According to a report released by the U.S. Department of Labor, worker productivity decreased 2.2 percent in manufacturing in the second quarter of 2008. It was the largest quarterly decline in manufacturing productivity since a 2.5 percent decrease in the second quarter of 1989.

These findings make me wonder if this doom and gloom sentiment, so rampantly expressed in the media, is being reflected on the job. Has everyone resorted to dragging their knuckles on the ground?

A lack of American pride has been lingering for quite some time now, and the negative attitudes littering the news obviously aren't helping. Therefore, we need to put our own spin on the current state of affairs. Three hundred million individuals constitute the idea of America, and so each and every one of us needs to personally reignite our national pride and remind ourselves that what makes a nation great isn't exclusive to the health of the stock market. A great nation is one in which hard work pays off. And historically, the work ethic of the American people can't be rivaled.

So let's not allow this perpetuation of negativity make us forget that our economy is a cyclical engine. And let's not be blinded to the fact that we're exporting like never before. The moniker "Made in America" used to symbolize our ingenuity, our tenacity and a quality above all others. We can't let a bump in the road rattle our confidence or compromise our efficiency.