Just the New Economy being the New Economy

With the pains of our New Economy come opportunities. Just ask the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Last season's trade that sent Manny Ramirez from Boston to Los Angeles changed the entire landscape of the National League. Overnight, the Dodgers went from being just another average member of the average National League West to being one of the best teams in the Majors over the final two months of the season.

In fact, the Dodgers captured the division title and went on to sweep the Cubs in the playoffs – the Dodgers' first playoff series win since 1988. Mannywood had changed baseball in Hollywood. But not for long. At the end of the season, Ramirez became a free agent. With super-agent Scott Boras calling the shots, Ramirez was reportedly looking for a five-year deal worth $125 million.

And he was still looking four months later. Why? Despite being arguably the best hitter in baseball, a long-term deal would have come with two major concerns - 1) he'll be 37 this May; and 2) there are concerns about Manny's long-term impact in the clubhouse. Throw in the variable of a collapsing market and Manny was still looking for a job come March. Advantage: Dodgers. Their original two-year, $45-million proposal - which Boras and Ramirez initially scoffed at - was agreed to. Mannywood II went into production in Los Angeles.

Had the market not tanked, odds are someone would have thrown the $125 million or so at Manny, despite all the risk involved. The Dodgers decided early on that would not be them and stuck to the plan. (A plan that would have included them sinking back into the world of also-rans this season without Manny's bat in the lineup.) But ultimately, the Dodgers took advantage of the opportunity the New Economy presented to them. They resigned Manny for a minimal-risk deal and are now one of the favorites in the National League. If the Manny experiment does not work the second time around, they can get out quick. However, if it does work out anything like last season, their ROI will be incredible.

So what advantages are being presented to you by the New Economy? Most of us are so focused on the challenges being presented to us that we are not taking time to recognize the advantages.

A couple of months ago I had breakfast with one of the brightest financial minds in the Southwest. His message of hope was simple - those who will thrive in the New Economy will be leaner than ever before. Those organizations may not look or feel the same as they did pre-New Economy, but that will be a good thing. Both our private and public sectors will be more efficient. We - as a nation - will evolve into a finely-tuned machine for survival's sake.

Since that conversation, our team has embraced this way of thinking as we have searched for our opportunities brought on by the New Economy? Surprisingly, we have found many of them. The opportunities do not take the current challenges away from us, but they have given us a new focus and certainty for a better tomorrow.

Simply trying to survive the economic downturn is no longer an option. Find the opportunities the New Economy is presenting to you and embrace them. They are out there – in fact, there are “manny” more than you might think.