Positive action in response to economic pain

[LBTC]

This was emailed to me, and I liked the idea so much I wanted to share it with some of my favourite people! You know, we've done this kind of thing before for individuals, why not for a whole really big situation??

OK, so we know that things have got themselves into a bit of a mess financially, and it appears that it’s become a global epidemic.

Don’t know about you, but I’m getting a little fed up with all this doom and gloom every time I switch on the TV or see a newspaper. How many more programmes do we need with “experts” sitting together telling themselves and us how bad things are; how many more “documentaries” talking to people who’ve recently suffered because of this? And how many more scary headlines in the newspapers? I’m feeling quite infected by all this, and it’s getting me down – what about you?
You can see what’s starting to happen..... All this negativity is starting to feed on itself so much that it’s almost taken on a life of its own. If not halted, in the end all this negative energy being poured into the future will help to manifest a difficult future.
I’m not a financial expert, but something tells me that not everything’s as bad as is made out. I know that a fair number of people are and will be affected adversely by this (including myself to an extent), but it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. I’m sitting here listening to birds singing, the wind rustling the trees – the important things are still happening regardless.
We all have a choice as to how we think and feel, and we’ve got a choice here too.
I’m writing to all the people I know (and some I don’t) who work with the universe, energy, people, animals............
So, let’s do what we all can to pour love, light and positivity into the future. If we combine our forces we’ll give this so much strength that we can start to push back on the damaging negativity that’s hanging over us. Do this in whatever way works for you, it doesn’t matter how.
To start with, I’m naming this coming Sunday at 3pm – 3.30pm as our Positive Start. If you can, take half an hour to send some strong positive energy into the situation and the future. We won’t all be able to join in, as we’re all busy people, but the more the better, the stronger the energy focus will be.
And then whenever you can, continue to do this. Just send positive energy into the situation and future whenever it occurs to you - it will always be the right time to do it. When you hear or see more doom and gloom choose for it not to touch you. Send it back to where it came from wrapped up in love and light.
Please feel free to send this note on to anyone else - the more the better.

In love, light and positivity

Jean x

[crazycanuck]

I too am tired of the negativity in the media about the whole financial mess.

I now just let it blow over & think about other stuff. People need to stop panicking!!! Then again, our financial situation is nice at the moment & didn't buy buy buy over our heads...:rolleyes:

Hey T, how do i post those spider web pics??

[Mr. Bloom]

Amen.

I've started keeping a file of POSITIVE articles from the newspaper.

Personally, while the world remains a volatile place, financially, I think the worst has passed (although it will be a while before markets return to where they were...)

Remember, it's darkest before dawn...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I think it's good to be positive. But in order to effectively do positive things that make a difference, we have to stay informed of the bad things that are happening.
I have friends who have told me "Oh I don't even watch the news or keep up with the world anymore because it's always bad news and it just depresses me."
Well I believe if too many people do that, it just allows greedy cruel rotten people to do whatever they like because no one puts up a fuss about it. I don't believe the world will get better by merely thinking good thoughts. I think people need to get depressed and they need to get angry enough to challenge what's been going on in the world. People have become too passive and complacent, sitting home watching mindless tv shows, thinking no further than their living room couch.....and we now see the result. All indications are that things will get way worse before they get better.

So my view is to YES spread positiveness and love....not only by committing acts of kindness, but by staying informed and by making/demanding changes for the better, changes both large and small, global and local. By getting fed up and by challenging the wrongs in our world we change our world. Make things more positive by taking positive action.

[Red Rock]

I totally agree with all that has been said. Recently, I laid myself off due to stress, errors, and other matters from where I was working. Turns out it was probably a good choice. Due to the stress, I noticed that I was having irregular heartbeats (after I left work). So now I'm looking for a better work/life balance where I will not be so totally consumed by work.

I felt like I never saw my husband. We could never do anything together. Things like that. I hope to be able to get back on my bike again on a more regular basis. I used to do a 30 mile ride everyday! I think now that an 8 hour day would be great. Of course, work is always work and is a means to an end.

This is the first time that I have not been working and not been totally stressed out about it all. For me that is a postive thing. I have really tried to be postive throughout all of this financial mess and my situation.

So onward and upward to a better tomarrow!! Think postive and smile for you have today.

Red Rock

[emily_in_nc]

I have friends who have told me "Oh I don't even watch the news or keep up with the world anymore because it's always bad news and it just depresses me."

