Kerri BridgmanMy grandfather always says, “If money can fix it, it’s not a problem.”
He doesn’t say it to dismiss what anyone is going through. He says it to bring you back to reality. To remind you that when things go wrong, but are fixable, we’re still okay. You can always find a way to make more money. You can get creative, take on work, call in help from family or a friend. There’s a path forward.
But when the thing that’s broken cannot be fixed with money, your health, a relationship, the loss of someone you love, that’s when you remember what actually matters.
And lately, I’ve been thinking about that phrase in every corner of my life.
In the Fashion Industry, Everything Feels Like a Problem
In the fashion world, it rarely feels like anything can be fixed. Not fast enough. Not clean enough. Not good enough. Not timely enough. There’s this constant pressure to be perfect, to do more, go faster, anticipate the next ten problems before they even happen (even if you swear it won’t be a problem). And because everyone around you is moving at 150%, you start to feel like you have to, too.
Even when you’re working around the clock, it doesn’t feel like enough.
But the truth is, some things just aren’t fixable in the moment. And forcing them to be, while pretending you’re not overwhelmed, doesn’t actually make the problem go away. It just burns you out.
What has helped me the most is learning to pause and ask:
- What’s mine to fix right now?
- What’s just pressure I’ve picked up from other people?
- And what can I let go of?
While I’m still not perfect at stopping and asking these questions my nervous system lives in a place now where it is easier to come back to center.
What Yoga Teacher Training Showed Me
Yoga teacher training cracked something open in me that fashion never touched.
There was no reward for being “perfect.” No badge for pushing harder. Just me, my breath, and whatever emotions came up when I slowed down enough to feel what was happening in my body.
The phrase “Practice makes practice.” Hit hard.
And a lot came up, anxiety I’d stuffed down, old grief I hadn’t even realized was living in my hips, and pressure I thought was “motivation” but was really just fear in disguise.
I thought I had to keep fixing things.
But what I really needed was to listen.
My grandfather’s words came back to me again:
If money can fix it, it’s not a problem.
That knot in my chest? That wasn’t something I could pay my way out of, or work my way out of.
That feeling of being broken from pushing too hard? Not a line item on a budget or a tech pack. It required slowing down, checking in, and deciding to trust a different pace.
If You’re In It Right Now
If you’re feeling the weight of everything — a production timeline, a career change, a health scare, or just the general what is happening with my life moment — I hope this lands:
Ask yourself: is this something money, time, or energy could actually fix?
If yes, take a deep breath. That means there’s something you can do.
If not — if it’s something deeper — give yourself permission to feel it. You’re not broken for needing time. You’re human.
Perfection isn’t the point. Being present is.
And that phrase my grandfather says? It’s not just about money.
It’s about reminding yourself that you have more power than you think and more freedom than you’ve probably given yourself credit for.