"How are you?"
A question we all ask dozens of times each day. For me, it had become such a conversation opener, sometimes it was posed as a rhetorical question. I always want someone to say, "Great; Couldn't be better!", and then we can move on to the real conversation. Partly because I always want everyone to be "Great!" when around me, and partly because I really don't expect anyone to sit down and tell me all of the worrisome items spinning around in their head simply because I asked!
Over the past two years, the answer I wanted has largely not been the answer I received. Everyone would answer the question instead with worries about the economy. "Business has been so bad."; "I'm not sure we're going to make it much longer."; "Julie - You've got to get my property sold or I just don't know what we're going to do."; etc. Your basic nightmare answers to the "How are you" question.
I care more about people's feelings than I should (a little fault of mine), and for a few months - it made me sad. Then, for a while, I convinced myself it was refreshing to have people answering the question honestly rather than leaving anything to the imagination. Plus, the recession did seem to bring everyone in our Country together in a sense. Everyone was struggling, so everyone actually worried about other people's concerns - if for no other reason than they were a reflection of their own.
However, recently, when I receive that answer it makes me think that person is stuck in a rut and not working very hard to get out of it. I know, that sounds horrible - even to myself, but we the people of the US seem in general to be trying hard to pull ourselves up, think outside our comfort zones, and make the current environment work for us . . . which is, in my opinion, the American way.
Many of us spent the last 12-18 months lamenting and comforting our fellow man, which is good, because maybe now everyone understands that each of our individual success is dependant upon our neighbor's success as well. For instance, if you own a retail business, you understand what happens to business when 20% of your customers become unemployed and the others have to start counting pennies. Now, you want ALL people in your community to triumph over hard times, because their achievements will result in increased business in your store, thus guaranteeing your own success.
Before the "recession", how many of those same business owners didn't spend time worrying about the few people they passed who were down on their luck? How many looked at that person and thought, "You just aren't trying hard enough. If you feel so bad, quit whining and go out and make it happen for yourself." Afterwards, everyone gained a greater understanding of how difficult things can be when the world seems to keep knocking you down no matter how hard you try; perhaps because they were getting knocked down personally, or so many of their hard-working neighbors were that they came to realize we are all joined together to form this Union and it works best if we all concentrate on making it a better place For Us ALL.
I have always believed a big portion of success is thinking positively. When one thinks negatively, speaks of negative things, and everyone they talk to has negative things to say, the negative energy works to tire them out, steal their hope, and prevent them from trying to work to make things better. Eventually, that person can forget entirely how to be "Great!"
On the other hand, when you ask someone how they are doing and they exude positive energy right away, it makes you feel good too (or, at least makes you jealous enough to work a bit harder to steal some of their thunder!). Regardless of the motivation - positive answers provide inspiration!
Am I saying, if we all collectively began faking enthusiasm and hide our negative feelings that the ills of the world would suddenly be fixed? No. I may be an idealist, but I am not completely out to lunch! However, . . . the eternal optimist in me thinks it would definitely help our collective psychology to spend more time concentrating and sharing the positives in our daily lives. And, winning the mind is the hardest portion of the battle.
The real estate market has been moving. More of my retail and restaurant clients & tenants see business picking up. The Dow is up. Unemployment levels are down. Fewer houses are actually going to foreclosure. Even the Government's bail outs are starting to help real people (aka: Main Street) and not just the uber rich insurance company CEOs and banks.
Obviously many of us are trying to turn that frown upside down and find the silver lining in the clouds. The answer to the "How are you?" question is finally tipping back towards "Doin' Well". But, not everyone has gotten on board yet. Don't we all agree that now it is time for us ALL to step up and work to change the way we see the world, thus the changing answers we've been giving and receiving to the "How Are You?" question - if only for the spirit of positive reinforcement?
By The Way: All of this craziness has produced the most opportunistic market I've ever seen. Now is still a great time to buy! Call me today; let's talk about all of the great things happening in Northeast Georgia!
Comments