Best of The Aware Show with Jean Chatzky: Overcoming Debt for Better Financial Health

Do you have a hard time talking about money? Do you feel like you are overspending, especially during these times? Our guest today is Jean Chatzky, editor-at-large for “Money” Magazine who served as AOL’s official Money Coach. She is the financial editor for NBC’s “Today Show,” as well as a columnist for “Time” Magazine. She is currently a coach and has guided people on Oprah’s “Debt Diet.” Today she discusses the underlying causes of debt and offers empowering suggestions. She also talks about her book “Pay It Down.” Jean discusses the difference between “good debt” and “bad debt.” When we spend more than we make on things that are not long-lasting, it does not make us happy. This is unconscious spending. We may not think about what we are spending, but then we get hit with big bills. We are constantly seeing marketing. Jean explains how we can all afford a very nice comfortable life, but we need to look at our choices. Money will buy happiness to a point. If you have a nice place to sleep and good food on the table, you have a level of comfort. And more money may not buy you happiness, but good financial habits can make us feel better. Jean conducted a large study of money and happiness. It is important to pay attention to your finances and/or also have a financial advisor. She talks about improving our credit scores and offers tips and tricks to save money each day. Info: jeanchatzky.com and hermoney.com.

In numerology, our year of 2025 breaks down to the World Number “9.” This is calculated by adding 2 + 0 + 2 + 5. What does this mean? According to our guest world-renowned numerology expert Glynis McCants, this is the year of family. Glynis talks about the tragic fires in Los Angeles and how families and communities came together to help and to heal. The cycle of “9” asks us to look at who we are and how we are being. She also talks about next year, 2026, and how it works out to be the year of “1.” This represents a fresh new start. Glynis explains how to take your birth month and day and add that to the year number “9” to calculate your personal energy cycle. Glynis also talks about your Name Numbers, based on the letters of your name. She also discusses challenging days that we’ve had this year, including dates with emotions and drama. She remembers 9/11 and the numbers of that tragic day. She explains how we had several days this past June that were dates of drama around the world. Why are we no longer working together? Why are we so divided? Glynis explains this as the World Number “9” and how we can come together. Glynis talks about the numerology in July specifically mentioning certain days. She talks about “1” days. She talks about July being the month of “7” and how we can come to our spiritual center. It’s the time to meditate, and to go out in nature. She specifically suggests being around water and how beneficial that is to inner peace. It’s about tapping into your inner voice and not listening to all the chaos outside. She talks about the new Pope Leo and how he is a number “7.” Glynis also discusses August being a month of “8.” It will be a very political month. She remains optimistic because although we may be in a crisis, she sees unity coming soon. She asks us to look at things objectively. The World Year of “9” means working together in our families and communities. It doesn’t matter where you stand politically; we all still need each other. Glynis’s unique method is based on the Pythagoras Number system, which is more than 2,500 years old. After evaluating approximately 15,000 Numerology Charts, she wrote the book “Glynis Has Your Number,”  which quickly became the best-selling Numerology book in the country and has been translated in fifteen other languages as well. She also wrote "Love By the Numbers" to explain the power of loving relationships. If you’d like to order a Numerology reading report that tells you all about yourself, or a Numerology Chart Comparison report, just visit www.numberslady.com and type "Lisa" in the promo code, and you will get a special discount. Info: NumbersLady.com. This is Part 1 of the interview.

Have you heard about the concept “thoughts become things”? Have you been curious about the Law of Attraction and how it works? Do you believe that your thoughts create your reality, even if you are not living your ideal life? Today’s guest is Bob Doyle, one of the visionaries in the blockbuster hit movie “The Secret,” which introduced this discussion powerfully into the mainstream. Bob talks about beliefs that become truths because of our childhood. He explains when we change our relationship to things, using money as an example, our situation can change. If we grew up in struggle, we can change how we are being to become prosperous and abundant. We can get out of victimhood and achieve success. He also talks about relationships and how we attract people into our lives. We can dream bigger and change who we are, while allowing people to be as they are. It’s possible to have significant breakthroughs and deeper connections. Bob suggests that the more we can feel gratitude for what we have in our lives, the better things can be. We can focus on the way we want to feel. He explains how this powerful visualization tool is used in the Law of Attraction and for manifestation. Bob Doyle is the CEO of Boundless Living, Inc., and author of the #1 bestselling book “Follow Your Passion – Find Your Power.” Since 2002, Bob has been teaching principles of Living Life by Design utilizing the principles of the Law of Attraction. His Wealth Beyond Reason program has long been recognized as one of the most complete and usable online curriculums in the Law of Attraction. Info: www.wealthbeyondreason.com.

