It hardly seems that a day goes by without new gloomy economic figures: market downturns, unemployment, consumer spending – seems like nothing but bad news.
Watch any news station or read any newspaper headline and you’ll see something depressing about the economy.
So what is really the cause of our economic problems? One post couldn’t possibly cover all of the intricacies of this financial crisis. However, there is one cause I would like to discuss: ourselves.
Credit crisis: bad, media reaction: worse
Our current financial crisis is bad. Toxic assets lay hidden everywhere and the culture of corporate greed continues to run rampant throughout our business sector.
Unemployment numbers have reached very discouraging levels and consumer spending continues to plummet.
However, as with any economy, recession or market downturn, there is always one less technical but major contributor to the problem: emotion.
We see the media reporting gloomy economic figures, interview those who have been horribly affected by the economy and liken our financial situation to the Great Depression.
While recessions are, in fact, cyclical and we have faced crises similar to these before, the media brings out the very worst in these times. They look to report the bad news and inject worry into each and every one of us.
Bad news is what sells
Don’t get ready to hate the media just yet. They are just doing what we, as entrepreneurs always strive to do: pursue what sells.
The media knows that bad news will always sell better than good news, so they will accentuate the bad news and minimize any good news there is to report.
Something sells because it is demanded
Why does bad news sell? The answer is obvious: we demand it!
We crave bad news. We have a desire for controversy and crisis and want to hear every detail about it.
This is a horrible outlook to have, not to mention an even worse approach to being optimistic. We demand bad news, which in turn discourages us. We reinforce a cycle of pessimism and it is very unhealthy for our ability to persist and to remain hopeful.
Thus, we are going to have to make changes in ourselves in order to prevent this recession from getting worse.
Lets call a spade a spade
First, we need to recognize that the media is going to bring out the worst in the economic crisis because that is what sells.
Not that this situation isn’t bad, but we need to recognize a recession for what it really is: a cyclical economic downturn, a cooling off period.
The credit and financial meltdowns are not that dissimilar to problems we have faced before in the 80’s during the savings and loan crisis. Neither are the tales of corporate greed, which are similar to the Enron-type scandals in the early 2000’s. We’ve survived those didn’t we?
If we can recognize that the media is going to give us the news that sells; and if we can remember that the economy will eventually improve, we we will ensure that we will not let the throes of this recession get to us.
Look for the good news
Next, we need to look for the good news and any improvements that are coming our way. We need to look for the best in ourselves and in others and how people come together to help each other through these tough times.
By identifying the good news, we can find the faith, hope and optimism that rests in all of us. We will realize that this recession isn’t nearly as world ending as some will make you believe.
Beat the recession: stay positive
Since recessions and market downturns are largely emotional, we can actually fight this recession by staying positive!
Don’t let our current downturn prevent you from living your life or enjoying what you want to enjoy. Maintaining optimism will prevent the recession from affecting you the way it has affected others.
If enough people can remain positive during this problem, we will find that the effects of the recession will lessen the more positive we become.
Stay tuned for my next post, where I will discuss the reasons why we should be optimistic during this economic meltdown.