{"id":724,"date":"2008-10-02T06:45:16","date_gmt":"2008-10-02T10:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/how-to-survive-in-troubled-times\/"},"modified":"2013-08-19T11:17:56","modified_gmt":"2013-08-19T19:17:56","slug":"how-to-survive-in-troubled-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-to-survive-in-troubled-times\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Survive in Troubled Times"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><\/p>\n<p>The events of the past few months and especially this week are disturbing and troubling at best. Food and gas prices are rising faster than they have in a long, long, time. The value of our retirement accounts are on a wild roller coaster ride and our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/money\/economy\/2008-08-29-income-spending_N.htm\">incomes are not keeping pace with inflation<\/a>. It\u2019s a scary time and one night I was wondering if there was anything that we can do to calm our fears and help us sleep at night?<\/p>\n<p>The other night I was particularly restless and decided to go downstairs and started watching <a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0133093\/\">The Matrix<\/a>. I watched the movie, the scene selections, listened to the audio commentary and viewed every piece of footage on the DVD. Then I stumbled across the strangest scene of all \u2013 it must have been a \u2018deleted scene\u2019 that didn\u2019t make it into the released version of the movie. In this scene Morpheus was explaining to Neo <em>how to survive troubled times<\/em>. I couldn\u2019t believe what I was seeing and even felt the back of my head for one of those \u2018Neural connectivity ports\u2019.<br \/>\n<!--more--><br \/>\nThe scene opens with Morpheus sitting across from Neo as a thunderstorm is raging outside.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus<\/strong>: Welcome Neo. I\u2019ve been searching for you for quite some time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo<\/strong>: Morpheus?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus<\/strong>: Yes. Do you know why you\u2019re here?<\/p>\n<p>(Neo stares with a confused look on his face)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus<\/strong>: Let me tell you why you\u2019re here. You have a nagging feeling that something isn\u2019t right with the world. The economy is all mucked up and you\u2019re afraid you 401K will be worthless in a few short months. You can\u2019t explain it, but you know something is wrong with the markets, our banks and our energy policy. You worry about these <em>troubled<\/em> times, and you can\u2019t sleep at night. You\u2019re searching for an answer, Neo. It\u2019s like a splinter in your mind.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo<\/strong>: Yes, yes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus<\/strong>: But it\u2019s the <em>question<\/em> that\u2019s driving you, Neo. You know the question, don\u2019t you?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo<\/strong>: How does one survive troubled times?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus<\/strong> (smiling): Yes, Neo<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus<\/strong>: Surviving troubled times is something that cannot be explained. I\u2019m going to have to show you. But, I have to warn you. Once we begin, there is no going back. If you take the blue pill, you wake up in your bed and believe what you want to believe. Take the red pill, and I will show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. (pause) I only offer the truth. Do you still want to know what it is?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo<\/strong>: Yes (Neo takes the red pill)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> Good. Then let us begin. Your strategy for survival should consist of ideas that are focused in three areas:<\/p>\n<p>1. Your budget \u2013 find things you can implement <em>today <\/em>to improve your finances<\/p>\n<p>2. Your career \u2013 plot a mid-to-long term strategy to earn more cash<\/p>\n<p>3. Your family &amp; self \u2013 strategies to satisfy your soul and improve your relationships<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> I\u2019m listening<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> <strong>Cut out the incidental expenses.<\/strong> This is an action you can take right now. Bring your lunch to work instead of going out. Do you really need that expensive Grande-triple-shot-non-fat-one-pump-vanilla late? You will be surprised by how much you can save in a month.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> Interesting \u2013 I bet I could save $40\/month<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> <strong>Cut the nice-to-haves from your budget.<\/strong> In this category of budget savers, take a look at any recurring expenses that are nice to have and ask yourself \u201care they <em>truly <\/em>essential\u201d. There\u2019s a big difference between something being truly essential and something being nice-to-have. These items may hurt more than other money saving tips, but you what are you most interested in? Saving your house or owning a fancy iPhone? I know two families that don\u2019t have cable \u2013 and they\u2019re doing just fine. Do you have an unused gym membership? Do you <em>really <\/em>need a newspaper subscription? You can get all the news you need and more from the internet. And don\u2019t forget your local library.<\/p>\n<p class=\"ad_right\"><!--adsense--><\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> wow you\u2019re right, I forgot about that gym membership. I could save another $50\/month<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> <strong>Call your credit card companies and ask for a reduction in your interest rate.<\/strong> This really does work. Give it a try. Now. I\u2019ll wait.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> Really? I\u2019ll call now.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> <strong>Shop for cheaper auto insurance.<\/strong> Insurance companies are constantly changing their rates and it\u2019s up to you to shop around for the best deal. I\u2019ve noticed a pattern where I\u2019ll get a lower rate when I first sign up, but after a year or two I\u2019m hit with increases. But, I switch again and take advantage of lower rates. You may want to check with your employer \u2013 they may offer group discounts for auto insurance as well as homeowners. Check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.insurancequotes.com\/\">InsuranceQuotes.com<\/a> for a comparison of various types of insurance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> Got it. Now what\u2019s the name of the insurance company with the lizard?