What’s it like when you are the only African American dancer in a world of all white dancers? Lisa continues our very special interview with Jennifer Jones, the first African American Rockette. Jennifer talks about growing up seeing Broadway shows with her parents. She told her high school guidance counselor that she wanted to go to college and major in dance. Her counselor told her that she wasn’t ready for college yet, although at a very early age, she always dreamed of being on stage. She was so passionate and started at a local community college before moving to New York City, auditioning, and getting hired to be a Rockette. She talks about how spectacular Radio City Music Hall is. It literally took her breath away! She shares the excitement of the famous Christmas Spectacular show and how she poured her heart into each show. She was performing up to six shows a day. Jennifer discusses resilience, and what she had to break through to make her dreams come true. She noted that this year is the 100-year anniversary of the Rockettes and a big event will be planned to celebrate. She also talks about her challenges, and how important it is to believe in yourself. She discusses the importance of being resilient. When she turned 50, she went to her doctor to request a colonoscopy. The doctor told her she was young and had nothing to worry about as she was healthy and had no family members with colorectal cancer. Jennifer listened to her powerful intuition and got a colonoscopy anyway. The doctors determined that she had colorectal cancer, and she was told she had five years to live. She felt embarrassed by this diagnosis as she was always the “healthy one” in her family. She was physically fit and a vegetarian. She met with a specialist and had four rounds of chemotherapy. To the amazement of her doctors, the tests showed dramatic improvement. She explains how she decided to meditate more, let go of toxic relationships, drink green juices, and so much more. She knew she needed to change the way she ate and the way she thought. In 2019, she was deemed cancer-free! Jennifer talks about testing early for colorectal cancer, and especially in the African American community. If there’s a history in your family, it’s important to test even earlier. She shares how her symptoms started as pressure in her abdomen, so she began changing her diet and meeting with doctors. She talks about organizations who can offer early detection and additional support including Colorectal Cancer Alliance: https://colorectalcancer.org and Colon Cancer Foundation: https://coloncancerfoundation.org. Jennifer’s groundbreaking memoir is titled “Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette.” This is Part 2 of the interview. Info: rockettejenn.com.

Do you fear aging? Do you dread getting older? Do you think that you’ll likely be sick or have a disease? Many people are living longer yet not living healthier. Today’s guest is health expert, environmental pioneer, and best-selling author John Robbins. John is the author of the best-selling books “Diet For a New America,” “The Food Revolution,” and “Reclaiming Our Health.” He talks about the growing population of people who are currently over 65 years old. Globally it continues to increase. John would like our older years to be a time of celebration and not a time to fear. It is possible to become much healthier as we age. It can be a time to be stable and connected. If we feel more positive about aging, we can add many healthy years to our life. On the other hand, if we shun it, and try to protect ourselves from the aging process, we close down possibilities. In the US especially, we can feel divided and separated. Many people ultimately die of loneliness. John talks about four cultures that he has explored where people live to be healthy at 100. The older people in these cultures are not interested in fast foods. They tend to have much more community. They eat simply, with many being basically vegetarian. This diet includes nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and no artificial sweets. They don’t have processed sugar. They are connected to the local food and eat seasonally. Family and friends are extremely important. The communities work together. By comparing the diets and attitudes of different world cultures with the American lifestyle, John shares the truth about the health effects of the foods we eat. The only son of the founder of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream empire, John was groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps but chose to walk away from Baskin-Robbins and the immense wealth it represented to “…pursue the deeper American Dream…the dream of a society at peace with its conscience because it respects and lives in harmony with all life forms. A dream of a society that is truly healthy, practicing a wise and compassionate stewardship of a balanced ecosystem.” We air this interview today to honor health pioneer John Robbins, who passed away in mid-June.  Info: www.johnrobbins.com

