There is no deeper disappointment in life than seeing your fundamental
convictions contradicted by unexpected events. When facts turn upside
down what you have believed all your life, disorientation and depression ensues. In
those situation, doubts spread like wildfire across your philosophy,
leading you to wonder if your other ideas are equally false.
Difficult problems?
Have you been wrong all this time? Have you perhaps
misunderstood the teachings of antiquity? Does modern life require
giving up all traditions, values, and principles of previous eras? To
whom can you turn to seek confirmation, or at the very least,
consolation?
Nowadays, millions of people are asking these and
similar questions. The last decades have been particularly hard on those
who had placed their trust on prudence and loyalty. The issue is
whether thrift and careful investment have lost their sense and purpose.
Adversity
and misfortune prompt victims to question their beliefs. The spectacle
of great financial losses incurred by conservative businessmen is not
edifying. In this context, it is perfectly fair to doubt your
convictions. In a world that seems to reward chance rather than
constancy, should one remain faithful to ethical rules?
The correct principles
Take
heart and do not give up. Current events offer an incomplete picture of
the story. Superficial and nonsensical ideas can only enjoy ephemeral
popularity. The balance of time will soon regain its accuracy. Rational
measurements will be restored.
Short-term defeat is just a
temporary disturbance of the universal rule that links cause and effect.
The principle of causality alone governs reality. None of us can escape
it, ignore it, or contradict it. Correct principles remain uncontested
through the ages. Essential ethical guidelines are meant to show us the
way especially during difficult periods.
The law of causality,
however, does not prevent connections between facts from working
according to their own calendar. Consequences from past events can be
wide-ranging. Sometimes, effects are only felt several years after their
cause was initiated. The timing of History is seldom designed to fit
our linking. Take these four examples and see if you can recognize yourself or someone you know.
The practical solution
First example. An employee who has worked loyally for a company
during several decades loses his job due to the economic recession and
finds himself on the street. Was he wrong in devoting so much effort to
his work? Instead of performing excellently, should he have done as
little as possible in his job?
Second example. A middle-aged manager who has
been saving laboriously all his life now witnesses a stock market crash
that devalues his assets in half. Was he mistaken in trying to secure
his retirement? Rather than investing, should he have spent his income
on frivolities?
Third example. A loving wife who has dedicated her best
years to care for his family is suddenly confronted with her husband's
infidelity. Was she too naïve in trusting him? Should she become
sceptical of truth in human relationships?
Fourth example. A couple who lives
frugally for decades in order to pay off their mortgage sees their home
damaged by a flood. Instead of saving money every month, should they
have spent as much as they earned?
A new perspective
No wonder that people feel
overwhelmed, physically and psychologically, when they go through such
circumstances. Unmitigated disaster can demolish our most cherished
principles together with our hopes, savings, home, possessions, and
social and family connections.
In the face of catastrophe, the
only way to overcome doubt is to extend our range of vision. The law of
cause and effect always works, even though its results may be slower
than we wish. Great victories are always won at the margin, through
consistent application of fundamental principles. Do not desert your
convictions when short-term events turn against them.
No human
story is exempt from trouble. This is why, given enough time, a sensible
lifestyle always wins. Your long-term investment plans may suffer a
setback, but their value shall be restored as soon as economic
conditions return to normality. Your job may be lost in the business
disruption caused by a recession, but you were right in trying to
perform your best every day.
What really works
Do not question your good habits
during bad times. Remain calm in the face of adversity and reaffirm your
rational values. Recovery might be around the corner. Now it is no time
to throw away your virtues. Learn to look beyond present disaster and
figure out how to regain ground.
During a crisis, the best traits
of your character become even more valuable. Honesty, frugality, and
productivity ensure that you will be able to seize the next opportunity
to get back on your feet. Stay alert and do not grow discouraged. Great
victories are always won precisely at the moment when everything seems
lost.
Linear thinking, so natural to our minds, is rarely
accurate in seizing facts. Reality does not change at a steady pace.
Prosperity seldom arrives at the moment we expect it. Success is the
outcome of relentless, focused action carried out through the years.
Great
victories are always won at the margin, by hanging on a little longer,
by making an extra sale, and by saving an extra dollar. Virtues such as
productivity and frugality allow us to enjoy life more intensely because
they establish a permanent link between present desires and foreseeable
rewards.
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by Jeff Kubina under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us