Fear. One simple word evokes many emotions. Looking at news reports each day it is easy to see why there is much fear in our world today. Most of this fear surrounds money. Fear might not be the word for most of us; it's maybe a deep concern. However, with the multitude of bad news, such as high unemployment, a sinking stock market, recession and a rash of foreclosures, fear just might be creeping in.
Let us take a look at the acronym F.E.A.R. Not the word "fear." Most of us have probably heard that fear stands for False Evidence Against Reality. It is a true acronym and let me tell you why.
There will be many people who will read this and say; ‘Reality is speaking to me through the news, the fear for my job, my savings, my 401K and so on.'
Let me address those issues in an all-encompassing explanation.
Money is still out there. It didn't disappear; it didn't dry up or float away. I worried myself sick about money once. My friend responded to my fear with, ‘you can always make more money, but you have to take action.' He was right. Another friend in the Financial Industry said, ‘Have faith, because it will come back, and if it doesn't everyone's money won't be worth anything anyway.'
Are you worried about your job? Take action! Do the best you can 100% of the time, every single day. ‘It doesn't matter, I'm going to lose my job.' you say? Then in the mean time, learn everything you possibly can about your business. How does it work? How does the product work? How is it advertised? If you sit and complain about it, that is time you could be spending on a solution.
Empower yourself! Go back to school. Get certified. Update your resume. Learn everything you can about a trade that is doing well in this economy, or does well in any economic climate. Get creative and think outside the box.
Talk to your CPA and Investment Advisors about taxes and preserving your capital. Know what they know.
Hold a garage sale, cut back on cable TV and Starbucks and put money into your savings.
An author once wrote that we have two circles, a circle of influence and a circle of concern. One circle, you can do something about, another that just breeds fear and we cannot do anything about it. Which circle are you going to work on?
**This writer advocates using your common sense and discipline. If you cut back too much, life is no fun. Find your own balance. This author also spent a week in Cabo San Lucas when he was displaced from his Banking job, goes to Starbucks only twice a week now and drinks cheaper wine, but also studies his rear off every day.
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