This is the third of four articles to discuss recession combat from the viewpoints of each of the four temperaments - the four Colors.

This week is about the idealistic, harmony-seeking Blues. Possibly the majority of Blue folks do not focus on money as a main interest in life unless money and finances can somehow help the community around them, bring people together, and solve problems.

Now before you judge Blues to be ne'er-do-wells with their pocket books, note that a few legendary Blue individuals have made their mark business-wise. One of the richest Blue women in the world is Oprah (see next article). And Blue Sargent Shriver, founder of the Peace Corps, singlehandedly doubled the assets of one Joseph Kennedy, father of President John Kennedy, well before the election of 1960.

Blue people may tend to think of the needy over themselves. They may be the first to line up to support friends and family. Understandably, quite a few do not reach their personal financial goals because of their charitable nature - unless of course they buy in to the bigger picture.

Successful Blue financial planners decide one day to look at their entire lives. More than any other Color, they prefer to think in terms of the future anyway - always looking for the right paths for self-improvement and the improvement of others. When it makes sense to them to help themselves and others with a life plan, then they will commit to it and actually "come up with the dough" for a lifetime.

Unfortunately, Blues are easily distracted and diverted from commitments because they are more "flexible" in thoughts and actions than the other Colors. It's easy for Blues to forget about a financial plan designed for an entire life.

So what is the solution? Ah, the answer is the most important lesson we can learn from knowing about the four Colors. Do not run your life or your business alone. Bring in people of other Colors who naturally love dealing with the fine details and careful planning around money, especially Golds and Greens (see the last two newsletters).

Yes, a banker must surround himself with people who care about strategy and logistics - and so must the head of a family - and so must, especially, a Blue person. With a smart team gathered around, it's possible not only to lay out a plan, but to stick to it.

Now if a Blue person does not have the luxury of bringing in the other Colors to help run their lives, most any financial advisor will advise a plan that is automatic - automatic saving, automatic bill-paying, automatic notification of safe income opportunities, automatic warnings of changes in the economy, and automatic steps that will move the Blue person to act at the right time.

I am sure there are a few Blue folks reading this who might like to debate this issue. Oh, yes, please DO! Write me a note, fellow Blues! Dermody@cox.net. (That's right, folks, Jack is Blue.)