I recently had the wonderful opportunity to speak on a panel at Grace Church Melbourne, my home church, about my favorite topic, money.

The panel ends a powerful series on Money and to make it fun, Pastor Aaron Olinski put together a panel of his friends to speak about finances. The topics included the following and more.

What are some financial struggles we have experienced?
When did we start giving back to our church?
How do you talk to your spouse about money?
Best personal finance and investing tips?

Afterwards, quite a few people stopped by to share about the impact of the event. I am glad it was meaningful and powerful, and I hope people can take their next step. For you, I have summarized some key points I made about taking charge over your finances:

Everyone starts somewhere.

Figure out where you are and address the elephant in the room. In our case, it was student loan debt. My wife and I eventually listed every debt we owed and committed to plan to pay each off, starting with the smallest balance first.

Communication and Teamwork

If you are married, you should know that communication and finances are two important reasons marriages fail. When it comes to finances, your challenges will not get better by ignoring them. Talk to your spouse about each of your concerns, uncover the feelings behind the behavior and take a next step.

You Are On A Journey

Everyone on this earth is on a financial journey. We are all required to manage resources. We each start in different places, have different seasons and challenges and have different destinations. Run your race. Do not compare your success to others. Look at where you are and where you could be. Work your plan.

For years I wanted to invest. But where I was in my financial journey required that my wife and I first take care of the useless debt that hampered us. Today, my journey involves taking the next steps to building wealth through real estate.

Make it fun. Celebrate your wins.

Enjoy the journey!