
There's no question; times are tough. Personally, I have four friends who have either had severe financial issues, or their parents have claimed bankruptcy. It's scary, you know? Watching the people around you crumble is not exactly fun.
The New York Times reports that an astonishing 651,000 jobs have "disappeared from the American economy in February," causing the unemployment rate to rise to 8.1 percent. This is, of course, an American tragedy. What does the future hold for my generation? Competition.
With companies eliminating entire departments within their operating forces, competition for jobs will soar. Rest assured, though, the productivity of these companies will rise. It is my belief that, while companies are executing mass layoffs as a means to save money, they will eventually hire only the most capable individuals as investments, not fillers. Corporate executives will be paid less and work more, personal assistants will be a thing of the past, and the desire to compete for degrees will be greater than ever before.
Shifting gears, I'll tell you about a statement my grandfather made to his son-in-law, my father. While my parents were divorcing, my grandfather looked my dad in the eye and said, "Son... sometimes stress is a good thing." My father has referenced that moment many, many times; he hated my grandfather for saying that. I've thought a lot about that statement, lately. I was thinking to myself, "how in the world could stress be a good thing?" Certainly gramps wasn't making the claim that stress is good for the body; he was saying it was good for the mind.
When we become stressed we are highly aware. We look for a way to become unstressed and, as a result, end up solving problems. Sure, the best remedy in life is to operate in such a way that will prevent stress from occurring, PERIOD. However, stress is ultimately a part of the ride. It's an unavoidable element of life; the mistakes we make without anyone knowing about it; a battle with our own minds.
I foresee a time of stress, hardship, and learning. This experience will make us better- more prepared; readily awaiting the next crisis with which we will deal with poise and efficiency.
A question I pose to the world is... how should we spend? If we have money, do we spend it as though nothing has changed? Not much has changed for me, and I can tell you this... I'm still living my life. Sure, I have cut back on a few things... but I'm not going to be scared to spend money that I have for things that I want... to some extent, the ability to do what I please brings me happiness. If I can do it, I will.
Think about it. Correct me where I'm wrong.