Today, I am encouraged and inspired. I am turning a deaf ear to the naysayers and a blind eye to the imagery of negativity. I see unlimited business opportunities. I am planning to succeed.

In 2004, soon after delivering my daughter at Cedarville University in central Ohio, she told me about this interesting computer application called Facebook. It was a new way of interacting with other students on campus and other universities.

Last month, three single-family homes I pass while driving to work disappeared.

Poof.

I was aghast the first time I visited the annual trade show known as the South Atlantic Well Water Drillers Jubilee in Myrtle Beach, S.C. When the doors to the expo hall opened, in poured hundreds of families.

I rarely look out my seventh-floor window, but a few weeks ago a dangling window washer grabbed my attention. This guy--let’s call him Wally--was cleaning windows on a building adjacent to the one that houses BNP Media’s offices.

I miss “junk mail.” It’s true. Even though I sometimes complained when digging out from a pile of mail, I actually enjoyed opening it.

I’ve been saving fortunes from my Chinese dinners and I’m elated. Apparently, I’m in line for an incredible string of good luck. And my good fortune is your good fortune because we’re all in this downturn together.

In September 2005, the world was mesmerized by the greatest natural disaster in the history of the U.S. Most of us were glued to our favorite cable channel or Web site, watching hurricane Katrina pound the Gulf Coast without mercy.

The word disaster conjures up many images.

Many construction-related business owners and managers are aggressively managing their operations. They are cutting expenses, finding new efficiencies and improving their marketing effectiveness.