Choosing Hope

I don’t know many people who are happy lately. It pains me to even say it, but so many people in my circle have fallen into a cycle of sadness. Me included. Each day I feel my wallet getting lighter, my checkbook getting heavier and my grip on financial and emotional security loosening. I blame some of it on the media.

Everyday we’re bombarded with messages that we’re heading into an economic tailspin. We’re told our homes are no longer worth what they once were. We read that there might be a recession coming and that it could be years before the economy rebounds. No wonder so many of us are frozen with fear. No wonder we’re clutching tightly to our paychecks worried that we might not have enough money to pay our ever-rising bills. Our economy is dying because we’re not feeding it. As a result we’re all starving.

I’m not saying that what the media is telling us is not true, but whether it’s intentional or not, what we’re hearing evokes fear. It’s designed to keep us listening and watching and reading. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t stay informed, but it’s how we choose to process the information that makes the difference between living in hope or living in fear.

A long time ago I read a story about two businessmen who were sitting next to each other on a plane. They began talking about how their businesses were faring during the tough financial times. One man said that his business was floundering and that he as having a tough time making ends meet. The other man said that his business was having its best year ever. Stunned, the first man asked him how he could possibly be having a good year in the middle of a recession. The successful man said that he made a choice not to participate in the recession. So while everyone else was digesting negative thoughts and making them their reality, he took a “business as usual” approach and prospered.

Is it easy to choose stay positive and focused? Not for someone like me who is genetically predisposed to worrying. But I do know that hope feels a whole lot better than fear.