http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0?format=rss Tribe.net. Local Connections http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#e53377fe-d8f1-46fb-ab1f-a458974eea2e Something I discovered by accident a few years ago that makes a lot of sense to me: http://www.generationaldynamics.com/ww2010.htm It takes a while to read through enough of the guy's stuff to really get a feel for what he's saying, but it seems plausible enough and his predictions seem to pan out fairly well. There's quite a lot of discussion about the global economic mess and the likelihood of another major global war in the future. This is a good starting point: http://www.generationaldynamics.com/cgi-bin/D.PL?d=ww2010.i.basics There's also a great deal of discussion in the forums about the economic mess. Wed, 13 May 2009 13:52:21 GMT http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#e53377fe-d8f1-46fb-ab1f-a458974eea2e Waylon 2009-05-13T13:52:21Z http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#d7fc0b25-7b91-4374-93e4-1ba31d9108f0 Hi there, I am a bit surprised to see an INFJ struggling with such major financial difficulties, because most people that I personally know of this type (myself included) have a pretty good grasp on this area. A lot of INFJ’s even work as financial advisers. But none of us are immune to troubled times I guess :) Anyway I can give you some important tips, for I have been involved with financial and investment activities for 8 years know. I had no trouble predicting the upcoming major crisis back in 2006 – when most even refused to consider such a possibility. In fact it was really easy to predict and a lot of people knew what was coming up, but they were ignored. You just have to know your sources ;) Right now everyone is interested how and when it will end, but they are really missing the BIG PICTURE. You see, current economic policy really does not make any sense. It had been tried multiple times in the past – and all of them failed. The most recent example is the economic crisis of Japan, which began in 1989 and never really ended. Everything that Obama and Bernanke is doing right now had already been tried there and failed. And they know it!!! There can be only one logical explanation for such a behavior even if it sounds completely improbable. The truth is, that economy is already dead. Yep, that’s dead as in D. E. A. D. In 2007 it suddenly got into cardial arrest and in 2008 it was dead. Such an event would of course provoke a massive public unrest, so a decision was made to reanimate it by pouring a couple of trillion dollars into a complex support scheme. So the show could go on until a new economy is born. Make no mistake though, there can be no revival of current economy. Right now it is just a zombie on steroids and will eventually have to pass on for good. Don't believe anything they talk on TV about upcoming recovery. The best possible for zombie-nomics is a stagflation for a few years and then another hard hit by the retirement crisis in 2012. The worst case scenario is deflation or hyperinflation. However there had been such events in the past and the outcome of it was that a new stronger economy had been born. Nobody yet knows how will it look like, nor when it happen. My best guess is that it will take at least 5 years to arrive "naturally", unless a major event such as a technological breakthrough or a war happens. To cut the long story short – how does it apply to common folk who just want to get on with their lives? Well, if you got a job and feel tense about it, ask yourself “can my company survive if there will be 5 more years of troubled economy?”. If the answer is “no”, then start looking for a new job immediately. You will do yourself a favor and will get some advantage against the crowd. Also troubled times offer some valuable lessons – it might be a good time to stride away from “work, shop, drop” routine to something more creative and unique that only you can do. To find your purpose in life. Mon, 11 May 2009 20:26:27 GMT http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#d7fc0b25-7b91-4374-93e4-1ba31d9108f0 Tamagochi 2009-05-11T20:26:27Z http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#f1ee274b-d8a0-4e6e-939b-cf4615466797 Good stuff Julie. I was 26 too when I first went through my serious nervous breakthrough. The best advice I can offer is: Learn your lesson then move forward. There is a life lesson for you in this. Usually it has to do with moving closer to the person you are meant to be within the world. Cheesy perhaps but look into some books by Pema Chodron and Deepak Chopra. Also look at some of the movies that INFJ's love. Many of them are about moving closer to the person you are meant to be in this world. http://infj.tribe.net/thread/65b9607e-b41a-4712-82ed-73157d14787d Second bit of advice is to take care of yourself. So much stress now can result in physical problems later. Amazing how strong the body is but what happens is that during difficult times, the body can be superstrong and after the crisis, the body collapses like a runner at the finish line. In addition to coffee, refined sugar and refined wheat can be hard on the mind and body too. Lastly, sending good thoughts for your grandfather. As hard as things are, try to keep perspective. He's got it a bit harder right now. A lot of INFJs find that they help themselves when they help others. But again, remember to take care of yourself too. These are very hard times for