|
Tom Reilly Training Home of Value-Added Selling and Coaching for Sales Success |
|
|
TOUGH TIMES? THIS, TOO, WILL PASS! By Tom Reilly "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair . . ." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities) Even though Charles Dickens wrote this in the mid-nineteenth century about a different time and a distant place, the French Revolution, he could have been writing about the recent downshift in the U.S. economy. For some, this economy is "the best of times"; for others, it is "the worst of times." Wall Street has gone from the "season of Light" to the "season of Darkness." In the midst of the current economic uncertainty, there are those who look to the future with great trepidation; for them, it is the "winter of despair." Others look to the future through the eyes of an optimist; for them, it is the "spring of hope." That some people are able to maintain a positive focus and perform admirably and successfully, regardless of the conditions that surround their efforts, has always fascinated me. Faced with identical circumstances, some people rise to the challenge, tapping into the "best" in themselves, and achieve what others cannot even imagine. Consider this: In tough times, 25% of businesses fail, 70% survive, and 5% thrive. On a broader scale, some people play the cards they are dealt while other people fold 'em and go home. Some people thrive on the challenge; others wilt in the heat of battle. The resilience of the human spirit is nature's way of equipping us with the fuel we need to soar above whatever obstacles we encounter. Since 1854, we have experienced thirty-three economic downturns in the United States, each lasting about one and one-half years, followed by an expansion of about three years. It seems we've discovered a way to handle these downturns more effectively over the past sixty years. Since 1948, we have had ten recessions; the average contraction is eleven months, and the average expansion is four years. We spend 80% of our time in good economic times! If you work in business long enough, you will experience a downturn. What's the point? Economic nirvana is always followed by economic nervousness that is always followed nirvana that is always followed by nervousness. It's a cycle. The most important thing to know about tough times is that they pass and are replaced by good times. Businesspeople who wring their hands today will ring their cash registers tomorrow. Some people engage tough times and see opportunity; others experience tough times as adversity. Those who prevail in tough times maintain their perspectives and embrace this philosophy: This, too, will pass. |
TOM REILLY TRAINING 171 Chesterfield Industrial Boulevard, Chesterfield Missouri 63005 636-537-3360 www.TomReillyTraining.com ©2008 Tom Reilly Training |