Faith Over Fear – Growth in These Challenging Times

Update: Our perspective on current economic conditions

In this brief video, we share our perspective on these challenging times. It’s not different this time. In spite of the discomfort that we’re all feeling, we are also growing as individuals.  

Full Transcript is below.

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Full Transcript of video

CURT: Hello, I’m Curt Stowers

JOSH: And I’m Josh Duncan. A few weeks back we reached out with some perspectives on what was happening in the financial markets. The message we delivered at that time was “It’s NOT different this time”

CURT: We spoke about how it is NORMAL for markets to fluctuate in price and how it is NORMAL for us to FEEL uncomfortable as these fluctuations occur

JOSH: The past four weeks have brought us some entirely new things. Who would have thought social distancing, flattening the curve, home schooling, and economic stimulus packages have become topics that we discuss openly.

CURT: In speaking with numerous individuals, one thing has become incredibly clear. None of us—me at the top of the list—deal well with uncertainty. The uncertainty of the risks associated with the Coronavirus, the lack of clarity of when we will be able to go back to “normal” activities, and what “normal” will look like after all of this have contributed to that feeling of discomfort. While we may not realize it, we are all growing as individuals as we endure these hardships.

JOSH: In high school and college I was a competitive swimmer. To say that the training to compete was uncomfortable would be a massive understatement. While I knew that I was growing as I went through endless laps, it was not comfortable and was not always something I enjoyed. However, I knew that I needed to stick with the plan and push through the tough times.

CURT: The markets have rebounded very quickly. I would love to promise that the recent upswing is going to continue but I cannot. What I can do is reaffirm my belief that over the next twenty years we will have more people on this Earth and the global economy will grow. People the world over are becoming more connected and have a desire to improve their standard of living. I truly believe that as they say “a rising tide will lift all ships.” However, I am distinctly aware that this will not be a smooth ride. The way I get through the challenging times is by continually reminding myself that all things in life come down to “faith over fear”

JOSH: Curt’s emphasis on the concept of “faith over fear” is particularly timely given the time of the year we are in. Our Jewish friends our celebrating Passover and our Christian friends are celebrating Easter. Both of these occasions reaffirm the importance of faith over fear. Almost all of the families we work with embrace a spirit of faith. Some Hinduism, some Buddhism, some Islam, some Judaism, and some Christianity. At the core of all of us is a need to believe in something beyond us. That sustains us through tough times.

CURT: The message Josh and I wanted to leave you with this week is two-fold. First, in spite of the discomfort that we are all feeling, we are all growing as individuals. While not fun and not pain free, growth is real and when we embrace it we come out transformed and better as individuals.

JOSH: Second, remembering the importance that “It’s not different this time” is critical. We put together plans in our personal and professional lives to take us through the challenging times. It’s no different this time. We have made our plans and we need to stick with them.

CURT: Josh and I are always available via phone, text or email. We will continue to leverage technology to stay in close contact with you

JOSH: We want to thank you again for allowing us to support your family during these challenging times. We wish all of you a Happy Easter and encourage you to spend time with friends and family this weekend.

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