The economic downturn does not have to be as bad as people seem to think. When I say this to people they usually object by pointing out the rising unemployment and the foreclosures and similar evidence. I don’t want to ignore these issues, but they tend to overlook the importance of attitude and belief systems. You may not be able to put attitude in the bank, but your chances of having money are much greater if you have a positive view.

Now because people need facts to change their beliefs, here are a few things to consider: Money and value are created by agreement among groups of people. You only have to remember that in some cultures shells have been considered very valuable and used for money. Another example is the way the international community and World Bank have just decided to “forgive” the debt of certain countries. One moment there was a huge weight that crippled the nation and the next it vanished, just because people said so.

The same thing can happen now with this recession. The whole world is starting to suffer because there is a widely held story that we we are falling toward a depression. The world press reminds us daily so we don’t forget about it and continue to act like the sky is falling. In fact, I read an article in the New York Times the other day about the moral decadence that has caused our fall. So now we are supposed to pay for our sins? I don’t think so because this kind of thinking does not work. This is the kind of thinking that lead the League of Nations to impose reparations payments on Germany after World War I. To punish it? Well, we all know how well that worked.  Most people believe it helped cause World War II. And it was precisely the realization that as a group of nations we can cooperate to invent value, that allowed the Allies after World War II to quickly rebuild Germany and Japan. Where did that money come from? Let’s face it we are being asked to believe a story (financial doomsday) that is causing a lot of suffering and could cause much more if we don’t do our part to stop it.

What to do now? I recommend not listening to people who are spreading the idea that the sky is falling. I also believe that we can ask our political representatives to explore ways to get governments to cooperate and end this thing. But the biggest source perpetuating this madness is the press. We need to call them on their irresponsible part in causing everybody to suffer. I believe folks have already had enough, the media needs to start looking at ways to rebuild now.

I know from practical experience just how powerful changing my attitude can be. I’ve been an entrepreneur for over 20 years and I have had my up and down periods. What I’ve discovered in the last couple of years is that it is vital to find a way to keep yourself positive. It can be a challenge especially given the news. I recently discovered a very useful set of programs offered by Tom and Penelope Pauley. I am not sure how they can offer this whole library for $35, but that is the price. The multi-volume set, Get The Money contains the Pauley’s books plus seven other money guides and a newsletter. An awesome way to keep your mind and your actions focused on building wealth.