Photo of Gala Darling

Editor’s Note: I recently read a gem of a book called “The Millionaire Fastlane”. Despite feeling skeptical by its title, its phenomenal content surprised and delighted me. I’ll say more about the book at the end of this article. Until then, enjoy this article from the book’s author, sharing an important message for us all.

By: MJ DeMarco

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying.
Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day.
Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now.
There are only so many tomorrows.”
~Michael Landon

Today I am confessing something big.

Not many men would disclose this information, but I will.

My two favorite movies are Titanic and The Notebook — yes, two perennial favorites among the ladies and unmentionable by my male counterparts.

How does a guy like me (who like any typical man, likes fast cars, horsepower, beer, sports, and pretty women) come to a conclusion that these movies deserve a spot in the DVD cabinet next to the usual suspects like The Shawshank Redemption and The Godfather?

While the love story in both is tearful, these movies highlight something that we tend to neglect in our lives … and, I believe, is the greatest tragedy of all humanity.

That tragedy?

The illusion that our time is richly abundant when in fact, it is deathly scarce.

In both plots, our protagonists come to this reality as life’s death clock ticks away. In The Notebook, our lovers would do anything for 5 sentient minutes together. Just 5 minutes and when they get it, they beg for time to stop.

In The Titanic, as the ship sinks and few lifeboats remain, Caledon Hockley, a wealthy steel industrialist bargains for his life with a ship’s officer and offers cash for a lifeboat seat only to be rebuked with a stiff certainty: “Your money can’t save you anymore that it can save me.”

Think about that statement for a moment. Your money can’t save you.

Think about how we tend to treat MONEY as more scare than our TIME.

Trust me, it isn’t and I don’t care how rich or poor you are.

On any given day, over $300 trillion dollars are exchanged in the world currency markets — that is $300,000,000,000,000. To give that perspective, you’d have to spend $1 million a day for 8,000 years to spend ONE DAY’S worth of trading value. Nearly 900 life spans!

And yet, the great theft of all humanity remains: People blissfully trade away their time (and their life) for money.

People camp-out on sidewalks for days at Wal-Mart hoping to get a $199 HDTV.

People stand in line for hours hoping to get a free bucket of chicken.

People drive hours to save pennies.

And of course, the worst soul-sucking exchange of them all … your job.

Yes, the good old selling of Monday through Friday for the paycheck of Saturday and Sunday. If you are working a job just to pay the bills (and NOT investing in a business system capable of spawning both free time and money) your return on investment (ROI) is a negative 60%.

That’s right.

A big minus 60%!

In other words, you give 5 days of bondage (doing things you wouldn’t normally do) in exchange for 2 days of freedom (however you spend your weekend.)

Give this exchange some perspective.

Suppose a friend approached you with this great new investment. You give your friend $5 on Monday and on Friday evening, he will give you $2 back. Again, that’s a negative 60% return on investment. Great deal? Of course not!

Then why-o-why in the world do people have no problem trading their time at the same exact dismal rate of return when in fact, it’s our time that is the scarce resource and not money? Time is like a primordial fuel — when it runs dry, no amount of cash can save you from the end. And sorry, there are no fill-up stations.

One of the many facts I drive home in my book, The Millionaire Fastlane is that you can always make more money and yet, you can’t really create more time beyond the confines of your own healthy mortality.

However the good news is this: You can manipulate your TIME ratio because your lifespan consists of two types of time: Indentured time (time earning money) and free time (time spend doing whatever your please). Since your mortality makes your total time finite, the only option to defy time is to transfer indentured time to free time.

In other words, wouldn’t it be great to have MORE FREE TIME and less INDENTURED TIME? So when it comes to our careers, our life, and our time, wouldn’t it be wise to invest in something that had the ability to create both MONEY and FREE TIME?

Such things exist in what I call “The Fastlane“, but it doesn’t come from 40 years of mindless frugality, jobs, 401(k)s, and other traditional guru-speak dictum. If you want to be wealthy in both free time and money, stop being indoctrinated by the mainstream financial gurus who treat time abundantly — a foolish lifetime trade that will more likely make you bankrupt in time, rather than rich in money.

