Taking A Lesson From A Life Long Past

by Bonnie Boots

There are two ways of dealing with all the bad news about the economy. The first way is by paying attention to all the bad news and believing most of what you hear.

The second way is by paying scant attention to all the bad news and believing little of what you hear.

I worked in newspapers, magazines and radio long enough to know that most of what we hear in the media is distorted.

In media, everyone has an agenda. That agenda may be relatively good, bad or neutral. But it is always there, shaping what is reported and how that report is slanted.

If you're paying a lot of attention to the news right now, remember that you're taking in a massive dose of someone else's interpretation of what's happening. And that interpretation is slanted by a corporate agenda.

As for me, I'm paying very little attention to the news right now. The reason being--I've read history.

A few years ago, in preparation for a writing job, I did a good deal of research on the Great Depression in the United States. It began with the stock market crash in 1929. 

It went on for many long, hard years. In fact, one of the reasons America was so reluctant to enter the battle against Hitler was because it's economy was still so shaky.

But American finally did enter what then became World War II. It was the massive effort to build up for that war that finally, once and for all, put an end to the Great Depression and revived the American economy.

During those hard years, the government, the schools, the media and even everyday people made a powerful effort to engage in positive thinking. Motivational messages were everywhere, promising people that if they called up their courage, their will and their resolve, anything could be overcome.

 It turned out to be true. That's why I'm not listening to the news.

I know times are tough. I know it's not over. And I know that people, once they are powerfully and positively motivated, can and do overcome anything.

That's why I'm reprinting here a cover design from Life magazine, published on Thursday, November 27, 1931.

It was just days after a Thanksgiving when thousands  were hard-pressed to come up with dinner, let alone a holiday feast. Into the midst of that despair, some inspired and unnamed cover designer for Life magazine sent an angel.

The angel marches into a scene filled with "DEPRESSION."

This is no wimpy, gauzy angle, but a hard-muscled, determined angel. When he marches out, resolve and purpose are etched on his face. He looks us in the eye, demanding we take action.

The brave and willful angel has repainted the scene from depressing dark blue to high-energy orange. And he has turned depression into a call for determined and positive action NOW!

The angel's message is as relevant today as it was in 1931. I challenge you to take a lesson from this Life, long past and to remember that it is always in your power to transform the world.

You can print this Life cover design out as a postcard size mini-poster by downloading the PDF file. Information is below the cover image.



 

Click here to download a printable PDF file.  You can print this file out to create a mini-poster of this 1931 Life Magazine cover.
 

 
About the Author

To republish this article in your newsletter, you must agree to reprint the article in its entirety and include the author's information box. If you have questions or comments, contact the author here.