If I hear ”perfect storm” used one more time to describe the economic and financial crisis now gripping our nation (and increasingly the world), I think I will scream. Of course, I chose to use the term myself in the headline for this post. As much as I cannot stand that overused cliche, it really does fit the circumstances we find ourselves in today.

The biggest danger for us all is that this Perfect Storm is causing a deep crisis of confidence and frankly some abject fear amongst the American public, the financial markets and businesses overall. Usually in times of peril like we presently find ourselves in there is some voice in our government or culture which rises up to inspire hope and optimism. But, that is totally missing today.

The President is MIA (as an historically unpopular lame-duck he is just trying to protect any shred of his already tarnished legacy), the Treasury Secretary and regulatory bodies have lost all credibility, and the Congress…well, their approval ratings are in the dumpster. The media are mostly doing their job, but the press has also lost a lot of credibility by obsessively focusing on things that just don’t matter in the face of a new Depression (like Lindsay Lohan’s gal friend or Brangelina’s new kids).

It is now likely that the only thing to break through this national psychological roadblock is a positive change in the upcoming presidential election. We can only hope.

Before that (or, God forbid, absent that), are there things we can all do to create a little bit of optimism and hope in our companies, communities, homes and offices? Let me give it a shot and hopefully this short list of suggestions and random thoughts will spur other ideas from my loyal readers:

• The Chinese characters for “crisis” and “opportunity” are actually one in the same (at least, that is what I read somewhere). It really is true that there is always opportunity in crisis. The key is not to be opportunistic at the expense of others who are hurting. If you look, there really is enormous opportunity out there right now to make a difference, open a new market, create new solutions that are desperately needed, etc.
• I was inspired last evening by a story on the wonderful new Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC. Rachel reported on a Chicago area sheriff who, in the face of a court order, put his foot down and said his deputies would stop carrying out evictions on renters who had the misfortune of living in units owned by investors who defaulted on their mortgages. What an incredibly principled stand to take for ordinary Americans who did the right thing and paid their rent, but were still negatively affected by their landlords. The good sheriff basically said, “enough is enough.” He is a truly wonderful human being and public servant who stepped up at just the right time in our history!
• I started my company THUNDER FACTORY in late 2000 — right in the teeth of the Dot Com bust. It was pretty bleak around Silicon Valley at that time. But, I found it surprisingly hospitable for a young marketing firm that had big ideas, zero bureaucracy, lots of passion and, yes, lower fees! Some of the greatest companies and enterprises are born in down economies. The same will happen now. You could be a part of that. Why not take the lead and start one of those companies? It can just be you and your partner/friend/spouse. (How do you think Google, HP, Apple and Microsoft started?)
• Now is a great time to volunteer. People need help out there, and if you are lucky enough to have employment, health insurance and a roof over your head (like me, and I hope you, too!), share your good fortune and I promise you’ll realize the enormous psychic and karmic benefits and wealth of helping others. No matter what you do and how small a contribution of time and effort (and money), it will make a difference. And it’s needed now more than ever.
• Going back to the Chinese character point, our country and economy desperately need fresh and innovative new ideas today. Even more important, we need the people with the courage, foresight and commitment to try to carry out those ideas. That kind of entrepreneurial drive is not only about starting businesses and making money (indeed, great entrepreneurs have usually not been principally motivated by financial gain). What’s needed right now: How about a better model for educating at-risk children in the inner cities and poor rural areas; we need more fuel efficient transportation, and more public transportation overall; we need more water; we need to get more people involved in public service…what should that be and how can we make it available and attractive for all? We need to reform health care…what can each of us do to become a better and more informed healthcare consumer? That is just a short list of ideas and action that would help our beleaguered economy and spark some optimism. Why not get involved now? There has never been a better time.

As you can see, even in the face of a Perfect Storm that has left our economy and country reeling, there are things we can all do to make a difference and inspire even a little bit of confidence. The greatest journeys always start with just one step. Take that step now. You will be happy you did.

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