Survive Tough Times

By Ockert J.S. Fourie

If you are involved in a battle to survive financially, then this book is for you. Readers who have been emotionally scarred by the turmoil associated with economic failure will find this book to be a source of great practical help while they are simultaneously trying to make sense of the past and are looking for a way to rebuild their lives. This book is a result of the lessons which the author learned when he suffered a devastating financial crisis and his struggle to lead a productive and meaningful life despite all that had happened.
The book is intended to be more than a help for only those readers who are struggling to make ends meet. The contents of the book have been selected to be of practical use for everyone who is almost at the end of their strength, to encourage them to keep on fighting and not to surrender to despair. Chapter eleven is interactive and can be submitted to the author for comments on completion thereof. This chapter provides a structured methodology which will enable readers to focus their thoughts and to make systematic progress to reach their goals. The book is illustrated in order to explain and to emphasize important concepts. It is the author’s experience that an appropriate picture can be of invaluable help to calm the mind during times of intense stress.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ockert J.S. Fourie
• Release date: Jan 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311139382

Ockert J.S. Fourie

The author: Ockert J.S. Fourie. Born on 29 September 1959 in Oudtshoorn, South Africa. Studied at the University of Stellenbosch and the University of South Africa (UNISA). He worked in Human Resource Management for sixteen years and is now a businessman and an author. The artist: Ramsay Kenneth Joynt. Born 12-12-1958 in Potchefstroom, South Africa. Stylist, artist and restorer. Living in Gauteng, South Africa and consulting in interior design and landscaping.

Book preview

Survive Tough Times

By Ockert J.S. Fourie

Illustrated by Ramsay K. Joynt

Copyright 2015 Ockert J.S. Fourie and Ramsay K. Joynt

Smashwords Edition

Published by Ockert J.S. Fourie at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favourite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author and the illustrator.

Dedication and Acknowledgements

For my brother, Andries Jonathan Fourie. Life without you is not the same anymore.

To Manus, Lana and all the people who came to me and my family’s assistance when disaster struck at the end of 2005. Thank you. You brought light and hope when darkness and despair descended on us.

Nico and Amanda for your generous help and support. You continue to be a source of inspiration.

JCW Hosting in Oudtshoorn who provided so much more than just the technical support which they were contracted to provide. Your professionalism and expertise exceeded all of my expectations.

Cyril J.M. Clarke who patiently edited and proofread the text. You are indeed Word for word the very best.

Contents

Preface Rise Again! The Unstoppable Power of zero and one

Chapter 1 Why This Book?

Chapter 2 My Story

Chapter 3 My Emotions When I Reached Zero

Chapter 4 A Time to Reflect: Laying the Foundation to Rise Again

Chapter 5 Putting the Ones in Front of Your Zeros

Chapter 6 Sound Advice to Keep Going

Chapter 7 These People Added One to Their Zero

Chapter 8 People We Can Learn From

Chapter 9 The Phases of Recovery from Financial Hardship

Chapter 10 Integrating it All

Chapter 11 Your Personal Road Map

Chapter 12 Conclusion

Appendix A References

Preface

Rise Again! The Unstoppable Power of 0 and 1

Dear Reader,

If you are involved in a battle to survive financially, then this book is for you. The word battle has been chosen deliberately, to convey the sense of conflict while you are fighting to subdue and overcome the powerful opponent called Not Enough Money (NEM). Yes, it is not a coincidence that NEM is the centre of the word enemy!

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Are you at a financial crossroad and under great stress?

I want to take the purpose of this book one step further than it being just a help for those who are struggling to make ends meet. The contents of the book have been selected to be of practical use for everyone who is almost at the end of their strength, to encourage them to keep on fighting and not surrender to the eNEMy.

I have much practical experience of the subject in question, having lived through not only times of plenty but also many years of quiet despair and desperation. I have felt the pain of bankruptcy, suffered the humiliation of having all my assets seized and sold at auction, and I know how it is to live without having any money at all. What follows is the result of not only first-hand accounts but also of the research on the techniques which can be useful for survival during a period of intense anguish and struggle, presented to you in a simple and easy to understand manner.

You might now be able to arrive at the thinking behind the title of the preface (The Unstoppable Power of 0 and 1). The book is indeed intended for those who have arrived at a perceived value of (financial) zero in their lives. Do you feel as if there is no more value to be gained in your present situation? Do you consider yourself to be worthless, and worth almost nothing? Is your proverbial cup overflowing with debt filled by a seemingly never-ending stream of creditors? Dear reader, please continue reading. The solution might be much closer than you can imagine.

Only you will ever know the true reasons for where you are now in your voyage through life. Nobody else has your emotions, life experiences and thoughts. Think about it: Have your best efforts to taste success and happiness ended in failure? Does your life now resemble a gigantic Rubik's Cube and you have no idea how to fit all the pieces together? Fear not, as the perception of zero where you might be now is already part of the equation to create immense success and future value. You must understand, dear reader, that no matter how many zeros there are in your life, everything can change when you place a 1 in front of them. Yes, add the digit 1 and the zeros in your life suddenly have value. It does not matter how many zeros there are in your life!

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Are you looking for a solution to make sense of your life again?

There is one matter which I must mention. Kindly take note that this book is not intended to be a self-help financial manual with a recipe for get-quick riches. The book is certainly not a tool for psychological self-evaluation and the identification and treatment of mental disorders. There are no claims to offering legal advice either. You are advised to obtain the services of legal, financial and mental health specialists to help you with these issues. I repeat that the contents are meant to be of practical help to you during your time of extreme financial distress, and to be a source of inspiration to succeed no matter how strong the opposition might be.

