What Can You Do? Don't Forget Your Power!

 

I hope you and your family had a Happy Easter and Passover. As I look at what's happening in this country, I am reminded of a quote by President Ronald Reagan, "The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." The Payroll Protection Program is hitting snags, the EIDL emergency loan, and the up to $10,000 advance, are taking 2-3 weeks according to one SBA official I spoke to and the unemployment claims have swamped those offices and most of those checks are being delayed 2-3 weeks. In short, most Americans waiting on money from the government have not received their checks. Including all the $1200 checks that still have not been mailed. It's not that people in government are not trying, it is simply that the government has historically shown that it is NEVER as efficient as we are individually.

 

To quote a lesser-known Reagan quote, "There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we ourselves erect".  It is to this point that I want to speak about today. Even if you applied for the government handouts you still have a responsibility for your life-DO NOT GIVE UP THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND HAND IT TO THE GOVERNMENT. Don't put that barrier up on your progress. When faced with a difficulty, we must NOT operate out of fear.. fear limits us. The Bible says over and over "do not fear". You are made in the image of a boundless God, you are boundless-don't give in to fear and small thinking and so chain yourself to a mediocre result. When faced with a gigantic opposition we should do three things:

 

1. Stay calm and use logic

 

2. Look around us at things as they really are, not as fear would have us think

 

3. Use what we have learned and what we know to chart the best course for our situation

 

The crux of this is the fact that YOU are looking at the situation and YOU are charting the course-YOU take responsibility for your life- don't look to the Government to save you-the government can never be a savior-at most it can make you a dependent-but you sacrifice growth and success. That's not a life. So, from a position of calmness and logic let's look at how things really are, ignore the hype and the media and look at how things really are.

 

 At this point, Coronavirus is not really the problem. The most recent, most generally accepted estimates, have the total US deaths coming in at 61,000 when this is all done, about the same as the average yearly number of deaths from the flu. IF we can handle 60,000 flu deaths a year in the US it goes to figure we can handle 60,000 Corona deaths. I am NOT minimizing the hardship of loved ones dying.  I am looking at the big picture logically. I know people with the virus, it IS real.  But with all the social distancing going on, I think logically the number will come in lower and we will get past this. The problem is really uncertainty and fear-that 60,000 number is an estimate...not a certainty. YOU CAN control this though, wearing a mask in public, wash your hands, not put yourself in places that have a high potential to transmit it and practice social distancing. Protect our elderly by keeping your distance. This problem can and will be overcome and it seems like it will peak soon and we will be on the other side of this thing...in the end, this really is a contained event.

 

We have a new uncertainty and truly a bigger problem now, the economy. How should you handle your finances in this time? There is now greater uncertainty in America over income and the economy than the virus....this is the true battle now for most Americans. There have been 500,000 corona cases in the US in the last 3 months since this began in January according to the info Saturday morning.  But 16 MILLION people filed for unemployment in just the last 3 weeks. The economy is the real battle now for most people-almost everyone has been effected economically by this. So how should we look at this logically and what is the best thing to do?

 

We will tackle that question in my next tip. Until then, I challenge you, DON'T WAIT on a government check. Step back, look logically at your situation as it REALLY is right now, not how you are afraid it could be, use what you have learned in the past and chart a course that makes sense for your situation. You are stronger than you know! God bless...