I have been reading too much negative press lately about everything. While I don’t believe in putting my head in the sand about the issues, I still think that hope is one of the most powerful behaviors we can demonstrate. Whether it is the stock market, the job outlook, the business environment or financial needs, by remaining positive you have a far better chance of weathering the storm and coming out on the other side with your personal well-being intact. I think people need to start looking at the bright side of matters and be a bit more positive about the world in general.
Look at it this way, Walmart is up in retail sales. Hyundai is holding its own in car sales, the stock market I believe is almost finished with its slump. My guess is 6500 is the bottom, but this is simply based on my own feelings about things and no insider knowledge. Selectively, there may be some really good buys out there for someone who has a bit of time to watch things recover.
I just returned from a trip to Egypt. It was a wonderful experience, both to be glad that I got to go there (I can cross seeing the pyramids off my bucket list now), and also having the opportunity to see another part of the world which is so very different from our own. Here’s what I learned:
- Whenever you travel, take along a kid. When you see the world thru a child’s eyes, you see so much more than you would if you looked through your own eyes. My granddaughter thought the pyramids were really neat! She shared so many things she noticed that I never would have seen. And what good questions she asks!
- Don’t forget to ride the camels. We all had a lot of wonderment about how this would be and I can tell you, it was probably the best part of our trip. You can ride camels in the Canary Islands, in Egypt and in Australia. If you get the chance, go for it.
- Now I know why we need to get rid of plastic in the environment. In Egypt, the waterways are literally clogged with non-biodegradable bottles and packaging. It is such a problem there that it creates dams in the canals and water delivery systems. I am not using plastic any more. Now that’s a positive thing!
- In some areas, it is good to have security along. Because we really don’t know much about other world cultures, you need to pay attention and be cautious without being fearful. If you take planned excursions, rather than trying to save $10 by doing the trip yourself, you probably will be glad you did. This was true for us at the pyramids in Egypt.
- Be a traveller, not a tourist. I learned this one from the excursion director on our NCL ship. A traveller doesn’t judge, but rather observes and accepts the differences between what we have at home and what we find in other countries. We have nothing as old as what we saw on our trip in Rome, Athens or Egypt.
- It is a really good time to travel, since most people are not. The volume is down and so are the prices. Take a look at Vacationstogo.com to see how inexpensively you can go places you have always wanted to visit.
Not a very business-like column today, but nonetheless, the main message is to stay positive and look for the bright side in your life. If you do, you will be a lot happier, even though some things might not be going your way just now.
