OK, I’m about to piss some folks off. But that’s OK, the truth usually stings at first.

I know more than you could imagine how hard the last few years have been. This country goes through these cycles where we’re living well, struggling to get by, then rebuilding to live well again. It’s the natural evolution of things. And during these cycles there are always casualties. I contend that you, any of you, can stave off being a casualty. But you have to be open and receptive to change.

2012 is the year of No Excuses. So all of you who are unemployed or sitting on the fence about starting a business, stop the excuses! Don’t worry about who’s in office or what’s going on in the markets. Do your part! The one consistent is change. If you’re not adaptable to change, you doom yourself to become a casualty. Every few years we hear about another industry that is suffering from extreme economic and political pressures and is on the brink of a shut down or asking for a bail out. We’ve seen the steel industry, manufacturing, auto, even the airlines falter. We have seen major companies (Lehman, Bear Stearns anyone) collapse and disappear. We’ve seen jobs outsourced to other countries. All of this chaos has left millions of people, American people, out of work and in hard times.

Let’s look at the auto industry. General Motors was on the brink of collapse, and millions of jobs were in jeopardy. We saw news report after news report of people who would find themselves without a job and struggling to feed their families because that’s the only thing they know or did for the last how ever many years. I’m not insensitive by any means. But it made me think to myself why the heck would anyone rely on one skill set to get them through life? Not moving out of your comfort zone paralyzes you and sets you up for failure. I learned long ago that you never, ever depend on a stable employer to get you through the years. Circumstances change, companies dissolve, people lose jobs, and it’s up to you as an individual to keep yourself in the game. Even if you insist on focusing on one talent, learn to diversify HOW you offer that talent.

For example, we all know the career shelf life of an athlete is limited. Take into consideration the chance of career threatening injuries, and it doesn’t look very promising. But the smart athlete plans beyond their prime. Many athletes invest in businesses, get training to become analysts or commentators on television or radio, some even take their skills and turn it into a business educating and training others. They diversify to keep themselves employable and relevant. I realize someone who installs windows in an auto factory wouldn’t follow the same path as an athlete, but what’s to stop them from diversifying? Nothing. Why not learn other parts of the auto industry where you can gain additional skills and use them as leverage in finding other opportunities?

We cannot continue to blame others for our circumstances. On the top level, yes, a company closing or being mismanaged affects you directly. When you accept a job, you do so with the comfort of knowing that as long as you do your job, your employer will provide you with a paycheck. But remember, no employer is guaranteed or obligated to keep you employed. They owe you nothing. The government is not obligated to make sure you have a job. That’s you’re job. I admire and respect the Occupy Wall Street movement, but I think this should also be an opportunity to get back to basics. Instead of protesting that big business (specifically Wall Street) has oppressed us as a nation, perhaps we can use this time to get additional skills, create opportunities for ourselves, build businesses of our own.

So my message to the unemployed is simply this. Stop letting your fate rest in other people’s hands. Stop complaining about what doesn’t exist and start building and creating. Don’t use money (or lack of it) to hold you back. If you can’t afford to go back to school or training programs, the library and the Internet are your best friends. Pick up a book. Ask someone who has the skills you seek to tutor or mentor you. Get out there and absorb as much as you can so you can make yourself more marketable. If there are no jobs out there to be had, take the skills or ideas you have and start a business. Nobody said you have to build the next Facebook or even Wal-Mart…although that would be nice. Start small and within your comfort zone. Just don’t get stuck in that comfort zone. If starting a business isn’t for you, consider being an independent contractor or freelancer. If you can’t do, teach others. There are many ways to make money. Here’s an exercise I usually give my clients. Take a piece of paper and list 50 ways you can make money for yourself. Leave no stone unturned. No matter how insignificant, list it. By the time you’re done, you’ll be able to strategize ways for you to bring in revenue.

Stop letting who’s in office, which party is in control, or companies’ improper actions hold you hostage. Increase your leverage by increasing your brand. Whether you’re a factory worker or an executive, you and you alone have the power to control your destiny. But you must be willing to take the steps and do the work. The Internet and technology has leveled the playing field. The ease of entry to creating your own opportunities has risen significantly. It’s up to you to educate yourself and take action accordingly. You can do it. Start by taking one small step today. Then keep on stepping. Take individual responsibility because it’s yours to own.

How have you created your own opportunities? And if you haven’t, what’s holding you back?

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
No more excuses! 

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Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org). She is a strategist that helps people grow their career, business or network in any economy. She is the voice behind Views from the Top Radio Show, and the creative visionary behind Empower Me! Institute and Empower Me! Magazine. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. You can also find her causing a ruckus on Forbes.com.