| There are no secret formulas that can bring ease to | | | | It was the first time in my life that I had felt beaten |
| the mind of someone that is considering the | | | | and lost. I became so scared for my family's future, |
| opportunity of starting over. I use the word | | | | that I became angry. It was not the anger of fear |
| opportunity because that is exactly what is offered | | | | that had taken residence in my mind. It was the |
| in the process of doing something new, with | | | | anger of loosing control of my family's life that ignited |
| something old. Though, to many people it may often | | | | something new in the circumstance of something old. |
| feel discouraging and relentless, it can also feel | | | | The more that I considered the fact that I was not |
| empowering and restoring if its true perspectives or | | | | alone in this array of misfortune, the angrier I |
| alternatives are allowed to penetrate through the | | | | became. There were hundreds of thousands of |
| conditions of a person's past experience. | | | | families that were being influenced by circumstance in |
| In many cases starting over imposes stifling | | | | the same way. Many of you were amongst those |
| conditions of fear that can overwhelm the minds and | | | | struggling families. The conditions and circumstances |
| life conditions of even the most rational thinking | | | | of that misfortune was most likely, not do to your |
| people in our lives. | | | | own actions. But the appearance in your circumstance |
| Though this fear possesses no power of its own, it | | | | was so convincing that it became an accepted reality. |
| is recognizably known to be a consumer of:our | | | | Circumstance was operating at its best and |
| expression of dignityour respect for our abilityour will | | | | welcoming us all to its pity party. Life had changed |
| to persevereour hope for opportunityour energy to | | | | and starting over became very familiar to an |
| do moreour belief in prosperityour enthusiasm for life | | | | astounding amount of families. |
| to produce growth and development | | | | Fighting Back |
| But even in its most active state of stifling your mind | | | | I like many family members made the decision to |
| and your life, it remains vulnerable. It cannot operate | | | | fight back. My friends and I had began to not only |
| without your consent. You are the master and | | | | sharing concerns, but also share strategies to |
| granter of its power. Circumstance may present itself | | | | overcome our circumstances. It was as though our |
| as being a controlling factor in the accumulation of | | | | community of friends had been reborn with new |
| power that the fear in starting over presents, but as | | | | purposes. Circumstance was in for a fight and my |
| I have stated in the past, "Circumstance is a Liar". Old | | | | family was not gonna lose. |
| conditions or circumstances do not represent the | | | | While fear tried its best to dominate my family's |
| opportunities in the new conditions that you are | | | | thinking, we fought back with positive affirmations, |
| willing to present into your life. | | | | actions and influences. Like many people, we had |
| When you engage in the acceptance that challenge is | | | | decided that we were stronger than the |
| an opportunity to do things better, you strengthen | | | | circumstance that had been placed before us. |
| the purpose in your opportunity and weaken the | | | | Life changed, when we changed our thinking and |
| given power in the fear of starting over. "Challenge" | | | | executed positive actions. That is when starting over |
| (chal·lenge: An act or statement of defiance; a call | | | | became an opportunity to do something new, with |
| to confrontation) is the most appropriate word that I | | | | something old. Very similar to many of you that were |
| can personally consider when encountering fear that | | | | faced with similar conditions, life became fun again |
| is related to starting over. | | | | and our true reality took its course within our lives. |
| Sharing My Experience | | | | Ralph Waldo Emerson was once quoted as saying, "A |
| I can remember when I was faced with the most | | | | man is what he thinks about all day long". I've heard |
| challenging consideration of starting over in my life. It | | | | and have created many positive quotes that can |
| was several years ago when I was being downsized | | | | alter the stages of our lives, but this quotes is special. |
| from what I considered to be the job of my dreams. | | | | It holds true to how we can empower ourselves |
| I had relocated my family nearly 1,200 miles from our | | | | through any challenge that is placed before us. |
| home in Virginia to Minnesota. The company had | | | | Therefore, if you are being faced with the fear of |
| invested a substantial amount of money for my | | | | starting over. It is important that you take an |
| family and I to relocate to Minnesota. Then 9/11 took | | | | inventory of you and your family's mindset and |
| place and the technology industry went south. | | | | actions. In achieving this awareness you will then be |
| Companies were downsizing for survival,special | | | | able to implement the changes needed to regain |
| funded projects were being eliminated and lifestyles | | | | focus and power within your life. |
| were being destroyed. The company that I worked | | | | Together we can help each of us overcome this |
| for had merged with another company in Iowa and | | | | stifling element within our lives.... |
| 96% of my entire team was being downsized so | | | | If starting over has ever been a challenge for you |
| that our workload could be moved to a more cost | | | | and or your family, please share your experiences |
| effective location in Iowa. | | | | and or remedies in your reply.... |
| Circumstance was doing its job. For a short period of | | | | All of us would like to know.... |
| time in my life, I was convinced that all that I had | | | | Related Quote: |
| worked for in my life had come to an end. For nearly | | | | The greatest discovery of my generation is that |
| eleven months I was unemployed. The bills were | | | | human beings can alter their lives by altering their |
| piling up and technology jobs were nowhere to be | | | | attitudes of mind. |
| found. | | | | |