Creating a support network to survive hard times

Going through hard times alone is a grim and desperate business. I found myself in that situation many times until I learned that being part of a supportive group is not a luxury, but a vital necessity, .

The worst times of my life occurred when I made lifestyle changes that put me into a different culture with no friends to call upon for support. These included: going off to college, starting jobs in strange cities, and being forced out of a company I had helped to found.

In each of these situations, I found myself facing new and difficult challenges with no one to offer a helping hand because I did not have the forethought to develop a network of trusted friends.

Things did not improve until I learned how to locate and join groups that shared resources and advice and were interested in promoting our mutual survival.

Today, we do not have to move to another city to find ourselves faced with hard times. Too many companies are having to lay employees off or are closing outright. Money is hard to come by and everyone in the community is affected eventually. Customers buy less, employees are working fewer hours, and bills are going unpaid in all sorts of areas.

The best way out of this painful situation is to find others like yourself and do what you can to make life easier for each other. What you need to do is find people you can trust and see what you can do to offer each other mutual support. This doesn't mean getting into a "pity party", it means sharing resources, bartering, going the extra distance to help each other get through these difficult months ahead.

There are good people in almost every environment. You build mutual trust by understanding the basis on which people judge you. These are good ones to remember:

    1. Promise only what you intend to deliver
    2. Keep your word once given
    3. Follow through and meet expectations

It may not happen overnight, but if you do these things and help those around you, you will accumulate a group of friends you can rely on. Your certainty will increase and your increased confidence will enable all of you to do more and to shake off negative emotions.

There is really no other option. If you know and understand this data, you will spend very little time bemoaning your fate. You will start making inquiries and developing friends you can trust.

If you are facing hard times right now, find some people to share resources with. That will enable you to start taking control of your life again.

Make friends by being a good friend. Your future depends on it, and you'll have a great time doing it.