dreamers and thinkers. All the best to you Nat and Julie. My dad is in the hospital right now. He has some very serious health concerns and so the hospital stays are always anxious for me. I'm trying to listen to my own advice now. ;-] Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:18:29 GMT http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#f1ee274b-d8a0-4e6e-939b-cf4615466797 Muse 2009-03-07T16:18:29Z http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#dcfaa64a-cb69-4af7-aae8-1ca1b3a44be4 Your story rings true for so many people. Thanks for sharing it. I personally haven't had quite the dire circumstances you're going through, but the economy has affected myself and my fiance's family. I graduated with a second degree about 6 months ago, just about the WORST time possible to be looking for work. If I had wanted a job that wasn't a desire of mine, I'm sure I could have found it and been hired sooner, but I wasn't willing to take just another job. So I waited, and waited, and waited! It was painful sending resume after resume and continually not being called in for interviews. Thankfully my partner has a good enough job to where I could take that time and not have to worry about working immediately. My student loans started looming overhead so it became mission critical to find work. The last thing I wanted to do was default on my loans. I can tell you, it was very depressing and dismal for many months, but eventually I found work. To be out there in one of the worst economic times in history really was getting to me. My fiance's dad got laid off recently too. He was a structural engineer for 10 years at the same company and was one year away from retirement.. It's just how the cookie crumbles, even though he had the most experience. Unfortunately for them, his wife had to quit her job awhile back due to medical reasons, and was relying on him for health insurance. She's not able to get onto disability for another year and a half so they had to price out COBRA. Guess how much their COBRA extended health insurance is going to be? $2,000 a month, JUST FOR HER! wtf? That's a sad realization of our health care if I've ever seen it. They're still trying to figure out what to do. Ya know, it's not really the best option for him to look for work at the age of 64, I mean..who in the hell's gonna hire a 64-year-old? But it may have to be done due to those health costs. Want to know what I decided to do? I stopped reading the news. I recently got rid of cable and stopped watching all TV. I literally shut myself off from anything having to do with the economy and these dire reports of what's to come. For me, it had to be done, otherwise I was literally going to send myself into panic mode every single day. For me, it worked. Some say it's merely sticking your head in the sand but it's made me so much happier and able to concentrate on making myself healthier in mind and body. Until we as a society start consciously becoming less fear-obsessed, I have to take myself out of the equation and focus on my inner-health first, and my friends and family second. When we feed ourselves first, we suddenly have the energy to feed others, if you know what I mean. I know we'll all get through it. There may be a lot of rough times ahead but keeping our heads up is key, and knowing that eventually it will pass. it sounds like you're doing just that. I hope things start looking up! Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:56:09 GMT http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#dcfaa64a-cb69-4af7-aae8-1ca1b3a44be4 Julie 2009-03-07T02:56:09Z http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#215307d7-a691-44b2-8333-91f7bafabdd4 Has anyone out there been affected by the bad economy? Layoffs, foreclosures, bankruptcies? My personal story: I had a series of financial disasters in 2008 including multiple car repairs and a messy "divorce". I racked up $5,200 in credit card debt - a small amount compared to the enormity of the failing economy but a big deal for me. I neglected my payments for a couple months because I was unable to afford them so I incurred several penalty fees. The good news is that my tax refund will make me current on my third and final card. I can finally attack my plan of paying it all off in just over a year - or I could. Debt free is wealthy enough for me at this point. I can barely afford nutritious food. I get by on Ramen and microwavable meals. And a one-a-day vitamin. First of all, I absolutely love my job. I've been in the television news broadcast field for 2 1/2 years and I started from the very bottom. Everything about it goes against everything my personality is comfortable with. I have to communicate a lot and make quick decisions then act upon them. It's very tactile and technical. And it takes a lot of imagination to help it grow. Just this week, corporate laid off 13 people - one lady has been there for 31 years, 4 years away from retirement! I was demoted to PT along with 4 other formerly FT, losing all benefits. Two other people are leaving at will. That leaves my own department with 10 people instead 16. That's 1/3 of the crew. 2 specialized positions have been eliminated and their duties are being spread amongst 3 others. I am so overwhelmed that I can't decide if it's better to be cut or be left behind. At first I was worried about the financial side of things, how I'm going to afford anything. After careful review I've calmed myself and figured I can work with that. What