A Positive Attitude Is Great But…
There are plenty of reasons to be positive about things in this world and in your life. Still…it’s good to face reality and take it head on even if it doesn’t agree with your positive outlook. Creative copy in the news is a perfect example of how emotions, outlooks on life, and even major events in life are manipulated. Don’t fall victim to these tactics.
For instance…there are three positions you can take on just about any issue:
- Pessimism
- Optimism
- Realism
Numbers 1 and 3 can mix together. Numbers 2 and 3 can blend, too. But numbers 1 and 2 are total opposites. Now I can take an issue like unemployment and report it from either of the first two positions. First…pessimism can say “unemployment is up to 6%”. Or optimism could say 94% of people who want to work are working. The numbers represent the same thing, but they sure don’t sound the same, do they?
The only reason I’m bringing this up is because it’s a new year. 2009 is only a couple days old, and reports from the stock market are talking about stocks making “solid gains” on the first trading day of the year to end the week “above 9000 for the first time since November”.
Don’t let your guard down. Keep working diligently on your personal economy, and don’t be swayed by “good news” or dismayed by “bad news”. Keep your eyes on the prize. Even if giant corporations crumble around you it doesn’t mean the money vaporizes. It just means it changes hands. And that means it’s still available to you, too.
Focus is the watchword for me this year. I hope you’ll join me. We can achieve what we focus on.
Stay tuned,
Tags: economy, pessimism, realism, unemployment
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