Find the Silver Lining
Big news on TV this morning is a drop in the unemployment rate. Yet, the newscasters are very up-front in telling us that it’s mostly due to people who simply are no longer looking for work as they’ve given up finding a job. Most of those who are unemployed have been so for more than 6 months. Florida ranks high not only in unemployment but also in real estate foreclosures. There are so many foreclosures here in Marion County, and a friend in real estate was just telling me there will be LOTS more as banks begin foreclosing on second mortgages. It is very much a depressed area – financially and emotionally.
As you walk around, the hopeless looks on people’s faces are, in and of itself, depressing. The number of people panhandling at major intersections and Interstate exits is increasing. It’s difficult to know how many of these folks are truly in a desperate situation or whether it’s their normal method of generating income. I know this sounds harsh, but many of them choose to panhandle as it’s much more lucrative than many jobs. We used to live by one of the exits and discovered one of the “homeless” men actually lived in and owned a very nice house just down the road. Panhandling is more like a business here in that people have to pay for a permit … just where do they get the money to purchase the permit if they have no money? The homeless people in the area where I currently live are truly homeless, living under a bridge, and they’re not panhandling … they’re going without.
I guess the point of all this is simply to say we are still living in seemingly desperate times. The economic forecasts are that it will take about 5 more years for the US to recover from and dig out of this crisis. For those who are working and have a little discretionary money, it will be a good time to invest in property as more extremely affordable properties flood the market in the coming year. For those who are not working and still looking for work, there is still a long road ahead.
My recurring theme is “change” and there is still a great deal of change ahead and change is always stressful. How we react to the change determines the level of stress and whether it’s harmful to us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Everything around us is interconnected and every choice we make has an effect on not only our life but the lives of all those around us. When we speak or act negatively, we decrease our strength and energy. When words and/or actions are positive, we increase and build up our strength and energy as well as that of those around us. We may be in a very negative situation, but it’s actually better to say nothing than speak negatively. Most of us are not prophetic and do not have crystal balls to see the future. We don’t know what the ultimate future is or how an event will impact us. Sometimes a situation that looks negative can actually have a very positive impact on our lives.
It’s been said that every cloud has a silver lining. Look for that silver lining.
