It’s been a year full of surprises. The global financial crisis is the first one that comes to mind; your bill at the end of a quick trip through the grocery store is another. With a few exceptions – like finding a wadded up 20-dollar bill in your pants pocket or getting an unexpected tax rebate – we’ve become accustomed to surprises that are mostly bad in nature. Not only does this sap our energy, but it also eats away at one of our best characteristics as a nation: optimism. I say it’s time to fight back by once again turning seemingly insurmountable odds to our favor. As I see it, the easiest way to do this is to take charge by getting out of reactive mode and moving to proactive mode. Read more »