The other one percent.

• Author: Saunders, Don
• Position: DOLLARS & SENSE - Taking control of one's life - Column

I WOULD SAY that 98% of humanity lives their lives as servants to someone else. You may wish to disagree with this statement--and that is okay. However, for thousands of years, one percent of the population has controlled 98% of the population--but what about the other one percent? Those individuals are the conscious inhabitants of the world, the people who will not be slaves to life. They are not leaders, nor are they followers. They have figured out "how it works" and are utilizing that knowledge to live their lives in an empowered manner. They may not have all of the answers, but they have connected enough of the dots to start to see the big picture to getting their needs--and wants--met. They do not have a magic pill, but they are willing to do the hard work that is required, keep the focus that will open doors, and have enough faith in themselves to thrive in this crazy world.

What to dot--tangibly and emotionally--if you are laid off is a question that requires some very serious self-assessment. Your life has been shifted and how you react to that shift will determine the outcome. If you sit around feeling sorry for yourself, you attract stress into your life and the end result is obvious: you ultimately will crash and bum. However, if you take action, focus on a new career, accept the shift as a life correction rather than a life destruction, you will start to develop a career recovery path that will be filled with abundance and personal satisfaction.

Sure, it may take a while to adapt and adjust your new path, especially if it happens after a long career. However, your life is not over because someone acting in a superior position inflicts control. Just the opposite is true: no one owns you and no one should control your life but you. Therefore, when shifts take place, they should be enjoyed as an opportunity to walk through new doors. If you roll your eyes and say sure that is easy for you to say, well, it actually is because it happened to me. I made adjustments; how about you?

So, take over the reins and drive your own wagon to contentment but, as you begin the journey, ask yourself some questions: Do the people you are following have spirit and soul? Are they working for the common good of humanity, of the world? Do they even remotely care about you and your family? Are their motives ego based and self-centered? Do they infect misaligned goals and objectives that will damage your--and others'--well-being in the long term...