I couldn’t help but notice all the doom and gloom in several blog posts, especially in regards to Starbucks closing 600 stores. Yes, the economy is tough, but the most important economy is between your ears. If you keep reading about the bad economy and you keep telling everyone how bad it is, you’re allowing yourself to have a bad economy and to perpetuate that it is okay to struggle. The media will do enough of that — don’t help them. Bad economies come faster and stay longer because of media reports that are spread virally by people.

No matter the conditions, you are always in charge and there are always opportunities. I would invite everyone, when someone tells you about how bad it is, to simply reply that you heard about the bad economy but you refused to participate. All the governments, presidents and economic policies in the world cannot make you a prisoner or a victim if you refuse to allow it.

I invite everyone to look at the economy as an opportunity. This is a perfect opportunity to look for additional revenue streams and niches. Replace your daily regimen of TV news, radio news and newspapers with self-improvement material. Learn new skills, read\ motivational and educational material. Become more valuable to others and money will come to you no matter the economy. The world is an abundant universe. Money is abundant. Money simply shifts and moves towards value. Money is nothing more than a physical form of exchange. Value given, value received. It’s the duty for all of us to perpetually increase our value. The money you make tomorrow will be because of what you did today.

You can read the story of Starbucks and see that 600 stores are closing and see doom and gloom, or you can look at the total Starbucks story and see one of the largest and fastest expansions of any company in history. If Starbucks is smart, they will use this as an opportunity to grow for the future — or, like most big dumb companies, they will think scarcity. The root of the word “scarcity” is “scared.” I would invite Starbucks - and any person - to stop accepting the worst-case scenario. Your mortgage company, grocer, or oil company does not care if there is a bad economy. If you are looking for sympathy, it will only come from others who have decided to become prisoners to the bad economy. My wish for you is to not allow that. My wish for you is prosperity and abundance. The choice is ours. We can choose to win or choose to lose, but the choice is ours.