When in doubt, make it personal

Photo by Bernd Dittrich on Unsplash

Feeling like the world is constantly on the brink of imploding? 

If so, you’ve certainly got company.

You could spend the rest of your days trying to unpack that conundrum and drive yourself bonkers in the process.

Or…

You could remember you have your own built-in release valve for dealing with it instead.

The best way to stay sane in a seemingly insane world is to bring your focus back to your personal situation – financial and otherwise.

We naturally absorb bad things that are happening in the world that are largely out of our control and project those feelings onto our own personal situations. But in doing so, are we painting a more dire personal picture than might be the actual case? 

The way back to your own sanity starts with remembering what really matters.

If you’re reading or hearing this, you likely have a roof over your head, plenty of food in your stomach, people you care about, and some money in the bank.

Not to make light of ALL the other real problems we all personally face, but it can be good to remind yourself that you already have what you really need.

You can also take it a step further when it comes to your financial situation. 

If you’ve got a cash cushion in place, a mortgage payment you can afford, and enough income to live a fairly comfortable life, you’re already way ahead of the game. The fact that you’ve got retirement funds socked away, are well-positioned to help pay for college, and can afford regular vacations is a luxury when viewed through a different lens.

So if you catch yourself spiraling from the news of the day, hour, or minute – as it seems to move faster and faster – remember that your release valve is already in place.

When the world gets crazy, remind yourself that you’ve already got what you really need and what really matters.

A little bit of gratitude can go a long way and it might just be the right perspective and best defense against our crazy world.