The State of Michigan has been hit hard by the recession, with auto sales hitting a slump and jobs going elsewhere for economic reasons. In May, 2011, the unemployment rate was listed at 10.3%, with some people not counted since they were not eligible for Unemployment Insurance benefits. Some jobs did become available, but at a lesser wage than people were earning in their previous jobs. In addition, a lot of people lost their health insurance benefits since they were employer provided. Others now have to pay at least half of the premiums for their health insurance, lowering the amount of income they have left to spend on their bills.
With such bleak news, it seems difficult to stay positive as Michigan begins to rebuild its economy. Gone are the days when all we needed was the auto industry and tourism to sustain us. So other industries are looking at the State as a good place to build and run their businesses, putting more of us back to work. With the rebuilding process slowly making a difference, we can make improvements in our lives by staying positive.
You have to remember to take note of what you DO have, not what you don’t have. For example, if you have a home and food, you are blessed. A lot of people are tempted to look at only what was lost, such as a car being repossessed or having to turn off the cable service. However, these are things that can be replaced in our lives as the economy turns around.
You have your family and friends. Together, you can give each other encouragement and help each other. Small things like sharing a meal or trading belongings with each other helps to sustain the normalcy of life as well as bolstering our spirits.
Take some time out. You don’t have to plan an elaborate vacation in order to get away for awhile. Michigan is a beautiful state – go a short distance and take a look around. Mini-vacations over a weekend give you a break and some time to breathe without costing much. They also take your mind off any negative thoughts you have in your life and help you to get back to your positive ones.
The people of Michigan are resilient, and if we keep our positive attitudes and continue to strive for what we want in life, together we can rebuild the State. It is that “I can” attitude that will get us to that goal.
This post is brought to you by the good folks at Dale Carnegie Training of Michigan, providers of professional development and management development courses and information in Michigan. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @MarkWillDCT.
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