Nearly everyone is feeling some degree of stress and uncertainty over the state of economy. Some see a bleak future while others who are facing financial challenges see the possibility for a prosperous future. Hope is what separates the pessimists from the optimists.
Pessimists are those who are afraid to hope and see themselves as victims of the economic downturn. These people tend to fall into three categories: victims, avoiders and dreamers.
Victims are like Charlie, a financial executive, who sees himself as a victim after his layoff from a major corporation. His self-defeating attitude perpetuates a cycle of fear and negativity and stymies his ability to find a new career.
Avoiders such as Marge, a stay-at-home mom, avoids returning to work because it is far easier than weathering repeated failures to land the job she so desperately needs to help support her family.
And there are the dreamers like Harry who are stuck in dead-end jobs out of necessity and dreaming that someone would recognize their true talents and rescue them from their misery.
What these three types of people have in common is that they have trouble getting out of their own way to overcome self-defeating patterns of thinking and behavior. Like many of us, they haven’t discovered the secrets of attracting prosperity into their lives.
These people need to realize that hope emerges once they can take ownership of their lives. Hope and optimism are what open the doors to prosperity. They are the engines that drive us towards what we want in out lives.
If you see yourself as a victim, avoider or a dreamer below are a few tips to help facilitate the hope and optimism you need to move forward:
1. Make the choice to release fear and embrace hope.
Choose to let go of what has held you back in the past. It is an old chapter from an old book. Choose to write a hopeful book on your new life.
2. Keep a positive focus on you and what you are doing now.
That on which you focus increases in power. Make it a point to focus on your positive actions and notice how the positive energy exponentially attracts what you desire.
3. Be aware of your thoughts and only allow those that are positive, optimistic, constructive and loving to enter your mind.
These positive thoughts allow you to construct a new you, someone who is filled with a passion for building a life that reflects what matters most to you. As you go through your day screen for what you wish to integrate into your new way of living.
4. Focus on what is certain in your life.
Focus on the evidence of what is solid, dependable and trustworthy for you. It may be your family, your church, your faith in a Higher Power, or your community. Trust that it is always there for you as you go through your day.
5. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family.
The people who love and care about you keep you grounded and secure through good times and in not so good situations. Keep them on the forefront of your mind and stay in regular contact with them. Allow yourself to be loved and cared about.
To those of you who are mired in negative thinking, I recommend that you make a contract with yourself today to reposition yourself as a person who has the power to change by keeping in mind that you are a powerful person who deserves to attract prosperity into every area of your life. You may be able to make this shift in thinking yourself or perhaps with the help of a professional life coach or counselor, but NOW is the time to take the first step towards a more positive direction in your life.
May the wind be at your back and the road rise to meet you on your journey to prosperity!
Mari G. Craig Coaching & Counseling 