Loving the Recession?

Hi, Steve, ABSOLUTELY!! Love the recession, love everything for it all has a purpose and reason. In our dualistic plane, there's always the positron and the electron...So with the collapse of our economy (it is a house of cards, IMHO), that means something BETTER and more functional that will serve the higher good is on it's way to us. Hallelujah! Look into your local alternative currency groups - now is the time to be a part of a RESOURCE based economy. Now going worldwide, but founded in Bellingham, is The Fourth Corner Exchange. www.FourthCornerExchange.com Check it out! We use "Life Dollars" as our means of exchange. Blessings, Meredith

Great topic Steve,

My comment for today, Easter, a day of ressurection....

What has come about through greed, selfishness and temporal thinking (in other words: temporary accumulation and temporary fixes) is having the corresponding checks and re-balancing. The recession can be seen much like a retreat: step aside for a moment, look at the situation with new eyes, and re-create.

The Secret is a good start, but IHO, I found it to be a bit shallow and possession-accumulation oriented.

Time for a new look at sustainability, community, service, living our purpose....the list can go on and on, but they are all turquoise principles!:) (BTW, Turquoise, the world over, is the color of Heaven (blue) intersecting with Earth (green), or Spirit with Matter)

blessed Oestre or Easter, a time for re-birth and ascended thinking...

Reverend Mama Bear

Hi Steve,

Thanks for asking... I think your articles are great as is the discussion surrounding them.

I particularly love the Zen quote you used - "An appropriate response" is the best answer to all of it.. I've always felt it isn't the things in life that make me who I am..But my response to them that matters most.

In answer to your question of the Law of Attraction, I believe your questions to it are appropriate.. Don't get me wrong, I love the Law of Attraction camp and the folks who are...well attracted (for lack of a better term) to it. I also think unless people dig deeply into their reasons for wanting what they want or knowing who they are, they could easily get discouraged with the concepts of the Law of Attraction. And, it may also be noteworthy to step aside a bit and consider how much of what people call the Law of Attraction is really "The Law of Projection"... The other day I was on a Law of Attraction discussion board reading two guys arguing but saying exactly the same thing - It was interesting to watch. Not only were they assuming neither one knew what they were talking about, they both overlooked that they projected, blamed and accused each other in the same manner - while arguing over the same principles of the law of attraction. ... My assessment after that - as with most disagreements: I wonder if it is a difference in language usage rather than concept - I suspect it's language while attempting to grasp the meaning of the larger concept. I trust that in the end, it all leads to the same place.

I apologize for the tangent.. But it's relevant to your initial question and my answer is... Yes this shift (or rescission, if you will) is good - look at the conversations and growth and development that are happening. All I can say is WOW - how fun is this?!

I tend to resonate with Eckhart Tolle's perspective in regards to the concept of a "problem". "Problem" is a mental construct. If I find myself thinking: "this is a problem" then I have chosen a path of resistance to what exists rather than a path of acceptance and facility with what exists.

My mind was definitely trained to constrict and limit, so whenever I find myself operating from a mental position, I am likely headed towards restriction. My aim is then to activate to choose a different zone to be in altogether, to create an opening for expansion rather than limitation.

If a situation is in front of me, then I want to actively work with it rather than categorize it as a problem. Therefore, I'm firmly invested in engaging in a loving presence with all phenomena. This is the quickest way for me to evolve out of the mental trap of "problems". The recession is simply a by-product of a lot of problematic thinking habits. We have total choice in how we activate ourselves in every moment. The relevant question for me, at all times, is how to keep focusing my attention in a way that creates more loving presence in each moment. The better I get at staying in that state of awareness, the more effective I become in creating a life of peace and prosperity.

I can relate, Steve.

I understand the suffering that many people are going through during this recession and I sympathize. But for me this is a necessary time of re-set and renewal. Much of our old economy was based on unsustainable and false thinking. Many people are still trying to cling to these old ways of thinking and doing business. This creates a lot of problems.

Anyone who is familiar with The Work by Byron Katie knows that arguing with and fighting against life as it is creates much of our problems. We have been living in an unsustainable economy for many years. Ignoring this and trying to keep things the same will only lead us to an even greater reality check.

We now have the opportunity to pay attention to life as it is, make our adjustments and move forward in accord with reality. I hope we, as a country, take advantage of this opportunity and don't attempt to move backwards as many pundits seem to be suggesting.

In my marketing business I'm finding many opportunities arise because of these changes. People certainly need to update and increase their marketing efforts just to get their sales back to even if not increase them. And new opportunities arise in e-books meeting people's needs for restoring money lost in the stock market and finding jobs after layoffs.

I've been through three major recessions. Although there have been difficulties, each time my career moved up because of them. This one is bigger than the others and I'm expecting and seeing even greater opportunities.

Even though I lost quite a bit in the stock market, I finally learned that I couldn't rely on other people to manage my stocks. I had to learn the complexities of day trading, short selling, stop losses, channel trading, reading charts, support and resistance levels, irrationality of markets, etc.

As a result, I managed to make money in stocks while the market continued to plunge and earn back at least some of the money I lost in my buy and hold portfolio. Without the recession, I wouldn't have bothered and I'd still believe that if I found the right stocks or mutual funds and just held them for 10 or 20 years I'd make money. The recession taught me that this is no longer true. Things are changing too quickly. Too quickly for most mutual fund companies to keep up. Most people expect this to be a traders market for at least the next ten years, maybe longer. The good news is, if you know how to trade (and the information is readily available), you can still make money in stocks, whether their prices go up or down.

Lots of changes. Sometimes it's hard to keep up. But it keeps these 60 year old brain cells sharp.

Recession? I was 2008 year end profitable, personally and professional.

We are at 90% employment, that's alot of people working!

People have slowed their consumption just enough to evaluate "hey, what's really important to me?"

Those trapped in scarcity mentality & "watch the TV, live in fear" mode have the opportunity to take a hold of that good ol' American spirit of "Never say die!".

Half full? Half empty? Tragedy? Opportunity? We choose how we frame what has "happened" to us, or what we have brought to ourselves to release us from things we were clinging vehemently to that no longer serve us.

I had my "recession" but I had it back when everyone else was having a darn tootin good time of it. And I am ever so grateful for the experience and where it had led me today.

Hey Steve,

Thank you for your posting. The recession has encouraged me to become creative with my business and offer additional services. I'm a landscape designer and the recession has encouraged me to offer garden coaching services. This enables me to work in the garden along side of my clients. I love digging in the dirt and getting dirty. :)

The recession has also allowed me the time and space to bring my business into the 'new paradigm' as Bryan de Flores describes in his "The Golden Age Business Plan; Third Edition" where we are "inspired to live our personal destiny and joyfully contribute our gifts and talents to serve the greater good."

I look forward to seeing you again at the Greenies Mastermind in Seattle.