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Political Turbulence Causes Unneccessary Stress
I believe that our politicians are NOT helping their citizens when they complain about their budget shortfalls caused by their own shortsightedness…
For instance, in United States (where I live), you can hear and read about our governors complaining about the severe crisis in their state’s budgets.
And guess what? I believe that they are just trying to scare us to justify their requests for bailouts, tax increases and spending cuts.
California’s governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger described his state as a “financial Armageddon.” Arizona’s treasurer said that his state faces bankruptcy next year. New York’s governor said that the Wall Street meltdown will cost the state $47 billion dollars in the next 4 years.
But you know what? I think they are just trying to scare us to pursue their own agenda. And causing all sorts of hysteria and stress for the rest of us. I’m pretty sure this is not uncommon in other countries!
But if you look at the state of finance for any states in the union, in all of our country’s history, the only time the states refused to pay their debts was the 11 southern states right after the Civil War in 1864!
That’s right! No state in the Union has EVER refused to pay off their debts (or bonds) when they came due. Did you know that states cannot declare bankruptcy? That is because they are soveriegn entities. They can default on bonds but they CAN’T file for Chapter 9. If anything, the states can tax their citizens or charge extra fees to make up the difference in the budget.
But declare bankruptcy? Pish-posh! The pols are just trying to scare everyone.
And I really resent that! As if we ordinary folks don’t have enough things to worry about.
This is just another example of ways that seem very, very bad but is manufactured to manipulate our feelings. As I have been saying many times, one good way to manage your stress is to stop reading the bad news. Stop listening to the bad news. Stop watching the bad news.
You can’t be expected to solve everything. It is just too overwhelming and adds to our stress levels. The best thing to do in my mind is to create walls to restrict the information overload. I don’t have a TV for this reason. It gives me more time to focus on my work. To read satisfying fiction books during my leisure time. To have the time to sit down and really talk with my family and good friends.
You see? Our stress levels is manageable! I rambled on a little in this post but I hope it helped… and if you have something to add to this… please leave a comment.
Kate 
P.S. I recommend the hour long Totally Tranquil meditation track by Holothink that you can download immediately and burn it on a CD or even copy it to your IPOD and use it whenever and wherever you find a need to get instant stress relief.
You can sign up at the link above for a FREE 10 minute demo to refresh your mental state and feel re-energized and focused by the end of the track.
Topics: Program Review, Stress Relief | Tags: stress | 3 Comments »
February 8th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
I’ve been close to having another panic attack, especially since the economy, or the news concerning it, has been so askew. I really like Obama’s approach though. He has a soothing presentation when he speaks of how it will “take time.” It makes sense, and makes me feel more hopeful of future security. This is really important for people like us. We need reality, but explained in a way that is calm and makes sense.
February 8th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
You are absolutely right about the way our politicians are predicting gloom and doom, while scaring the living daylights out of almost everyone, especially those already living on the edge. With corporations declaring bankruptcy and hundreds of thousands already out of work (and counting), the mental health of our country is going to become more and more important. I think we will see lots of desperate people going through anxious days, weeks and months as they try to figure out how to stretch their shrinking dollars and keep their families safe. I admire you for not having a TV. That is one way to tune out the emotional terror that is being perpetrated on us. I suspect most people are not like you. Let’s hope we can keep our stress levels under control in the months ahead.
February 9th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Hi Melloje… I don’t follow politics so much but unfortunately, it seems every time I do… they let me down. We’ll see…
Hi again SuzyQ… I threw out the TV 3 years ago and never missed a beat. I have more time to focus on my work and hobbies. I mean, why would I want to live someone else’s life (Actors or Actresses) on a sit-com when I can live my own dream life?