I was sitting in the emergency room on Easter Sunday listening to my heart race and feeling the fatigue of a man who hadn't slept in days.

My diagnosis was already predetermined. I was scared to death of becoming homeless.

For years and years, I had out earned all of my friends and family, so the fear of homelessness shouldn't even have been a concern.

However, I had out spent them all as well and this lead to a significantly negative net worth and I was afraid the coming tax bill would be, well frankly, unpayable.

I had almost nothing to show for the 25 years of busting my hump in the workplace and was pretty well maxed on my credit cards.

Worse, I was exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

I believed I was losing my ability to regenerate my crazy ability to earn at will, and if I couldn't what would happen then?

I was suddenly consumed by the thought of my lovely wife ending up in the street because of my careless financial habits and that caused an anxiety that sounded like drums beating against my ears 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The funny part about insomnia is that it is a self-fulfilling condition. When you can't sleep you get anxious and fearful that you are falling apart and the ability to sleep gets worse.

I knew I wasn't crazy, but I almost wished that I was.

Sometimes I think it would be great to be out of touch with reality.

Reality can be a struggle, can it not?

The doctor gave me some pills to help me sleep and when I felt a little better, I developed a plan for getting myself put back together.

That was 6 years ago and I have gone from over 500 thousand dollars in debt to a pretty strong positive net worth.

The interesting part is it isn't the actual money that matters, what counts is the way I had to retrain myself to THINK and FEEL about money.

Money is a tool, and like any other tool, if poorly maintained and improperly cared for, it simply won't work for you when you need it to. 

In fact, it sometimes works against you.

But it doesn't have to.

I often think of that poor soul in the emergency room and I imagine him talking to a younger version of himself and I wonder what he would say.

Today, as I look back on the whole ordeal I realize that there are really three things at stake here:

ONE: Peace Of Mind

 I am looking at 60 years old as my next big milestone and what I have found is that nothing life has to offer is worth the price of worry. Peace of mind trumps every toy and every vacation one could possibly take. When I am sitting at my computer trying to create something magical, know I have a positive bank balance, I feel warm and happy. I think the main thing is that I now control my money and it doesn't control me.

TWO: Opportunity Expands When You Are Financially Free

 You know how they say that it takes money to make money? It also takes money to SEE money. Put another way, when your brain is in crisis mode, your ability to think clearly contracts. You simply can't see things like you used to and your ability to imagine and create chokes off, thus, decreasing your value to the marketplace; really hampering your ability to earn an effective living.

THREE: Time Cannot Be Bought For Any Amount Of Money, Unless It CAN

You know what is REALLY fun?

Not having to work unless you want to!

When I was young, I used to think TOYS were fun.

I bought boats, 4 wheelers, hot cars, etc. 

The problem was I always had to work overtime to pay for them and I never got to enjoy them.

Today, I spend extra money to pay someone to mow my lawn, and shovel my driveway because the time they give me is vital to my health, wealth, and passion projects.

The more you save, the less you have to work and the sooner you can walk away from the nine to five and into throwing away the alarm clark.

No matter what stage you are at today, have a talk with yourself about money and your financial future.

You will be amazed at the power you have to determine a brighter, happier future.

Whatever you do, sleep well my friend, and for God's sake, stay out of the ER!