I remember the exact moment I first got denied a credit card. I was just out of college, making $36,000 a year, and arrogant as hell. So I got a $500 a month car payment and racked up all this debt trying to live a lifestyle I didn’t make enough money for. That credit card denial was the best thing that could’ve happened to me because it made me look at myself, acknowledge that some things were out of order, and make some changes ahead. I made those changes, and now my wife's and my debt only consists of a house payment and a student loan. It was a good thing.

That’s how I see the downgrade of our country’s credit rating. It is like a mirror in front of our faces. According to a Wall Street Journal article, when Canada was downgraded in 1992, the government reviewed spending, reformed taxes, and got its AAA rating back.

This is our chance to get our act together and come back even stronger, just like our neighbors to the north.

Or, we can remain, as Stephen Colbert describes, “waffle-eating kiwis who put mayonnaise on our French fries with a serious Hobbit infestation.”

As a sales professional, author, professional speaker, and consultant, Jason Forrest helps home builders increase closings and profits through leadership sales training. His books include Creating Urgency in a Non-Urgent Housing Market and 40 Day Sales Dare for New Home Sales. He can be reached at jason@jforrestgroup.com and www.jforrestgroup.com.