PERREAULT Magazine August 2014 | Page 74

Are you happy where you are in your life right now? Do you feel optimistic that your future

will improve for you and your loved ones?

Many Americans are not only struggling on a daily basis, but also do not think that their lives will change for the better. Many believe that their quality of life and their children's will be worse going forward than it is today.

"Almost two-thirds of Americans express concerns about covering their family’s basic living expenses, compared with less than half the public four decades ago. One in three say their money worries are with them all or most of the time, and the number who say they worry “all the time” about paying the bills has doubled." *Washington Post

The US Census Bureau estimates that approximately 15% of the United States' population is on food stamps. (This equates to about 25 million people.) Many of these people want to work and provide for their family, but need the governmental assistance just to survive.

Since its inception, the United States has been through extremely tough times: wars, famine, market crashes and so much more. Throughout the centuries, what has made us stronger has been our ability to always rise above each challenge. One of our current struggles is the seemingly endless economic slump affecting many of the middle-class.

Many are trying to navigate and find new ways to survive, as the old ways of making a living no longer work. So how do we overcome the myriad challenges presented by a struggling economy?

In 1959, psychotherapist Dr. Viktor E. Frankl wrote “Man's Search for Meaning", a book which has become a classic. In World War II, he spent three years incarcerated in Auschwitz by the Nazis.

After experiencing the daily horror of the concentration camp, he had the insight to notice that those who survived were not the strongest, nor the smartest, but rather, those that had a goal to focus on. These people had a clear vision of what their life would be after the war was over and chose to focus on this, rather than the day-to-day struggle to survive. Whether it was the thought of seeing their daughter married and playing with their grandchildren or something as mundane as tasting their favorite dish once again, it was these self-imposed goals that gave them the strength to overcome their adversity.

by Peter Shane

Perreault Magazine - 74 -

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY