Words are self-fulfilling prophecies. Retreat from the market. Fire a boat load of folks. Hord cash in your mattress. And then, go sit in the corner with a pillow over your head.

I don’t know about you, but I think practicality mixed with wisdom should be more the order of the day. Start by a very practical evaluation of just HOW you work and what you produce. What are value-added activities rather than mere niceties or outmoded ways of doing things?

Remember that when the market turns around—and it will- you want the best and the brightest at your side. You want customers who have stayed because together you found ways to link hands and make it through this rough water.

Think green. The best news about $4-a-gallon-gas is that we’re finally persuaded to live in a way that mirrors what we should have done long ago.

Telecommuting is on the rise and with it, workers are reporting more work/life balance. Mass transit and ride-sharing programs are setting passenger records. Local markets with local produce are on the upswing. Crisis can give rise to innovation, to new alliances, and to an honest assessment of just what matters.

It’s all in how you look at it.

Remember how you eat the proverbial elephant!