Because in the end when your deathbed arrives, your dying wish won’t be for more money, it will be for more time…

If you enjoyed this article, please pass it on to others.
Share it on Facebook, RT on twitter, or email it to a friend.
Follow us on facebook and twitter.

Editor’s Note:

I (Tina) recently and accidentally came upon MJ’s book “The Millionaire Fastlane”. Despite my initial skepticism, I decided to give the book a chance, after seeing all the 5-star reviews on amazon. The result? I absolutely fell in love with the author’s unconventional message and unique perspective. I don’t say this lightly.

The book doesn’t teach you how to get-rich-quick, it doesn’t talk about how to save. It’s a highly practical book on mindset and contains a ton of wisdom and much needed peep talk. This will be one book that I’ll be giving my son, when he’s old enough, to learn about money and business.

If you (like me) want to expand or better understand financial consciousness—regardless of how much money you currently have— I highly recommend this book. If you want to transition from a corporate job to entrepreneurship, I highly recommend this book.

At Think Simple Now, (you know that) I am committed to finding and sharing the best messages and ideas I can find on living a phenomenal life. While making money isn’t the path to lasting peace and happiness; it is on everyone’s mind. As such, I feel that this book is a must read.

Giveaway: Want a Free Copy?

We are giving away two copies of MJ’s book “The Millionaire Fastlane” on Facebook.

To enter:

1. Join TSN Fan page: Click on the Like button (or skip this step if you’re already a fan)
2. Leave a comment: under this photo.

I’ll be drawing two random comment numbers on March 7, 2011. Winners will be notified via Facebook message. If we don’t hear from you in 72 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

About the Author:

MJ DeMarco is the former founder and CEO of Limos.com, multi-millionaire entrepreneur, author, and the revolutionary “get rich slow” anti-guru.

By rejecting society’s preordained “settle-for-less” financial roadmap, MJ was able to retire young in his thirties without sacrificing lifestyle. He lives in beautiful Phoenix Arizona.

Related Article to ‘Greatest Tragedy: Time & Money’

• Limiting Beliefs
• Becoming a Millionaire
• Dream to Reality: How I Quite My Job
• 3 Secrets to Financial Success
• Overcome Fear in the Economic Crisis

Related Resources for ‘Greatest Tragedy: Time & Money’:

• Book: Millionaire Fastlane
• Book: The Greatest Secret of All

time vs money, money vs time, time versus money, life vs money, money vs life, money versus time, the greatest tragedy, time v money, free time vs money, lucia holm

Note: This article was extracted from the TSN Insider Newsletter.

By Tina Su

A few weeks ago, I was standing in line at the grocery store to do some customer returns from my son’s birthday party. The customer service counter at the chain store is also the place where people buy lottery tickets, rent DVDs, buy cigarettes, rent carpet cleaners, along with costumer returns.

There were a dozen people standing in line. Since we were all waiting, in order to kill time, we all tilted our heads to watch the person at the front of the line.

The guy at the front of the line was buying lottery tickets. While making conversation with the person behind him, “All it takes is one ticket.” His face beaming as he continued, “… and then you’ll be a millionaire.”

His eyes sparkled as he said that with absolute conviction that this could be his lucky week, and then he would be “set” for life. He completed his routine transaction of purchasing his lotto ticket and walked away. I wondered how long he’s been buying lottery tickets, week after week, with an undying dream of getting that golden ticket – becoming a millionaire.

The next woman in line, in her late twenties or early thirties, was returning a large device that resembled an industrial grade vacuum cleaning. And then to my surprise, she too purchased two lottery tickets.

I watched in amazement, as every single person, in front of me in the line bought a lottery ticket, before hurrying away to go about their own ways following the routine of their day.

Later that hour, I continued with my grocery shopping, and I pondered the concept of “striking” rich, and the million dollar dream that we all seemed to be attracted to.

Many of us seem to have bought into the illusion of what a million dollars will bring – the vision of lasting happiness, of ultimate comfort, the end of trying and suffering.

But does it really bring us those things? Does it really bring about that happiness which we all seek? This is where it gets interesting.

I have a close friend -let’s call her Dani- who sold her company for over 20 million dollars a couple of years ago. And I got to witness –close up- what millions of dollars will and will not bring.