Today’s very special interview features Jennifer Jones, the first African American Rockette. Jennifer shares her story of growing up seeing Broadway shows with her parents. From a very early age, she dreamed of being on stage. She was so passionate and knew in every cell of her body that that would be her home. Jennifer talks about resilience, and what she had to break through to make her dreams come true. She talks about the dance history of the 1920s and how the Rockettes were formed in 1925. The founder thought that Americans would love to see women of the same size and race perform the exact same moves on a dance line. During this time period, Black dancers had their own troupes, as Blacks and whites did not perform together. Jennifer was hired as a Rockette in 1987. She was the very first Black woman to join the dance line. She saw an ad in the newspaper and her friend encouraged her to audition. She wasn’t familiar with the Rockettes, as she’d never seen them. She saw only white women auditioning and realized she was the only Black person. She was so nervous and intimated, she decided to leave. A voice inside of her said, “Stay!” She decided to do so. She auditioned, got measured for height and weight, and the stage manager invited her to come back. Even though she went to the call back, she still didn’t realize who the Rockettes were. She didn’t know their history. She was hired and they immediately sent her for media training. She met with the choreographer who said she was “misquoted” by the press and that’s what Jennifer needed to say during interviews. Many people, from managers to choreographers to fellow dancers, were not happy that she was on the line. Jennifer talks about being assaulted and repeatedly insulted. It took extreme perseverance on her part to follow her dreams of being on stage. She talks about how so many women auditioned and how they were not allowed to be a Rockette simply because of their skin color. Through her perseverance, her dream came true! Her groundbreaking memoir is titled “Becoming Spectacular: The Rhythm of Resilience from the First African American Rockette.” She talks about how a public relations person working at Radio City Music Hall disliked her so much. She would tell her how she shouldn’t be there and that she was just lucky. Jennifer held these feelings in for many, many years. She also discusses specific mentors who helped to encourage her along the way. She received fan mail, as well as difficult hate mail. Some people didn’t feel she should be there, but her parents, family, and mentors helped her along the way. She was a Rockette for 15 years, then another dream came true – she danced on Broadway! She discusses how staunch and strict the “Rockettes” brand is at Radio City. She didn’t feel she could speak her truth without repercussions. They are still very strict with the brand. They do allow for slightly varying heights and weights. The draw for so many is that it’s an incredible precision troupe. It has evolved over the years. They are trying to include more nationalities. The main focus is still precision and elegance. Jennifer hopes that she helped to inspire the Black women on the line today so they can experience the joy of the sisterhood of being a Rockette, dancing at Radio City Music Hall.  This is Part 1 of the interview. Info: rockettejenn.com.

Have you heard the phrase that “Everything is energy”? Your thoughts and intentions are all made up of energy. If you are sensitive to energy, it may become challenging to move throughout the day. This energy can get stuck, but when used in a focused manner, it can be used as fuel. Our guest today is spiritual teacher and author Deirdre Hade who is talking about how time really is speeding up, based on the energy. She explains how it is possible to harness this energy to create what we want. If you can focus your thoughts and feelings, which are part of the electromagnetic field, you can align your internal energy which aids in manifestation. Deirdre teaches ancient wisdom and talks about the Tree of Life. She shares about how we can get out of pain and get into our purpose. She talks about mystical traditions of Egypt, as well as Christianity and Hindu religions. She explains about the chakra system and energy patterns. The chakra system is within the Tree of Life teachings. The branches are the connections. She believes everyone is now ready for the next steps of spiritual information. She further discusses how the Tree of Life has both female and male aspects and explains how to work with both energies, both polarities, and merge into one.  The Tree of Life is the key to unlocking the mystery inside of us. When you can do that, you have inner peace and harmony. Deirdre further discusses how the Tree of Life can help when experiencing loss, and how it can bring tremendous wisdom and help to relieve the sorrow. Deirdre is a Spiritual Teacher, Master Healer, Mystic, and Visionary Leader in the ancient arts of the wisdom traditions for our times, as well as the founder of Radiance Healing and Radiance Meditation™. She is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council, a worldwide organization of thought leaders in personal and organizational transformation. Deirdre founded the Foundation for Radiance, dedicated to bringing a healthy, serene and peaceful life to children and adults who have experienced trauma or injury. Info:  www.deirdrehade.com.

