Don’t believe everything you read in the papers

Ok, here’s the point where I get all WOO-WOO (insert Twilight Zone theme crescendo) and say something deep like, Choose Your Own Reality. Ommmm… or The Truth is Out There (always wanted to find a use for that one). No offense to my New Age friends, but I am way to Nouveau Prairie practical for that.

Everywhere you look, and everywhere you don’t, there is another bad news story bombarding us. My local paper actually ran a front page article yesterday headlined “Things to Worry About.” Shame on them!

While I can’t argue with the facts of financial bailouts, mortgage crunches, deeply devalued investments (gotta few of those myself), focusing on these things make you feel sick and powerless — IF YOU LET THEM.

I am not belittling the worries of people who are in over their heads in debt, or have worked at a mom and pop business for years only to see their nest eggs slip away, with no time to rebuild them. But if you are in my age group (you do the math, I’m not spilling) and you have a number of years left to work, there’s a world of opportunity out there.

Here’s why I feel positive about the future:

• I have more control over what I earn, how much, and when, then I would as an employee
• companies that lay off people often depend on contracted services
• as a solo-preneur, I control my expenses and overhead and can nip and tuck if needed, and can take on more projects if needed
• I am confident there will always be a demand for skilled communications professionals
• as someone who loves what I do, I continue to learn and keep my edge, so I could adapt to changing circumstances more quickly than someone going through the motions in a job they dislike.

We are meant to be resilient, and we have the freedom to choose our own path. Ommm…