Surviving the economy by thinking differently: a talk with an expert

Yes, prices are expensive, and the economy isn't exactly ducky, but what do we do about it? One expert I interviewed says that we need to create a different mindset for these times, if we're going to get through them without getting an ulcer. He says that we need to be durable. So how do we cope? How do we emerge from all of this stronger, instead of severely stressed?

I asked John Baker, a business speaker and the founder of the consulting firm, READY Thinking, LLC. The former COO at a Fortune 25 company and a 20-year veteran of the business world, his firm specializes in helping organizes change their thinking during times of change and opportunity. He identifies several different ways of thinking that anyone rattled by the economy should consider:

"Define your reality clearly and uncompromisingly, but -- most importantly -- personally," says Baker. He says that we all face different circumstances, and so "don't let your reality be clouded by the definition of others." For example, Baker explains, "The media, especially, love to report the worst of the world. Most of it has no real bearing on your life."