The information we are fed constantly is that there is a drop in the stock market; long-term interest rates are falling below the level of short-term. There is a decline in housing activity. And it's neither a buyer's nor a seller's market; there are high unemployment rates and the list of woes go on and on. We feel that we are in the throws of financial devastation because we are letting everyone including Greenspan, C-span, and Spic-n-span tell us that we should be depressed about money. Interesting enough, the biggest disaster is not that the nation is headed for another 1929 "Great Depression."



The real problem is that people believe they are. And whatever is believed becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What you believe will inevitably be manifested in your life whether it serves you or not. This isn't a principle that is exclusive to only the thoughts of the economy. There are many elements of conventional wisdom that reek of defeat and cause us to transfer our personal power into the hands of the experts who tell us we are broke, busted and doomed.

People are bound by many oppressive concepts such as believing that: having no college degree locks them out of success; being a single parent holds them back, being "too old" being "too young," starting with nothing, having no connections, they are the wrong gender, color, nationality, etc. The list also goes on and on. But the strength of your economic foundation has to be inspired from within.

When we are confident and strong in our personal constitution, we don't subscribe to being overthrown by others. Instead, we know we must establish our steps and choices by our own individual truth. And you anchor inside of that truth no matter what happens externally -- with the economy or with anything else.

Financial analysts may argue: "Hey Asha! Wait a minute. My numbers are real. I'm not making this stuff up. It is what it is! Banks are cracked under pressure with write-downs, households are upside-down on their mortgages, and there is general chaos on Wall Street! Isn't that proof that we are all about to be in breadlines?"

I submit that statistics have their place, but adopting ANY belief about anything that does not support and confirm hope is dangerous. It will destroy you regardless of where the information comes from.

Of course, calculations are factual. But there are a couple of major concerns with "facts." First; economists base their data on averages. That approach makes predictive quality low because there are no allowances for personal effectiveness, persistence, individual skill-sets, creativity, determination, etc. Once a person has really decided, they will most certainly find ways to make life work regardless of barriers. And second, facts are not what determine success or failure. It is how one perceives a fact that assigns its impact on their unique life.

For example, it is a fact that I was born the only child to a terminally ill single mother who lost her mind and tried to kill me. It is a fact that I was homeless at 17. It is a fact that I was voted "least likely to succeed" in high school. But I perceived those facts to be moments of happenstance -- not finalizations of my destiny. So I made choices from a place of possibility in my future instead of from a place of hopelessness from my past. And when you believe in possibility the world is yours no matter what.

Remember that people have gotten rich all along the line of the economic spectrum. Just like there are some people who stay financially challenged no matter how progressive the economy gets. The reason for such vast differences in result is the "personal resolve" factor. Yours is to personally resolve to serve consistently, solve relentlessly and contribute value intentionally and you my friend will become recession proof!