You all know the belief that we get what we focus on, right?  Well if you are positive thinking at specific times each day, but then meeting your friends or neighbours and doing the “Ain’t if awful” conversation, which are you doing more of?  Will your one hour’s meditation swing it against the three hours you moaned with your friends about the economy, the banks, the unemployment etc.?  I’m not saying stick your head in the sand and ignore it.  It’s real.  It’s happening.

 

But looking only at the bad means that we focus on the bad.  And if you believe that you get more of what you focus on … what do you think you’ll get?  A pay rise?  An offer of a great new job?  A big lotto win?  I don’t think so.

 

So, even when things globally look bad, or perhaps even moreso when they look bad, we need to focus on positive things.  They are always there.  Maybe we have to look harder.  For starters, lots of things have actually come down in price.  Lots of foodstuffs are cheaper than before the recession.  Buying locally can help support your own community.  Petrol (depending on where in the world you live) is cheaper than it was (though it’s creeping up again I notice).  For some people their mortgages are coming down.

 

So can we look at the real things please?  Have you lost your job?  No?  Then look out for ways you can support jobs in your neighbourhood.  That can be anything from paying a neighbour’s kid to mow your lawn or wash your car to employing local workers to build your house extension.  If you still have enough money coming in, try to spend it in your community and support your local economy.

 

And my favourite - barter!  I’m a big fan of exchange.  You can exchange goods e.g. why not have a “garage swap” instead of a “garage sale”?  If you have a service that you provide, why not exchange it for services others provide?  I don’t think there’s any law against it (if you know otherwise, please let me know because I’ll be in big trouble!).  It’s a fair exchange of services.  No money involved.  Just people helping each other out.

 

And finally, or perhaps it should be first, gratitude.  I know you’ll say it’s all Pollyanna-ish, and new-age, but there are always things you can be grateful for.  Start with the obvious - if you have good health, be grateful for that.  If you’re well enough to have a job in the first place you’re better off than people who were already unemployed and now have little or no hope of work.  If you can no longer afford to eat out, be grateful that you have friends that you can arrange dinner parties with.  Take turns to have dinner in different houses maybe once a month or so.  You may find that your friendships broadens through meeting new people at house parties.

 

I could devote an entire newsletter to “Things to be grateful for”, but you know the best ones in your own life.  If you’d like to share your favourite ones with me, I’ll be delighted.