The boom has left us hanging onto mediocrity. We’ve become comfortable because it’s been easy. We’ve been letting other people take the gamble and the chance. Now the GED has rudely shocked us and rocked us out of that rake-it-in coma.
People are preoccupied with the darkness and gloom but you’ll always find someone living with less light and hope. While Australia is the 18th wealthiest economy in the world according to one website, apparently we are also the 6th happiest country in the world.
If you’re not feeling like you’re part of the Top 10 happy places in the world, perhaps it’s because you’ve been paying too much attention to miserable advertising. Notice how quickly television and other forms of advertising have jumped on the bad times band wagon? They’ve taken up the language of a bleak economic climate and adjusted their global economic crisis vocabulary so quickly it’s hard to believe the Ikea-loving Swedes and Canadians are behind us on the happiness ladder.
The days of the spin merchant are gone however and we can’t afford to be seduced anymore. We have neither the time nor money. You just can’t “trust” blindly anymore. Find people who you know are good at what they do or come recommended by those you trust. Work with people who actually have the solutions to your problems, not just people who say they do.
Most of us are pretty clever about what we’re being told, but now more than ever it’s important to see the real message being communicated and not be manipulated by the spin.
The up-side of this down-turn is now we have the perfect chance to make a difference. To be different. To think differently. To strive to be better. To do things which have never been done before.
Whether you’re going to seriously commit to household recycling, buy a home or get involved in a business venture, it’s time for innovation and the climate is ripe for it.
In our recent In Property magazine, Perth horticulturalist Josh Byrne shared with us how planting a verge garden got him out of the back of his house and greeting his neighbourhood. By creating a nice place to be at the front of his house, he’s met the people in his street and made friends with his neighbours.
It’s a grass-roots gesture, but we need them to lift our spirits. Feeling good about yourself and the world around us is what convinces someone somewhere with a great idea to pursue it. They say it takes a village to raise a child. It’s a valuable mantra to have at the moment.
Let’s cultivate the art of being better, of giving great service and “doing good”. Unprecedented times call for unusual measures.
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