For one thing, it certainly doesn’t bring lasting happiness, or the end of suffering, or solves all our problems. It doesn’t cure loneliness or fulfill our desire to live with more meaning.

What it does bring though is the capacity to never be concerned with the acquiring of material possession ever again. If she wants a Kindle, she gets a Kindle. If she wants a house, she gets a house. If she wants to move to a new city, she gets up and moves without bringing any luggage.

As sexy as this may sound, it only brings temporary satisfaction; it doesn’t bring what matters to us most: inner peace, fulfilling relationships, and lasting happiness.

Yes, money can certainly help to enhance the comfort of your life, but beyond a certain point –specifically $40,000 in the US, according to Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert– more money does not equate to more happiness. It just means that you can buy more “stuff”, and even that can get overbearing.

My point is not to say that having money is bad, but rather, having more money is not the magic bullet we are looking for. It’s not the easy escape that we originally thought. And it will not necessarily bring us more peace or joy.

Having millions of dollars isn’t going to extend your life, it won’t help you find true love (though it helps to attract the opposite sex, but doesn’t make it any easier), it won’t make you healthier, it doesn’t make you feel less alone, or more fulfilled.

Dani has the same types of emotional challenges and the ups and downs we all experience. And she too, is learning from these challenges, on her own quest to personal growth, and self-realization.

Watching her has certainly helped me understand happiness from a different level. That once you have the ability to buy pretty much anything you could ever need – material wise- and if you were on a quest for lasting happiness, you will actually come to a place within yourself to want to own less, and to live simply.

In Dani’s example, she pretty much sold or gave away everything she owned. She doesn’t own a car or a house. She lives in a comfortable but modest apartment, and travels the world, while pursuing meaningful projects, like writing, teaching, and lots of contemplative reading.

She lives on her own terms. No one tells her what to do. Every moment is a conscious deliberate choice, and everyday is a new entry towards learning something new.

I used to get jealous of her ability to travel the world freely – at the time, I was deeply unhappy with my own life circumstances and wanted an “instant” solution to happiness. Dani would then remind me that you can only play the role of a traveler for so long, before longing for something with more meaning, and that when she is traveling she is essentially “working, just with a different backdrop -in a different hotel room.”

I guess, when we are unfulfilled with our own lives, when we are looking for answers outside of ourselves, it’s easy to get lost in the fantasy of wealth, thinking it’ll solve all our problems.

And if that is our belief system, when we get there – if we do get there – we will be disappointed to discover the same emptiness that lies within prior to getting “rich”.

Richness is a state of mind, a perception within us when we interpret the external stimulus we interact with – our relationships, our work, the conflicts we face, and the hardships that the wind blows in our direction from time to time.

How we handle and interpret these situations and people determines our state of happiness. And our creative work and purpose gives us fulfillment. It’s not so much in what we do, but how we do it.

Once your basic material needs are fulfilled (sufficient food, clothing and shelter), everyone is on the same playing field – in terms of our opportunity for happiness and fulfillment. Having more money doesn’t give you more advantage on this quest.

If we can’t find happiness and fulfillment now, having millions of dollars later will not get you any closer. It is only in the now that we have power. It is only in the now that joy can be truly experienced, regardless of what we are doing.

And so, if happiness is what we seek, our choice is simple. Start doing today, right now, what you would be doing if you had millions of dollars more. Stop delaying your right to experience this moment fully and happily.

“Tomorrow” is an excuse that will take your dreams to the grave with you. Start living your dream now, whatever that is. It takes courage, and a willingness to live consciously and to self-examine your choices and unconscious reactions.

After seeking out wealth and success for many years, I’ve come back to the same place as when I started – I just want to be happy. And I’ve learned through many frictions and challenges that, happiness is a choice, and one that I can experience to the fullest right now. Actually, right now is the only place where happiness lies.

In the now, I can choose to see the good instead of the bad. I can direct my attention to gratitude instead of resentment. I can use the simple tools I’ve learned to release negative energy, instead of giving into anger. I can say sorry, instead of holding on ‘being right’. I consciously choose to feed my mind with inspirational and empowering literature, instead of news of war and conflict.

And if I had millions of dollars more in my bank account, perhaps a few material changes may be in place, like a different backdrop, but nothing of substance or true value would change.

