That was the saying on a T-shirt I wore at work when our division was downsizing. As I wrote in What I Learned From Being Downsized, it was scary time but also one of the happiest of my life. In that post I said the lessons I learned from the experience were:
- Be optimistic and have a sense of humor,
- Always keep learning and growing,
- Be patient and bide your time when it’s appropriate,
- Generate new ideas and opportunities for yourself,
- Enjoy the adventure of life and have friends to share it with.
That’s not a bad action plan for the coming year, but something is missing. It’s too sanguine…it sounds like the standard self-help stuff, that if we only have a good attitude and work for what we want, then we’re bound to be successful and get what we want. I don’t believe that. The uncertainty is real…we do know we’ll all wind up dead, but we have no idea what we’ll encounter on the way.
That probably sounds too negative for some people, presumably because it deprives us of hope for the future? Because it will undermine our motivation? I don’t see it that way. I think we’re cheating ourselves by denying that bad things can happen…it encourages us to take things for granted and not appreciate what we have in this very moment.
The reason the downsizing experience was so powerful was because the danger was real. And my husband and I were not disheartened, we were energized. We had a feeling of cheerful defiance…we weren’t about to let the circumstances get us down…that’s why we shared our stories and laughed so much. And that’s what the motto on the T-shirt and above picture is about. When the uncertainty of life looms large we need a feisty spirit to keep us in touch with our determination and courage. The motto isn’t encouraging us to eat sweets, it’s saying don’t let our fears keep us from enjoying the good things we still have in our lives. The biggest “dessert” for my husband and me was laughing together and exploring our possibilities.
Just looking at the shirt and remembering that time makes me tune back in to that power and determination…it makes me feel more resourceful and courageous. Yes, I feel fear at times, but that doesn’t mean it has to overshadow the joy. Instead it can make the joy stand out in brilliant contrast.
What About You?
Are you worried about the current economic situation or other problems? Are you doing anything special to deal with it?
I’m a little concerned about the economic situation. We’re in pretty good shape ourselves as my investment decisions when I retired were VERY conservative. I think things are going to have to be very bad for a lot of other people before we’ll be in trouble…, That’s why I’m a little concerned.
Although we don’t really need to, we have been quite a bit more conservative on our spending, day to day travels, and eating out. Also, I’m pretty sure I’m going to be going back to work for another contract at the job I retired from. Apparently the license class that just started was told that I was going to “be there” for them. If it works out, the money will help pay down one of our remaining debts and we won’t have to take anything out of out investments to augment my pension.
Mike Goads last blog post..Wednesday Weigh-In
You wrote about being energized by the downsizing. I had something similar happen to me many years ago. When our daughter went for her annual check up at age 4, the doctor was alarmed by some of the vexing mannerisms we reported. She wanted us to have her evaluated for autism.
Well, she passed with flying colors. And that’s finally when I felt I’d found my purpose in life. I was indeed energized, and I needed it to deal with the school, the insurance company and to do research into the epidemic.
She’s doing wonderfully, BTW, no thanks to our insurance company. Many of the interventions that proved the most helpful were things we researched and paid for on our own — diet, B6, AIT, Floortime.
My feeling was that G-d gave this child to us because He trusted us to care for her, and He knew we would do a good job.
I’ve always been at the low end of the income spectrum. I hope to change that this year. Does the recession affect this? Hopefully not – I hope the stuff I’ll provide will be relatively inexpensive (though some people see this as meaning it is of low value – I disagree!) and widely desired; living a better life: less stress, more joy. So I’m worried about making money and how to do it and if I will and all that – but the current situation doesn’t really affect my thinking about all this.
Evans last blog post..Higher and Lower Needs?
Mike,
It sounds like you and your wife are like us…my husband and I have always lived below our means because we like having a cushion. Your prospective job should ease a lot of worries. I’m happy for you.
Square Peg Guy,
Thanks for sharing your story. That happens a lot…adversity can give us a mission that we’re passionate about.
Evan,
Good luck! We’re rooting for you.
My fear is growing old & dying. I hope it doesn’t hurt. Dr. Andrew Weil’s book on CD, Aging Gracefully, helps.
I retired from active corporate life eight years ago. Since then, I have developed two income streams apart from my pension. We are not the high spending types and our lifestyle enables us to live well below our means. One of my streams of income shows sign of slowing down due to the recession. While this is inevitable, it should not seriously affect our ability to weather this storm as well.
I worry however about a lot of young people who took on debt to purchase homes, furniture and vehicles based on two incomes. Some have already been laid off and some dread the day the pink slip will be given. There is a lot of fear and uncertainty around and we hear about quite a few break downs.
rummusers last blog post..A Chapter Closes.
bikehikebabe,
I’m with you…the idea of being dead doesn’t bother me, but I hope I’m lucky about the process. It reminds me of Woody Allen…”I don’t mind dying, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
I’m a member of Compassion and Choices just in case I get a painful and terminal illness. It’s nice to know we’re not completely helpless.
rummuser,
We, too, should be able to weather a recession…who knows what will happen if we have a worldwide depression. Or what will happen about the ever-increasing US debt.