I wrote an article a few days ago that I wanted to share with a greater volume of people. It expects you to enjoy visiting blogs...even if you don't, feel free to flame it. It is located here: http://danmassicottespositiveliving.com/blog/?p=691 Feel free to link to it from your site as well. ----------------------------- Lately I've been hearing a lot of people say things like: * "The economy is making job hunting difficult" * "The economy is really looking bad" * "The Canadian dollar is influenced by oil [saying this while observing a graph where the price is plummeting]" Fact is, everyone is spooked out about the world's economy. Strangely, whenever people say things like this I find myself thinking: * "Hmm, I guess employees need to stop being good and instead be great. * "The economy looks fine from my classroom desk...I wonder what piece of information did I miss...?" * "All internet transactions are in USD for me...doesn't change a whole lot then...heh, so much the better when I do the conversion!" Reality Check: If you're thinking that I sound like I'm shutting myself off from the problems around me, you're quite wrong. I'm recognizing that my values (family, kindness, relationships, love) need to be maintained so I can continue living instead of worrying. How do I get to thinking this way? Here's how I do it. Get Surrounded! The first thing I do is find people who have interests like me. However, I make sure they're people who's interests are passion-driven. These people don't see obstacles when they look at the economy. Instead they see challenges that will make them and their businesses grow. This is a mature and responsibility-driven angle to see things and in my experience has gotten me nothing but good results. Have you seen Frank Kern's "Emergency Video"? Just go through the first half and you'll see the perfect business mindset: Working harder to make his businesses work for him during the economic down turns. If you browse through his other movies, you'll notice that many of them cast the recession in a positive light when buying advertising online. It's people like Frank who don't go running around worrying about what is going to happen to his business who will encourage you to take action in your own business (or ideas) and put a smile if not on your face, in your heart. Frank focuses on what he has to do to make things work out for him. I was reading John Chow's "2008 in Review" article that he posted at the beginning of 2009. In it he said that while 2008 was a terrible year for many businesses, he found that it was his best year for blogging! It's scary when you realize that all the time you've been spending worrying about everyone's problems could have been spent re-branding your business or focusing on a new way that you can generate income. If you're not sure where to start, add my blog to your RSS or join my newsletter. It's because I'm positive that I have this blog-but having this blog makes me more positive each day. Without visitors that isn't possible. And if you're not visiting blogs like mine, then chances are your day could use a little perking up! Enjoy the Moment! The "Law of Intention and Desire" by Deepak Chopra states that: "If we practice present moment awareness, then the imaginary obstacles - which are more than 90 percent of the obstacles - disappear. The remaining obstacles can be transformed into opportunities through one pointed intention..." In other words, focus on the present that is now and you will unlock hundreds of opportunities that you would not have otherwise noticed if you were constantly worrying about the future. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success is an excellent short read that guides you through a few laws and rules that have proven to be true and valid time and time again. I'm really enjoying the book, and will probably read it a second, third and fourth time. Deciding to leave Canada for a while has been a decision that has made me look at my family and friends in a different way. Knowing that I won't be around forever, I spend more time with them today. By adopting the right mindset I've been able to have more fun during the last few weeks than I usually do. Happiness today doesn't automatically mean that you have to offset it by having a rough day tomorrow, which is why... Using Google Reader/Keep Track of Positive Blogs ...is an excellent way to connect with others who are optimistic. Just because I don't read the newspaper or watch TV doesn't mean I am completely oblivious to what is happening in the world around me. Most of the blogs I visit have to do with self-Improvement, motivation, goal setting and making money online. There are some that report news in a way that puts me in a good mood when I read about what's going on, instead of freaking out over things I have no control over. Let's take Guy Kawasaki's blog for example. Swing over there and read the headlines for the last few topics he has put up: 1. First of all look at the name of the blog: "How to Change the World" - Doesn't this encourage positive energy? 2. Today's post (Jan 23) features an article that he wrote on the current day economic situation. Guy isn't running away from the problems we're facing today. Instead he is contributing to the mass collaboration of people who aren't sure how to respond. In other words he's helping out! How can you read a blog post like this one and feel uncertain about what is going to happen to you? His posts beg you to take action. 3. As you scroll through his site you'll notice that he has an intense obsession for Twitter. I was watching an interview Guy and Robert Scobleizer had a few months ago. To summarize a large component of it: Guy used Twitter to build his website Alltop.com by getting the right kind of feedback he needed regarding the different features the site has to offer. Here we have Guy living in a country that is clearly in serious trouble. Yet there's something very refreshing about visiting his blog: He is optimistic about Twitter for the the future of online businesses. I mentioned John Chow previously, swing back to his site and check out the humor of it all. Among other things, John likes posting about cars, his favorite dinners and the money he makes through his blog. If you like any of these things, check out the positive energy and flow at his site. You'd have a hard time criticizing such an optimistic site that encourages a community of blog commentors and interaction. Conclusion If you surround yourself with blogs and sources of information that are driven by people who see life in terms of its opportunities rather than its shortcomings you will find that the 'recessionary downs' and horror stories of companies going belly up aren't quite so terrible. You will also find the silver lining that every cloud has. The happier you are, the more you do things that make you happy. The more you focus on activities and experiences that make you feel focused, strong and relaxed the more you move toward being calm, focused and passionate about your life and the people around you. Good luck! ------ If you want to view that article on my blog go here: http://danmassicottespositiveliving.com/blog/?p=691