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> <strong>Do something outstanding at work.<\/strong> Now we\u2019ll shift gears and discuss a few things that are designed for longer term benefits. By focusing on your career, you want to put yourself in the best position as possible for a raise. It\u2019s time to become a top performer and let your boss know your contributions. Many people have their reporting manager in another city and rarely talk to them? It\u2019s up to you to inform your manager of your performance \u2013 they typically have too many people to take care of, to do an adequate job of performance rankings. I know there are many, many dynamics that impact someone getting a raise \u2013 and some of them are not be fair. But, if you\u2019re a top performer, you\u2019re at least in the running for an increase and it gives you ammunition if you don\u2019t get one.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> Hmm\u2026but I\u2019m in a dead end job. What do I do now?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> You have a couple of choices, none which are easy. <strong>Start a second income.<\/strong> This one will take a lot of work but it may turn out to be very rewarding in the long run. As <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Adventures-Johnny-Bunko-Career-Guide\/dp\/1594482918?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1206925356&amp;sr=8-1\">Johnny Bunko<\/a> learned <a href=\"http:\/\/www.johnnybunko.com\/\">\u201cThere is no Plan\u201d<\/a> when it comes to career progression. There are plenty of people that started something as a hobby which grew into a rewarding, satisfying, full time job. Have you ever dreamed of starting your own business, writing a book or building something? Take a good look at your situation, your interests and skills and decide once and for all, to commit to your dream. Start small while you have the security of your day job. Yes it\u2019s going to be difficult, but anything worthwhile is usually not easy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> Start my own business? Hmm..I always wanted to become a \u2026\u2026 (Neo drifts off into dream land)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> NEO! Pay attention. There will be plenty of time to plan your future once our little talk is done. We don\u2019t have much time, the next tip is thes: <strong>Look for a better job.<\/strong> What\u2019s holding you back? The best way to get a pay increase is to switch jobs. Yes, it\u2019s risky, scary and puts you out of your comfort zone. But maybe that\u2019s what you need.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> ok, I\u2019ll update my resume today<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> <strong>Keep learning and apply your new found knowledge at [work, home, play].<\/strong> This has worked particularly well for me through the years. I spend a lot of time learning new skills and taking different assignments \u2013 some of them very uncomfortable. But, in the long run you increase your knowledge, experience and confidence. All these things make you more valuable. Think about it: If you owned a company, would you want your employees to stagnate or would you want them to be constantly growing and learning?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> learning is fun<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> Good. Now listen up, we\u2019re changing focus again. The 3<sup>rd<\/sup> dimension that needs to be addressed is \u2018Self &amp; Family\u2019. My advice to you is this:<strong> Let your <\/strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.allmanbrothersband.com\/modules.php?op=modload&amp;name=Lyrics&amp;file=index&amp;req=showcontent&amp;id=86\"><strong>soul shine<\/strong><\/a><strong>.<\/strong> It\u2019s time to focus on the positive things in your life. Are you secure in your job? Are you and your family healthy? My wife called me while I was on a business trip recently and mentioned the bills we received in the mail that day and a few other not-so-fun-things that happened around the house. I then mentioned that we\u2019re lucky to not be one of the people we know in our neighborhood that have breast cancer. We\u2019ll pay the bills and deal with the other stuff, but those are mere annoyances compared to being seriously sick. Remember to put things in perspective.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Neo:<\/strong> yea, you\u2019re right<\/p>\n<p><strong>Morpheus:<\/strong> <strong>Learn to stop worrying and start living.<\/strong> These are the words and book by the great industrialist <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dale_Carnegie\">Dale Carnegie<\/a>. If you haven\u2019t read his book \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/How-Stop-Worrying-Start-Living\/dp\/0671035975\/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1222887296&amp;sr=1-1\">How to Stop Worrying and Start Living<\/a>\u201d, I highly suggest you do. It may just save your life. Many of us spend time worrying about things that may never happen or are beyond our complete control. Also, the act of worrying will not solve or change the problem you\u2019re worrying about. Think about it. Instead of spending time worrying about something, spend the time to make a plan to counteract the problem. Only then will you be able to sleep at night. Carnegie\u2019s formula to eliminate worry is simple:<\/p>\n<p>1. Determine the absolute worst outcome<\/p>\n<p>2. Prepare to accept the worst<\/p>\n<p>3. Make a plan to counteract the worst<\/p>\n<p>All of a sudden I woke with a start, staring at the main menu of the Matrix DVD. Still in a sleep induced state of confusion, I slowly realized that I must have been dreaming. But what a dream. I have to write this down before I forget everything\u2026<\/p>\n<p><em>This post was written by Victor Stachura.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The events of the past few months and especially this week are disturbing and troubling at best. Food and gas prices are rising faster than they have in a long, long, time. The value of our retirement accounts are on &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/how-to-survive-in-troubled-times\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[22],"tags":[2677,2708,2994,2993],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Survive in Troubled Times - Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Surviving troubled times is something that cannot be explained. I\u2019m going to have to show you. But, I have to warn you. Once we begin, there is no going back. 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