Have you ever heard the term recessions are personal? If you havenʼt let me explain, If the cost of goods and services increase and jobs become more scarce, but I already have a job, it may hurt a little but Iʼm still maintaing. On the other hand if my brother has lost his job and the cost of goods and services increase and jobs are few and far between, he is going to feel the pinch a lot more than me. Many of us hear headlines and develop a fear that keeps us stuck or stagnant. We hear the economy is bad, unemployment is at an all time high and the price of gas has increased. These messages often cause us to retreat into a shell and wait for everything to get better. The reality is better is relative. Whatʼs better for you may not be better for me, so therefore I canʼt interpret a head line the same way my neighbor does.
We are living in new times. Things will never go back to the way they used to be so you might as well come out of your shell and learn to adapt if you plan to survive, but especially if your goal is to thrive. If we continue to do the same things we used to do, the same way we used to do them we may no longer get the same results, we may end up in a much worse position. If everything around us has changed the question is, what havenʼt you? I believe the answer may be that you just donʼt know what to do or the 2nd answer could be the “Fʼ word, yep I said it Fear. Regardless of which of the two you are battling I have a few tips to help you overcome that fear and begin to navigate the new Normal.
First, in order to avoid succumbing to the challenges we are currently facing you must be willing to change. You must be willing to adapt a new outlook on the world and your personal finances. If you donʼt believe change is key, just look at the dinosaurs or rather the fossils that remain in your local museum. How do you change you might ask? Well the first step is to:
1. Know exactly how much money it takes to run your household
2. Save for rainy days as it is in the forecast (pay yourself)
3. Learn a new skill or trade in a thriving industry (Healthcare, Education, Technology)
4. Use the gifts and talents that God has given you to create more than one stream of
income.
My second question is, “What are you afraid of?” Sure we all have wrestled with fear at some point in our lives, but if you donʼt know how to eliminate it you will succumb and eventually become extinct. To some your fear may seem seem silly, but if you are the one suffering from the fear, it doesnʼt seem silly at all. The truth is the fear you are dealing with may be debilitating and the cause of your current financial failures.
We have all been given gifts and talents to use and just as the spider is born with everything he needs within him to survive we were too. The question becomes how long will you allow the fear of the unknown, the fear of failure or the fear of just attempting something new keep you bound and shackled. Your desire to overcome must be stronger than your apathy.
You canʼt be afraid to step out of your box to attempt new thing. You canʼt walk in faith, yet be fearful that God will not be your refuge. Itʼs ok to be apprehensive, but doing your due diligence and proper planning will eliminate that and turn your fear into faith. Once you know the worst possible outcome and have taken precaution to avoid it becoming your reality you must step out of the boat and walk on water, just as the apostle Peter did. Know that life is a series of test that you were designed in His image to overcome. There may be times when you canʼt see the how or why it will happen but thatʼs when we must rely on our faith because we know we have done all we can to change. Peter was OK until the situation around him started to change then he got scared and lost faith…..he was no longer able to walk on the water. Gods word says in Hebrew 11:1 that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. What that means to me, despite what it looks like, despite what I’m hearing, feeling, and going through I will NOT give up or give in even if I canʼt see it manifesting currently.
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