About twelve years ago, I sat in the family room of my little house, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, strumming a guitar.  My children were flopping around on the sofa behind me, tickling each other and laughing their heads off. I could see my wife through the kitchen door, sautéing garlic and onions for a pasta sauce.

But I wasn't really there. I was miles away at a pity party, muttering to myself, complaining about my job and all the mistakes I had made.

I was a failure. Why hadn't I accepted the partnerships offered to me? Why had I missed all the investment opportunities of the 1990s? My career was at risk with the impending roll-up of the Kinko's companies, and I hadn't chased the big money when I had the chance.

There I was, a thirty-eight-year-old failure. I pounded my guitar and thought about how different my life would be if I had made better decisions and become successful. If I were rich, everything would be different. I felt the fury welling up inside me.

From the kitchen, I heard a sizzling sound as my wife added tomato paste to the heated pan of garlic and onions. And all of a sudden I smelled the olive oil and heard the children, cackling and making up songs to accompany my guitar playing.

And it hit me. If I were rich, I would be in jeans and a t-shirt, strumming a guitar while my children laughed and my wife smiled at me from the kitchen. I slapped my bare feet against the floor to keep time and sang along with the kids.

Financially, 2009 will be a difficult year for many of us. I hope that we remember to count our blessings nevertheless. Yes, that's a cliché, but clichés become clichés because they express truths so profound we cannot stop repeating them.

So for 2009, I wish you great success, especially in recognizing the successes you have already achieved. 

Happy New Year, from Dean Zatkowsky