My past internal mental programming has taught me to fear debt and to avoid it.  I understand it is not debt that is bad, but the way the average American uses it that is destructive.  From today forward, I will use my debt to invest and build my wealth.  I will reprogram my mind to understand how to invest, using debt and credit to build wealth.  Debt allows me to exercise the power of leverage - and it can make me rich.

As a major hurricane approaches Florida, we are being reminded to “take it serious” and “be prepared”.  Certainly good advice and certainly advice we are taking, especially after the last storm gave us a direct hit. 

20 or so years ago a mentor of mine asked, "Toni what do you think is a great asset you have?" I replied, "oh, that's easy my ability to teach and be a professional speaker." Then he said, "well, what do you think is a big thing that gets in the way of your success?" After much thought I replied, "well that's easy my ability to speak." Sometimes my very ability to be steadfast turns into stubborn. My ability to plan turns into indecision.

The way money is controlled when it comes to lending is through credit score ratings.  If lenders want to release money into the marketplace, they lower the scores for qualifying guidelines and scores.  In 2011, the scoring for "A" credit was raised to 730.  Therefore, I choose to have A+ credit with credit scores that are 760 or higher.

My past internal mental programming has cautioned me to play it safe and avoid risk.  However, I now have new programming that encourages me to think differently about using my existing resources to build my businesses.  I am no longer terrified of risk because I have mastered the skills of becoming a calculated risk taker.  I have three resources that will help me build my wealth: time, credit, and money.

People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime.  When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.