I read an interesting post about why Dave Ramsey Followers are Successful that basically states “the real reason that his followers have such great success is because they are ripe for change.” The author has hit the nail on the head. Dave Ramsey helps many people who have it rock bottom financially.

I call this the “Prodigal Principle.” We generally don’t feel the need to change unless our current course is causing significant pain. But like an alcoholic or the prodigal son, once we hit a real low, we start looking for help and a solution. I have encountered the same pattern. People who are at their wit’s end or are desperate for some type of solution to their financial woes are generally more open to discussing options and are much more inclined to take action.

I hope more of us can muster enough desire to change and improve our financial management before getting burned in the refiner’s fire. Listening to people’s stories on something like Dave Ramsey or Clark Howard’s radio shows can be quite motivating. It’s good to learn from our mistakes, but even better to learn from other people’s mistakes and save ourselves the trouble of the prodigal’s long walk home.

That’s my take. Feel free to share your two bits.

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