Prozac for the Economic Depression

There seems to be an insurmountable amount of sad in the world. The thought of being frivolous and light scares even the most optimistic optimist into caution, fear and sometimes even shame. I for one, am a firm believer in the best possible outcome. The stakes are higher than if I were a pessimist, I'm gambling with Disappointment. So you can imagine the disappointment I felt when it was finally confirmed that South Africa is in an economic recession.

In a country already burdened with extreme poverty and a widening gap between the haves and have nots, the thought of the have nots having less is frightening. I'm sure that in one way or another, everyone has felt the effects of the slow economy, I just can't think of one example that applies to me. Sure, food, petrol and basic necessities have increased, no doubt your insurance premiums have but on the other hand the interest rate cuts have been quite profitable.

It is a harsh reality, but here's a thought, have money, in fact...be rich, but love your life more than you love money and you'll always be sure that your bank balance doesn't determine your life balance. So here's a little tip from me to you, I'm going to give you the three step guide to getting out of the otherwise mandatory economic depression duty...

1. Don't scare people. Don't do that. You know those crazy makers that catch the tail end of the news and become a walking tabloid for all that is dark and dreary. You know what I'm talking about, those folk who love to carry the sensational "Its our final days on earth" banner. Give your energy to something positive. I'm convinced that that little surge of fear we feel when we talk about crime and money is actually addictive. Like our bodies own adrenaline has become a drug that picks us up for a few brief moments in our otherwise passion-less, i-robot lives. So don't.

2. Take some responsibility for your money. When I don't have I know for a fact that its me and not the American real estate market. So if you don't have, figure out how much you don't have and start talking to the right people. The people that can help you, not your neighbours who've just re-landscaped their garden to look just like the garden at Brad and Angie's French villa. No, be honest with the right people. Its probably time to start telling the truth anyway, it might be half the reason we got into this mess in the first place. Consumerism is another drug, and just like adrenalin, it fools us into believing we're happy. No, you won't be happy if you can buy it, so take some free advice instead...tell the truth.

3. Give. (This one is my favourite) Now, I can almost feel your fist tightening around your stack of hundreds but here's the thing...there are those who have less, much less. So little, you can't even imagine. You're not giving to get back, you're giving to help someone. Remember help and generosity and charity? One episode of Carte Blanche and everyone is convinced that the guy begging at the robot is making more than they are, and every homeless man, woman and child has to qualify your donations before it actually becomes theirs. Like "don't buy wine/booze/glue/weed/tik/anything-with-partially-hydrogenated-vegetable-oil/non-organic seaweed truffles with this!" That's not charity, that's just bossy. Give. Never mention it, don't include it in your Facebook status message, don't expect them to do the same for you. That's how you give. Make the commitment to give because it is good, because it will teach you some things about yourself that might even cure your spending obsession.

So there's my three step plan to combating the economic depression. Try it, I'm telling you, I can see light at the end of the tunnel already...