The other day I got gas around 8am and paid $3.75 a gallon. When I drove by the same station later that day it was $4.99. Galveston looks like a war zone and hundreds of people may be homeless for several months or more. Financial institutions are dropping faster than Carson Palmer passes.

If you watch the news in the US today you might feel a little pessimistic, maybe even depressed.

But here’s your good news: You have the power to save yourself–and at the same time save America.

The key to bringing success to yourself and America is simple: Believe in the power of freedom.

Don’t get me wrong. I do not buy into much of the “religion” or positive thinking. We don’t succeed because we simply say the correct affirmations or “believe” the right success-motivation guru’s latest pitch.

But there is a truth we all need to grasp: When people are free they have the opportunity to create their own success–and they will, if they believe success is available to them.

Pessimism is popular right now. It’s easy to be cynical. It’s easy to complain. But here is a truth: America rises or falls according to the optimism or pessimism of it’s people. If we believe we will succeed, we will. If we believe we will fail, we will.

Personally I believe in the American people. Sure, it’s easy to criticize America in the world. But we have created more wealth for “regular people” than almost any country in the world. And we will continue to do so.

If you are struggling with a little pessimism, remember this: Americans have faced difficult times before and we will again. But no matter what difficulties we encounter we have always found the resilience to overcome the adversity and succeed.

America refuses to fail.