I’m a Pollyanna, always optimistic, always seeing the glass half full instead of half empty.

And, despite the furor on Wall Street, it’s still half full.  I’m not seeing small business freeze like I did in 2008. Entrepreneurs seem to have their noses to the grindstone. New ideas and new businesses are bursting through the muck every day and, if history is any guide,  some of them will become giants.

For existing businesses, it may be time to take another look at what you do, how you do it, and what you can do smarter, faster or better. Or it may be time to hunker down. But my experience tells me this, too, shall pass.

I’m not alone in this assessment.  John Warrillow admonished his readers, “Don’t get sucked into the bad news vortex.” He’s right. Stand and deliver, don’t give up.

And as John went on to say, recessions have advantages for businesses with Pollyanna-ish tendencies. That, too, I agree with.

In jittery times like these, entrepreneurs need to rely even more on peers and professional networks for brainstorming, reality checks, and those “oh, I never thought that” moments. So join some groups, on LinkedIn or in your community. Form a group if one doesn’t exist.

While I am an optimist, I’m also a realist. It isn’t easy being in business these days. Some days, the recessionary mountain seems Alpine but the next … with some input from my peers, an inspiration while riding my bike or an off-hand remark from a friend … I take a few more steps toward the summit.

What do you think is the best way for businesses to get through the next 12 months?