I'm in the middle of reading "Don't Worry, Make Money," by Dr. Richard Carlson, and though everything he says makes sense, it just ain't working for this entrepreneur.

Last Monday, after reading half this book, I came to work inspired to throw off my cynical views and adopt a can-do, I'm-not-gonna-dwell-on-stuff approach. Then a major client blew up at me, my doctor's appointment to take off the #&$#$%^@&*!! cast on my broken heel was postponed, the bank told me it was going to take seven business days for a check to clear, and my coffee tasted like it had been brewed in a dishwasher. At first, I shrugged. Then, I came to my senses and put my fist through the cheap office wall.

Dr. Carlson, I'm trying, but counting to 10 just doesn't work. I'm a reasonably easygoing person, but when you try to make lemonade out of lemons, and all of them turn out to be rotten, that can get to anyone -- even a nice guy like me. Don't get me wrong. I'm a very positive guy. In fact, I'm positive things have not been going well lately.

The delay on my deposit was just the latest blow in a series of run-ins with capitalism at its worst. After a series of rejections for a loan, I find I have to wait seven whole days for a check to clear. I'm convinced that banks are not businesses at all. Rather, they are institutions that have us by the you-know-what and still will not do any business that is remotely risky. I wish I could run my business like that. That's American knowhow at work.

I'm supposed to hear Dr. Carlson speak next week at a luncheon, and I am eager to see how this well-known author handles the crowd. I want to see what happens when the mike doesn't work or when he's stuck in Long Island Expressway traffic that makes him 20 minutes late or when some well-meaning autograph seeker draws on his dress shirt. People who write these self-help books must be under a tremendous amount of pressure. How can they be human and still practice what they preach? I guess it doesn't hurt to have a few best-sellers.

But I'm optimistic, believe it or not. I'm just in one of those slumps we hear about, a momentary blip in an otherwise perfect run. I need to keep my double chin up and convince myself that things will naturally get better. Money will all of a sudden start raining out of the sky just when I need it the most. I'm working on a book myself. It's called "Busy and Broke."

George Giokas is the president and CEO of StaffWriters Plus, a specialty agency that places writers in temporary and permanent positions with corporate and other employer; it also provides editorial consulting work. His database includes 2,500 writers and editors specializing in more than 60 categories. His Web site is located at www.staffwriters.com, and you can E-mail him at george@staffwriters.com.