Am I the only one who is optimistic right now?

There is so much negativity everywhere I look right now! Every single day the news is more about how the economy is crashing in around us and in every mundane conversation I have with a friend someone mentions something about "this economy". Yesterday I decided not to listen to talk-radio to avoid hearing more negativity, and I flipped to the top-40 station. A girl had called in to request a song and the DJ asked her where she was headed today. "To a job interview", she said. He laughed and said, "Wow, you must have one of the four interviews in this country right now!" Okay, so top-40 is out now, too, I guess.

I don't mean to sound like I don't care about people losing their jobs--I really do. I know that some families are hurting right now. It's just that the truth is, that most people that I personally know, still have their jobs. I actually have a job interview next week, and one other potential one in the works. I feel like people are being told by the news and that stupid DJ guy, that their lives are being dictated by forces that they cannot control (the economy), and when people feel like they have no control, they lose hope.

I have no reason to be filled with fear right now, other than the fact that everyone is telling me that I SHOULD be filled with fear. Back when the economy was great, we were so incredibly broke. In our case, I can clearly see that our choices made us broke--not some unseen force that I couldn't control. Right now, our choices are turning us more towards prosperity. I can't say that someday we won't have hard times. I know that we will probably have some point where we will struggle, but during these times when we are doing well, we are doing everything we can to prepare for those inevitable times of struggle. If we have no debt, live below our means, and have plenty in savings, we will be more prepared if hard times hit us.

So, even though it is really unpopular, I am choosing to be optimistic about my family's future. We are still in control of our own situation, and I have no reason to be anything other than hopeful.