| You don't need to be a financial guru to know that you | | | | Unfortunately, I started resenting my circumstances |
| need to earn more than you spend to get ahead. | | | | and my focus turned into a wee bit of negativity. |
| What is not so obvious is that the same applies to our | | | | However, I know better and I didn't dwell in my |
| thoughts. If we put our attention and energy on what | | | | emotional basement for long. Years of experience has |
| we are lacking, we will always come up short. With so | | | | taught me that negativity NEVER changes a situation |
| many of us suffering from the effects of the troubled | | | | for the better. |
| economy, it is easy to resort to a scarcity mentality of | | | | So what did I do to turn things around? I played tennis. |
| "there isn't enough". Unfortunately this results in a | | | | I had been sitting on my duff and I hadn't been taking |
| downward spiral that is not only depressing, it also robs | | | | any action. That is not to say that I wasn't using the |
| of us the energy we could be using to tap into more | | | | internet to find more work. I sent out letters and |
| positive and creative thoughts to change our | | | | proposals. But that is so stagnant. I was using my brain, |
| circumstances. | | | | but not my body. So I went out and played some |
| For instance, I have a public relations firm. When the | | | | doubles tennis in the evening. I am no Venus Williams, |
| economy was merrily buzzing along, I had more than | | | | but I had fun. Because of my physical exertion, I slept |
| enough clients to take care of needs and I enjoyed a | | | | better. When I was physically dormant and consumed |
| comfortable lifestyle. However, when the housing | | | | with worry, my nocturnal thoughts evolved into |
| boom melted, the domino theory trickled down to my | | | | frustrating nightmares. But the night after I played tennis |
| business. I lost some valued clients - some from | | | | I had empowering dreams. That gave way to a few |
| bankruptcy - others to a severe shortage of funds. | | | | new ideas for increasing my business. Then I found out |
| Not was my client base reduced, some of the existing | | | | about a new form of publishing for my book. Then I |
| companies I was working with were not paying the | | | | contacted a former client and came up with a great |
| money they owed me. As a small business person, | | | | pitch I could make to the local morning show |
| this was pretty rough. | | | | producers. For the first time in a couple months, |
| Each time I lost a customer I had a running tally of the | | | | producers were contacting me again. |
| deficit. My inner dialogue was something like, "I need | | | | Once my creativity started flowing, so did the work. I |
| $1,000 to make up for ABC client, $500 to make up | | | | felt empowered and that new mindset was making |
| for DEF client and another $1,500 to replenish the | | | | me a magnet for success. Instead of focusing on the |
| income from GHI client. Needless to say, I was not | | | | work I lost, I concentrated on my original intention - |
| successful in my pursuits. I kept trying to bring | | | | helping small businesses succeed through creative, |
| everything back to where it was before. My focus | | | | cost-effective public relations strategies. |
| was on what I was lacking, and I was motivated by | | | | New clients, albeit with smaller retainers, were coming |
| fear. | | | | my way. I started to rebuild my business again, almost |
| Fear may be useful to keep people from doing | | | | from the ground up. It was a lot like my tennis game. I |
| something stupid - like jumping off a building - but it is | | | | wasn't acing anyone with the brute force of a |
| not a good stimulus for creativity. And as a public | | | | 100-mph serve, but I was slowly gathering points by |
| relations practitioner and freelance writer, creativity is | | | | staying in the game. |
| the juice that keeps me going. | | | | We all suffer setbacks in life. I am no exception. And |
| I took the normal precautions one should take with a | | | | even as the author of a self help book on the value of |
| loss of income. I cut my expenses. It is good to be | | | | positive thinking, I have my moments of tarnished |
| optimistic, but one has to be realistic too. You shouldn't | | | | thoughts. But I can honestly say nothing is ever |
| spend what you don't have. So I ate less pizza, | | | | restored to brightness from grousing or crying into a |
| curtailed unnecessary costs, drove less and increased | | | | pity pot. It is only when we challenge our obstacles, |
| the deductible on my health insurance. These were all | | | | shake off defeat and use creativity rather than |
| necessary (and in the pizza-eating case) healthier | | | | negativity to combat our problems that we can truly |
| choices. | | | | shine. |