Is There A Burning Bush In Your Living Room?

Can you predict the future?  Of course not, unless you happen to have a burning bush in your living room that allows you to communicate directly with God.

When we pause for a moment and think rationally about it, we all know neither we nor anyone else can predict the future.  Yet, we repeatedly get caught up in making prognostications about what will happen regarding the economy, the likelihood of war in the Middle East, or America’s chances of defaulting on its debt.

Why do we continue to take part in this nonsense?  Some of us do it because we are anxious.   Making a prediction about the unpredictable future gives us a sense of control, something we badly crave, and relieves our anxiety.  It is comforting to imagine that we know what is going to happen so we can take steps today to protect ourselves against potential dangers.

The problem with this game of make-believe is that we don’t know what the future holds, and the actions we take today can end up backfiring on us when the future turns out to be different than we predicted.

So, if we cannot predict the future, what can we do to protect ourselves and manage our anxieties?

• From an investment perspective, we can build diversified portfolio’s to protect ourselves against a wide variety of risks, including inflation, deflation, global instability and sovereign debt defaults.
• From an emotional perspective, we can find ways to live with uncertainty.  We can acknowledge we are always on the edge of the unknown.  To keep our fears about plunging off this cliff from leading us back to self-delusion, we must become better acquainted with and learn to rely upon our faith – the people and things that give us comfort as we face an unpredictable future.  

In scary times, my faith in God sustains my confidence in a bright future.  I also derive comfort and strength from good relationships with my family and friends; being blessed with such good relationships allows my worries to subside so I can accept that the future is unknown and uncontrollable, but not something to fear.

Why not take an hour to Identify what you have faith in as you face an uncertain future?  That, or keep pretending you have a burning bush in your living room.

An Unfair Advantage

Many of the leading economic indicators are turning positive. It is likely that the worst is behind us. But it may not be a simple rebound. The weakening dollar and increasing government intervention in capital markets could also mean that we are facing a seismic shift in the economic landscape.

We are all aware of the tumultuous ups and downs of the stock markets of the past two years. For many of us, the reaction to these events is to pause, to re-think and to reassess before making any decisions.

The truth is countless other very intelligent people are wondering the same thing, as these are the logical conclusions based on the same data. No one becomes successful by following the pack. So how do you gain an edge? One way to gain an unfair advantage in a marketplace where many competitors are relying on the same data is to tap into the insight provided by our gut (emotions). Are you surprised and somewhat taken aback? Let me explain. A combination of our unique talents, skills, wisdom gained through experience and the insights of our friends and families is the basis of any gut reaction. When we learn to use all of these resources and not just what our rational mind is trained to tap into, the results can be dramatic.

From my own personal experiences and that of numerous successful people that I have met, I have come to the realization that many of the decisions that have truly set us apart and launched us to greater success are based on our instincts that are reinforced with cold hard data.

Instead of wondering: “Do I need a major course correction? What other disasters have I not accounted for?” Such questions rob you of precious time spent in inaction. You could instead be asking “A changing landscape creates excess capacity in some sectors and places great new demands on others. Can I identify such underserved niches that my business can address? Where are the next major opportunities for growth that I can take advantage of? How can I better leverage my unique genius?”

Did you notice the paradigm shift with the second set of questions? You are not second guessing yourself. You are leveraging all of your resources to uncover hidden dangers and opportunities. You are moving away from confusion to clarity and focused action. When everyone else is frozen in indecision and uncertainty, there are great opportunities for first movers.

In a series of guided conversations, I can help you make just these kinds of paradigm shifts and you can learn to ask the right questions and move forward with confidence.  Please feel free to contact me by email info@gvfinancial.com and we can arrange for a time when you can experience a free, no obligation, introductory thirty minute consultation.

I welcome your thoughts and comments; just click on the comment section below.  If there are any topics that you would like to see addressed, contact me by email and I will endeavor to address them in this section of GV Wealth Insights. <Learn more about the author