Fear is very powerful

Fear is very powerful – if you allow it to be. I’m sure we have all dealt with fear in one form or another. Sometime, fear serves us, as in the case of sensing someone following us with bad intentions, but more often, fear keeps us from our higher purpose. Case in point, it is a bit intimidating to address your fellow business people, however you grow from the experience.
This is my personal lesson on fear. Several years ago, during the Great Recession, I experienced a complete 180* in my life. My spouse at the time had lost his job earning $100,000 annually and didn’t tell me about it for two months. He couldn’t collect unemployment because he was essentially self­employed, and as he handled the finances exclusively, I was unaware that he hadn’t saved a dime. It was an incredible learning experience for me. He was in construction at the time, and I was in mortgage lending. Both those industries were gutted during this time. I was scared.
As time went on, the marriage broke up, my son moved in with his dad at 14 and I was on the verge of homelessness. Even with my college degree, I could only find part time work, which barely fed my two girls and I. We were blessed with an extended short sale process, which allowed us to stay in the home until I was able to secure a job that would support an apartment. By the grace of God, we found a place that would take us in spite of my destroyed credit.
I say that to tell you this. I SURVIVED! I am better for it. I learned that there are amazing people out there who will help, and that I have a responsibility to help when I can. I learned that as you focus on the positive and have faith, that fear shrinks. If I lived in fear during that time, I would have never left the house. I learned the importance of personal responsibility with regards to investments and savings. I learned that risk was a part of living and that I was responsible for my business, my savings, my security and my happiness. Was it easy? Oh no. But I know that I bounce. My girls have learned to be self­sufficient, how to manage money, and the virtues of hard work. So remember when life gets to you and fear sets in – what are the lessons?
Jocelyne von Strong