While it is certain we are going through a difficult economic time it is also certain that we will get through this. This is not the first time this country's economy or its people have been challenged.
Look what has happened over the past 40 years:
Average home prices:
1970- $23,000 Recession
1980- $62,000 Severe Recession
1990- $97,300 Savings and Loan Bust
2000- $147,300 Internet Bust
2006- $221,900 Housing Correction
The US is still the largest economy in the World with Japan in second place between the same years. North America (moderate growth) was 33% in 1970 and still 33%
in 2007.
Even after all the challenges over the past forty years your home's value still went up in value and the US economy continued to maintain its position in the world. Is this a different time? Sure it is. You are older, hopefully smarter and more experienced. Yes, jobs are being lost, banks have gone out of business, companies are losing money, the stock market is crazy and your home has probably gone down in value, but you are still alive and you will survive.
The question is not whether you will make it through this time or not, the question is how will you act while you are going through it and how you will survive it.
There is no shortage of people that spend all their time assigning blame, crying, stressing, freaking, and complaining. None of which has any positive effect on the outcome. Now is the time to focus on what you can do about the current situation. Quit spending time on what you cannot do about it and put all your energies, resources and actions on doing something constructive.
While the world loses its mind about how "bad" things are, you and your family need to come together and create a constructive plan for surviving this time. When I want to really focus I always go to my wife first and say, "hey, I really need your support right now. I have to put my head down and really hit it at another level."
We sit down and talk about how we are going to do that. How can she help me create more products and get more products sold? We also talk about where we can tighten up any spending that is unnecessary.
Then I will create a list of things I can do about it and schedule myself doing those things.
It is said, "You are either part of the problem or part of the solution". Spend your time on the solution because that is the only way to resolve the problem.