That's my mother-in-law to a "t". I call it putting your head in the sand. Only by knowing what is going on can we hope of doing anything to change things that aren't right. I agree with all you said here, Lisa.

[Possegal]

I wasn't feeling too negative, until I went into my retirement account to move things to less 'risky' funds, and saw that I lost $50,000 in the last few months. That kinda took the wind out of my 'not too negative' sail. :) But, not much I can do about that now, and at least retirement is a couple decades away (that's my positive spin, it needs some work).

When I was in Paris last week with my sisters, it was all over the TV there too, to the point that my one sister said she had a nightmare the one night about it. Such a thing as too much news too. ;)

[Trek420]

I wasn't feeling too negative, until I went into my retirement account to move things to less 'risky' funds, and saw that I lost $50,000 in the last few months. That kinda took the wind out of my 'not too negative' sail. :) But, not much I can do about that now, and at least retirement is a couple decades away (that's my positive spin, it needs some work).

Is there a banker in the house? Paging Mr. Silver?

You didn't "loose it" except on paper. But especially if you're young, a ways away from retirement keep plugging away at that pre-tax 401k is my entirely unedumicated untrained unlearned don't quote me on this opinion.

Buy low sell high, right? What goes down must go up? Right?

While stock values are down you are buying more stock. That $X00.00 a week pre tax that used to buy X stocks valued at $50.00 each now buys twice as many shares at $25.00 each. Don't look at the monetary value THAT'S depressing, instead look at the number of stocks you buy each pay period.

Give those stocks a few years to bounce back and now you have bought twice as many and they are worth $50 again. :D It's like walking into a store and whooopeeee, it's a BOGO sale.

Yes you need to be diverse, yes you should have some bonds I think (don't quote me) but this is not a time to run screaming from the room and sell it all. If you're thinking long term this could be a good time for you.

I feel very sad for our retirees who need the income and they are hurting. But if you're working and your company has a 401k and you've been thinking of getting out or not enrolling .... in my humble, untrained, uneducated, don't know nothing about stocks, don't quote me .... this is a time to get in and stay in and even increase your deduction to a company retirement plan or your own investments.

[Mr. Bloom]

Amen. I'm with T420...Steady as she goes...

I was talking with my best friend (and financial advisor) yesterday and he told me of a client who couldn't take it anymore...sold over $1MM in stocks taking a $200,000 loss...the next day, the market jumped back 10%.

If you took gains before the drop, now may be the time to get back in. If you rode the market down, now's not the time to sell.

Not a prediction, but my personal opinion is that the market will bounce up and down in a defined range for a long time. I personally don't believe this will be a time for "index funds" which is what a lot of retirement plans offer. The election will not make a difference...everyone already knows who will win. JMHO

But, we all have to do what enables us to sleep better at night - and I respect that this is different for all of us.;)

[Crankin]

I so agree with all that's been said. I think that these doom and gloom stories should stop being read on the news! Half the panic comes after another thing is broadcast.
Now, I just took my retirement money from the state pension fund from when I was teaching and set up a 401K :eek:. But, I won't be touching it for ten years, so I'm just forgetting about it. It's a cycle and I just try to remember that when we bought our first house, the interest rate was 15%.
I am sort of glad I'm in school now, because I feel that in 3 years, things will be quite different. Not that my job would have been in trouble, but the atmosphere gets so touchy when money is tight in a school system.
I also don't plan to be selling my house for another 8-10 years. Since I live in a town that is sort of stable in terms of real estate, and I don't look at my house as a source of money, I am fine.

[OakLeaf]

In line with the thread title, the UN's "Green New Deal (http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=28668&Cr=Climate&Cr1=)" was announced yesterday. The basis - supported by world business leaders - is that the current financial crisis is inextricably linked with the current food and environmental crises, and that a coherent approach will address all three.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Many people have lost the value of what they had and can't just buy up stocks 'on sale' now. They simply don't have the additional money- it was all already in stock investments and has now plummeted.
And others cannot tie up what liquid savings they have in long term cds and long term investments, etc. They have mortgages to pay and their jobs are hanging on by a thread, their small business orders are dropping off drastically. I have a lot of friends in this situation.
To most people, this is a serious problem, not a minor inconvenience that can be ignored.

[redrhodie]

I heard an interview with Van Jones, author of "The Green Collar Economy" on NPR yesterday, and for the first time in a while, I felt hopeful about the future. I heard his ideas of a path to a cleaner world with jobs that actually produce something useful, and although I don't know enough about energy to know if it's really feasible in the time we need it to be, his argument for taking this path was convincing. For sure, we won't get there easily, or maybe at all, but I am glad to know there's a possibility of something better coming.

So yes, I will join you in positive thoughts for our future!

[xeney]

I'm with Lisa here. We are fine, we are young, we have a reasonable mortgage and we can keep putting money away. But my parents are retired and live off of their investments, some small pensions, and payments on the farm they sold -- which the buyer may be about to default on due to the downturn in the housing market. Still, they are well off and will probably be okay. My husband's parents probably can't retire any time soon now, though. My husband's grandparents ... oy. We're worried.

And even though we are fine, nobody is hiring right now; my husband has been out of work for five months and there is no job in sight. Our COBRA runs out in five months and then I don't know what we are going to do for health care. And we are well off. We are fine. There are a whole lot of people who are NOT fine, who are not going to be fine, and I think it would be pretty irresponsible of the media to ignore that situation.

[tulip]

Our COBRA runs out in five months and then I don't know what we are going to do for health care.

As a side note, when I left my corporate job over two years ago in order to live a more balanced life, I got individual health insurance at a quite reasonable cost through ehealthinsurance.com. No relation to the company, just putting that out there. I could not afford the COBRA (nearly $1000 a month), but I have good coverage with a major health insurance company for $180 per month premium. You might want to check it out and see if there are options for you.

[tulip]

To get back to LBTC's post, she said that yes, things are bad, but there's still so much to appreciate--birds singing, our health (for those of us who are in good health), and all the good that still is in our lives. It's NOT all negative. While I understand the negative, I don't let it rule my life even though my financial situation and that of the people with whom I share my life is not all hunky-dorey.

[Geonz]

This is a time to be looking for ways to help other people instead of being afraid they will take from us... "we have nothing to fear but fear itself" means more than that we shouldn't be afraid.

[Crankin]

I am closer to retirement than a lot of you. But, I just can't get overly pessimistic. If we have to cut back, we can. My husband's job is secure and he makes a ton of money. The benefits are good. If I sat and looked at what our 401Ks have lost in the last few weeks, maybe I would be despondent, but I won't let myself wallow in it. My plan is to work full time for 2 years after I get my new degree, get my license, and then cut back to part time. Since I will be 60 (:eek:) by then, it fits my definition of a balanced life. But, if I have to keep working full time, I will.
One thing I notice, after looking at a map of this, while reading this morning, is that all of the places where people are flocking to, i.e. warm climates, are the places that have had so much speculation in the housing market. When I was briefly in AZ last month, I was shocked at the number of for sale signs... We just haven't experienced this here. Yes, the prices went up wildly, but people weren't "flipping" houses.
Well, I've always said "Endless summer is not always nirvana."

[OakLeaf]

Actually, Ohio is one of the states hardest hit by the foreclosure crisis. One of the earliest, too, if not the earliest. It's not exactly a retirement or vacation home Nirvana.

Flipping condos affects the rich, and if they weren't smart enough to keep enough in reserve, I don't have a lot of sympathy. But there are thousands of low to middle income families that have been forced into homelessness in the last couple of years, and many more in extreme difficulty.

As for us personally, we'll be fine as long as there's an economy for us to participate in. If not, we're not entirely prepared, but I think there'd be enough time for us to take care of things, and we have land, available water and most of the skills we need. But to put it in perspective, DH's very safe investments, that usually track counter market, have taken a huge hit.

If in no other way, even people with an adequate income, a secure job and no investments are still taking a huge hit, because of the radical decline in funding for schools and other public facilities. School bus routes are being cut or eliminated, kids aren't getting up to date textbooks, roads and bridges aren't getting fixed. This is affecting everyone, and it's not going to be over soon.

[Mr. Bloom]

Many people have lost the value of what they had and can't just buy up stocks 'on sale' now. They simply don't have the additional money- it was all already in stock investments and has now plummeted.


Lisa, you're absolutely right. To that person, I'd advise that they sit tight. Ultimately, if they are reliant on their investments for income, a heavy investment in stocks was ill advised to start with, but selling low won't make it right.

News Flash: the "talking head" commentators on MSNBC were nearly 80% bullish on stocks today - the day that the market was expected to open "limit down" but didn't. Not for long term, but for an adequate bounce that may enable some to get out in the next few weeks/months.