In these troubled times it is easy to slip into the prevailing mood and blame someone else for all the problems of the world. The Financial system is in turmoil so blame the bankers, or the fat cat corporate executives, or the criminals, or the alignment of the planets. In fact it is easy to blame anyone else or any external factor like the weather, just so long as we do not have to accept any responsibility for what goes on. I believe that this tendency is disempowering and helps to sustain the situation as it is, or even contributes to the decline.
English philosopher Edmund Burke said, ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ I believe that this is what has happened to the world’s financial systems. Right minded people sit back and do nothing when the spiral starts, and the press smells a story. As more people jump on the bandwagon in order to profit from the decline, so the rate of decent increases. Pretty soon hardworking people are queuing up outside the banks, and evil has the upper hand.
However, I chose to believe that I am responsible for everything that goes on in my world, and so can chose to see either crises, or a long overdue adjustment. I can wake up in the morning and see the end of the world, or boundless opportunities. This is how I am always cheerful and up beat, and how I can respond positively to the worst situations that occur in my life.
At the moment I am spending a lot of time counseling people who may lose their jobs as a result of the financial downturn. Without exception they adopt an attitude of fearfulness and depression. When I put a positive spin on things they see only the inevitable catastrophe that will occur when they are told they have lost their job. This disempowering state makes them feel bad, and prevents them from taking any positive actions.
However, if you can imagine, just for a moment, that a change of job might just be a good thing, and start to celebrate the new circumstance, then life has suddenly turned out to be exciting. Imagine then, if you will, what new and exciting things you could be doing tomorrow, that you would not be able to do if you were constrained by your current job. How much more fun could you be having if you had more time to spend on your passions?
Well, if you can imagine that it would be good having more time to devote to your passions, perhaps you can imagine working in a new way, or in a new field of interest. Perhaps you could imagine a new way to earn a living, maybe even doing what you love?
According to popular mythology, there is a Chinese curse which goes ‘May you live in interesting times’. In my philosophy, I chose to believe that this is in fact an opportunity for the recipient to choose their meaning. When I hear this said, I chose to interpret the comment as an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons. When that happens, I accept responsibility for my own life, and I tend to soar to new heights.
How will you chose to interpret the next event which occurs in your life?