It is easy to get discouraged. Our country is facing some extremely challenging times, and it does not look like things will be looking up any time soon. Unemployment, housing foreclosures, and credit card debt are a daily reality for many of us, and the related stress can take a toll on our relationships and our health. In these situations, we can feel like we're falling into a deep, dark hole in which there is no way out. However, if we allow our lives to come unraveled by our overwhelming circumstances, there will be no recovery. For us to survive, we must resolve to never surrender to our circumstances.

So, what does this mean? It means that we must find our strength.

By becoming strong individually and learning the specific actions necessary to take responsibility for ourselves and our children, and treat ourselves and others respectfully, we will be able to conquer all the problems we are currently facing, both as a nation and in our personal lives. Magna Sententia provides these tools.

It is important to remember that strong individuals do not look to others (or government programs) for help. Instead, we must search deep within ourselves, and do what it takes to solve our own problems. While helping one another is admirable, it is important that we do not rely on others to make our lives what we want them to be.

We must educate ourselves about what caused our problems, both on a personal and national level. For instance, do we know how to form and maintain a budget? Do we have the discipline it takes live within our means? Do we know the difference between our "wants" and our "needs"? Can we learn to be content with what we have, and will we remember these hard times when good times come again? Will we vow to save a portion of every paycheck so that we do not have to panic when our income slows, or stops? (We must always hope for the best, but prepare for the worst!) Are there options for debt consolidation that we need to become an expert on so that we can get ourselves out of our mess? Is now a good time to get further training or start on our higher education goals so that we will have more stability in the future?

The point is that when we get ourselves into trouble, we are the ones who have to get ourselves out of it. Through strength, courage, and wise decisions, we will be able to recover, but it isn't going to be easy, and there are no quick fixes. Bailouts don't work. They don't work for industry, and they certainly won't work for us. Let's use this time to see where we went wrong, learn what it takes to do better, and work hard to make it through so that we will be stronger in the end.

Anna and Ellie Sherise
Creators of Magna Sententia
Authors of Magna Sententia: The Logical Cure for Our Society