Rosenthal's Economic Update

Thought for the Week 7-29-09

Time Out

 

We work and we push and we stress and we work some more.

Yes, we have to work to live….but do we have to live to work?

 

Each day, amid all the pressures we face, we still get to make choices.

Choices about how to spend our most precious and finite asset….our time.

We can choose to carve out some of our time to attend to ourselves….to strengthen and to heal ourselves.

 

When did we last take a quiet walk alone with our thoughts?

What was the last book we read?

Yoga…meditation….writing in a journal….visiting with a dear friend.

When did we last allow ourselves the pleasure of some time well spent?

 

In the weeks ahead, may we choose to take some time out to recharge ourselves. 

May we each set aside time…to relax….to play….to laugh….and to renew.

And may we remember that taking time to refresh our soul can bring light to even the darkest of times.

 

Have a good week.

Thought for the Week 6-1-09

Integrity

Every day we give our word, and we ask to be trusted.
But have we earned the right to be trusted?

Each day of our lives, we are building our name and our reputation.
Each day we have opportunities to build or destroy a foundation of trust from others.
Each day we get to choose what kind of person we are to be.

When we give our word, do we follow through?
When we mess up, do we reach for excuses, or do we embrace our mistakes and work to make amends?
When we have a choice of what to do, do we choose to do the right thing?

In the days ahead, may each of us embrace the opportunity to earn a good name by doing the right thing.
May we serve as an example for those around us.
May we understand that at the end of our days, our name and our reputation are all that we ever truly owned.

Have a good week.

Thought for the Week 4-21-09

Could it be that These Are The Good Old Days?

It sounds crazy! 
We are scared....we are in financial distress....we are in pain...so where's the good?

Aren't we also talking to each other more?
Aren't we now connecting more about our life issues, fears and hopes rather than material issues like our new car or latest remodel?

Young people today are starting to be more interested in making a difference, whereas a few short years ago when it was all about making big bucks.

Our generation has known no real global adversity.
But during the Depression and WW II, our parents showed that adversity can bring out the best in us.

So now it is our chance to respond to our global crisis by giving the best that we have to offer.
This crisis will only truly subside when we have learned that life is not all about me doing for me.....it is all about us doing for each other.

In the days and weeks ahead, may each of us choose to look for ways that we can help.
May we reach out to those we know and to those we don't.
May we offer our own unique talents and gifts to help someone else who is struggling.
And by doing so, years from now may we be able to look back on these days of challenge, and say that those were the good old days.

Have a good week!

Thought for the Week 3-23-09

Hey, How Are You?

We all know the age-old ritual....
"Hey, how are you?"
"I'm fine thanks....How are you?"

But today it seems to be a different story.
"Hey, how are you?" has taken on new meaning given the current state of the world.
Today we are really asking...How are you holding up?  Do you still have a job?
Do you have enough business to get by?  How long until you run out of cash?

Today, when we ask the question, we really want to know....How are you?
Many times we can see the answer written on their face.
Times are tough....business is challenging....cash is tight.

Asking the question and caring about the answer is one way we can reach out to help others.
And today, who can't use a little help?

In the days and weeks ahead, may we each take the time to truly listen when we ask, "How are you?"
And may we remember that despite our own challenges, each day is a new opportunity to help someone else.

Have a good week.

Thought for the Week 2-17-09

Resilience…..

We are surrounded by chaos…madness…crisis.
The news is depressing…and intoxicating.

Our conversations are consumed with economic woes, jobs lost, wealth vanished.
Unfortunately our very words give strength to our pain and fear.
Our conversations allow us to bond with one another…but they also allow the virus to spread.

What if we were instead to talk of the opportunities and gifts that we still have?
Do we have our health?  our friends?  our families?  our unique talents?

We may be down, but we are just getting started!
After all, aren’t we the Rockers of the 50’s…the Hippies of the 60’s…the Discos of the 70’s…MTV of the 80’s?
We are children of innovation….creators of new ideas and new opportunities.

Going forward it won’t be business as usual….but was it ever?
We thrive on change….so now instead of buying the next new-thing, we get to invent it.
Our future will be what we create.

In the days and weeks ahead, may we be empowered by our resilience. 
May we embrace the opportunity to look at ourselves anew, and to create our own tomorrow.   
May we boldly use this crisis to bring forth the very best that we have to give. 

Have a good week!

Thought for the Week 1-26-09

Embracing Life Outside Of Our Comfort Zone....

Once upon a time, we were comfortable.
We had our profession or our job or our network...we had our savings, or our home equity, or our investments, or our retirement account.
Sure, we had more left to accomplish, but we had built up a foundation of security.
We worked hard for it....we earned it...we deserved it....

But now our world has changed........

There is a beast out there that is eating up the secure ground that we stand on.
It is taking our jobs, our clients, our savings.....and worst of all, our confidence.
How arrogant we were to think of ourselves as the golden generation...
Wasn't it our destiny to go through life and career without facing cataclysmic problems like those that plagued so many who have gone before us?

Our arrogance has now awakened the beast after a long slumber.
So how do we confront such a menace?

We must gather all of our courage and go into the very belly of the beast!
We must fight from outside the comfort zone that we have gotten so used to.
We must re-invent ourselves by digging deep into our souls to remember who we are....and what makes us special.

In the weeks and months ahead, may each of us have the courage to look our fears in the eye and to march right through them.
May we each be bold enough to reach out to find new opportunities that we would not have thought of before.
May we be humble enough to accept the reality of our new world as we begin building a new foundation for ourselves and our families.
And may we each be compassionate enough to extend a helping hand to others who are in need of our support.

Have a good week.