Dealing With Economic Fear

The apprehension that the economy will get a lot worse grows daily among people in all walks of life, with signs of distress showing in the visible instability of the stock market, lowered consumer spending, higher unemployment, and the as yet unsolved credit crisis which has created massive restrictions in the lending industry. Anxiety about the future is widespread, with a sense of there being no clear way to avoid the coming trouble.

Within this atmosphere, fear and anxiety are rampant, and it becomes even more important to find a basis for trust that does not depend upon external circumstance, but rather on a sense of hope and conviction that the present turbulence will lead to a positive outcome.

Such hope and trust becomes more difficult to achieve when one's personal fortunes are jeopardized either by loss of work, loss of one's retirement fund, savings, or investments, or the inability to obtain a loan for a purpose deemed vital. All of these bring the present crisis home in a personal way. Even more personal would be the loss of the value of the dollar which would be able, then, to purchase less in the way of critical commodities, and would create widespread financial restrictions both within the banking system and within our personal lives. In the blink of an eye, we would no longer be a nation of prosperity, but would have to face poverty amidst vastly changed economic conditions.

How to remain hopeful during a time of fear is an essential part of what a spiritual life is about. It places the onus of responsibility on each soul for defining their own reality in terms that are internal, rather than external, and gives each one the choice of how to view that reality. Moving with collective consciousness is easy, especially when the emotional and intellectual currents are strong, and fear-producing announcements and predictions are everywhere. Moving with one's own internal guidance concerning what we should believe, feel, and do, is more difficult, for one must shut out the external noise in order to find and hear a different voice that dwells within.

This is the spiritual imperative in a time of turbulence and uncertainty. It is to strengthen one's inner connection with Divine guidance, truth, and support, so that the external voices are not the arbiter of how we hold reality. When we listen to the voice of the Divine within, we are given a way through any situation. Like a boat that must sail through difficult waters, spiritual anchoring takes us step-by-step through time and space and creates a unique and individual pathway for each soul to enable them to move through crisis most effectively.

The imperative is to listen to our inner voice, not the voices of others, and to believe that this voice is not only present, but active within our life as a force for good and a force for stability. No matter what the external circumstances that must be faced, the inner Presence of Divine love and truth can lead each soul and the nation's soul through all measures of adversity.

It is more important than ever before to have a means of spiritual anchoring on a regular basis. It is more important than ever before to place ourselves in environments that are supportive to a trusting and positive outlook, in order to remain free of the voices of fear that grow louder.

Fear is the domain of darkness. It can lead to decisions that are not of the light that are based on partial truth and on the assumption that we, as individuals, as a nation, or as a planet, are alone with our own dilemmas. This is not the case. More guidance than ever before is available now to individuals and to those who guide nations. More guidance than ever before can help us uphold an inner sense of stability in the midst of change. The requirement is not to ignore the serious nature of what is happening around us and to us, but to know that this is not the only reality than we are involved in.

The world as we know it is changing and we must change with it. The call is going forth to allow change to bring us to a new place in our collective history. It is asking that we have the trust and courage to find a new basis for our collective life.

Beloved Ones, believe in this, know this, feel this - that the present crisis will lead to the advent of a new consciousness and that trust is possible in the guidance that is the Divine birthright of your very own soul. Out of this outlook possibilities will grow for steering through all difficulty that lies ahead.