We Lost Our House, But We’ve Got This

Hi Scott,

Your latest column came just as we were getting a grip on losing our house in the NSW fires. Thanks for sharing your fire story ‒ it helps to remember others have been through this too. Having our finances in order has made this much less stressful. People have also been so generous ‒ we have been overwhelmed by the support. Although my own copy of your book is now up in smoke and probably drifting out over the Pacific somewhere, it has done its job and we’re grateful for what you do.

Thank you, Scott. We’ve got this.

Nate

Hi Nate,

Well done!

Do you want the good news or the bad news?

The good news is: like me, you have your Mojo, and so you’ll hopefully be okay financially.

The bad news?

Having your money sorted doesn’t give you a free pass on dealing with any of the emotional stuff you’ve been through.

I learned this the hard way: in the immediate aftermath of the fire that burned my house down, I did what most blokes do ‒sprang into action and did everything I could to get things back to normal … right now!

Looking back on it, I can see it was really a symptom of the stress I was under. Honestly, it wasn’t until my wife sat me down and suggested we speak to someone that I started to loosen up.

I’m not telling you to see a psychiatrist — most Aussie blokes would rather drink a shandy than see a shrink — but I am suggesting you sit down with a few mates every now and again and talk through how you’re feeling.

Scott