Fear generates fear. When we express our fears we add power to them. When that happens others pick up the beat and add their own fears to the mix.
Today we are witnessing the worldwide effects of sharing fear.
Courage has been defined not as the absence of fear but as "acting positively despite one's fears."
Courageous people are afraid too but they choose not to be defeated by it.
I recently had a personal experience with this. I went skydiving.
Yes, it was completely discretionary and a luxury that I chose over other more "sensible" things, but I had wanted to go parachuting all of my life and finally got a chance to do it. Obviously I survived the experience.
In reflection on the experience I've noticed that despite the presence of possible death by jumping I was able to handle the experience well. What I did was accept the possibility that it could be disastrous and then assess the odds of success. As I explored all the factors that could reassure me, I looked eagerly for "red flags" such as a cavalier attitude by the pilot or chute packer. Or carelessness on the part of my tandem jump partner. I examined everything about the operation from cleanliness to focus to efficiency. And seeing nothing alarming I committed to the jump.
Once in the plane I calmly said a prayer and then tried to soak in all the sights and sounds. When we sat in the door I placed my fate in the hands of God and my jump partner Victor. He thrust us out the door and then the choosing was over!
I savored the terrifying experience all the way down and landed safely, filled with the thrills of a lifetime.
What does this have to do with you and the economy? Fear is the same whether it is fear of falling to your death or dying in poverty. And courage is the same whether facing a Lion or a stock market. First we need to accept the reality of the threat.
Yes it exists and yes we are vulnerable to it. Denial will not work, nor would it help.
Second, we need to choose to go forward with our eyes and ears open. We need to choose the direction we will pursue and trust others but look carefully for "red flags."
Third, we need to commit to not sharing our fears with others. When we talk about what we fear we feed the fear. When others hear it, they become more afraid. When people feel fear they usually cut back and withdraw. That leads to more fear and worse conditions.
Fourth, we need to "move confidently in the direction of our goals." Stay alert and be willing to adapt but move ever forward not back.
Let Abundance Mentality guide you, not Scarcity. There will always be opportunities and needs and people will still build, sell and buy what they need. Life goes on and we will be fine but it may be uncomfortable for a while. So, step up, do what is needed. Don't worry about what is "not fair." Just get on with living and do what it takes to help as many people as you can.
Remember Zig Ziglar's famous line, "You can get everything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want."