It's easy to complain right now. We are wondering which bank is going to fail next or whether gas prices will shoot up again. We're questioning how our businesses and jobs will survive.

Workers are anxious and paranoid as the layoff process drags on for months. And most of us are putting in more hours than ever, struggling more with work/life balance. It is a huge challenge to stay positive.

But now is the time to take on the challenge because negativity is contagious. It spreads through companies hurting performance and productivity. It permeates our home lives and infects relationships. To better cope, psychologists and experts say, we need to focus on positive actions, create a revised vision for our future and avoid pity parties at all costs.

''There's a lot about this financial hurricane that we can't control, but we can control how we face our own set of challenges,'' says Jon Gordon, consultant and author of several books including The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work.

Bert Oliva, a Miami motivational speaker, advises getting in a positive mind frame before you leave home. In this troubled economy, Oliva pumps himself up with inspirational messages on Post It notes on his bathroom mirror before heading out to inspire others. Oliva has seen attendance at his seminars drop significantly in recent months.

Rather than complaining, Oliva says he has gone back to the basics -- making phones calls, connecting with people in person, building new relationships. "I did research. I know what my competition is doing and I'm working harder.''

Read the complete story at miamiherald.com