Debt-Free? Or Lucky?
Dear you,
This might be short, as I want it to be celebratory and maybe inspirational who knows? Hopefully, it isn’t the perspire-to-aspire type. I have news for all of us, I am writing this at 5:58 P.m. West African time, on 27th December 2023 to state that I am debt-free. It has been nothing short of a personal huge win for me. I wish I could take a megaphone and shout at the top of my voice, “Debt-free.”
Since the beginning of 2023, my mission has been to liberate myself from the financial burdens that lingered in my mother’s name. It was her debt, and in May, I successfully transferred those obligations into my own name, and it wasn't a mere few thousand—I managed to clear out a whopping seven figures of debt. Yes, you read that right—seven figures! It’s still unbelievable how I dropped in a chunk each month and now it’s cleared.
They say the first step to building wealth is paying off debts, and I wanted to do that without any burden hovering over my shoulders. It wasn't just about the money; it was about untangling the tangled web of financial struggles that had followed me since my childhood. I was addressing my narratives with money.
For six months beginning in 2022 and crossing over in 2023, I have dedicated myself to therapy. My therapist Nkem, is a phenomenal therapist who played a pivotal role in changing my narratives with money. She helped me to pour into my siblings without being tied to the outcome.
I do what I can as I can and I have it in my mind that my life is there as well. She challenged me to change my purse, I am yet to do that tho but I’ve changed a lot of things regarding money. I let it flow in and out of me and put it to very good use.
I have a clear and sound credit report, I collected it today and I felt like a very responsible citizen. This credit report would be used for further things in the future. I am a bankable being. Nkem’s insights and methods helped me a lot. I was super sad she had to leave for Spain. I can’t forget her in a hurry.
I also thank myself for my dedication, week in, and week out, my to-do list had this debt on it. It feels good to tick it off. Trust me to give myself a big tick.
It wasn't just about crunching numbers; it was also a spiritual and emotional process. I like to take things at a time and when I do it is an arrow focus and I shoot. I took God with me, I took prayers, I took therapy, I took books, I added hard work. I was running 5 jobs and 3 gigs in some months.
Through these series of stepwise actions and a conscious effort to redefine my narrative with money—to build wealth in the baby steps I can. I have made great strides. I set a deadline for myself—by December 31st, 2023, I declared, I would be debt-free and it happened before then. Super grateful!
I carried it like a mission with me everywhere—during the hallelujah challenge, CCI prayer meetings, and those midnight moments of solitude. I am just getting new things for myself, for months, not a new dress, shoe, or bag. If you look at my wardrobe it looks like a false minimalist—which isn’t bad because where do I even go to.
My prayers were accompanied by a clear vision of what I needed for this year. My money habits are better, and clarity has become my compass. This year isn’t without challenges but I am more of an “overflowing cup” kind of person. “Half-full” so despite my health shenanigans that tested my resilience, I’ve come out as a disciplined woman. And the pride I felt in that surpassed any obstacle I might have faced this year.
I don’t know if I should write a book on how to get out of millions of debt and stay out of debt—correcting our money narratives and how to help those around you correct theirs so they don’t pull you two steps back when you take a step forward. I’ve done that, I don’t fear to give anyone an ultimatum to adjust to the new order and help them see the reason it ought to be different. I just might write that book, after all, no experience should be wasted when it could benefit even if it’s just a single person out there.
So, here's my takeaway: Luck didn't clear my debts; it was a conscious decision, a prayerful process, and resolute discipline. Also, the wealth you build from overcoming financial obstacles isn’t just at the financial level; it's a wealth of self-discovery, resilience, and immense personal growth. The character development at the end is crazy, it’s like I can do anything.
Finally, I am sharing this not just to gloat about achieving a goal—although I deserve to in this Tinubu’s economy lol. I do hope it's an inspiration for anyone out there daring to hope against their circumstances. I am just a small-town girl from Naka living life with the words that flow from her head to her hands.
I hope I get to come back to this too and reread it whenever I encounter an obstacle in the future. I mean life is life and we can’t tell but when life brings its trying times I hope to come and read this and know that this small-town girl from Naka, wrote words and paid off millions of debt in 2023 and will go ahead to do more by God’s grace.
Thank you for reading. See you in 2024. God be with you!
With gratitude,
Winifred.
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