The Upside of Economic Crisis

The deflation of the global markets and the decline in spending is impacting
most people regardless of their economic status. People are going to bed
each night wondering if their job is secure and how much longer they can
afford their mortgage. Business owners are worried about the next payday and
workers are wondering how to add more value to their work in order keep
their jobs.

History has taught us that out of the ashes rise great opportunities.
Challenge can be transformed when we know how to ask a new set of questions
and shift our perceptions, then our actions. For example, difficult
financial times can make us place a higher value on conservatively saving
money, which increases the chances of accumulating future wealth. Losing a
job may be the catalyst for creative entrepreneurialism. Chaos can bring
unity and awakening to a new order. This is exemplified in the way world
leaders have united in their will to restore stability to the financial
markets.

Here are some examples of perceived challenges, along with their
compensatory blessings that may help you become aware of the other side.
Reading these may assist you in allaying your fears around the challenges
associated with the temporary loss of money.

. Credit crunch: As government introduces credit restrictions, lenders
become more accountable. This will provide for a stronger economy in the
future. The credit crunch also means you are protected from making foolish
financial decisions that could affect your tomorrow. It will make you
prioritize your purchases, which will trim your fat, making you more
efficient and lean. This can certainly pay off, saving you more money in the
future.

. Losing a job: Losing your job could open the pathway into a new job
you really love and can also be the catalyst for going after a long-sought
dream. You may find yourself generating new ideas that awaken your
entrepreneurialism. Being free from the perceived "security" of your
previous job may assist you in discovering the courage to start up your own
company. A retrenchment package could become the capital for a new business.


. Restructuring: In good times, companies tend to become over-fed and
overlook the decline of inefficiencies. Recessionary times force companies
to become lean, fine-tune their marketing campaigns, streamline all areas of
ineffectiveness and create a well-oiled machine that prospers when the tide
turns.

. Not being able to afford previous lifestyle: Friends and families
become innovative and spend more quality time with each other. Fathers may
play more sports with their children, rather than paying for coaches.
Imagine what benefits there are to having family members learning to more
deeply appreciate what they still do have.

. Difficulty getting start-up funding: Bank lending is at a minimum,
making it difficult to fund a new business. This forces entrepreneurs to
fine-tune their business plans and present a financially sound strategy that
ensures success and loan repayment. This gives you a level of certainty for
your future business success. Easy money can be the recipe for complacency
and failure.

. No money for a holiday this Christmas: Holidays bring their own
stresses like overspending, busy airports, delayed planes, lost luggage,
etc. This forces us to take a less expensive local holiday, which boosts the
local economy, or forces us to stay home and get things in order, bringing a
peace of mind all its own. Remember, peace of mind is in fact the definition
of a true holiday. We also get to link up and deepen relationships with
friends who find themselves in the same situation. If we help others give
and receive what they would love, we tend to give and receive what we would
love.

Challenging financial times do many beneficial things. They calm our
unrealistic fantasies about life, quell our need for instant gratification,
force us to be introspective about what we really truly want out of life,
teach us how not to live beyond our means and help bring us back into
equilibrium. These are all long-term blessings. When we transform our crises
into blessings, we catalyze others to do the same.

Dr. John Demartini is an international educator specializing in human
behavior and social dynamics. For more information regarding Dr. John
Demartini, visit drdemartini.com.