Emotional Recession

A child holds tight in its fist that single remaining chocolate, refusing to part with it. Elders around try to plead ‘please give me a small bit’ and the child shakes its head vigorously to convey refusal emphatically, and unambiguously. We smile at the child, and we also look quite ‘wise’, since we know why this child is not ready to ‘let go’ or even share its prized possession. What happens to this wisdom of ours, when we find our bosses holding back the wage increase from us, a reasonable share of profits for which our contribution was proportionately significant? This Boss is no child, not-so-innocent, and we are not ‘elders’ any more than that monstrous boss!

The recent global recession has left behind a legacy, which will stay for some time, unless we consciously choose to get rid of it. A deep feeling of distrust.

When it comes to pruning staff strength, some doubts occur. Whether “this” fellow should go out first or “that” fellow? It is the fellow with high scores in distrust, who wins the way out, first. Why, some people even trust themselves a bit less, when it comes to need for curtailing ‘routine’ expenses as a result of recession (low salary, low income, no income, etc), and delegate the ‘purchase’ of not-so-basic-need items to a better prudent person at home. Those who had hitherto never compromised their dignity, and chose to dine at an expensive restaurant for lunch, now prefer that packed economical pre-fabricated low cost lunch. Why take chances with our own emotions… any temptation to order for another tasty side dish would create a hole in the purse.

Emotional strength weakens. That is the serious after effect of economic recession. In the west, divorce rate has slightly increased. Basically it is that trust that weakens. That is why gold prices have soared. Even currency takes the brunt of distrust. Investment portfolios are chosen with some distrust. For no reason, those innocent people at home also have to bear the brunt of spill-over of emotions carried over to within the homes. We feel like yelling ‘will someone show me where the switch is located, to switch-off that distrust-button at least while at home?”

It is only when we are pushed thus, deep into such helplessness, that we turn to look at what really went wrong with our emotions. Why spill over of economic-recession, into our emotions? It is time, to learn to consciously separate our emotions from material aspects of life, separate it from ‘conditioned-mind’. It cannot be always ‘productivity-linked’. It is the other way too. Productivity can also be a consequence of emotional strength, motivation, inspiration, etc.

Somebody asked, quite aptly, saying ‘how to deal with negative people (negativity in people)’.

With Positive regards,
Psn(15th June, 2010)

http://in.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100614172154AAdkdOa
How to deal with negative people in everyday life, I am not used to this and why me?
I have had to make do with a "not soo good job" as of a reccession and not getting the job I aspired to do for five years and this goal made me happy...so a bit down anyhow...But in this temporary dead - end job for 1 year...people are obv unhappy with themselves and discreetly bully me and knock my self- esteem and this can't be proven, especially when it's most people in there. I feel it may be as if they are aware of my prospects and the kind of person I am including the opportunity I have available. Sometimes I feel it would be better if they did not know, but when they ask me I can't exactly lie!How do I deal with this, it hasn't worked standing up for myself with them, as now it's worse they know I am aware of what they are doing and I don't ant to tell the manager, as it's a lot of stress upon me, him and most of his employees...I know I wont be there forever and I have a life of my own, but when I'm there I at times can dislike it so much..What to do?

My answer:
After the recession, most people get only those 'not-so-good-job'.

The capacity to hire comes down. So over qualified people are given lesser jobs. The result is lesser job-satisfaction, and pay-satisfaction. If workers remain stuck to this negative feature (though inevitable), it would start a vicious circle of distrust, and it is we who give the needless momentum to it. All we have to do is to reverse the cycle, instead of blaming the wheel itself.

We have to just 'accept' what is inevitable, and start performing well where it does not really cost us much. A smile does not cost anything at all. Focusing on the job itself does not cost anything at all. Most importantly, we get paid, and we still have some job. We have to allow the genuine feeling of gratitude for this to grow within, and our body language would 'speak' by itself, through our gestures. Initially people around (manager no exception, as well), would look at it with a bit of suspicion, but over a period of time, they will have to accept our acceptance positively. Sudden recession brings in that caution, where people even distrust their own ability to spend prudently and that is why even consumer items show less/low sales-figure. Please look at this distrust with some love. It is difficult to look at it thus. But please see, with just one chocolate, even a baby kid doesn't trust close, known people. They don' let go this chocolate from their 'firm' gripped fist! Human nature. We have to evolve and help others to evolve by lending/extending that unconditional love.