This is my daily sanity check - for all of you out there watching the tube on all the gloom and doom being spewed by the nightly news anchors and the cable news junkies, just TURN IT OFF.  There is no point in learning about how a family in Idaho is about to lose everything they’ve ever worked for their whole lives.  Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying that you should live in denial.  Rather, you should live your own life, not others.  It’s hard not to be frightened by the daily stories of people losing their homes, their jobs, their life savings (courtesy of the Madoff scandal), etc.  I have a hard time tuning it out myself sometimes.  But, no matter what, you cannot live in constant fear of how others’ dire consequences can also happen to you.  Rather, focusing on your own situation is the best medicine for this massive recessionary bug.  Whether it is getting a second job, dusting off your resume, and trading Starbucks for McDonalds’ brew, you can take little steps proactively to help your own economic situation.  For example, I decided to take my lunch to work today.  In fact, I felt pretty good about saving the six or seven bucks that I would have squandered (?!) on a bad sandwich in the cafeteria.  No muss, no fuss - and far less stress than watching the exaggerated media reports about how the sky is falling, we’re facing a great depression, bread lines are back in vogue, etc.  In fact, I have made a New Year’s resolution to watch less TV, and spend that time more productively, whether it be working on my favorite hobbies (cheap ones of course), or working on my side business.  Enjoy the silence and take back the financial control of your life.