This has been one of the more challenging weeks of my life.  After years of living with carpal tunnel syndrome, I finally had surgery to correct my right hand (my dominant hand).  This means that my favored hand has been mostly out of commission (thus my absence from the office last week).  But I was amazed at how quickly I figured out how to make things work.  When I couldn’t pull up a zipper, I wore yoga pants.  When I couldn’t tie shoes, I wore slip-ons.  When I couldn’t cut meat, I ate pasta.  When I couldn’t open a bandage, I used my teeth and my one good hand to tear it open.  When faced with a coffee maker that the top opens from right to left, I turned it around backwards in order to pour in a pot of water from the left side.

Sometimes you have to be resourceful.  You figure out a way to make it work.  You find a way to make do with what you’ve got.  This works in your financial life, too.  If there’s not enough money for an entertainment budget, you use the library for DVDs and books.  You invite friends over for pot luck dinner and board games.  You cook a nice dinner at home instead of going out.  If there’s not enough money for the apartment you want, you get a roommate to split the expenses.  If there’s not enough money for your dream car, you get a used car.  If there’s not enough money for a car at all, you use public transportation.

If you think about things long enough, there’s usually a way to make things work, whether it be getting past an injury or getting through the monthly bills.  You find a way to make do with what you’ve got.