With so many stressful events going on in the world, do you want to feel at peace, but find yourself getting triggered? Lisa continues the conversation today with guest Tamala Floyd, an expert in the Internal Family Systems model of psychotherapy. She further discusses “parts” therapy and explains how to be in relationship with our “selves” and our internal guidance systems. Tamala is a psychotherapist, consultant, author, and speaker with more than 20 years of experience. Her books and audio include “Listening When Parts Speak” and “Healing the Wounded Mother.” Tamala talks about the importance of our parts, including ones who hold rage, as well as the anxious parts, and the harming parts, which includes self-harm. These parts are common to humans across the world. Any part could be used for protection. Anything that our parts have taken on as a burden is to protect us from our internal wounds. We may feel unlovable or not good enough. This is the part that pushes people away. All the messages we get when we are young, whether we feel unworthy, too loud, too quiet, etc. all actually protect us. Tamala talks about Internal Family Systems. Our parts operate like family. Some get along, while some do not. Some have certain skills, which can help to heal. She explains how parts theory is based on Internal Family Systems. So how can a raging part protect us? At some point, it protects the sensitive part of ourselves. It’s the protector for the one who is too sensitive. All parts do not speak. They may show as a color, change of temperature, a picture, or feeling. We can also talk to ancestral parts of ourselves and bring them into present time. Tamala also discusses “legacy burdens” which are the burdens passed down through generations. These are not lived experiences, but experiences that are passed down. It can be incredibly uplifting to release these burdens. She explains that these are often easier to release, and once they are released, the person has more energy to work on themselves. Tamala also leads us through a powerful process of talking to our parts. She asks us to let it be however it needs to be and invites us to note what it is telling us. Listen. Be open and curious. She also discusses generational gifts and heirlooms. We don’t want to get rid of our parts; we want to get rid of the burdens so we can be in a healthy relationship with them. Tamala also talks about her new audio program, “Healing the Wounded Mother.” It’s about going to the source first. She invites us to get to the root of what’s happening so healing can occur.

It seems we are living in increasingly stressful times of conflict and separation. Do you think it’s possible to change the world in which we live? Maybe so, but how can that happen? We see devastating stories on the news constantly. Our world is filled with tragedies – violence, corruption, and endless suffering. This can easily make us feel helpless and hopeless. Yet, there’s an innate desire, a profound longing in each of us, for a world that works. We feel we want to do something, deep in our hearts, deep in our souls, which will actually take our planet to its next evolutionary level. As we enter this third millennium, our job is the conscious creation of Humanity’s New Story, namely, Heaven on Earth. Listen as today’s guest Martin Rutte elaborates on his vision and how his organization is going about achieving this goal through Project Heaven On Earth.   Martin guides us through and asks us to contemplate three questions – and through those questions, we can begin to imagine and visualize a world of possibilities. Martin is an international speaker and consultant, and president of Livelihood, a creative leadership management consulting firm, in Santa Fe, NM. He is the co-author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work.”  For more than 15 years he has been exploring people’s vision for the kind of world they long for – Project Heaven on Earth. His new book is “Project Heaven on Earth: The 3 Simple Questions that Will Help You Change the World … Easily.”  He shows us that change really is possible!  Info: www.projectheavenonearth.com

Do you often feel stressed when you watch the news? Do you want to feel at peace, but find yourself getting triggered? How do we manage this? Our guest today is Tamala Floyd, an expert in the Internal Family Systems model of psychotherapy. She discusses “parts” therapy and explains how to be in relationship with our “selves” and our internal guidance systems. Tamala is a psychotherapist, consultant, author, and speaker with more than 20 years of experience. Her books and audio include “Listening When Parts Speak” and “Healing the Wounded Mother.” She discusses how there is a part inside of us that is untouched. That is the Self. The other parts obscure this. It is when the separate parts come into relationship with each other that we can begin to become whole. When there is trauma, we cope by disassociating and our parts start to separate. They come up with strategies to keep us safe. If we grew up in an abusive household, we become dysfunctional. These previously used coping strategies no longer work. We can also take on generational trauma, and not even know it. It’s carried in our DNA. We are disconnected from our original ancestor, but it was so important for survival, it continues down the generational line. Tamala talks about the effect of slavery. Her parents were raised in Jim Crow Louisiana. So few opportunities existed, so she was taught you had to be much better and pursue excellence to the point of perfection. There were not enough positions to go around, so you had to be excellent. How can we find the disenfranchised parts of ourselves? It starts by looking at things that aren’t working. Tamala also explains that we can look at what causes us to be triggered. When those triggers happen, and we get upset, that’s the starting point to find our parts. The first way to get in contact with a part is to see how it shows up. Does your stomach feel tight? Are you sensing your breath change? Our physical body reveals answers. We can be curious about these relationships, then get to a place where we feel the qualities of self. Tamala explains how what’s left is our true self. She talks about the importance of the “8 Cs.”  The whole self has compassion, curiosity, calm, connectedness, courage, creativity, clarity, and confidence. When we recognize them, we can move toward peace and healing. Info: tamalafloyd.com