How to Thrive During the Recession

We are facing difficulties that we have faced before in the US, and it is not something that we cannot overcome AGAIN, unless we all stand strong in our faith to weather what lies ahead. The only control we have over the nation’s situation is through our situations, our actions, and how we handle situations which confront us daily. This can be such a complex topic. We listen to CNN (Constant Negative News) and carry our own ideals about what we should be doing or not doing during these trying times, more importantly keeping the focus on what challenges still lay ahead. You are not alone. First of all, this is happening to everyone. For me, I lost 30% of my portfolio in the stock market and had to scramble to convert the remaining into liquid that I am now looking to reinvest in going green. Speaking engagements were cancelled and postponed till a later date so this cycle or season that we are going through is affecting everyone. First, understand that this is a cycle or season. If you look back throughout American history we have experienced a recession every 80 years or so. When you understand that these are cycles and that we as Americans are the most resourceful, resilient people on the planet, the only question you should be asking yourself is how can I THRIVE during this cycle. Anyone can survive, only the strong will thrive. So I have put together 6 key points or aspects of maintaining that focus so that you will thrive, not survive during the recession.

1. What are you gonna do?

The question you should ask yourself is what are you gonna do? The question I asked myself when events are transpiring in my life is where am I lacking for continual improvement in my life, mentally, physically, and spiritually? This is an assessment to see where I am at, whether I am happy where I am currently in my life, and more importantly where do I need to be, and from there I formulate a plan to take the appropriate steps to make that progress. Martin Luther King said it best when he said “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” Sometimes we over analyze things to a point that we talk ourselves out of doing something before we even get started. Everything takes a process and if you plan, focus, and be persistence there is nothing you can’t achieve.

2. Be proactive instead of reactive

Don’t let events control how you feel. Too many times we get caught up in current events and things to come that we don’t appreciate the present moment and what we can do to prevent things from happening. Realize where you are, be proactive and find solutions instead of using energy focusing on the problem.

Some immediate changes would be:
a. Networking if you are looking for a job. Meetup.com is great for networking and finding people with your same interests.
b. Look at your budget and if there is excessive spending in your budget and formulate some restrain where needed.
c. If you’re a business owner, focus on customer retention, loyalty, and referrals. Survey your customers and see how you can improve your current relations. Remember a bad critique spreads faster than a good recommendation. But a good recommendation brings a loyal, high quality client.
Realize that this cycle we are in will change and the ones that continually make progress in this market will be very successful when changes comes again.

3. Condition your mind and body

We cannot become overwhelmed looking at the news, for if we allow ourselves to let the nation’s recession become our recession, then we will give up and lose faith, and won't be prepared for the challenges ahead. Understand that the mind and body is connected, and that fear is physical. And, if you are persistence, work through that fear, success awaits you on the other side. I recommend reading Feel the Fear and do it Anyway!, by Susan Jeffers. Whenever you are doing anything out of the routine you normally do, there will be some fear involved. It’s only human nature. Condition your mind by being your own reporter. Feed yourself positive news by reading positive books to gain knowledge of self, understanding, and whatever goals you are pursuing. Also, be grateful and appreciative for the things you have. Often times we are ungrateful because we want more, as a result we don’t take care of the things we do have. Appreciation unlocks the fullness of your life; it turns enough into more, and makes confusion into clarity. 1Thess 5:18 says “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”Condition your body by exercising. Exercise is a great stress reliever, and in fact, experts have found that when you exercise it releases endorphins to help alleviate stress, improve focus and concentration, and also assists the body in its self healing process.

4. Nourish your soul spiritually

Often times when we have troubled times we find ourselves back in church, looking for answers when we have none, and trying to build faith in the belief that everything will be alright. And, as soon as something positive happens in our lives we return back to our old habits, and in the process we rob our soul of that spiritual nourishment. Understand we are constantly bombarded by a lot of things; news, job, friend issues, and current events that rob our souls of spiritual nourishment causing doubt and loss of faith. Just like exercising to make your muscles strong, you need to exercise spiritually to maintain your soul temperance to be strong, and to have faith. Join a bible based church with people that share your same religious interests so that you may become strong in spirit not just in troubled times, but continuously. Daily thoughts and affirmations are very useful in the morning and evenings to keep that focus in your life throughout the week. Also, daily thoughts will help your spiritual maintenance while you are between church visits. Walk in your faith, be galvanized with a positive spirit and know that absolutely nothing will happen to you that you won't be able to handle if you only believe.

5. Find a role model or Success Coach.

Find someone that understands and knows how to deal with any situation. Read autobiographies of people that have struggled, but through persistence they overcome odds to be successful. I have a mentor that I go to when I have problem or a situation. I subscribe periodicals like Georgia Performance and Success Magazine. The Late Charlie “Tremendous” Jones said it best when he said, “You will be the same person as you are today 5 years from now, except for the books you read and the people you meet.” When you read about successful people or find a role model one thing will stand clear about everyone’s story; That is they never gave up, they were persistence, and where there was failure they learned something that when applied, it changed their life completely. Sometimes we are too busy painting the picture that we cannot see how the picture looks unless we have someone stand back and look at the picture for us, or shows us how to pause and take that assessment.

6. Help other people

Sometimes we are so focused on our own current events that we don’t try and help other people. Volunteer your time helping others or give a helping hand where needed. You never know who you are helping or where you are volunteering may be the door to opportunity later. Change starts with you.

I have a true story of a student I mentored who came to my seminar in Iowa. Young guy that married his high school sweetheart fresh out of high school and they had 2 kids. He slept in his car those three days because he lived in a neighboring town and he didn’t have enough money to stay in a hotel or travel back and forth to the seminar. Long story short, one day on his pizza route, he came across a guy with a flat tire. He pulled over and helped the guy changed his tire. The guy asked him did he need anything. When he said he didn’t need anything, the guy reached in his pocket and gave him is card and told him if he ever needed anything give him a call. The guy he changed the tire for was president of one of the largest copier companies in the world. About a year later, my student found himself in a position to make some money but needed money to fund the deal. He called the guy that gave him the card, the guy helped him fund his deal; he helped a farmer get out of a situation where the farmer was going to lose his farm. That farmer out of gratitude told other farmers about how he helped him save his farm and word spread about him being able to help. That guy right now is a multi millionaire, owns his own private jet, just from being of service to others and doing what he loves.

So what matters most to you? Don’t do anything you don’t love and enjoy doing. Focus on what you love every day and figure out what is the next step. Be positive, think good thoughts, imagine the impossible, and take action to create momentum towards your goals and your opportunities will be unlimited. Remember, you determine your destiny.