Everybody in America started to define themselves by all these things they had around them. And all of a sudden it came tumbling down. So the old American dream has died, and that is a good thing.

Remember to remember your power - everything you've learned with these steps to financial freedom - and put it all into practice everyday, because in the grand scheme of life, you'll never really know how things are meant to turn out until they turn out.

When you start really respecting yourself, those you love, and your money, the result is that you start having control over your money. What follows from that is control over your life.

I think Oprah's [winfrey] learned from me that it's OK to be harsh on people because in one's harshness you can see transformation happen right before your very eyes.

After you marry, every asset either of you acquires is jointly held. That's why you both need to be in sync on your long-term financial goals, from paying off the mortgage to putting away for retirement. Ideally, you should talk about all this before you wed. If you don't, you can end up deeply frustrated and financially spent.

The dream of having one's dream job turned into "Oh my God, I'll take any job. I've been out of work for two years now. I don't care what I do. I'll do anything because I don't have any money".

There isn't a part of our lives that money doesn't touch - it affects our relationships, the way we go about our everyday activities, our ability to make dreams reality, everything.