STAYING POSITIVE AMIDST THE DOOM AND GLOOM
Constant drops of rain slowly fill a bucket until it overflows soaking whatever is in its path. So it is with the choices we have made. Over time these choices have caused the world to be burdened with debt of many kinds resulting in much news of doom and gloom.
If you throw a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will jump out immediately. However, if you put a frog in a pot of water and slowly bring it to a boil, it becomes accustomed to the gradually increasing heat and stays in the pot until it dies. We too have ignored the increasing heat. Not only have we as a people contributed to the present economic state, we have become engulfed by it. We can still jump out of the pot before it’s too late. We cannot, however, expect someone else to bail us out.
Everyone has to and can change their ways to create a collective and collaborative approach and a more positive outcome.
I was born during the Great Depression and watched my parents and grandparents recycle the recycled, making do with the minimum to meet their needs. They used creativity to feed and clothe us from reusable materials. When my grandfather died, I was five years old and I was very fortunate to have spent a lot of time with my grandmother following his death. She turned the second floor bedrooms in her home into a small apartment for herself allowing the main floor to be leased at a higher rent. This was her only source of income, and I am still amazed at how she managed everything. My grandmother walked a lot (of necessity), but this also was a healthy practice. Her faith kept her attitude positive, and she was always willing to help others. A small organic vegetable garden in the back yard provided healthy produce at minimal cost, and she physically did most of the minor repairs and maintenance required for the home and property.
Have we lost the ability to live simply and to use these simple survival tactics? Have we lost an ability to have openhearted caring relationships, communication, and quality time with each other? Are we being distanced from each other by being too engrossed with electronic gizmos? There is no replacement for human contact and the desperately needed care of our environments. How can we reincorporate some of our basic human needs for self and for community, turning these challenging times into positive life outcomes?
The current doom and gloom should not come as a sudden shock. The messages have been loud and clear. The increasing debt load has been monitored and talked about consistently for some time. Have we become brainwashed into believing that we need more money, more things, more, more, more? Have we lost ourselves in the headlong dash to get ahead? Let us see if we can now listen, but listen with a different intent to make real change; a change in our ways, our lives, and in the lives of those around us.
As a Professional Life Coach and catalyst, I offer some alternate choices you can make to create a more positive, balanced way of being in the present:
- Face reality head on and deal with it; do not expect others to bail you out
- Although we hear the global impact, we must begin to take responsibility as individuals first
- Choose to be conscious of how you spend money and use energy
- Be accountable to yourself and others
- Pay attention to your inner “knowing”; it will tell you what is the right thing to do
- Accept responsibility for your own actions; don’t blame others
- Keep a positive attitude and smile from the inside out
- Open doors to new possibilities and opportunities
- See obstacles as challenges
- Be proactive
- Ask for guidance and support (Coach, Mentor, Partner, etc.)
- Create some fun and see the joy in little things daily
- Be grateful; there is a lot to be grateful for
- Help someone else. It’s a great source of fulfillment and joy
Whatever attitude you choose it is contagious, so be aware of how it will affect everyone.
What if we are going through the beginning of a completely new paradigm? What example are you setting for your children, families, friends, and community at this time of challenge and shared need? How are you teaching them to deal with life’s challenges and lessons in a conscious and positive way? You can be a catalyst for change. You can make a difference. We can all be inspirational leaders.
It’s your choice.
Beryl Allport has been a professional credentialed coach for 12 years with clients internationally. Her personal life challenges, business successes, and life-altering experiences give authenticity and value to her work. This is an ideal time to be working with your very own personal Life Coach. Call 613-258-6893; beryl@beallucanbe.com; www.beallucanbe.com.
