At the same time, we remember clearly that our most successful ventures have been started in times of crisis. When we closed our children’s stores in the early 80s due to high interest rates (we were paying 21% on an SBA loan), we found temporary jobs to keep food on the table and scraped together $4,000 to start our salad dressing business. At the time, we were 3 months behind with our mortgage payments.

In fact, we have lived through many difficult times that have forced us to gain new strength, learn new skills and adjust how we look at life. Although we now find ourselves in one of the toughest economic situations we can imagine, we’re learning more about ourselves and about how we want to live each and every day.

It’s critical for all of us to be strong and hopeful. Never give up on your dreams and goals just because times are tough. We can all use this disastrous economy as an opportunity to regroup and rethink exactly how we want to live and what we want to do. Now is the perfect time to take charge of your life.

Detours provide some of life’s greatest memories 

As a toddler, you faced the challenges of learning how to talk and how to walk. Those weren’t easy skills to master, and you didn’t do them right the first time you tried. But taking those first steps gave you a sense of accomplishment, of mastery. As you’ve matured, you’ve had to face the challenges of love and confront the demands of earning a living. Again, none of this comes easy but mistakes are the way you learn what not to do next time.

Now you’re looking to create a life you can truly love and this too presents its share of challenges. You’ll certainly run into roadblocks along the way, but here’s the thing: If you let a roadblock stop you from moving forward, you’ll end up stuck in place. That’s guaranteed.

When faced with an obstacle that stops you dead in your tracks, look for the unexpected – but just right – detour. There’s more than one way to tackle any problem. The solutions may not always be obvious and you might need to modify your plans, but there’s always a way to move forward. The rewards that come when you succeed are so great that if you have a passion or a dream waiting to come to life, there’s no question that it’s worth a try.

Remember: most obstacles aren’t nearly as insurmountable as they initially appear to be.