Motivational Leadership Speaker, Bestselling Oprah Author

I see those headlines — the ones about tens of thousands of Americans losing their jobs, about our sinking productivity, and (groan) the CITI execs planning to spend $50 MILLION from our bailout money on a nice new jet for themselves. The news makes me sick to my stomach.

download bobby movie I’m trying not to read it, but there it is — everywhere. So much news, and all of it is bad. It is so easy to go negative in this climate, but try to keep your head in check. Negativity will only hurt you. It will program to expect bad things, and then bad things will happen. It will zap you of all hope and enterprise. If you allow yourself to be victimized, you will be a victim. It is your choice.

As bad as things are — and believe me, I know they are bad — we still have the opportunity to spend our days in ways that fill our lives with good things. We can either wallow in the bad or pick ourselves up and use the moment to enjoy something good. Fortunately, there is a lot of good out there. Good people. Good nature. Good food. Good times. Make your own list. There is a cliche that the best things in life are free, and it is true. I can’t imagine anything meaning more than the love I get from my family and loved ones, or my pets. I can’t imagine enjoying anything more than a gorgeous sunny day. 

If you feel like you are losing hope, remember to count your blessings and see how fortunate you really are. You aren’t out there on the streets eating out of garbage cans, and you know that won’t happen.

Things will work out. They always do. And as you wait for it to happen, look around and see what you still have. Yes, 62,000 people lost their jobs today and I know every single one of them  is frantic. But, the world has not ended. We are strong enough to get through this economic chaos, as long as we don’t freak ourselves out and go dark. Find the joy in the moment, come up with a plan and remain positive.