Remember New York’s Mayor Ed Koch’s mantra: “How’m I doing?” It’s what kept him in touch with the pulse of New Yorkers and his impact on the city. Feedback is critical in everyone’s business. Since I just got an email from a friend and colleague asking me that question in the following words, I thought it would be a good time to address it and ask you the same. Here’s what she wrote:

How have you kept a grounded and positive mindset about all of this?  I would love to hear more about this in your blog and newsletter, as I think we can all benefit from hearing a positive and optimistic approach when facing uncertain times.  Have you felt any impact on your business at this point?

My reply: I’ve never been better. If I didn’t read the newspapers or watch Oprah or hear conversations in public, I would not be aware of the crisis–except that gas prices are so much better now. I had to give some thought to what makes it so for me. And here it is.

I have spent the past two decades surrounding myself with positive people whose mission in life is to look for solutions. I have immersed myself in a culture that is overwhelmingly conscious of something greater than ourselves. There is little time for victimhood, catastrophizing and ‘woe is me’.

Some of my daily practices include writing a gratitude list, making outbound calls when I’m afraid, being of service to someone else. Listening to anyone else’s struggles lifts me out of my own. I do what’s on my schedule for the day and stay with myself, an instruction I received from my first therapist. It was sage advice then and holds true now.

My self-care includes daily meditation and prayer. Journaling helps, too–a place to put the fears so I don’t carry them around in my head.

Also, I’ve been debt-free for over a decade. My business does not require cash infusions via credit, so the credit crunch is not affecting me directly. Clients are still coming to me for my services. I work directly with small business owners who control their spending. Should my current market dry up, I trust that my resourcefulness and ambition will lead me in another direction.

How are YOU doing?