Peak oil. Peak water. Great Depression, Part Deux. The Rapture. Justin Bieber.
OK, that last one was pretty scary. Sorry. But seriously, there are about 24.5 bajillion different bad things that could happen anywhere between 30 seconds from now until the Second Coming. And every last one of them has enough reading material and commentary and YouTube videos and books and newsletters to consume every last spare moment you have.
A gentleman I know worries a lot about where the economy is heading. He reads a lot about this subject. He's practically immersed in it. He keeps track of certain aspects of the issues better than anyone I know.
But he's reached the conclusion that we're all screwed, and that most of us are going to get robbed blind by the powers that be, and it paralyzes him, really. Analysis paralysis to the max. He needs to keep tabs on the issues, yet it just depresses him more. It's a vicious spiral.
Worrying without action does nothing
He knows that I blog, and asks me how it's going. I suggested that he started one, too. First, the software (WordPress) is so advanced and powerful that almost anyone can use it. Second, writing a blog can bring in extra income that's independent of his current job. But most importantly, he'd be doing something rather than just letting all of this information eat at him from the inside out. He'd feel like he's in control of something rather than at the mercy of those who would take everything away from him. He'd be moving forward with something rather than just spinning his wheels.
A good antidote for worry is action. It's more than just getting your mind off of what's worrying you, because that only works for a while. It's taking steps to make the source of the worry go away. If the worry is getting stiffed on a pension, then take steps to get a business that can carry through retirement age and beyond. If the worry is about a tanking stock market, then take steps to diversify. If the worry is that your job will be eliminated, then take steps to invest in yourself.
Is something worrying you — especially something financial? What steps can you take right now to make that worrisome outcome less likely?
