Last week there were further warnings from the Bank of England about the possibility of a recession. The new anthem for the Government seems to have gone from “Things can only get better” (Labour’s 1997 election theme tune) to “Things can only get worse”.

No domestic news coverage is complete without the prophets of doom predicting an impending economic downturn. However, there was a reason for optimism last week, as many of our young hopefuls received their A-level results, which again saw higher than ever pass rates.

Some have criticised the continued rise in pass rates as evidence of falling standards in our education system. It’s important of course to ensure that the standards of our world renowned education system remain high and that our young people emerge from an education system able to compete in the new global economy.

But I believe there are reasons for optimism here as well. Following a period of some of the most heart wrenching reports involving young people dying through gun and knife violence, it’s refreshing to hear of stories of achievement and success.

In our current climate it’s important to be cautious, but pessimism and fear can be also be the undoing of an economy, resulting in lost jobs and homes.

It’s one thing to fear losing your job, or your home, but if you are living in Georgia, fear takes on a whole new perspective. For those of us living in the democracies of the Western Europe, we view war as something that doesn’t happen on our shores any more - almost like smallpox or some eradicated disease.

However Georgia, not so far from the Eastern fringe of Europe, was in the process of making moves towards becoming a western style democracy. Though for the former Soviet republic bordering a resurgent Russia, without membership of NATO, the ultimate guarantor of security for democracies of the West, real independence and democracy still remain an aspiration.

On this occasion none of the NATO shareholders were prepared to risk a return to hostilities with Russia over its invasion into Georgia. Non committal threats of economic repercussions and expulsion from the top international groupings such as the G8 were the preferred response.

Threats for us in the West amount to, economic down turn and underground terrorist networks, less visible and in your face than Russian tanks. Even though Georgia feels far away and our own problems appear more pressing, perhaps sparing a thought for others elsewhere may help get things in to perspective.

If we are looking for reasons to be optimistic we can look to our UK athletes in Beijing who now have us third in the medal table just behind China and the United States. Sport is often used to rally the nation and showcase a country, as China has unashamedly endeavoured to do.

There is a rationale in using sport and the fervour which surrounds it to inspire and spur people on. Optimism and self belief is important, whether you are an athlete in a race, a young person preparing for a career, or a nation facing tough times.

Staying on the theme of optimism, last week Britain’s leading happiness expert Alexandra Watson was our guest blogger. We were inundated with requests to make her blog a permanent feature on PATC, so that’s exactly what we’ve done. So be sure to check out Alexandra’s latest blog, she gives us all much food for thought.

June xx