What is your Spirit Like?

By Kim Kiyosaki

Finding inner strength in hard times As a young woman in my mid-twenties, I felt I was on top of the world. I was a successful advertising executive, operating a top Honolulu magazine. But I wasn’t happy. I wanted more. During that time, I met Robert and we decided we wanted to start our own business teaching financial education. I sold everything I had, quit my job, moved to a new state, and dove into this exciting adventure with my husband. And it was the toughest time of my life. Within two months we were flat broke. When we ran out of money, we were even homeless for a couple months, sleeping on couches and people’s floors. When we had a few bucks, we bought cheap tacos and quesadillas to fill our hungry stomachs. Being poor and homeless was hard. But even harder was the self-doubt that crept in during that time. Why did I quit my high-paying job for this? Why did I move away from my home to have no home at all? Was it all really worth it? Robert and I kept at it though, and little by little we grew in success. Today, we’re financially free with millions in investments and a thriving business. But we could just have easily quit when the going got hard. A quote I’ve been reflecting on lately is, “A woman’s spirit is that invisible power within that emerges when she is tested.” Certainly those tough times with Robert were times of testing. And thankfully, when tested, my spirit came out—a fighting spirit that refused to quit. And that spirit is what helped me move from self-doubt to success. Often times, we want to avoid pain and tough times. But the problem with this avoidance is that we never really learn anything about ourselves, how strong, determined, and resourceful we can be. As women, we should embrace challenges and tough times for what they are—opportunities to show our spirit to the world. Today, if you’re going through a hard trial, I encourage you to dig deep and tap into your spirit, your invisible power that the world needs to see. Rise up!