The old saws of "counting your blessings" and "be thankful for what you have" may fall a lot short for many people this holiday season.  It can be hard to live on lemonade when life hands you all those lemons.  And for those of us that are more fortunate at this moment in time (and we all know that this condition can change) it is up to us to reach out to those that are paddling in a boat with some holes in it.  If we all do a little, then the misery may moderate, at least a bit. A good thing to remember is that the ecomony does swing back and forth.  Since we are currently in the "swing back" mode, it is really critical to keep in mind that at some point in time the economy will "swing forth."  We just hope that the swing forth stage happens in our lifetime!  But I believe that it will.  So, instead of dwelling on the negatives this holiday season, and surely, there is plenty that we can dwell on there - I think it would be time better spent to assess how to "do your life different" this coming year.  Focusing on the qualitative in life, not the quantitative.  Deriving pleasure and satisfaction from good deeds instead of good purchases.  Good purchases are fine, but the satisfaction is fleeting.  I'm talking about sustaining an interest and involvement in an activity that generates the kind of satisfaction that is good for your soul and spirit and makes you feel good about yourself. So get out there and buy a toy for a child and drop it off at your nearest fire station, grocery store or police station.  That's a very cost effective way of starting the season out right and paving the way for a new beginnning in January.