by Krymzen Hall

Created on: April 24, 2008   Last Updated: January 09, 2010

Authors regard writing as sacred, fighting anyone who says it's not. They share the same goal, to be heard. With skill and a sprinkle of luck, they hope to make an impact on at least one person in this life while earning a living, or at least while supplementing the income from more traditional jobs. And as most starving artists would say, "Times are tough."

What I've learned about money has helped me tame money's excessive influence over me, thus allowing me to focus on what I love: writing. Maybe my life lessons will help you too.

It was a typical morning. The alarm drilled into my ears, and I silenced it forever. If I had had a shovel I would have buried the clock in my backyard. But, like a trooper, I got out of bed, dressed, then got my kids out of their beds, and we left for the day. So far, the morning had been uneventful. After I dropped my children off at school, I needed a java jolt so I went to Starbucks. The line was longer than an American Idol audition. But I waited. As I cursed and banged my knee against the car door out of extreme impatience, I remembered the words of an old marketing professor, "The mall has everything you want and nothing you need."

Those words propelled my thought process. Stores all over the globe entice us to spend money when our time, and our money, are better spent elsewhere. Starbucks is no exception. Please do not mistake my honesty for hate. Starbucks is delicious and a wonderful treat. But how could I be so weak-minded that I would choose to wait in a line for over forty minutes, be late for work, and then pay seven dollars for coffee and a breakfast that I can make at home for a dollar? I immersed myself in thought. And what I discovered was chilling. I needed validation in a world where I had none. I wanted to say that I had the power to buy anything at my choosing. But in reality, it was a form of self-sabotage. I loved Starbucks, true. But I hated my job more, and I was looking for some solace every morning, to help me survive the day. My own little piece of absolution.

Then I thought of another professor who'd said, "Leadership is the ability to make somebody act in a given way."

I did the math. Leadership plus desire equaled a person of awesome power, me. But I had given my power to my money. I let it not only define me, I let it comfort me, and justify why I was so unhappy. When I woke up and smelled the coffee (I know, it's a cliche, forgive me), I left the line at Starbucks (true story), and started on a path to happiness. I left my job and now I'm betting on myself, living on student loans while going to graduate school, with a plan of opening my own business one day to self-publish. But I'm also being smart, saving at least 100 dollars a month. And you know what? I'm the happiest I've ever been, and I spend, on average, half of what I spent before I quit my nine-to-five.

In closing I want to add one last thing. Most of us know what a budget is and how to use it. But we need to know how to control our decisions, and in turn, control our finances. Let's start with honesty. If we are true to ourselves and strive for the lives we want, despite the obstacles, then our money will be true to us. And in time, the more we have to sacrifice to get to where we want to be, the less restraint we'll have to use to save our money.

And a latte every now and then can't hurt!

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