Tough Times To Be Sure

I was just talking with someone on the telephone who told me that emotionally he felt like a 6 or 7 on a 10-point scale . . . and that he really did not know why.  This person said everything was fine with his life.

I told this person that I know why . . . and the reason is that we are living in an emotional difficult period of time right now.

We had the events of September 11 to deal with, and then we had the war in Afghanistan, which is still going on.  Then we had the economy fall apart, and it still shows no strong signs of a quick recovery.

We, for a long time, have had to deal with a possible war in Iraq and the issues in North Korea.

We are consistently reminded that terrorists will strike again, and it is only a matter of time we are told.

We read in the paper every day about companies going bankrupt, and people losing their jobs.

We read about the dishonesty of some companies and how they were stealing millions from their shareholders and employees.

We look at the returns on our savings accounts and investments and go:  YUK.

These are emotional things, even if you don’t think they are affecting you.  I know that they are, as we all worry about the consequences of all of this.  All of this stuff reaches our subconscious, and it has some effect whether it is small or large.

Saturday morning, February 1, 2003, added another heavy load to our emotional well-being with the Columbia accident.  I know that I felt like I had just been hit in the stomach when I heard that awful news.

It has been just one thing after another, it seems, and this does take its toll on everyone—I am sure.

We are all going to continue to be challenged in our personal and professional lives as we continue to work through this difficult time in America and the world. 

Please continue to look for any way to become more productive and to save costs where you can. Let your leader know if you have any ideas on how to do this better.  We are all in this together.

The good news is that this will pass, and things will get better . . . and we will all look back on these times as difficult times to be sure, and we will have lots of stories to tell the young ones about the tough days in the early 2000s and how good they have it now.  I have heard these stories from my mother, and I have told these stories to my son.  Each generation has tough times . . . this is called LIFE.

America and Americans are resilient and always overcome whatever is thrown at them.  That is the greatness of our country and our people.

So now, you know why you might be a little stressed out.  Try to get enough sleep and exercise,   and communicate with those close to you as much as possible about your feelings . . . and we will all get through this!  Have a good week out there, and take care of one another!   . . . Lee