This is Part Three of a series of articles about how not to "drown" financially and emotionally. I believe that, since an atheist cannot retreat into the dubious solution of buying lottery tickets and praying, that this topic is very relevant and hopefully some people will be helped by what I've learned.
I have divided this article into three parts to keep it easy to read. Please see the previous two posts for additional tips.
7. Create more than you consume. There was a time that I thought almost all of my pleasure would come from acquiring money and things,
and I was actually pretty miserable. The key is to find balance, what is
right for you. It was only when my disposable income was severely
reduced that I remembered I had loved to write when I couldn't buy as
much. Writing, drawing, making crafts (from the supplies you already have), etc., are all cheap or free (or at least, can be), and give one a sense of fulfillment that consumption never can. It is even more fulfilling if others can also enjoy or admire your work.
Focus
not on what you can get--focus on what you can create: stories,
articles, crafts, or meeting goals like sales calls made or classified
ads listed.
(I would personally recommend starting some kind of
blog, even if it's not on the topic of religion or atheism, so that
others can hopefully be helped by your experience. There is
probably more to write about than you think. It will also give you
more confidence and, interestingly enough, make you feel sexier. Better yet, start a blog
and send me a link.)
8. "Shop" for free things. That's
not to say that there is no place for entertainment in your life, or
that such entertainment has to be expensive. My family still technically
does not have a television subscription; we entertain ourselves with
Youtube and watching episodes of our favorite shows online. Many
libraries also lend ebooks or audiobooks over the computer to members.
This is technically not shopping, and that's kind of the point.
Here
is a link to a website where you can (legally) download free ebooks, as
no one owns a copyright to any of them. Most of them are about a
century or more old, but there are thousands, many of them very
entertaining, and all of them are free and legal:
http://library2go.lib.overdrive.com/F3E36843-DEFB-4827-B2A8-FFED847A342E/10/50/en/ZRPublicDomainCollection.htm
(They
even have a few books on religion and atheism. Try typing the words
"atheist" and "atheism" into the search box right above the book titles.
The works of Horatio Alger, though they are children's books, were
also especially inspiring to me over the years. Yes, they are available at
this site and can be easily searched for.)
But the most important thing of all to remember is...
9. Focus on what you can do, not what you can't. Remember
what I said in Part One about the sense of helplessness being the real
enemy. Make a list of possible sources of income or ways to save money,
no matter how far-fetched they are. Even if they "aren't worth it,"
include them in the list. Some things require a great deal of effort at
the beginning, then pay off later. Others are "too small" but slowly add
up. Still others may not seem worth it at the time, but pay off later.
Even ridiculous ideas may have a grain of truth to them.
The key is to increase your odds of success; even if it never
pays off (which is actually pretty unlikely, that it will not pay off at
all), you have gained valuable experience and the knowledge that you
have tried your best and can be proud of that.
(Obviously, though,
only take risks in which you can afford to lose. Don't spend all your
grocery money on lottery tickets, for example.)
Difficult times in my life have taught me many things, but the main lesson I came away with is that God or someone else is not going to help me; I have to help myself. Action, any kind of action, is what is going to save you from depression and despair. Remember that you are much stronger and more resourceful than you think you are.
What do you think of this? Leave a comment below, or send me an email at: atheistjourneysblog@gmail.com
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