Yes, you can rise again. You are the one who can add value to all of the zeros in your life.

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You can rise again!

Ockert J.S. Fourie. September 2014.

Chapter 1 Why This Book?

All of us are participants in this incomprehensibly intricate game of chess which we simply call life. Have you ever thought about life, and how complex it really is? Every second of our lives are influenced by the actions, thoughts and ideas of people close to us, but also in other continents as technology continues to break down the barriers of time and distance. We, in turn, also influence those around us. We also interact with ourselves - our interior monologue, innermost thoughts and emotions – a never-ending cycle of acting, reacting and adapting. Is it possible to accurately measure the volume and complexity of all the interactions that happen in everyday life? More importantly, how can one manage always to stay clear of danger and to avoid possible catastrophe?

Most of us do not depend on ourselves and nature’s resources anymore to earn a living: The life of the hunter, gatherer and farmer has been replaced by a life of education, training and the mastery of skills which other people are willing to buy from us. Money has become the blood in our veins and the oxygen in our lungs. We have become producers of money and the possession of money determines our value in life. The accumulation of ever more money now rules the lives of many people.

Nature has a very efficient method of taking care of those creatures who are becoming a burden: They are the easy prey for the predators. This is the law of the jungle: There is no mercy for the weak, the sick and the slow. However, what happens to humans when they start to lose their game of chess with life and there are not enough resources to keep the money vultures at bay? This is the raison d'etre for this book.

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Nature effectively removes the weak and struggling

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What happens to the losers of Life’s monetary game of chess?

In March 2008 the Smithsonian American history scholar Charlie McGovern presented a lecture which he called The Age of Anxiety. This is a commentary on the years following World War Two. How apt is this description not of our present day life? A snapshot of the world reveals the following:

* The number of US Dollar billionaires and millionaires has reached the largest total in history at 1 826 and more than 12 million respectively;

* There are at least ten wars and eight serious armed conflicts taking place presently. Social unrest and even civil war in North Africa, the Middle and near East has become the daily fare on television screens and in newspaper columns;

*The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates global unemployment to have reached more than 200 million;

* The ING Banking group estimates total global debt including all government and private debt at an astounding $223 000 000 000 000 ($223 trillion) which is more than three times the actual value of the annual global production of goods and services;

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Unprecedented wealth but also widespread poverty

* At least 2,2 billion people (Almost a third of the world’s population) are either near or living in poverty;

* The production of consumer information is becoming a more valuable product than the production of capital and consumer goods: Information technology companies that produce nothing tangible manage almost overnight to become more valuable than decades-old industrial and manufacturing companies;

* The nature of employment is being challenged by the so-called Sharing or the Gig economy. It is predicted that by 2020 there will be an equal number of full-time and freelance workers in the U.S.A.;

* A massive shift of manufacturing jobs is taking place from Western Countries to the East where both lower production costs and better market opportunities exist;

* The increasing dearth of stable, long-term occupation opportunities has resulted in what is labeled as the precariat: A rapidly growing class of society which is characterised by insecure jobs, part-time work, and fleeting periods of employment. Members of the precariat usually find themselves at the lowest income levels. They live a precarious existence often with little hope for a sustainable future. Recent research in the United Kingdom estimated the precariat as being 15% of the population.

* On a much more personal level, almost 800 000 people commit suicide every year. Is this not the ultimate expression of anxiety in this supposedly Golden Age of Millionaires and Billionaires?

The above-mentioned are some of the major factors which are shaping the environment in which we live and work. The world of the 21st Century is a place which is richer than ever before, but also one where poverty and socio-economic upheaval is to be found just below the glittering surface. All these factors force us to adapt and overcome them, or face becoming a financial failure and head towards a zero level of existence where we will be financial outcasts of no real value in the eyes of the money merchants.

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The 21st century world is facing many challenges

How can one face the fallout of financial failure and rise again? That is the focus of the following pages.

Chapter 2 My Story

It is always good to know that there is another soul somewhere in the world that might have more problems than you and I have.

This reminds me of the following anecdote: There was a severe flood and a farmer narrowly escaped drowning by climbing to the top of the roof of his farmhouse. The water was still rising and he was clinging to the chimney when a zinc bath floated by. He got hold of it, got into it and so managed to save himself. The flood waters carried him along and he eventually reached the riverbank, still sitting in his zinc bath. The farmer later told his story to anybody who would listen and he became known as old zinc bath. Many years later the farmer passed away and arrived at the gates of heaven. He was welcomed by an angel, and told that his first task was to tell the story of his life to the congregation. The farmer eagerly told the story of his escape in the zinc bath to the angel. That is most interesting, the angel replied. But just keep in mind that Noah and his family will also be there!.

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We all have problems!

My business failed spectacularly when a major customer of many years unexpectedly cancelled their annual orders and I was left high and dry with the resulting financial losses, after products had been ordered and procurement arrangements confirmed with the suppliers. I had given my house and personal possessions as security for financing and lost it all. My meeting to inform the key suppliers - who had also become friends through the years - about the tragedy will stay with me forever. Our family returned from my mother-in-law on 6 January 2006 and on our arrival our house was being emptied by the local sheriff. The house was sold on auction and I had to start from scratch again at the age of 47. The feelings of utter desolation and futility which I suffered caused such intense anxiety that I could not think clearly anymore. The days passed in a blur as we struggled to find furniture for our now empty house, and to just keep sane. Friends and neighbours helped us to keep body and soul together. My business was liquidated, I was declared insolvent and my estate was sequestrated.

A friend referred me to a businessman who was considered to be