In tough times we can become complacent. We can sit around wishing and hoping for things to change, so we can feel better and become optimistic once again. Hopelessness and dismay can creep in and actually paralyze us. We may become afraid to take action, to implement new ideas, and take risks.

As a leader (or superhero), it is up to you to demonstrate through all of your communications and actions confidence and optimism. Why? Because people need to be convinced that things aren't as bad as they seem right now.

The "ain't it awful" folks have been working overtime. They've convinced a lot of people that things are terrible. I've always liked Marcus Buckingham's definition of a leader: "Someone who can paint a picture of the future that is better than where we are today."

Perception is reality and what people perceive to be true becomes true.

I suggest that we all take on the challenge to become the leader we've been waiting for--someone that inspires and motivates others to see what is possible, beyond the problems of today.

Here are five things that you start doing right now to be a leader who helps others stay positive.

1. Watch your language. Don't join into the "misery loves company" crowd. Even thought it's tempting to talk about how bad things are--choose instead to find something positive to talk about, or just walk away from the "ain't it awful" discussions.
2. Acknowledge and thank others for their contributions. Recognizing someone for their efforts is easy, doesn't cost a dime, and the rewards are great.
3. Take good care of yourself. Find something that you can do daily to take care of yourself (quiet time, exercise, being outdoors).
4. Make a difference for someone else. Reach out and help someone who is having a tough time (shop for a neighbor, help a coworker with a project, volunteer for a non-profit).
5. Take action instead of worrying. Worrying that something might happen takes up a lot of time and energy. When you find yourself worrying. Ask yourself: Is there something that I can do right now to address this situation? If yes, do it. If not, let it go for now.

p.s. Need a superhero outfit? Visit: SuperHeroCostume.com

I appreciate when writers communicate to their readers clearly and directly. It doesn't happen often enough when someone is writing about technology! That's why I like David Pogue.

David Pogue is the Technology writer for the New York Times. I think you may enjoy excerpts from his article Tech Terms to Avoid published October 16, 2008.

"I think a lot about the technical level of the column. Over the years, I've adopted a number of tricks that are designed to communicate technical points without losing the novices--and one of them is avoiding jargon.

Why tech writers use so much jargon, I don't know. Maybe it's self-aggrandizement; they want to lord their knowledge over everybody else. Maybe it's laziness; they can't be bothered to fish for a plain-English word. Maybe it's just habit; they spend all day talking shop with other nerds, so they slip into technospeak when they write for larger audiences.

In any case, I'm making available to all, for the first time, my list of pretentious pet-peeve words to avoid. I used to consider plain-English writing a competitive advantage, so I've never leaked this list to potential rivals. But at this point, forget it; any tips that might contribute to clearer writing deserve to be free.

* Content. As in, "Web content." Ugh. If you mean "Web pages," say "Web pages." If you mean "music," say "music." Nobody outside the tech industry says "content" when they mean "what's on your player" or "what's on your Web site."

* Enable. Who on earth says, "Enable the GPS function"? Only user-manual writers and computer-book authors. Say "Turn on GPS" instead.

* E-mail client. Originally, someone coined "client" to distinguish your computer's e-mail program from the computer that dishes it out (the server). But when you're not explicitly trying to make that differentiation, just say "e-mail program." The only people with e-mail clients are the lawyers who represent Outlook and Gmail.

* Functionality. WOW, do I despise this pretentious word. Five syllables--ooh, what a knowledgeable person you must be!

It means "feature." Say "feature."

To read Pogue's whole article click here. He offers a free weekly newsletter that you can sign up for at the New York Times.

Watch Nemo get a lesson in Just Keep Swimming (turn down your volume if you are in a cubicle). Remember through difficulty, one breath at a time, one step at a time, one day at a time works best.