really bothers me about this is the enormity of the task at hand. How do we run the station with such limited staff? If people bail, will we eventually fold? Will our quality decline because we're stretched too thin - or will we rise to the challenge of righting the ship? I take a lot of pride in my work. I think it's the coolest job ever and I have such a great rapport with my co-workers. We hang out after work, karaoke, Rock Band, Chipotle Friday... Now I'm losing some of my closest friends. It's scary to imagine them not being there. I keep asking myself 'why was I chosen to stay?' Everyone knows this is a numbers game and the bottom line is we have to keep returning a profit. If businesses can't sell, they don't make money. Then they don't buy advertisements and our workers can't get paid. We are all just a number to them. Instead of thinking at the division process negatively (liability or laziness), were the managers overwhelmed at the circumstances like I was? Did they pick the crew they thought could keep us alive? 'Why was I chosen to stay?' I'm not doubting my abilities, just the enormous amount of focus and follow through. What I am doubting is my chance at a future in broadcast because it won't exist soon. My job was finally the one thing I had to focus on and put all my energy into. Now I can't afford it so I'll have to give a little attention to something else. My learning curve is greatly upset because there now exists a large roadblock between what I am and what I could have been someday. I'm not saying I would have been there forever but I certainly wanted longevity and to master the field then eventually move on to pursue my own business. How much further is the goal now than it was before? Yes, I understand. I'm 26 and I 'have all the time in the world'. Really? I never started to feel like I was getting somewhere until this job. I thought I had started a career. For the first time on my own I had health and life insurance. I was making fantastic progress in a short amount of time. Well that doesn't count anymore. We've all regressed in title and perhaps a little dignity but that doesn't mean we can't make a great product, work that we can be proud to be a part of. I'm very anxious for our station's future. I hope we can keep our spirits up and work hard, for our own self-respect, despite the awful circumstances given to us. I'm having a really hard time with of three days in a row being slammed into life changing circumstances. I have a corner of my security blanket, the threads of my career I'm still holding in my fist. I find it especially difficult to handle my emotions around people, especially at work. It's such a sad affair seeing some faces who will soon become strangers while others are thanking their lucky stars. My heart hurts for everyone caught up in this, especially my boss... He had to tell those 6 people that they had two weeks left and 5 that they were being demoted - not because they were bad at their job. No matter who you are, no one enjoys destroying someone's livelihood. Poor guy. He's had the job only a little longer than I've had mine and he successfully transitioned the station to all HD equipment and set. Husband and father of 1 with another due in a couple weeks. He's only a few years older than me, too. This is tearing him up having to comb through and pick and choose and take sides. Half of the people he let go were his equals the entire time he worked with them before his promotion. These were his friends, too. And to demote two others in that category. And he turned another year older this past Tuesday. *sigh* The icing on the cake for my tumultuous week: my grandpa had a heart attack and is in ICU with a tube down his throat, sedated and his wrists are attached to the side of the bed. He just can't catch a break. He broke his ankle about 1 1/2 years ago and lost the use of his legs nearly entirely after that. That forced him to sell his dental practice of 40-something years. Mounting medical debt and hidden debt too, they had to get a divorce to avoid Medicaid taking the house they just bought 3 years ago. My poor grandpa is so frustrated and I'm sure very depressed. His mind and his will is strong but his body fails him. But now his mind's not there, or maybe it is, under a very heavy fog. My grandma does everything she can to take care of him. He is her security whether they have money or not. I'm an emotional wreck this week and with due cause, I'd say. So many people are struggling, so many sad circumstances that can break us if we let them. The INFJ in me can't help but take on everyone else's burdens. Every interaction is uncomfortable and sometimes painful to me right now. 'How do I look at people and what do I say to them?' Everything is awkward. I stare and I let out a long sigh. This is a test of mettle and might. I choose to forge ahead on a different route than anticipated. I still take pride in my work and I like consistency and near-perfectionism. This is my time, all of our time, to become better than what we are and who we are. We are now active participants for change. But you better buy a lottery ticket in the meantime because that's all the hope you have! So the moral of the story is drink hot tea instead of coffee if you value your stomach during extremely stressful periods. Your thoughts? Sat, 07 Mar 2009 02:16:59 GMT http://infj.tribe.net/thread/abf5e2a5-eded-4666-b123-c448d7f482a0#215307d7-a691-44b2-8333-91f7bafabdd4 Nat 2009-03-07T02:16:59Z