Co-authored by Martha Finney and Libby Sartain

We as a nation are knee-deep in uncertainty - and times are changing very rapidly. Iraq. Iran. The economy. North Korea. Gas prices. Business closings. The stock market. From Washington to the Demilitarized Zone to the corner gas station, the world´s developments are hitting us all individually. And no corporate function is experiencing their impact more directly than HR. Whether directly or indirectly, you, the HR professional, are touched by all the headlines.

No doubt, some of us simply want to duck and cover, with a "wake me when it´s over" attitude. But the most visionary among us will see these times for what they are: the Golden Age of HR during which we can demonstrate like never before the true value of our profession in wise corporate stewardship, linking profitable, strategically sound business decisions with honor, trust, and hope.

Before you can truly shepherd your company and employees toward a more promising future, it´s important to make sure your passion and commitment to the HR profession is fresh, positive, and forward thinking. Here are some ways you can renew your energy and your vision for how you can contribute to your company and community:

Think of HR as a sacred trust: It´s easy to get bogged down by the day-to-dayness of HR. Keep in mind that you are entrusted with the hopes, desires, and expectations on both the corporate level and the many employees who expect you to do the right thing. Let that sacred trust be your inspiration!

Soothe the savage skeptics: Make your workplace a cynicism-free zone. Be consistent with your company´s stated values. Do the right thing, even if it´s not the expedient thing. When you slip up, own up immediately, apologize for your mistake, and announce the specific steps you will take to make it right you´re your company´s partner in creative solutions. Make your department the place where people can expect to hear "yes" more often than "no."

Start your own Hole-in-the-Wall gang: While I was at Southwest Airlines, I belonged to a small group of HR leaders in Dallas. Our mission: To just relax and have fun! We´d get together monthly in some dive, eat the kind of food you pick up with your fingers and get sauce all over your face. And laugh. And then laugh some more! Nothing is more renewing (and mentally healthy) than a good belly-laugh with people who know better than anyone else what it´s like to be you.

Refresh your relationship with your senior-most leaders: If your corporate leaders don´t truly understand and value the contributions HR brings to the organization, you need to make changes. Determine their most cherished business objectives, find the HR connection to those goals and then speak in that language. Market HR to those who can only see HR as costly overhead. But speak from the point of view of their dreams, not HR´s.

Don´t let HR-bashers have the last word: Speak up and out when you hear employees, other executives, consultants or pundits make snide remarks about the HR profession. Don´t get defensive, but focus on the value that you and other HR leaders are delivering to organizations. Your silence is a tacit agreement.

Remember that HR from the heart isn´t HR from the bleeding heart: It´s still about business; it´s about profits; it´s about stakeholders. Compassion and a competitive business spirit are mutually enhancing, not mutually exclusive. Enjoy business competition and keep in mind that when your company thrives, your employees thrive too.

Make the work meaningful: People want to be part of something important; a cause, something bigger than they are. Understanding the larger meaning behind what your company does is a key step to creating an environment where you and your fellow employees love their work. Your company doesn´t have to be researching the cure for cancer. What you do may be mundane as can be, but if there´s a market for your business, it´s filling a human need somewhere along the line. Therein lies the secret of identifying the meaning behind what you do and attaching your own need for loving your work to it.

These times will pass. But relationships and reputations last. And the values you demonstrate now - even when it´s hardest in the face of fear - will position you and your company for even greater success later. When you look back, you will be able to look back with pride. And you will be so honored to be able to call yourself an HR professional!

This article is based on the principles of Libby Sartain´s new book HR From the Heart: Inspiring Stories and Strategies For Building the People Side of Great Business,with Martha I. Finney, available online at Amazon.com, in bookstores everywhere and through SHRM.