I got to thinking about the mindset of all these people, many of whom are ordinary career employees, who are struggling to make sense out of the economic rubble around them. Seems like every time I look into one of those on-line forums the complaints pour out like a torrent out of a ruptured dam.
I hear a lot of them center their complaints around the lack of belief they now have in themselves because of the bind they find themselves in. They seem to feel that, as economic downturn victimitis sets in, their sense of control over their family’s future is weakening. They sound rather helpless like they’re all on the verge of falling into the chasm of despair and hopelessness.
A good example of this was an interview on TV one night with a news reporter and some autoworkers from Oshawa Ontario. This particular family had two generations who had followed the heard and went to work at the same GM plant every day collectively for several decades. One was a retired worker and the other was his son. Both looked like deer caught in the headlights of the new reality.
I think I know why.
It’s because the belief they did have was being falsely supported by all good stuff that was their life before the fall. Good jobs, nice homes, new cars, great vacations, a secure union contract. That’s a heck of a lot of positive reinforcement and it made them believe that whatever they were doing they were doing it right and that it would never end.
Until the day they woke up to the meltdown we have today.
No, not that meltdown.
The meltdown I’m talking about is not the one happening between the Dow Jones’ and the Nazdaqs, nor the Freddie Macs and the Fannie Mae’s – that can be fixed with a boxcar or two stuffed with moola. The meltdown I’m referring to the meltdown that’s taking place between people’s ears.
That’s the one that’s shooting the feet out from under their belief systems. That’s the one that will take a whole paradigm shift to set right. Unfortunately, the chances of that happening for all of the millions that will be affected in this financial fracas is a slim one. Many will simply not have what it takes to pull it off because they have little in the way of effective adaptation skills. They’re not interested in providing new marketable value to the changing world. They prefer to dream on and lobby government to put things back the way they were. (Reference: “Who Moved My Cheese”)
I have an idea how we can all help.
Anyone wanna buy a new car?