James Smith’s Info Serv

Author: Denny Hagel

Unemployment, foreclosures, lost retirement accounts, and rise in health care costs…..How did we get here? Republicans blame the democrats and the democrats blame the republicans. The truth is that “we the people” have passively allowed the “powers that be” to lead us straight into this economic storm that is devastating so many lives.

It has become a nightly ritual in many homes to watch the evening news, hoping for positive news from the people that have promised us solutions.

We are afraid. We want something to happen.

Well, it can and it will. We each have what it takes to turn our situation around. We don’t have to wait for “them” out “there” to find the right formula that will get us back on track.

Several years ago, Rhonda Byrne’s program, The Secret, hit the market and became a phenomenon. Through her program we learned about the universal law of attraction. Like the universal law of gravity, the law of attraction works all the time for everyone.

The universal law of gravity states, “what goes up must come down”. We don’t have to do anything….it just happens.

The universal law of attraction states, “what you think will become reality”. It doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do….it just happens.
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Author: Rich Simpson

The Recession – A Personal Survival Guide

Recession! If you haven’t been affected by it yet you must be in a space capsule whirling aimlessly around the globe. Unemployment rates are at record highs. People are struggling to pay the rent, mortgage, buy groceries while desperately searching for work before their unemployment checks stop coming. That’s the economic side, bleak as it is, of the recession, but there is also a personal side which can affect you with equal negative impact.

The Grieving Process:

So, you’ve lost your job. Maybe you were let go because your company’s finances were dwindling or your position was no longer needed; whatever the reason you now find yourself at home unemployed and wondering what to do.

That’s the first step.

The next steps are the feelings of anger and embarrassment all the while questioning your abilites and self worth.

You have now opened the door to the grieving process. First comes denial with a slice of hostility, then wonderment, “What did I do, or what didn’t I do?” Then it finally hits you – it’s over, no more job, no more past employer. It’s time to focus on a new direction, to get busy, active and avoid slipping into depression.

Staying Productive at Home

How can you be productive while at home? Your friends tell you to “apply online.” You start searching the internet for positions that may or may not be suited to your background and skills, but once you write a compelling cover letter and submit it, hours and even days have gone by. You’re still waiting for a response. Now what? You can either stay at home while the clock ticks, or get busy. It’s too easy to let yourself get depressed, so it’s important to stay positive and motivated; otherwise, feelings of self-doubt and frustration will take over.
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Author: Elsabe Smit

Step 1: Breathe deeply and relax. Count your blessings.

Step 2: Do not take it personally, but take it very personally.

Step 3: Celebrate the next cycle of your life

I can hear you saying “There are bills to be paid. There is an ego that needs massaging. How will I cope until I can find another job during a time of recession? And she says I should relax and celebrate?”

Yes, I am serious about my advice, which comes from first-hand experience.

Many years ago I worked for a company. I was not a good match for them because I had skills that were superior to the skills of others in the company. I did an excellent job, but the frustration of having to negotiate around the limitations that were imposed on me was difficult to manage. I was made redundant. On paper the company put forward a convincing argument about staff reductions. Because I was new to the company, I was top of the list. Everyone knew that this was an unfair decision. I was not in a position of power and had to accept the decision.

At the time I had four degrees and years of excellent experience. I was used to going for interviews and being offered a job because I was inevitably the best candidate. Imagine my surprise when I went for nearly fifty interviews without a single job offer. The even bigger surprise was that I earned more money from short-term work during those few months of “unemployment” than from a salary while being employed. I was well taken care of financially. I slowly realised that there was much more to the situation than met the eye.

I was right. My next job opened doors to an international career. I was put in charge of a project that was ground-breaking in the company and the industry at the time. I had no qualifying previous experience. There was no logical reason to give me the responsibility. I learned much from it and gained skills that I would otherwise not even have considered exploring. The implementation was completed in time and on budget, and everyone was quite satisfied with the outcome. Guess what my reward was: redundancy, because there was no similar project for me to move on to.
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