Is This Economy Your Opportunity?

This economic situation has everyone reeling, it seems these days. On the news we are hit with a constant barrage of dire predictions, plunging stocks, unemployment, etc. It truly is uncharted territory we are treading on right now. No one really knows what President Obama's stimulus plan is going to do. Not even the so called "experts". Sure, CNN, Fox News, and all the rest can debate it to death, create wonderfully stimulating talk shows out of it and fill the airwaves with more arguments than a roomful of Harvard lawyers could generate; but at the end of the debate we would still be left with.....well, "we'll see". So where does that leave us right now? I have been pondering this for a bit lately, and I am wondering if we can find the silver lining in all of this. I mean, with each and every hurdle there exists an equall if not larger opportunity. But where is the opportunity here? I mean, how can thousands of people losing their jobs, losing their houses, their livelihood- how in the world can there be an opportunity lurking in there somewhere? How can we possibly see this "glass as half full"? Here is my take on it. We must take this time, once and for all, to search our hearts and minds for what it is in this world that we are passionate about. This is what the opportunity is. See, when everything is running fine, we are getting paid, we have a job, we wake up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, go to bed, wake up, bla bla bla..... business as usual. But for many people that means there is ZERO passion in their lives. Zip. Nada. Nothing. But where is the incentive to change that? I mean, you have a job, you are making money, you have a house. A car, maybe two cars. So why change horses, why change anything? Except during all of that time, something never really occurred to you: You are miserable. You are not living the fulfilling life that you set out to live how ever many years ago it was when you used to dream. A time long ago when you had vision, when you were a little more, maybe, childlike and innocent. You knew what you wanted, maybe even started going in that direction, but then, bam! Something happened: you got blindsided by a different dream, someone else's dream that you somehow slipped into. That dream may be called "survival", it may be called "bigger, faster, stronger", it may be called "mediocrity". But it is not called "MY DREAM". So maybe, just maybe, the silver lining to all of this is that it may force us all to re-evaluate what really is important to us here in this lifetime. What are the things we value the most and what are the things that truly drive us? Maybe if we begin to channel the energy of our passions, what we know and love deep, deep down in our hearts and souls, just maybe magical things will happen. What if, each and every one of us took it upon ourselves, to figure out what are our natural talents, pre-dispositions, strengths, weaknesses, and abilities are and start putting those in practice? What miracles are waiting there? Maybe this re-evaluation will get us back to the basics of life. What do you think? Maybe that is a good thing. We all have a purpose, but it is up to each of us individually to find out what that is. I think the time is NOW for us to find out. So I say, "dream on, people!" Live your passions. Do what you were meant to do. I wish you all health and happiness,rnJamie