How Do You Know?
I hear people talking about how bad the economy is, but how do they know? The ones I have talked to have their same job, same home, cars, salaries . . . yet they say how the economy is so bad – how do they know this is true?
Many people do have real and significant problems, but money (in America) is a problem for very few! Devoting time and (especially) emotions to what in fact is not a problem leaves less time and emotions to focus on what really is a challenge and potential opportunity. “We can’t think about the looming reality of eternity – we have to worry about the present terrible economy.” But where is the evidence of this bad economy? “Oh, this is what they are saying on TV, in the newspaper, on the internet . . . it has to be true!” Even if true (and a bad economy is not), all truth is still not significant to us individually!
94% of Americans have a job. It is bad when a person loses a job, but most (with decent education, training and motivation) find another job relatively quickly! It is tragic when a person loses their home – but, in most cases, those who have faced foreclosure speculated that prices would keep rising rapidly forever – why, because the same voices now proclaiming doom were trumpeting “boom, boom, boom – don’t miss the once in a lifetime opportunity!” How did we know we should invest in dot com stocks, homes . . . at their peak? The same voices now crying “sell, sell” were then yelling “buy, buy.”
IF we listen and believe politicians and the media we will be manic depressive – either believing (and worse acting on) things that are too good to be true or in be in a panic because of the current “crisis” that will, in reality, have no impact on us! . . . and, all the while and as a result, overlooking or ignoring the real trials and challenges that we will face individually (for which we are largely on our own to address and resolve)!
What, in fact, do politicians and the media call a bad economy – do we know? “It’s going to be a bad Christmas this year,” retailers say and the media and politicians parrot, “because sales, compared to last year, are only up 2%.” This is bad? Not to me! I don’t want to be so close to the edge so that if I don’t have a raise next year I just won’t be able to make it!
So when I hear the economy is so bad, I look around, see everyone living about the same as before and realize it is another false alarm! A practical, personal, answer? Turn the hearing aids down. Filter out all this negative and untrue noise! Don’t watch TV or radio news, don’t surf the net for news . . . it won’t take you long to know if there really is a problem – in fact, you will probably hear it quicker since your ears will be better tuned rather than listening for and being deafened by the many false signals.
If you have a job today, a home, car, food . . . the economy is great – be thankful – be happy! And then take the time and emotions others are throwing away worrying about what is not true and invest it in making today, tomorrow and eternity better!
Learn to train and trust your eyes and brain more than the clichés others are parroting – I have personally gone through 1,000 “crises” – on the 1,001st it finally dawned on me that I have wasted far too much time and emotion worrying about what may happen while ignoring the far more important truths that will absolutely happen (and for which I should guard my time, thinking and emotions)!
Don’t say “The economy is bad” – it isn’t! But, there is a sure looming eternity for which a present investment will likely have a significant impact!