What to Do During Economic Recovery - by Kyra Clark

Guess what? The economy is getting better. We are in a major upswing now and it is a very exciting time. Our full recovery will likely be felt within the next 10 years. I have been looking around and I have noticed that my fellow Americans have wanted to stay in the same fear state over the economy even though there have been some great improvements. I would like to take the opportunity to suggest that now is the time to take a deep breath and know that we can use our remarkable resiliency as a country and as individuals to make our lives even better than ever.

What we learned

We learned we don’t have to overspend to be happy. We learned how to have fun with our families in a quality setting. We learned to eat at home instead of out. We learned that money doesn’t necessarily equal happiness. Our relationships in many cases thrived and we learned that with or without money we could survive the winter of our fears. In these things we grew, we achieved and we absolutely became stronger.

Is your brain in the game?

Take the time to expound on the achievements you have made over the last 14 months. List out all the things that you did well and then take some time to appreciate the abundance that actually did appear in your life. Didn’t have any abundance? Well then think of something that is abundant. I went to the beach recently and looked at all the sea shells. There was an abundance of sea shells and the tide brought in more and more every day. I also watched a robin red breast pull fat worms from the ground on our property. There seemed to be an abundance of worms and it was a delight to see these birds get full and content. It made me think that in my life I had an abundance of love, friendship and support. I noticed more kindness and love come from this economic downturn than ever before. I watched as people chose physical fitness and proper diet over fast food and eating dinner out. I saw parents go to the park with their kids and get creative with their entertainment. I saw an overall engagement of friendship and simpatico to cope with stress. We were relying on each other to carry us through the tough times. Write out 50 things that you saw as a blessing over the last year and a half and I guarantee you will have a revelation to the same positive degree as me.

What now?

Keep doing what you are doing, and do it because it feels good to do it. It feels good to connect and find something fun to do that is inexpensive. It’s fun to sit down and have a healthy family dinner. It’s fun to live life when you know that your attention is going towards building healthy relationships, including the relationship with yourself. Most of all, spend your money on things that make you feel good, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have in the past felt guilt when I have purchased something, or made an impulse buy. In contrast, when I have spent money on the things that truly and deeply made me feel good, whether it’s supplements or a new fitness magazine, it seemed my money would almost replenish itself because that purchase went toward my overall well being and therefore excelled my internal emotional guidance system to lead me toward more abundance. It sounds simple but it’s good to feel good and when you feel good, more good comes to you easily.

Kyra Clark

Portfolio Advisor