Good News in Bad Times

I've heard a number of people lately talking about how they have stopped listening to the news. I'm not quite at that point myself, but that is probably only because I am not home enough to watch the news and not in my car long enough to hear it. However, I know what they mean. So much of what we hear about the economy is so depressing. I read a statistic the other day that 1 out of 12 people in America are unemployed and it might get to 1 out of 8 before all is done. This is the kind of thing that can make anyone turn off the news!

However, if you are looking for something a little cheerier, I highly recommend this article from MoneyNing - How a Taoist Would Deal With the Recession. I have to say, it made me feel a lot better. I like the idea that this is all just a cycle and that just as things are down now, the wheel will turn again.

I was talking with a coworker yesterday who was saying something like "Next year, when the market turns around and we are wildly successful..." He really seemed to think that statistics were showing that by next year all our troubles will be gone, although like the old saying goes, 43.7% of his statistics are made up on the spot.

Whether he is right or wrong, I try not to think about it...

Personally, I don't think there is a lot of value in trying to predict what the economic picture is going to be. Oh, there are reasons to think about it - especially if you are investing in stocks or considering a big purchase - but in my own life I prefer to just knuckle down and do what is right for me. I try to work hard at my day job, keep my bills paid and my head above water. And as far as my job goes, it would be lovely to think the company I work for is going to be wildly successful in a year, but I am going to neither wait around for it or plan for it. Instead I'm going to keep celebrating the success we have now and pushing towards constantly making things better.

The same things goes with doom and gloom. I see problems - huge problems - in my industry. I'm not going to sit around and complain about them though. Like the Serenity Prayer, if there is something that can be done about them, I hope I have the strength to tackle them. If not, then just move on and go after what I can.

I guess I am just stuck here on the fence as a middle of the road optimist. I don't believe that people should sit around and wait to be rescued. That sounds easy to say, but I do believe that people can make their own luck. It is perfectly okay to complain about the economy and the state of affairs... but then get up and do something about your own situation. I also think that terrible things happen to good people (which is a whole other post) but blaming doesn't put bacon on the table. I feel like the only thing I can do is put my head down and concentrate on getting through the day, day by day. So, if I don't listen to the news or track what is happening on Wall Street, that is why.

What about you? How are you doing?


Photo by: SnoShuu