In today’s paper, there are two inch headlines screaming that we are headed for a recession here in the U.S. in 2008. The chances are fifty/fifty according to the story, which means if enough fear is whipped up, it is almost a certainty.

So, why would a blog about success want to dwell on the chances of a major economic downturn? Well, the answer is your success has everything to do with the economy going south.

You see, this is now the best opportunity that any of us have had in a long time! And no, I’m not smoking anything and no, I haven’t lost my mind. The fact is, there is always tremendous opportunity to achieve, even excel, when economic conditions take a down turn.

For instance, there will be more layoffs if there is a recession. While I don’t seek to minimize the negative effects of someone getting laid off, it does serve as a reminder that none of us with a real J-O-B have real security. A steady paycheck is nice to have, and there have been times when I literally prayed for one. But, the reality is, it doesn’t offer security. We provide our own security here in the 21st Century.

And we do this by creating our own sources of income that either provide a service which is valuable to the users under any condition or by providing valuable information that helps to solve a problem.

Achieving success is basically not allowing your problems to so overwhelm you that you cannot focus on providing a solution to other people’s problem. Provide a solution with real value and you have found a revenue stream that won’t ever be laid off.

In an effort to do just that, a lot of people have sought to create income from the massive numbers afforded them through the internet. Which, on the surface, makes sense. However, there are massive amounts of traffic on our highways and roads but if you place a gas station on the back side of the local landfill, you probably won’t get a lot of customers.

So, if content is king on the Internet, then like our friend with the gas station looking out on a landfill, traffic is key.

But, if you and I bump into each other at a neighborhood block party or at the produce section of the local supermarket and I tell you that I found gas at the landfill gas station for 1/3 less than anywhere else it town…..you guessed it, you’re going to be heading on over to the landfill. So, will your friends and their friends.

And that is how the Internet is working now. Back in the day, it was called word of mouth. Now, it is “Social Network Marketing”. In essence, the herd mentality is at work and people want to know who the cool guy is that told everyone about the landfill gas station. Then, they come by your website to see what all the fuss is about.

What no one tells you, is that just like the new kid in the Junior High School, it takes a while to make friends. Any friends. And, therefore, your word of mouth opinion isn’t heard by very many. Actually, by no one. So, to shorten the learning curve and increase the number of people that hear your word of mouth opinion, most of us need some help.

But, the point is, IF a recession hits and IF you are laid off from your job and IF you think the Internet might provide an opportunity to make extra or even more than extra income, then you need to know these things. Your success will depend on it.

Which brings me back to what I’ve been doing for the past few months. Basically, what I just did was identity the problem, the opportunity and the solution. Which is a perfect example of putting the formula to work. And this applies to you, even if you face a layoff now or in the future, because you can use this formula to find success in the midst of gloom and doom predictions from the talking head prognosticators.

What I did, along with my friend Paul McIntosh, was create a site, http://www.bestpagerankign.com , that spreads word of mouth opinions for subscribers. And yes, it does cost something. But, it solves a problem. And, it solves the very problem the landfill gas station has (as does everyone that wants to make money on the Internet) to the extent that the owner doesn’t have to worry about a job layoff or whether or not he has any “security” in turbulent times.

And therein lies the subject of today’s post. Look around you and when you are faced with a job layoff or recession or any of the other problems that are “Recession” originated, you can use the same formula. To be successful.