IT TOO WILL COME BACK

Upon returning home from a trip to NYC post Hurricane Wilma we were surprised to find our backyard in shambles. Many large trees that lined the banks of the canal came down. They lay like large Lincoln Logs randomly distributed on our roof, in our pool, and across the yard. They brought down our pool enclosure which was on the deck and in the pool. The pool itself looked like a huge test tube growing bacteria and algae. Some trees showed half exposed roots. Bare tree limbs looked naked in the light of day. By the time the bobcats left no grass was visible. The sprinkler pipes sat above ground and looked like skin cut open exposing arteries and veins.

Eleven thousand dollars later, a crew of ten men and three bobcats had cut and neatly stacked all the wood in front of our house. It reminded us of a Northern winter scene where piles of snow from streets and driveways were piled in front of the homes and apartment buildings. In both cases there was a delay in trucks arriving to cart the stuff away. Each home had its wood stacked so high that if you stood in the street you couldn’t see the house.

Time and some insurance money, similar to a stimulus package, have totally rehabilitated our yard. I sit here now on a sunny and breezy Sunday morning writing this blog. The pool has been rebuilt and boasts a fountain. New tan pavers cover over the beat up chattahoochie and look lovely and updated. All of the barren trees have leaves and new landscaping offers a finishing touch over a carpet of restored green grass. The sprinkler pipes are, once again, invisible.

Our backyard and neighborhood were restored and even improved upon. This is a metaphor for our current economic situation. In time, it too will come back. Life appears to be a series of growth spurts and push backs—a building up and a tearing down and a building up again. Important is that we survive the downward cycles. As important is that we learn from them. I hope you commit to doing that. That is precisely what I was saying yesterday.

Bye For Now,

Bill

williampenzerphd.com
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ON CIRCLES, CYCLES and FALSE BELIEFS

Recently a man who appeared to be in his late twenties said, “ I feel like I’m going around in circles and getting nowhere.” I’m sure many people of all ages are feeling that way these days. Some are feeling worse in that they have gone far backwards from previous more prosperous times.

My response to him and to all who feel these ways is that life is cyclical not circular. People, like markets, go backward, sideways and forward. Some go forward, sideways and backward and then forward. Others go in other patterns. Few if any go up, up and away forever except for Superman and he is a comic fantasy.

Our expectation that things will always be the same is more a wish than a reality. It is a fantasy really given that change in just about every area is the only constant. Believing that all the parts of your life will stay the same is like believing we will stay “forever young.” It is a nice song and ideal, but a false belief none-the-less.

We need to maintain a realistic yet optimistic view. We also need to work hard on ourselves to modify our false and distorted beliefs that live and fester in the bedrock of denial. As Jim Moran taught all he met, “The future belongs to those who prepare for it.” There are many cycles ahead. The time to prepare for them is right now!

Bye For Now,
williampenzer.com
954 475 1371 x 301
561 361 1898 x 301
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