Posted by Phil Keithahn on Tue, May 18, 2010 @ 03:23 PM
Our family recently visited Northfield, which promotes itself as the "Home of Colleges, Cows, and Contentment." You could probably make a similar statement about most communities in South Central Minnesota. It's a wonderful image of happiness, which is a feeling that many people would like to move towards, as the economy recovers from recession.
The current recession is the 22nd official downturn in our nation's economy since 1900. Although the average recession since 1900 has lasted 14 months, the recession that started in December 2007 has now lasted 21 months, second only to the "Great Depression" as the longest economic downturn.
What does this deep recession mean for you, for me, for our communities, and for our nation?
First, we need to work together, help and support each other, and remain trustworthy, loyal, and honest with each other.
Second, we need to work hard to set a positive example for our family, friends, neighbors, and communities in how we are going to respond, recover, and refocus our efforts on the truly important things in life.
Third, we need to recognize that everyone is hurting. Everyone. How can we feel good in the midst of 10% unemployment, a 20-40% decline in housing prices, a new health care bill that is particularly expensive for small business owners, record-setting federal deficits that will eventually lead to higher inflation and more taxes, not to mention more rules and regulations that Washington DC is dictating to the entire country?
We are all hurting...BUT...we will all move forward together. We will feel better...and eventually we will all feel good!
Finally, it means that we have to BELIEVE in ourselves and each other...that we WILL survive and eventually thrive as we recover. ProGrowth Bank and the citizens in the communities we serve have survived 22 recessions in the last 110 years. Every generation has faced severe challenges, and has recovered. In the words of General George S. Patton, one of our country's greatest generals, "Failure is not an option." In Gaylord, Nicollet, Mankato, and North Mankato, I believe that our citizens have more faith in ourselves than we do in Washington DC's so-called "solutions." Let's focus on building up our communities rather than tearing down each other.
Posted by Phil Keithahn on Thu, Aug 20, 2009 @ 11:31 AM
Do you remember what it felt like when you were a kid...eagerly waiting to get somewhere?
I do.
As we get older and deal with change, difficulty, fear, and trauma, we can all benefit from remembering how we approached life as children. That is especially true today, when the words "recession", "depression", "layoffs", "bankruptcy", "bailout", and similar negative words are 7x24 on TV, radio, and the internet.
In addition to this negativity, we also hear experts who divide and polarize people...focusing on differences as "bad", on "right vs. wrong", and on "my way or the highway."
Do you often feel that too many people believe it is ok to criticize those people who are actively involved with getting things done? And these same critics, don't offer solutions to problems...or if they do, it is a one-dimensional solution that excludes people or is a temporary fix.
It seems to me that we could all benefit from the feelings and thoughts we experienced as children. I grew up in Benson, Minnesota, which is about a 2 hour drive to Gaylord, Minnesota, where my grandparents lived and where I now live.
As a child, we would make several trips to Gaylord for family gatherings....Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, summer raspberry picking, etc. The car would be loaded by 8am with my parents and 4 kids for the trip.
"When will we get there?" was the most frequent question...until we were about 15 miles from Gaylord. Then all 4 kids would crane their necks...looking from the backseat out the front and side windows. Why? Because we were trying to be the first person to "see Gaylord." In reality, we were competing to be the winner of the contest to "see the Gaylord watertower."
To us, the Gaylord watertower was the symbol of Gaylord. When we were less than 7 miles from Gaylord, one of us would shout "I see Gaylord! I see Gaylord!" The watertower was barely visible above the tree line and the corn fields. But to a 10-year old, Gaylord WAS the watertower, and it symbolized the beginning of a family reunion or other similar event of excitement and fun.
As Dad often said, "This, to me, is a parable of life."
In today's world, too many people look down. We look down or tear down others who are different. We look down with sadness at what we have lost...whether it is lower housing prices, stock prices, retirement account values, etc. We look out to someone who we can blame, who we think should be penalized for our misfortune. We look around for those people who are trying to hurt us or steal from us. We are afraid to trust, and we are afraid to look up with hope and expectation.
Attitude is more than a feeling, it's an action. I believe that the economy will only improve, and we will only feel better, once we apply the lessons learned as children. Look up. Look forward. See the watertower. Go to the watertower. Finish the car trip and leap from the car with anticipation and joy of the experience that is to come.
As a child, I could have assumed the negative, downward-looking attitude that we were "leaving Benson." Instead, our family changed our vision, so that we were "going to Gaylord." That's how our family learned to approach life. I hope it works for you.
Monty's Message: When things in life look down, look up and look forward to where you want to go. Then GO!