Balance in these challenging times

Hi Everyone,

We definitely are living through some uncertain times here in the US and also in other parts of the world. Between the financial upheaval and the tumultuous election, it's hard to know which way to turn or what to believe.

A statistic on the news yesterday said 80% of the people surveyed were more stressed than they have ever been. I was surprised it wasn't higher with all the news flooding every brain cell of our body from every direction.

So what to do? We need to strike a balance or we'll all stress ourselves into oblivion. But where do we find the positive to be the counter point to all the negative news?

Here are a few things to think about:

1. Worry about the negative accomplishes nothing. 90% of what we worry about either never happens or is out of our control anyway so why do it?

2. Tough times offer the time we can grow and learn the most about ourselves and what we're truly capable of

3. In tough times are great opportunities if we look for them instead of overstressing with worry or burying our heads in the sand

Ok...even if all of the above is true, how do we cope, practically speaking?

1. Cut back on negative news from newspapers, blackberries, television, radio and the internet. They have hours to fill up each day and tend to rehash the same negative news over and over. Find out what's going on and move on.

2. Soak in the positive whether it's being around positive people, reading inspirational books, or listening to motivational CD's. The world has always had tough times but people have always found a way to survive and thrive. Find out how others did it.

3. Prepare yourself for the worse and then move on to regular life.

4. Brush up on your skills. The more you know, the more you're able to do, the better you feel about yourself and the more valuable you are to your employers, family and friends.

5. Renew your friendships by doing fun, inexpensive things. Nothing more valuable than being around friends and family who you love and who love you.

6. Focus on what you're grateful for even more now. Yes, there are plenty of things to be concerned about but there are still many more things to be grateful for. Before you go to sleep each night, think about all the things big and small that you're grateful for from that day. Redo the events in your mind that didn't work and imagine them as positive events.

8. Start each day with visualizing the day ahead going well. Sure beats picturing yourself tripping out the door, dropping everything and having everything go wrong.

More on this in the next newsletter where I'll be gathering sources for positive news...

Take care and be well!