Are you, like millions of Americans, concerned about the current state of the economy and what the future might hold?
I’m a husband, father, friend, and working American, just like you. And just like you, I’m thinking a lot about what’s happening in our world, and how I can secure my finances and safeguard my family in these tumultuous times.
A question that I’ve asked of myself and my coaching clients lately is: Is the world ending with the collapse of our markets and financial system?
The news headlines would have us believe that everything is coming to a crashing halt tomorrow. But as the sun still rises and sets, and we continue to put food on the table for our children and head to our daily grind … we know that the answer is no, of course, not!
Life goes on. The world keeps on turning. Of course, there are many distractions and much to-do about who is to blame for the financial crisis. And we want to know who is going to "fix" the mess that our nation finds itself in.
But one thing we need to remember as we embark on all of this speculation is: We can’t undo what’s already been done, and we can’t change what’s beyond our control.
The only thing we CAN do is learn from past mistakes and fix whatever isn’t working.
No, I don’t mean that you or I personally can fix the housing market catastrophe – that’s something well outside the realm of our immediate influence.
But we CAN fix whatever is within our control. And we can learn to be better planners and embrace ways of life that helped people like our grandparents persevere through the Great Depression.
I believe that this whole shift we’re experiencing has everything to do with slowing down fast. It’s a sign that’s telling us we’ve GOT to change or risk losing everything that we hold dear.
What does it mean to slow down fast?
Make each decision an intuitive and intentional one, so that we may become more efficient and more effective in our lives.
It’s pretty clear to me that the results of reacting on a hair trigger and making hasty, not-so-smart decisions have come back around to bite us.
They’re telling us that we NEED to slow down fast, if we want to survive the next 10 years and beyond!
So now the question is: how do we replace habits and attitudes that don’t serve us, with ones that can help us live more fulfilling lives while ensuring that we can continue to provide for ourselves and our families?
Consultant David Bohl is a life coach who lives in Hartland. Additional information is available at www.slowdownfast.com.
