Hello Friends,

I don't need to tell you about the state of our current economy. It is all over the news and you can barely have a conversation without the topic coming up. I hope those of you reading this are hanging in there financially. Thankfully I am for the moment, but wonder what my finances will be like in a year or two if this recession lasts a long time or deepens. But if you read on I think you’ll understand how the power is squarely within our hands, not the Government’s alone. Even with the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1) that President Obama signed.

I started a new website called ThinkRecovery.org where I share some thoughts on how each of us can pitch in to save our economy. It isn't much so far, but I welcome the help of people like you to participate through your strengths and talents. So many good Americans are debilitated with fear, many having lost their jobs and homes. As a result, spending and investing has slowed to a trickle. NOTHING could be worse for our worldwide economy and this plays directly into the hands of other powers that have been patiently waiting for us to falter. Corporate greed and personal irresponsibility got us here, but the time has come for us to stand up and not resign ourselves to failure. We CAN reverse the trend... all we need to do is MAKE ourselves believe again. We are no less innovative, no less productive, and no less visionary than we were before. We just need to BELIEVE it. Perception is reality! In an age when our creativity can materialize whatever we imagine, sitting idly by simply WAITING for economic recovery to happen on its own is ludicrous and unnecessary.

Our markets rely upon our confidence. Lacking it, they will suffer and fail. Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did whatever it took to pull together and meet any challenge. World War I, The Great Depression and World War II were challenging...but not insurmountable barriers. Today, we are at the pivotal stage where we can demonstrate to the next generation our commitment to their future, boundless resilience, interminable strength of character and our unyielding will to succeed. Our actions WILL be judged...and we must emerge victorious rather than have the beacon of hope in our shining city upon a hill extinguish under our watch out of apathy.

For the moment, ThinkRecovery.org is a newborn baby that needs nurturing and guiding hands. But in the Internet Age we have an opportunity to take a message of hope and prosperity to a global audience at the speed of light. I encourage you to sign-up on ThinkRecovery.org so we can communicate with you as things develop. You can also join the group ThinkRecovery.org on Facebook and LinkedIn. And lastly, I hope you will share this personal message with your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. We have so much to gain, but even more to lose if we do nothing.

Sincerely,

T. Philip Perlman