Lately the world has felt scary and weird. It’s easy to freak out over the possibility of you or a loved one getting sick, having to pause your debt-crushing goals, losing your job, or the economy crashing. We get it. It’s normal in times of uncertainty to feel fear. But the good news is that you don’t have to live there. Dr. John Delony says, when you’re in a crisis, facts are your friends. When you know the facts and control what you can control, you can face the future with confidence no matter what happens.
In this video [A Message of Hope Livestream], we want to remind you that even when you feel afraid, you can hang unto hope and you don’t have to stay stuck in fear. Because Hope is greater than fear.
Actually, there are plenty of things that are bigger than fear, like peace, kindness, grace, and optimism. It takes self-control to choose a to be positive these days, but you, yes YOU, can be a light to others in this dark time.
How to Have Hope Right Now
So now it’s time for the facts. We’re not going to give you medical advice (that’s what your doctor is for because they know your unique health situation), but when it comes to your money and your career, we’ve got you covered!
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Dave Ramsey, Rachel Cruze, and Ken Coleman share that when it comes to the Covid-19 chaos most people are falling into one of three groups. Whichever group you’re in, you can fight your fear with facts—and that will give you hope.
Group 1: You lost your job or some of your income.
Now is the time to get on a budget with the EveryDollar app (it’s free!) and take care of your four walls–food, utilities, shelter, and transportation. When you take care of your house and your kids have food to eat, you’ll feel a lot more peace and hope! Next, don’t panic and go into debt to cover your bills. Debt is DUMB and will put you farther behind. Once life gets back to normal you can pick up where you left off with your debt snowball or baby emergency fund. It’s also time to go get a job (more about this in a minute).
Group 2: You’re doing ok, but worried about the future.
Maybe you still have income coming in, but you don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Or maybe you’ve been working Baby Step 2 but don’t know if you should stop paying off debt and stack your cash. Now is the time to look at the facts and decide how stable your income is. If you have a real concern that you might lose your job, then go ahead and pause your debt snowball to pile up some cash. Beefing up your emergency fund will help with peace of mind until things settle down.
Group 3: You’re doing great financially but are still worried.
The stock market’s ups and downs are enough to make anyone dizzy right now but ride it out. Don’t pull your investments and hop off the roller coaster in the middle of the ride. That’s how you get hurt. You’re also in a position to share hope with others by being outrageously generous! Give the teenager working the fast food line a $100 tip, help deliver groceries to at-risk people, and make sure you thank the grocery store clerk who is stacking all that toilet paper.
If you’ve lost your job (or you’re about to).
If money has stopped coming in and you’re worried about your career, Ken Coleman has some great advice. It’s important to keep a long-term perspective on a short-term problem. Maybe you’ve lost your job but there are still opportunities out there—package, grocery, and restaurant delivery services are hiring like crazy right now!
It might feel humbling to take one of these jobs, but what’s important right now is to keep food on the table and income coming in. You’ll get back on track no matter what delays come your way when you keep your purpose and career dreams alive. And, who knows? Down the road this may turn out to be the opportunity that caused you to change your career and your life for the better!
Facts are your friends.
Even in uncertain times, there are things you can control about your money and your job. So, take a deep breath, don’t panic, and remember to control the things you can control, and trust God to take care of everything else. Even in the midst of craziness YOU can still be kind to others (even when they post dumb stuff online that makes you mad). Remember, hope is greater than fear. Fear is contagious, but hope is more contagious!
We’re here to walk alongside you in your financial journey which is why we want to give you the tools you need to make a budget, crush your debts, and build wealth. Financial Peace University has helped millions of people just like you take control of their financial fears and live in PEACE.
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