How to Cope When Money’s gone
By Blue Rose on Thursday, 27 of August , 2009 at 3:34 pm
It’s not the situation that causes stress, but the person’s perception of the situation. Listen, there’s not one universal stressor. A traumatizing experience for you may be taken as a challenge by the person next to you. Faith in God in your own strengths and in other people’s goodness is crucial. But here are three more essential factors that will help you discover how well you can survive your new, less golden life.
1. Foundation while growing up – ask you’re self: “What kind of upbringing did I have? Did my parents impart good values? Did they teach me how to be strong in times of trial? And to always have a positive outlook in life?”
How you were brought up is a big factor in determining how capable you are of handling problems that come your way. If you were a spoiled rotten as kid who learned no values whatsoever, dealing with your penniless state will be very difficult. However, if you were brought up with a balanced set of values, then it’s up to you to put everything you’ve learned from your folks into practice.
Andrew’s mom was capricious, overly indulgent, and knew nothing about child discipline. When she died, Andrew expected his relatives to cater to his whims and serve him, just as his mother did. His foundation of values was almost non-existent, which made his new poverty unbearable both for Andrew and the people around him.
2. Support system in place – ask you’re self: “How will my new financial status affect my relationships and my social life? Will my rich friends still be there for me? Or will I have to replace them with a new set of friends? Will my boyfriend stay with me even if I have no more money? Will my relatives treat me the way they did when I was rich?”
Family and friends who can and will support you in this time of need are essential. Some people who found themselves in dire situations were able to start a new because of another person’s pr presence and assistance. This is also the best time to discover who your true friends are. Your changed status may break old bonds, but there will always be other, more durable relationships to take their place.
Stephanie’s relatives stopped coming to their place after her family’s financial downfall. They could no longer host lavish get-togethers. She can only able to share her story to her true friends.
3. Your own personality – ask you’re self: “Am I tough or sensitive? An optimist or a pessimist? Self-reliant or dependent? Proud or humble?”
Research proves that it takes six months after a new situation transpires to determine how a person will deal with changes in his life. It was discovered that optimists who became paraplegics eventually regained their positive outlook in life. Before, they were “happy people.” Today, they are “happy people in wheelchairs.” Pessimists who won the lottery were “poor money-pinching worriers” before. Now, they are “rich money-pinching worriers.”
Your outlook in life is based on how you interpret the world before the changes occurred. If you’ve got a positive view in life, then you’re all good! If not, it’s time to change your attitude. If you choose to change your negative behavior, people will response can alter your negative thoughts, and eventually bring about new positive situations.