I would have the same family, who I adore. I would be reading the same books. I would still love photography and writing. I would have the same friendships. I would be writing and drinking tea as I am doing right now. Nothing of importance will change.

My question to you is a self-examining one: if you had millions of dollars more at your disposal, how would your life change? What would you be doing?

If there is something you can do now, that you are delaying until some imaginary event in the future when the conditions are more ideal, see if it is something you can do now, or manifest it into fruition soon? See if you can make that trip, or start that project, or take that class?

Often, the intention and decision to do something is the most important piece of making any desire a reality. So start now in planting the seed for your desires to manifest in its full blooming glory.

If you had millions of dollars at your disposal, how would your life change? What would you be doing? Share your thoughts with us in the comment below.

P.S.

If you feel a sense of jealousy at the sight of someone more successful. One way of overcoming this unproductive jealous feeling is to remind ourselves that this person has offered an enormous amount of value to the betterment of the world, and the rewards they are receiving is miniscule compared to the value they’ve given out for free.

In Dani’s case, I know for a fact, she has created more in value than the financial rewards she’s received. She deserves every goodness life has given her. Dani has been a great mentor and a very supportive friend to me. I admire her very much.

It helps to remember that her success wasn’t an accident. It was conscious, deliberate intention and massive action towards her desires that has put her where she is today.

