Economic Crisis: A Practical Guide to Nixing Anxiety

By Roland Charles

Economic Crisis is an interesting little book. More like a guide meant for people facing difficulties due to the consequences of the current economic and financial crisis, it briefly and simply explains how the crisis came about, why conforming and agreeing with conventional wisdom supplied by the media is harmful to your health, and why the first step toward a rewarding, productive career is to find out what your purposes in life have been and what your new purposes are.
Today, as from time immemorial, the media thrives by peddling bad news. Its what sells. The big story since 2008 has been the economic crisis. Banks and investment firms have failed; credit is tight; and layoffs are the order of every day. In this environment, and with bad news spreading like wildfire, how can a person retain the necessary confidence to get a job or keep his or her current one?
I am a believer in self-reliance and responsibility. Nobody I know who is in a bad situation is a total victim of circumstance. They all had a chance to do something to improve their lives, but failed to do so. Why would anyone waste the opportunities life throws at him or her and sink into the deepest, coldest depths of inability and irresponsibility?
As an observer of human behavior and a curious dilettante in all matters political and economic, I attempt to explain in this book what the current economic crisis is, how it came about, and what each of us can do to remain productive and happy. Many of the concepts in this book have been taken from my understanding of other authors interesting material that Ive had the chance to study and test. To find out whether or not the concepts and exercises suggested here are effective, I suggest that you just try them and see for yourself. This book is not an attempt to convert anyone to any particular religious or philosophic doctrine, but a synthesis of my understanding of these concepts put into a work that can serve as a practical guide to someone who is worried about the economic crisis.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 26, 2009
• ISBN: 9781477166505

Roland Charles

Roland Charles is an industrial engineer by training and a dilettante philosopher by choice. Economic Crisis is his first published book, and he wrote it with the idea of putting a short and simple text in the hands of people who need help and reassurance during today’s difficulties. Roland lives in Texas with his family, where he’s currently working on his upcoming work Tough Love for Women: Tough Love for Women; A Dissertation on God-given Gifts Women Sometimes Neglect.

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Copyright © 2009 by Enrique Hernandez de Tejada.

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CONTENTS

Introduction

Economic Crisis

What Really Matters In Economics

The Concept Of Exchange

Exchange

Your Personal Economic Crisis

Stop Agreeing With The Environment

Lack Of Control: The Domain Of Anxiety

Working To Increase Your Level Of Control

Dangerous Control—How To Get Out

Identifying An Emergency

The Way Out Of Emergency Control

What Does It Take To Get Or Keep A Job?

Ethics And Morals

Emotional Health

Improving Emotional Health

Remembering Happy Times

Walking And Looking

Moving Up On Emotion And Control

The Normal Or Adequate Level Of Control

Working On Your Worry List

Choosing A Career

Getting Out The Resumes

Interviewing

First Task When At A New Job

Conclusion

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTION

I     WAS BORN IN Mexico, one of the economic crises capitals of the world, in October 1971, right at the time when the Oil Crisis was brewing. It would hit the world in 1973, and the most pessimistic forecasts would be broadcast about the viability of powering the United States economy with oil. Oil became very scarce all of a sudden. In elementary school, throughout the late seventies and all of the eighties, we were taught that oil would only be available for another twenty years at the most. Now we know there’s more oil around than we can get at, but if I had expressed this possibility as an opinion during my days in school, I would have been flunked for my ignorance.

Today, as from time immemorial, the media thrives by peddling bad news. It’s what sells. The big story since 2008 has been the economic crisis. Banks and investment firms have failed; credit is tight; and layoffs are the order of every day. In this environment, and with bad news spreading like wildfire, how can a person retain the necessary confidence to get a job or keep his or her current one?

I am a believer in self-reliance and responsibility. Nobody I know who is in a bad situation is a total victim of circumstance. They all had a chance to do something to improve their lives, but failed to do so. Why would anyone waste the opportunities life throws at him or her and sink into the deepest, coldest depths of inability and irresponsibility?

As an observer of human behavior and a curious, dilettante commentator in matters political and economic, I attempt to explain in this book what the current economic crisis is, how it came about, and what each of us can do to remain productive and happy in spite of it. Many of the concepts in this book have been taken from my understanding of other authors’ interesting material that I’ve had the chance to study and test. To find out whether or not the concepts and exercises suggested here are effective, I suggest that you just try them and see for yourself. As it happens with all advice, you have probably heard or read all of this before—perhaps from your parents, your teachers, friends, other books, or magazines. Common sense is always being offered to us, but for some reason, we elect not to apply it and just forget to live by the simple rules that are certain to keep our lives productive and enjoyable. You will find that this book is a synthesis of my understanding of certain philosophical concepts put into a piece that can serve as a practical guide to someone who is worried about the economic crisis. It won’t take you long to read it, either, as it is meant to be a quick remedy for an anxious mind.

The most important thing to remember while reading this book is not to pass up any words of which you do not know the full meaning. Anytime you skip through words you do not know, your understanding of the text is, at best, diminished and, at worst, nonexistent. You may think you are picking up the full message the author is giving you through the text, but every little word really counts, and skipping over any word you misunderstand should be avoided.

I trust that you will enjoy reading this book—that it will cheer you up and help you quit worrying and start doing something about your particular situation.

ECONOMIC CRISIS

Listen, there is no courage or any extra courage that I know of to find out the right thing to do. Now, it is not only necessary to do the right thing, but to do it in the right way and the only problem you have is what is the right thing to do and what is the right way to do it. That is the problem. But this economy of ours is not so simple that it obeys to the opinion of bias or the pronouncements of any particular individual, even to the President. This is an economy that is made up of 173 million people and it reflects their desires, they’re ready to buy, they’re ready to spend, it is a thing that is