By Glenn BeckHost, "Glenn Beck"

I just read today that they're making a sequel to "Wall Street." The famous quote from that movie, about a ruthless trader who'd make a buck at any cost, was -- "Greed is good." Well, that movie was made back in the 1980s, and while that's never a worthwhile sentiment, people could actually get away with aspiring to it back then because the economic times were so different. Of course now, with the benefit of hindsight, we realize that the real lifeWall Street's unchecked power and complete lack of transparency led us right down the garden path to the collapse of the housing, mortgage, and banking industries, along with a countless related businesses. In one way or another, directly or indirectly, you're suffering as a result. Greed is notgood, and today we're living with just how bad it is.

But it doesn't end there--while the sky continued to fall (along with your 401K), a new president moved into the White House with his own progressive agenda in mind, notyours or mine.

What can the average American do to just plain survive? I've been racking my brain over that question, and then I realized I was already doing the very things that will get me through this crisis.

Politicians from both sides of the aisle continue to spend and bail outwith reckless abandon, Washington has all but nationalized the banks and auto industry, Iran is inching ever closer to being a nuclear power, North Korea is testing missiles that could reach Hawaii, you've got to read the front page before you know what groceries are safe to feed your family, and now there's the killer "swine flu."

Enough already! How much more can we take? It's not like your life was worry-free when it was just about raising your kids and trying to balance your 9-5 schedule with running a shuttle service to soccer practice and ballet lessons. Most of us have never faced times this tough, ever. It's not like I don't want some stories to tell my grandkids, but I was hoping for ones a little cheerier than, "I can remember back to when people owned their own homes, you could eat vegetables without glowing in the dark afterward, and nobody had to wear face masks to avoid deadly plagues! Ah...those were the days..."

So what are you supposed to do? When the world starts turning too fast and it feels like Washington is playing a shell game with our basic freedoms...when it seems like 1 + 1 doesn't equal 2 anymore...what can the average American do to just plain survive? I've been racking my brain over that question, and then I realized I was already doing the very things that will get me through this crisis...and it's the same thing that Americans just like you have been doing for as long as there have been Americans: They found strength in their faith, their families, and their community.

I used to think the years I spent making lots of bad decisions--drinking, neglecting my family...generally being a self-centered, egomaniacal jerk--were wasted years. Now I've come to see them as a blessing. Don't get me wrong--would I go back if I could and undo all the wrongs I did to others (and myself)? Yes, yes I would. However, as a result of that misspent time, I have been given an invaluable gift--perspective. I've lived a life without God and faith, and the one I have now is better and more rewarding than I ever could have dreamed. I've lived a life where I put my family second to my own selfish needs--the one I have now where they always come first satisfies me exponentially more. I lived a life where I wasn't involved...I wasn't a good neighbor...I didn't reach out to become a part of something larger than myself.

The life I lead today is an embrace of my community and an understanding that only through giving and extending myself to others can I ever feel really complete as an individual. And whether we were living under British oppression or economic depression, it's the values given life through the love of God, family and community that got us through, and they will again.

There will always be forces that bear down on us...that seem too big and powerful to overcome. But I swear to you, they're not! We all want to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm afraid for now all we can look forward to is a lot more tunnel. But you cannot give up--not now, not ever. I don't care if it's the politics of Washington or your local PTA meeting...making our "leaders" understand that theywork for usor making the house payment...getting back on your feet or getting your kids off on the right foot, you can take whatever life dishes out if you use the tools that are right in front of you. You saw what a "community' can do through the overwhelming success of the "Tea Parties," and if you need proof that faith and family can save your life...just look at me. I know as well as anyone that the only way into the light is through the darkness--there is a path, and we can all make it together.