Here in the Charlotte area, the unemployment rate has reached 12.8%. This is the highest rate in 20 years, and all signs are that it will be a very slow descent, possibly years, before the region recovers. One economist predicts that the rate will still be around 11% around the end of 2010. What does this mean to you?

All too often we limit ourselves as to the options available to us. We see most options as binary, that is, one or the other. We don't look for imaginative or creative solutions to the "problems" we are presented,or we discount things that interest us as being unable to generate income. Why is that?

I just came back from a trade show today in Greenville, SC, on behalf of a client I'm working with whose story we will feature soon.  After speaking to several of the vendors there, I left very encouraged about the project we are working on, and that her project finally coming to fruition. It's been a long journey for her, and she is starting to see the dream come true after a number of setbacks. What if she had just thrown this idea to the side after she hit her first roadblocks two years ago? She didn't do that and now we believe that early in 2010, she will begin to earn an income from her idea.

We should not fear the threat of a layoff, but rather embrace the opportunity should it present itself.  More new businesses get started during recessions than at other times. One of the common things people who lose their jobs and then find a better job or career say is "getting fired was one of the best things that ever happened to me."

A layoff is a great time to decide your next employment opportunity,or to finally pursue your dream. If owning your own business isn't your calling, then make sure that the next position you do take is a good fit for you  and not just another paycheck.

Discouragement can sabotage the job search. When doors keep getting closed, we can begin doubting ourselves and give up. This is one of the reasons why economists state that the unemployment rate is really around 16% instead of near 10%. They get discouraged and stop looking for work, so they're no longer counted among the unemployed. People often fail to recognize opportunities that are out there for them. Discouragement further affects the job search process.

If you are discouraged, you may not consider applying for a job or entering a career field because of a lack of self-confidence. Or during an interview, your body language or tone of voice can cost you the job by conveying negativity.

As the country slogs on and begins to recover from the current recession, focus is on whether things will return to the way they used to be. Early signs indicate that they will not. As a part of cutbacks, companies have pared back contributions to employee retirement plans and other benefits. Employee contributions continue to rise, and pay raises will not be particularly large either.