How To Hang On Through Uncertainty

The dentist, knowing my profession, teased me this morning and asked if people were ready to jump out of buildings.

Yes, it’s scary out there. We, as a nation, are treading unknown territory. We have collectively spent more than we earned. The government is bailing and bailing to the tune of ...
The dentist, knowing my profession, teased me this morning and asked if people were ready to jump out of buildings.

Yes, it’s scary out there. We, as a nation, are treading unknown territory. We have collectively spent more than we earned. The government is bailing and bailing to the tune of a trillion dollars and still counting. Inquiring minds want to know: where is this money coming from? Are we operating on Monopoly (the board game) money?

It all does seem like a massive, global game of dominoes, one falls and the rest come tumbling down in quick succession. Banks, mortgage lenders, investment houses, insurance companies, corporations, state governments, city governments, local businesses, families, home owners, entrepreneurs, students, retirees, laborers, everyone is affected by this economic debacle.

And speaking of children’s games, did you hear about those Lehman boys? They handed out big-buck bonuses to their top dogs, and this was weeks before they declared bankruptcy. And AIG, those little devils, took their top executives to some snazzy resort in Califo
ia where they spent twenty-plus thousand dollars on spas services and enjoyed round after round of golf and fine dining in a beautiful, ocean-front hotel. This five star boondoggle ran close to a half-million dollars.

Who does this? Who thinks this is a good idea? Apparently, they do. And, rest assured, they are not alone. No doubt, there are other businesses, governments and households who have operated similarly. Yet, it all appears so entitled, arrogant and immature to me. And, pray tell, where is their fiduciary and fiscal responsibility?

And that whole idea of responsibility leads me to our current administration, which, in their short-sighted, vested-interest wisdom, lifted the post-Depression Era safeguards to keep the financial games more interesting. But, there is plenty of finger-pointing to go around, and, at this moment, that is not the point.

The point is that we – and that is we as a nation -- have been skating on thin ice for quite some time, and the ice has cracked and shattered into a million pieces. All of us been unceremoniously dunked into the icy waters.

Br-r-r-r….it’s no fun landing in the artic drink. It’s chilling; it’s terrifying. You swim and swim in dark, freezing waters trying to catch your breath and climb out of the hole. Much of what we have known and banked on – both literally and figuratively – is no longer structurally sound and is falling apart.

At first blush, this seems like a crisis of epic proportions. On second glance, I feel there is something bigger unfolding at this time. We are undergoing a shift of consciousness.

That icy water is a call to clarity. Our blue-green marble of a planet is an interconnected, interdependent structure that calls for cohesive, affirming, healthy mode of operations. Never has it been more clear, what one does affects the whole.

So, my dear reader, how can you ride out this tilt-a-whirl of economics and emotions?

1. Clean up your side of the street.

What I mean by that is put your house in order. Take care of your personal economics. Become aware of your energy habits – how you spend time, money and fuel. Take the steps you need to take. Not only will you feel more empowered with your own life, you will have reduced your anxiety by taking action.

2. Be creative.

Begin to think outside of the box. Find creative solutions, such as bartering, sharing, swapping and the like, to expand your resource pool and stretch your dollars.

3. Do not buy into fear.

Fear is easily available and prominently marketed. Choose the alte
ative. Have faith in yourself and, if you are so choose, faith in the Divine. Human beings are amazingly resilient. This is tempest, but a time-limited tempest at that. We can ride this out, and in the process, learn a thing or two. So, keep breathing long and deep breaths.

4. Offer a hand.

There are those who have been ravaged by storms and left with precious little. And there are those who were hanging on by a thumbnail before this economic slide. It never hurts to offer a hand or hand-up or, even, a hand-out to those in a desperate place. I promise it will make you feel good.

5. Be open to possibility.

You never know what the gods might have in store for you. Consider moving out of that psychically hunkered-down position of fear and self-protection and be open to a new friend, experience or pathway. There are many ways to feel supported by the universe.

6. Remember: you are not alone.

We are all going through this together. There is comfort in knowing that everyone has been hit in the face with the icy water.

Additionally, we all know that our most treasured gifts in life are our ties to the heart. Don’t shut out your loved ones during these stressful times.

7. Laugh.

Bar none, there is no better medicine for stress. Furthermore, when we laugh, we stay in the present moment. And when we stay in the now, we are navigating our daily lives in the most energetically and emotionally efficient way possible.

8. Demand integrity.

In every dealing, be it the personal or the political, the financial or the spiritual, act with integrity and the highest intention and demand the same from your counterparts. This is a necessary step in cleaning up the detritus from the economic floodgates.

9. Be patient.

It took time to create the mess; it will take time to sort the mess.

10. Decrease your dosage of the news.

The media can be alarmist and fear-mongering as they report the latest down-tick of the Dow or what is happening in the Asian markets. Try not to get stuck in a perpetual loop of CNN or MSNBC or FOX or whomever. You know that these outlets repeat their stories over and over again. Walk away every once in awhile and get some perspective.

May the coming week be a bit easier for us all as we learn to ride the waves of uncertainty.

Take precious care, dear readers.

© copyright 2008 by Adele Ryan McDowell