During the past two weeks I have had more calls about the economy than ever before. Yes, there are problems. But we cannot act in fear. Panic over financial, love or health situations can make you act irrationally and quickly.



Right now people are living in a state of fear because of the economy making a change downward. For decades this situation has been going on, but did not make news until it started hitting the average person's pocketbook.

The first fear started with the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001. People lived in fear that another attack was going to occur right away. Seven years later we have not had another attack and our fear level has gone down. The second was started with oil prices going up. The third was mortgage interest rates escalating to the point that people have lost their homes. Now we see banks closing and there is the belief that we may not have money for tomorrow. The job layoffs are daily and it will continue for some time. The economy is not going to recover quickly. This is where you must not let fear overwhelm you. You can survive on less, as consumers we're not use to not having the latest clothes, electronics, cars, and homes. It's time to learn how people have lived through tough economic times before. They did not purchase everything made desired. They learned to make do with what they had.

What makes this economic situation different than the crash of 1929 is the fact that people did not live on credit in 1929. Our economy today is based on credit. So this is really a credit crash. My father came through the depression and he always said, “If I can't afford something I don't need it.” He never owned a credit card and would always pay cash for what ever he needed. It's so easy to spend money with a credit card or a debit card. If you start using cash more you will find that you don't spend as much. This is one way to stop the panic. Think carefully about what you really need before you buy it. You would be amazed at what you can live without.

With the economic crisis Chicken Little running around screaming, "The Dow is falling, The Dow is falling." Fear is causing people to panic and the media feeds the panic. Fear keeps people in line and following the actions of those in charge. We must not give in to the fear. Remember that this too shall pass. Realize that you have a hand in controlling your destiny and that you will always have enough to survive.

At this time do not make any quick decisions. If you want to do things well - take your time go slowly. Now is the time to get quiet within you by meditation or prayer and seek guidance from the Great Spirit. The more quiet you become the clearer you can see the big picture. Do not be controlled by the media, economy, government, or politicians.

Think carefully before you purchase anything even down to your groceries. Use wisdom and do not be swayed by the fear of the others. You will make it through this difficult time and surprisingly have learned more than if the economy would have remained stable. In the end you will come out of this a better person.