Keep It Positive

Post written by Christa Avampato. You can follow Christa on Twitter.

“Some people are making such a thorough preparation for rainy days that they aren’t enjoying today’s sunshine.”

~ William Feather, publisher and author

This economy is beginning to scare me. I’m not worried about me and my financial situation. I’m worried for our world, and I’m worried about what this latest economic downturn is doing to our psyche and our creativity.

Everywhere you look everyone is telling us to be afraid, to be very afraid. “Put aside your dreams.” “You can’t plan for the long-term when your very survival is at risk.” “It will be 2013 before we see a recovery.” We are scared silly, whether we know it or not. The people I worry about the most are those who don’t even know they’re scared and have altered their behavior based on subconscious fear.

I’m not advocating for foolish investing, quitting your job that you hate without a way to survive, or going hog-wild this Christmas or at the next Barneys semi-annual sale. What I do want all of us to do is take a deep breathe, calm down, and consider very seriously how we want our lives to take shape, recession or no recession.

Easy for me to say, right? I have a job that pays well, cash in the bank to last me a good long while, no family that I have to care for financially, no mortgage, and no bad debt. Basically, I need to feed myself and keep a decent roof over my head. All other spending can go by the wayside. I’m lucky, and I know it, and I count my blessings every single day.

So I’m not just going to leave you here at this juncture. I’m going to tell you, “chin up, folks” or “hang in there” or “just don’t worry so much.” Those are crumby things that people say when they don’t know what else to say. Here’s what I’m doing to get myself to peak out over the gloomy horizon, what I’m doing to take in the sunshine wherever and whenever I can.

6 Ways I’m Staying Positive

1.)   I’m taking steps to open as many doors as possible for my future career. I’m exploring PhD programs that would allow me to teach, write, research, and consult. I’m beginning my yoga teacher certification in February. I’ll finish in May, be fully certified, and immediately be able to take on clients. Laura and I are working on our own business plan that we can do on the side as we keep our employment. The future is about multiple income streams. Welcome to the new economy. I want to use this time to make sure I have as many employment options as possible down the line.

2.)   The worst thing we can do right now is let this stress rob us of our health. I’ve been making special efforts to exercise, cook more often, spend time with friends and family, and relax. I’ve also reviewed my health plan for ways to save money while still maintaining the best quality care my plan offers. I recently switched all my prescriptions to generics and am now saving about $70 per month.

3.)   I’ve upped my volunteer time. I’m working with Citizen Schools starting in January. I signed up to be a book buddy with a 3^rd grader through an organization called Learning Leaders. This winter I’ll continue my volunteer teaching through Junior Achievement. I feel good giving back and it reminds me over and over again just how good I have it!

4.)   Get educated on the economy. Knowledge is power in this situation. I read a number of magazines – Business Week, Fast Company, and Inc. – to get a better handle on the economy. I also read the New York Times, Financial Times, and a number of blogs – Maria Bartiromo’s and Jean Chatzky’s are particularly good. And I love Suze Orman, too. I watch the news every day – sometimes several times a day – and I also read and contribute to the site Daily Worth. These sources not only give you a healthy dose of reality; they also show you that there is plenty in our economy to inspire optimism.

5.)   I watch Sesame Street. I’m not kidding. Go ahead and laugh. It’s okay – I’m cool with admitting this. Those little monsters make me laugh and they remind me what’s important in life – friends, family, my community, and learning. They take me back to a time of simplicity and they get my creative juices flowing despite that the show is meant for those who are 3 and not 33. No matter. I love them, and I get them on demand through my cable TV. Find something that serves this same purpose for you. Sometimes we just need to escape!

6.)   I write about hope. At the end of 2008 I was feeling pretty badly about a lot of things. I got to a point where I realized I was running out of hope and I needed to replenish the well. I decided to embark on a year-long blogging journey to write about something every day that makes me hopeful. By blogging these experience, I’m hoping to inspire hope in others, too.

About half-way through the year, I realized that I could take all these posts and compile them into an e-book that I could distribute for free in 2010. Is this crazy? Yes. If ever there was a year that didn’t have a whole lot of hope, it’s 2009. No matter. I am discovering that actively looking for hope dramatically increases our ability to find it. Stay tuned for the e-book – we’ll make sure to push it out through TJCC. In the meantime, take a peak at my hopeful discoveries at http://www.christainnewyork.blogspot.com

What’s Your Story?

Would love to hear how all of you are managing through this tough economy and what you’re doing to stay positive!

Tagged as: Christa Avampato, Creativity and Innovation, Motivation