. Not punishments. Invitations to become more aware. Because awareness changes everything. You can't transform a belief you don't know you're carrying. You can't heal a wound you refuse to acknowledge. You can't create a different future while living from yesterday's programming. This is why I don't believe true wealth begins with your bank account. It begins with your awareness. Money simply magnifies the relationship you already have with yourself. If you believe you're not enough... No amount of money will ever feel like enough. If you don't trust yourself... It won't matter how much financial security you create. You'll still feel uncertain. Real wealth isn't something we earn. It's something we uncover. It's been within us all along, buried beneath years of conditioning, fear, expectations, and stories that were never ours to begin with. When we begin clearing away those layers, something beautiful happens. We stop chasing. We start creating. We stop reacting. We begin choosing. We stop living from fear. We begin living from love. That's where abundance begins. Not outside of you. Inside of you. That's why I created the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge . Not to teach you how to make more money. Not to convince you that positive thinking changes everything. But to give you space. Space to slow down. Space to become aware. Space to notice the patterns you've been living from without even realizing it. Over the course of 21 days, you'll begin seeing yourself differently. You'll explore the beliefs shaping your financial life. You'll reconnect with your intuition. You'll learn how your emotions influence your decisions. Most importantly... You'll begin remembering that you already have everything within you to create a life that feels aligned, peaceful, and abundant. The challenge isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home to who you've always been. If your heart has been whispering that it's time for something different... Listen. It may be the beginning of everything. I'd love to walk this journey with you. Because your greatest investment has never been in the stock market. It's always been in yourself. And when you awaken that relationship... Everything else begins to change. With Love, Julie P.S. Sometimes the biggest transformation doesn't happen because life changes around us. It happens because we finally become aware of the life we've been creating, and realize we have the power to create something new. If you're ready, I'd love to have you join us for the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge.