Well At Least You Have Your Character

“Well at least you have your job!”

If I hear this phrase one more time I am going to scream. In this economy a job is like gold and those who have them should be very appreciative. Period. There is no ‘but’ in that statement. The only thing that bothers me about the statement is the foolishness it defends. The moods and characters of the American people are shifting. People are more easily aggravated and ready to snap at any moment. This, at times can be understood, (here’s the ‘but’) but it cannot be justified. The state of the economy does not give anyone an excuse to be a jerk. It should allow for one to more easily be forgiven and can be used as an explanation for such changes in character, but I am tired of people expecting me to allow them to be rude simply because of the economy.

It is no secret that the economy is failing and we are in a recession. The news that no one discusses is that we have been in a recession for some time now. It didn’t start when Wall Street and Washington finally named it a ‘recession’. Now that we have given the beast a name it seems society wants to use the beast as a crutch for foolish behavior. Managers can not treat their employees like dirt and then justify it by saying, “Well at least you have a job!” Sometimes I want to say, “At least I have my mind, because it’s apparent you have lost yours!”

Challenging times come and go, but the true test is the who you have become in the end. America is a strong country and we have a strong leader who is fighting for change everyday. We WILL come out of this slump victorious, but we do not want to loose our spirit in the process. When this is over, do you really want to look in the mirror and find a distasteful bitter individual? I hope not, b/c the mechanisms for coping that we develop in these troubled times, are the ones that will stick to our characters. It is proven that the changes which are marked by traumatic events have a more enduring quality than those that are not marked as such. The presence of a tangible experience/environment creates concrete changes in your character. These are the coping strategies and character changes that will pass to the next generation which can create a wave of anger and bitterness that will remain long after the event has ended. Look at what slavery has done. Again, is this bitterness understood? Of course. Is it justified? No.

I have made a vow to not let my circumstances affect my heart. I pledge to disallow money (whether it be the surplus or lack of) change my core values and principles. I promise to maintain my compassion and empathy. Please join me in this pledge.

We can’t change the issue right away, so let’s use the situation to our advantage. Let’s manipulate this traumatic experience to create a positive concrete change in our character.” Use this time to create a character that gives a little more when everyone expects you to give less. Use it to get a reputation as the one who says “Thank you”. Use this time as a reason to mold yourself into the person you have always wanted to be. Let’s think of these times as less of a burden and more of an opportunity. An opportunity to use your free nights and weekends or unlimited text messages to make someone’s day. An opportunity to create a personality that reminds our loved ones how much they mean to you. An opportunity to, not only come out of this recession, but to emerge from the fire refined and better than when we went in. If you have nothing else, remember that at least you have your character. Some of the greatest treasures are created under some of the most intense environments. Let one of those treasures be you.