As a man thinks in his heart- so is he...

I heard a story yesterday that broke my heart and I wanted to send out a word of encouragement to others that may be going through similar situations.

A builder in a south metro Atlanta county tried to commit suicide recently due to his despondency over his current financial situation. He had been a builder his whole life and had lost everything- his business, his home and obviously- his hope. Now, I know nothing else about his situation, but being a realtor whose focus is in new construction, I know that there are many builders, realtors, loan officers and folks in the support industries going through identical situations. When we have looked to our leadership for answers, most of the advice is superficial at best; brush up on skills, stay in contact with customers etc. The truth is they can not offer us anything that really works because like most of us- they do not know what to do or what will happen in the future. This has gone far beyond the borders of our industry and I am aware it may get worse before it gets better.

So how do we get through this? We need to stop and examine what truly matters in this life and look at where we are placing our hope and what it is we value. We can't just define ourselves by what we do for a living or by what we have been able to collect over the years as possessions. We need to examine who we are as individuals. What do we believe in and what do we value? We need to stop and count our blessings. Are you healthy? Are you able to work? Count it as a blessing. Do you have a family who loves you -no matter what? Count it as a blessing. We live in America, a country where we get a fresh start regardless of our past failures. Count it as a blessing.

The way we look at our trials can literally be life or death. We can get by without a lot of things, but hope is not one of them. Our material possessions and our business can be rebuilt. We are only failures when we give up, and I am not referring to giving up a job title. If you need to change occupations- then do it without guilt. If you do not have the strength or desire to rebuild your business, then find a new passion. What we must cling to is our hope and we must keep a proper perspective on what is happening. If you do not have the mental or spiritual resources you need to get through these challenging times, then your first priority is to get mentally and spiritual strong. Find someone you can share your fears with and look to for guidance and encouragement. Our society neglects nurturing those parts of our personalities but they are vital. Our faith provides the strength needed to carry us through life's challenges.

I know first hand that these are hard times and tough decisions have to be made. I am not minimizing the realities. But when I look at how people, who are in similar circumstances, choose such radically different responses, I realize that how we think truly does determine our reality. Personally, I have a strong faith and believe that no matter what we may go through in this life, God will work it out for our good. Like the story of the refiner's silver, trials purify us by forcing out our impurities- so that the metal may be made stronger. It's a painful process no doubt, but it does not have to be a hopeless one.

My hope today is that this reaches someone who needs it and that they may know they are not alone. Regardless of how things may appear now, do not give up. Where you go from here is up to you.

-As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7