And if you asked Dani which book she owes her success to? She’ll say that it was Napoleon Hill’s Think & Grow Rich given to her as a young 19 year old that forever shaped the way she viewed success.

~~~~

Want more articles than the blog posts on this site? I’m currently experimenting with more frequent writing that reflects on something I’ve learned each day, or something that made me happy. This article was extracted and then polished from the TSN Insider Newsletter. You can subscribe here to receive my “TSN Insider” emails.

Please help me spread word about this site. If this or any other articles have helped you in any way, please tell one (or many) people about us. Please share this on Facebook, tweet it on twitter, and email the site to friends. I really appreciate your help. You make this site possible.

And make sure to check out our facebook page, click on the Like button to gain daily inspiration and join in our daily conversations about happiness. See you there!

External Resources:

• Book: The Law of Success – Napoleon Hill, 1925
• Book: The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle
• Book: Think & Grow Rich

–
Photo Credit: © Edwin Stemp (Follow him on Flickr)

becoming a millionaire, being a millionaire, become a millionaire, becoming millionaire, How to become a millionaire, can i really think myself into geing rich, become millionaire, becoming a millionare, how to handle becoming a millionaire, what would you do if you become a millionaire

Photo by Andrea D’aquino

By Mr. Self Development

Financial success is not the property of the privileged, neither is it the bounty of the fortunate few; financial success is the certain possession of the individuals who are willing to follow the principles of financial success.

These principles that I’m referring to will work for anyone who applies them; no one can apply these principles and not succeed, anymore than someone can add 1+1 and not get 2.

What I will be discussing in these next few moments does not entail a get-rich-quick scheme, because there are no quick fixes. It is in the chasing of “fool’s gold” that the priceless gift of time is squandered and dreams lost.

This article contains a concise compilation of the primary principles requisite for the attainment of financial success.

You can look at the lives of any financially successful person and see these principles readily at work in their lives. It was these principles that I utilized to manifest the funds for a seven bedroom home when I was 24, and these principles will work for you just as surely as the sun rises in the east and lays its head to rest in the west.

You may be thinking, that’s all fine and dandy, but “money won’t make you happy!” Yeah, and your feet don’t talk either; the purpose of money is not to make you happy; the purpose of money is to solve problems. You need money to solve problems!

I wrote this article as a guide to help you solve problems.

Note that the advice in this article is based on my personal experiences as well as my private observations.

The 3 Keys to Financial Success:

1. Experience

“Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.”
~ Jim Horning

We live in a society where people often want something for nothing, or at least very little. They want to diet for a week and then be thin for a lifetime, they want to save for a month and spend for a year, they want to invest a dollar and make a million, but it doesn’t work that way.

To succeed financially you need experience; you must first “put in the time!” There are no overnight successes; it takes years of focus to grow into an individual that it is capable of providing enough value, to enough individuals, to reap a significant financial harvest.

There may be people who “seem” to have had overnight successes, but things are not always as they appear. You are unaware of the summation of their childhood experiences, you are ignorant of the price that they have paid; while you were “hanging with your friends,” they were preparing for greatness.

It takes time to succeed! This is why it’s critical to work in an area that you love! It will serve you well to do something that you thoroughly enjoy, something that you’re passionate about. It’s your love that will allow you to work when everyone else has gone home; it is your passion that will drive you to the finish line.

Financial success takes time and experience! Often someone will see an individual who seemingly experienced an overnight success and try to duplicate that success. The problem is that they don’t know the story in its entirety. They are unaware of the many years of preparation this individual had to tread through; they see the results and assume they’re easily duplicative. They don’t recognize that for every “one” person who succeeds “the right way,” 10,000 individuals attempt to duplicate that same success overnight only to fail.

It takes time! Bill Gates spent years learning about computer software before he succeeded financially, Michael Jordan spent years learning about basketball before he became a financial success. Name the person, if they’ve succeeded financially, they’ve put years into becoming an expert in that field.

You are paid for your expertise.

There was a time when Michael Jordan never scored in a basketball game; there was a time when Bill Gates wasn’t exactly sure how to create the Windows operating system. But through failure, determination, time and experience success was born.

Never despise small beginnings, the giant oak tree slumbers in the acorn, the bald eagle waits patiently in the egg. If you are consistent, and if you commit to put in the time, you will become an expert, and it is your expertise that is the doorway to your financial success.

2. Impact

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle,
and the life of the candle will not be shortened.”
~ Buddha

Who are you impacting? Put it another way, “Who’s problems are you solving?” You will only be rewarded in this lifetime for the problems that you solve for other people. To have great financial success you must solve the problems of a great number of people.

Michael Jordan has entertained millions of people, which is why he has millions of dollars; Bill Gates’ software has improved the lives of billions of people, which explains why he has billions of dollars. How many people are you influencing, your financial success lies in your ability to impact the masses.

This is why growth is so important. When you take time to grow and to expand your mind through reading, studying and experiences, you become a better you.

As you grow, your ability to influence increases; you must “grow-up” before you can wield your influence. Two people stuck in quicksand can’t help each other. To the degree that you grow, is to the degree that you will attract people who want to be influenced by you. If you become worthy of being duplicated, then people will want to duplicate your activities, they will want to do what you’re doing, but this only happens when you make the conscious choice to “grow-up.”

If you want little financial success, grow a little, and help a small number of people. If you want great success, grow big, and help a great number of people. The choice is yours, no one can stop your growth except you.

If you want to succeed financially, you should always be asking yourself, “How can I increase my influence? How can I grow-up?”

We’ve now covered the financial success principles of Experience and Impact, but if you don’t get this next principle right, you will never be able to stay focused long enough to get the experience required, and you won’t grow enough to make a significant impact.

The final installment in the trilogy of financial success is Vision.

3. Vision

“Where there is no vision the people perish.”
- Solomon

Helen Keller said, “It’s a terrible thing to see and have no vision.”

You can’t get to a place you can’t see! You can’t become a financial success if you relentlessly see yourself as “poor.” You can never rise above the image that you have of yourself. If you see struggle, you must struggle.

Your vision must be fixed on your goal like the commander of the ship is fixated on the dock in the port in which his ship is being directed.

This is why the imagination and visualization is so important. Your imagination gives you the ability to pre-play your future; your ability to visualize may be the greatest gift you possess. Are you using it? Its visualization that allows you to conceive the possibility of a better life; it is through visualization that the gift of financial success is conceived.

Conception first takes place in the mind, and through the process of “experience” and “impact,” financial success is birth into your world.

But you must first see it in your mind. If you can’t see it, you can’t have it. Your financial success must first be conceived in the very real world of your imagination.

When you see it in advance, you’re not surprised when it happens. If you would be astonished with a million dollars in your bank account, then that’s a sign that you’re not ready for it, it’s a sign that you’ve not yet had the experience, the impact, or the belief in the vision to turn that thought into a reality.

If you can’t see it, you won’t manifest it, and you will consistently grasp defeat from the jaws of victory. But if you can see it! I said, …”But if you can see it!” The word “but” disqualifies the previous statement, and places the emphasis on the upcoming statement.

But if you can see it, if you can see your success, if you can see it when you lay your head down to rest, if it surrounds you in your imagination, if you can sense it in the atmosphere, then it is only a matter of time before the un-manifest becomes manifest.

It’s only a matter of time before the clouds have filled with a sufficient amount of condensation to cause a downpour of rain.

In Closing

If you can see it, if you can see it when you close your eyes, if you can believe that vision as so, then you will gain the experience, you will make the impact, and your vision will cease to be a vision, it will become your reality.

What once was a dream on the inside of you, you will literally step into. What you conceived in the dark, will be made manifest in the light. Financial success will indeed be yours. It will be yours because you labored for it. It will be yours because you deserve it. It will be yours because it is the reward for helping your fellow man.

Thank you for reading, and be sure to pass this article along!

About the Author: Mr. Self Development is an author who teaches a practical guide to success and wealth. Please visit him at Mr. Self Development.com. If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, then you may want to subscribe to his feed, follow him on Twitter, or read one of his most popular articles, “How I Manifested a Seven Bedroom Home at 24.”

If you enjoyed the article, please join TSN on facebook (add Tina here) or follow us on Twitter. And we’d love it if you can share this article on twitter, facebook or thumb it on StumbleUpon. Thank you for your support. :)

Other Articles You May Enjoy:

• Dream to Reality: How I Quit My Day Job
• Overcome Fear in the Economic Crisis
• How to Design Your Ideal Life
• Power of Focused Attention

External Resources:

• Book & CD: Money, and the Law of Attraction
• Book: Think & Grow Rich
• Book: The Science of Getting Rich

Financial Success, secrets to financial success, secrets of financial success, what is financial success, how to be financially successful, secret to financial success, how money works secrets to financial success, secret of financial success, how to be financially successful in life, finance secrets

Photo: Lucia Holm

By Tina Su

It seems that you can’t go even one day without hearing a comment, a remark, a report, or an article highlighting the current economic downturn.  How can we keep a positive attitude during these tough economic times?

It has become an unavoidable topic that comes up during business meetings, lunches, and social gatherings. A friend recently was forced to sell his house, and shared with me the tales of money lost and his many frustrations. Another friend jokingly remarked, “my 401K has turned into my 201k, I might as well have not worked for the past two years.”

I’ve done my best not to focus any energy on this topic, until I recently started receiving email from readers asking for advice on how to deal with the current economic situation, emotionally. Here is one such email from a generous reader that encapsulates the topic nicely:

