Sometimes you get hit and it hurts. We have all been wounded at some point in our lives.
Wounding can be physical or emotional. They can nick shallow or slash deep.
Once wounded, the healing begins. This process can be quick and painless or it can be a long, painful struggle.
As the bleeding stops, the scar starts to form and there is strength through scarring.
Often, these traumatic experiences are switches enabling the locomotive of our life to alter its path.
The pain, suffering and change should be embraced. The scars serve as silent reminders of the ordeal and the metamorphosis into change.
Financial Wounds
As a bankruptcy lawyer, I help people who are wounded.
I treat people who have fallen down and been injured financially. Sometimes it’s just a minor scrape that needs a band-aid. Other times, it’s a car crash and the victim is hemorrhaging.
As a financial surgeon, I step in and stop the bleeding, treat the wound and develop a recovery plan depending on the severity of the injury.
Financial Hemorrhaging
I don’t know why, but lately I am seeing more and more clients who are hemorrhaging financially. These are emergency situations that need immediate attention.
Wage garnishments, bank liens, foreclosure auctions and rental evictions are just some examples of financial emergencies that need immediate attention.
The student loan crisis is adding to the problem as I am seeing more and more people being harassed by collection agencies collecting on defaulted student loan debt.
This month I have already helped 2 clients file chapter 13 bankruptcy in order to stop student loan wage garnishment.
Bankruptcy will typically stop the bleeding, allow you to get your feet back on the ground and take the threat level from critical to stable.
Healing
When the wound is staunched, it can begin to heal. As a bankruptcy lawyer, I can assist, but ultimately healing is in your hands.
Bankruptcy does not provide a fresh start. In reality, it provides the opportunity for a fresh start and you have to work for it.
It is up to you, the debtor, to work on your own financial and emotional recovery.
With time the scars will fade, you will be stronger and you will have a solid financial foundation to build upon.
Sometimes, bankruptcy is just what the doctor ordered.
Image courtesy of Phalinn (Flickr).