Category Archives: news

economy, family, news, politics, random musings, update, work

Hope, fear, worry, and faith

I last wrote in this blog right after the inauguration, when the country’s optimism was high and hope was the feeling in the air. I still stand by my belief that optimism and hope are something we needed and still need. However, with unemployment rates at 1983 levels and home foreclosures happening just down the street on almost every street in America, optimism is hard to find again, and hope seems like a childish feeling in the face of the economy’s harsh reality.

I’ve not written in here in awhile because I’ve been “on the road for work” myself. I’ve been in Texas working with my parents through tax season. I’m grateful for the work, and I honestly enjoy it! It’s at times like this that I wish more than ever I could move Arkansas and Louisiana and bring Texas and Tennessee a lot closer together!!

Working with people’s taxes, I’m amazed how the economy’s downward spiral is a lot like a tornado. Hitting this house and that house, but not touching this other one over here. For every few people that are struggling — praying for a large refund to get through for awhile longer — there’s that random person who is thriving. Their company is growing or they’ve just been able to more effectively manage their money. That random person who is proud of their success, but sometimes I get a sense that there’s this underlying feeling of guilt to be thriving as others struggle.

Personally, I see those people who are thriving as those beacons of hope that we all still need. Hope is not childish or naive. Faith is not a lack of realism. Fear is to be expected. Worry runs rampant today. But I, personally, choose to use all of them together. Worry and fear to feed my desire to keep fighting. Hope and faith give me the determination and ability to win.

38 more days until April 15, 2009

news, optimism, point of view, politics

What the world has needed: Optimism

Over the last few years, I’ve thought of a lot of things that I felt the collective population of this world has needed; logic, respect, tolerance, faith, and accountability being a few of those. But I never thought of optimism.

Today, our 44th President was sworn into office. A vast majority of the whole world rejoiced, and I scratched my head at that. The whole world? Really? But I also have found myself caught up in this feeling of optimism, of hope, that President Obama seems to bring to the world’s stage.

No, it won’t be easy by a long shot, fixing all the problems of our country and by extension, the world. I do not envy him his job. Not even a little bit. We’ve lived in a horribly pessimistic world for a long time, and its hard to let go of that completely. Turn on the news and hear about what all is wrong. (Today alone, the stock market continued to flounder.) The world is not going to change tomorrow. He has a very long and a very hard road ahead of him. He has opposition from places unseen as of now, and he’ll age dramatically during his term with the weight of the world o his shoulders… just as every other President before him has.

But for right now, there is suddenly this feeling of optimism. This feeling that we CAN get things right for a change. And I think with that umbrella of optimism, all those other things I have thought we needed will fall into place.

As soon as you start to say, “I CAN do this,” suddenly things do start to fall into place. This need for optimism and confidence is echoed in the many self help books that can be found in almost every home. How can I help myself be more confident?

By believing in yourself and in your future. By saying “I can”versus, “Well everyone is against me and this is why.” This country — this world — has lived under the pressure of what we can’t do for a long time. Every day a new law is made telling us what we CAN’T do. And we’re always ready to blame someone else when something goes wrong.

Today, though, the tune changed. Today we said we will do this. We can do that. We are a strong people in a strong country. We need to take control and move forward with heads held high. And while I am still apprehensive to say, “Oh everything is fixed now.” and while I still have my strong fears (for things usually have to get worse before they get better), I feel this bubbling hope deep in my heart and gut. It makes me feel lighter. It gives me this new optimism that we’re going to be okay. We just have to believe.