Many women fear becoming a bag lady in this troubled economy and are searching for ways to spend less to better ensure their money lasts as long as they do.Because we cannot control the economy or the stock and bond markets’ rise or fall, we may be tempted to live our lives as if this current state of contraction would last our lifetimes.  Surely it will not.

What we can control then is how we respond to our fears and how we take care of ourselves during times of economic turmoil. Becoming more vigilant about how we invest and what we spend our money on can help us build prosperity or at least conserve principal, even in times of uncertainty.  Additionally, we can also choose to control how we react to negative financial news and stories of economic distress that are reported hourly on the major news networks and radio.  For one, we can stop tuning in. Removing this negativity from our lives will allow us to concentrate on our hobbies and activities and our relationships–all of which can bring us joy and peace.

Having a positive outlook is not the same as ignoring the problems going on around you. It is simply a tool that you can use to limit the paralyzing grip that fear may otherwise exert over you.

When you stop allowing fear to control you and start managing your fear by 1) putting it into proper context, and 2) remembering how resourceful you’ve been and how resourceful you are as a mature woman, you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.  You’ve already overcome many fears and seemingly unsurmountable odds, and yes, you can do it again.

I invite you to ask HOW questions to formulate a strategy of living amidst fear.  How will I handle my fear at 2pm; how will I handle fear if it occurs at 2am, how will I manage my mind and emotions when faced with uncertainty.  The best source for these answers, of course, is to reflect back on how we’ve done this in the past.  Yes, we’ve all had successes in the past, and we can learn from ourselves, as well as those around us who have shared their victories.

Remember my past posts on risk, reward, trust, and fear and use the information I’ve shared to stop your fear in its tracks.  We’ve all done it before, and we can all do it again.  Yes, We Can Do It Women!