“I am a recent graduate from a Masters program, have a very good job, but am constantly worried about what the future holds for me financially. Since most of the troubles in the world are out of my hands, how can I keep an upbeat attitude about life in general, during these tough times that are affecting so many hard working people.”
- James Richter

In this article, I will give my own perspective on this topic, and relay specific tips on dealing with fear during an economic downturn.

Finding Control, Again

I left my day job four months ago, and now rely on income from various investments. Interestingly, the majority of my investments are in the stock market. When the market crashed this year, I watched as my portfolio declined by as much as 50%. It is still below 50%.

Suddenly, my hard earned, frugally saved, carefully budgeted savings appeared to have been chopped in half. Given that I don’t have guaranteed income, I am a single woman, and my net worth just declined significantly, conventional wisdom would say that I should be worried. I should be freaking out! But I’m not. I’m pretty happy, actually.

Why?

What can I change by becoming upset, anxious, or nervous? Nothing. By complaining or allowing my body to suffer through anxiety, I will accomplish nothing.

I choose not to focus any energy on something that puts me in an un-resourceful state. Remember, what we focus on expands. We will get more of whatever we focus our attention on. We get more of what we think about, talk about, and listen to.

I know that when I focus on fear, I experience more fear, and I find more reasons to become more fearful. It’s a downward and bottomless spiral, until I consciously and proactively interrupt that pattern and deliberately choose to focus on something else more productive and conducive to my wellbeing.

First, recognize that there are many things out of our control; things like, the weather, the past, other people, and the economy. Anxiety, worry and fear usually come when we focus on these external things that we cannot control. Recall the last time you were really worried or nervous about something. What were you focused on? Was it something external that was beyond your control?

Second, recognize that we do have choices. We always have choices. We may feel that we don’t have a choice, because we don’t want to face the options – our pride and ego becoming hurt.

Photo: Sara Lando

There is one thing we definitely have control over, and that is, we have control over the meaning which we give to things and circumstances. We have a choice in the perspective which we use to interpret a given situation. When we shift what something means to us, we shift our interpretation of it, and therefore we shift our emotions. Thus, we hold the key to our own emotional wellbeing.

For me, it also helps to remember that regardless of what is happening to me financially or emotionally, the most precious of things – my true inner self, the essence of my Being, the divine presence within me that occasionally reveals itself with infinite wisdom – will never be threatened. It is a blessing to be reminded that we are not our job titles, we are not the things we own, we are not our circumstances and we are not our thoughts. And we certainly are not the fear running through our minds.

A full life is one that’s rich with experiences. Opportunities for deeply rewarding and high-growth experiences often present themselves, initially, in the form of adversities. It is through overcoming these adversities and challenges that we develop personal strengths, character and wisdom – without which, we’d be pretty boring and we’d be pretty bored with life.

What if we looked for the gift in the perceived adversity? Try asking different questions. Instead of asking “Why me?” or complaining “Poor me”, consider asking yourself the following.

• What can I learn from this situation?
• How can I use this adversity to become a better person?
• How can I use this opportunity to serve others and myself?
• What can I do to get to where I want to be?
• What can I do to gain the clarity I need, to shift into a more resourceful state?
• How can I benefit from this situation?

What if we focused on things that really matter to us, instead of things beyond our control that “might” happen at some distant future? Focusing on the fear of something that might happen is a waste of resources on several accounts. For one, the thing you fear may never happen, meaning the times you’ve spent worrying about it have been a waste of energy, a waste of emotion, and a waste of attention. For another, the energy used on worrying could have been spent on doing something more proactive and actually helpful to your situation.

Imagine, instead of spending time finding and reading news stories on why we should be fearful, use that time and energy to do something more meaningful to you and that can actually benefit you; things like, spending time developing relationships with the people you love, connecting with another human being, communing with nature, reading something uplifting, listening to something empowering, learning a new skill, or brushing up on an old skill.

You are the author of your life story. Make it worthwhile!

1. Focus on What You Can Control

What we focus on can drastically change how we feel. I know how tough it can be to focus on anything other than the present pain in front of us. I’ve been there, it sucks! But it is possible to shift our focus with the intention of shifting our emotional state.

It is worthwhile to note that it’s nearly impossible to skip emotional levels. For example, we can’t suddenly go from resentment to excitement. Emotionally, it’s easier to shift from resentment to anger, from anger to being upset, from being upset to indifference, from indifference to fondness, etc. With baby steps, gradually, we really can shift how we feel.

Recognize that you are in control. You can choose to focus on a perspective that helps you. See how you can change the meaning of an external circumstance to one which will benefit you?

For example, we can’t control the up and down movement of a particular stock, but we can choose to see that this stock is just money, and money is a replenish-able resource that we can always make more of. We can choose to see that our health is worth more than stressing over something we cannot control.

Photo: Vanessa Paxton

2. Eliminate or Drastically Reduce News Consumption

When was the last time popular news sources reported something uplifting, empowering and conflict-free? This rarely happens because it is not “newsworthy”, and almost never will you find uplifting news on the front page.

Newsworthy means: conflict, wars, gossip, suffering, and fear. It may not be a news agency’s sole intent to instill fear within us but it is the job of reporters to create content that highlights problems and exaggerates the stress of current situations. If it wasn’t emotionally disturbing, people wouldn’t read or watch the news, and the agencies would soon be out of business. When was the last time you felt good after watching the nightly news or reading the front page stories?

How does constantly reading about the credit crisis, the mortgage crisis, the stock market crash, or the recession empower us or uplift us or increase our wellness? How does it help us? The constant reminders keep us focused on fear, instead of solutions and hope. Even people who shouldn’t be worried are worrying, unnecessarily.

3. Gratitude

What are the most important things in your life? What are you grateful for? Who do you love? List them out on a piece of paper, then close your eyes and see them in your imagination. Feel the feelings of gratitude. Do this regularly.

For me, what matters most are my relationships with my close friends and family. The intimate moments of connection with another soul are one of the most precious, uplifting, and fulfilling things we can experience. I treasure that beyond anything else.

Focusing on the priceless and intangible things that grace my life helps me to put things into perspective. When put into perspective, I realized that I would trade all my material possessions in exchange for my health and relationships. And even if I lost all my money and possessions, I know that with the support of those I love, good health and determination, I can always bounce back.

See how a shift in perspective can suddenly make you feel wealthy?

4. Stop Spreading Fear

Stop complaining about your economic pains, stop forwarding news articles of fear to your friends, stop talking about it, and start doing things within your control. If your immediate basic needs are threatened (ie. loss of job, shelter and food), take action, massive action, to help yourself. The only exception to talking about your economic situation is when you ask for help from others during a time of need.

5. Things Will Bounce Back

You are not alone. We are all in this together. History will repeat itself, and our economy will bounce back. Winters will come and will eventually pass. Hang on tight, and in the meanwhile, do whatever it takes to sustain yourself.

6. Enhance Your Assets

In alignment with doing things within your control, see if there are a set of skills for your trade that you could improve upon or learn. The easiest route to job security is to become an invaluable, flexible and multi-skilled team player. Commit to becoming undeniably outstanding in what you do, and never stop learning.

7. Emergency Fund

Just because we choose to not focus on fear, does not mean that we will not prepare for a rainy day. Building an emergency fund is a must practice at all times, not just during the recession.

If you are not struggling to sustain your basic needs, make it a priority to build your emergency fund. Regardless of how little money you can set aside each month, do it. It’s the practice of saving that’s important here. Do so diligently, and you will reap the rewards in a time of need.

8. Focus on the Benefits

There are benefits from the economic crisis. Here are some:

• Lower gas prices
• Real-estate prices are lower, if you’re in the market to buy and have the capital to do so, you’re likely to get great deals.
• Stock prices are cheaper. Warren Buffet, said: “Now is the time to buy!”
• Reduced consumption and travel is having a positive effect on landfills and reduces ones carbon foot print. Reduced consumption also means owning less stuff that we don’t need, which can benefit our mental wellbeing.

9. Choose Happiness

Choosing happiness does not mean becoming vulnerable or ignorant to world issues. It doesn’t mean painting a fake smile on our faces, either. It simply means that we are deliberately choosing to focus on things that are beautiful, things that give us joy, that make us smile, and that make us feel grateful to be alive.

Every day, we are surrounded by these pockets of miracles and opportunities for happiness. Just like fear, the capacity to experience joy and the recognition of miracles is also a choice. Which do you choose?

–

Before we part ways, spend a few minutes with Nick Vujicic, an extraordinary human being born without arms and legs. Living a life filled with obstacles, in what some consider impossible conditions, Nick has excelled and now travels the world to bring tales of hope and inspiration to millions.

Now, think of your worst problems. Now, look at Nick’s attitude toward life. Suddenly, with a little shift in perspective, life isn’t that bad after all.

*** Do you have any words of encouragement for those suffering as a result of the current economic conditions? Have anything to add? Share your thoughts in the comment section. See you there!

If you enjoyed the article, please join TSN on facebook (add Tina here) or follow us on Twitter. Thank you for your support. :)

Other Articles You May Like:

• Train Your Eyes to See Color, Again
• I’m Sorry, I Don’t Know, I Can’t …
• How to Overcome Resentment
• 20 Ways to Attack Shyness
• 6 Steps to Deflate Self-Defeating Fears

External Resources:

• The Benefits of the Economic Crisis
• How to Make Lots of Money During a Recession
• Six Simple Steps to Avoid Credit Problems in a Bad Economy
• Looking on the Bright Side: Benefits of the Economic Crisis
• Book: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyways
• Book: Ask and It Is Given

how to overcome crisis, how to overcome economic crisis, how to overcome financial crisis, how to overcome a crisis, overcoming economic crisis, how to overcome economic recession, Lucia Holm, how to overcome the economic crisis, how to overcome the crisis, sara lando