Wow. I’ve never encountered so many Gloomy Gusses in one town before. Everywhere you go, people are all “My rent went up $300 a month,” “My lease is ending and I dread what my rent's going to be.” Moan, moan, moan. Have you ever considered that the real problem might be your negative attitude?

Look at the bright side! When your landlord raises your rent, he’s making more money! That means the Portland economy is improving. That’s good for Portland and good for you. A rising tide lifts all boats, right? Right!

Consider this: in The Goonies, a smart businessman, seeing an opportunity to add value to his community and create jobs for caddies and groundskeepers, dreams of building a golf course. To do so, he needs to evict a few people. Sad, right? No! Because of him, some children find a treasure map and have an exciting adventure on a pirate ship! If not for that businessman’s “greed,” those kids would have been bored, gotten into trouble and probably ended up in jail. See how this works?

Not into movies? Okay, let’s say your rent went from $900 to $1200. That means you’ve gone from living in a $900 apartment to a $1200 apartment. My, you’re really moving up the world! I’m impressed! If, however, you move out, think of all the fun you’ll have exploring your new neighborhood. I’m sure you’ll find a great little coffee place there. If not, just wait. One will open up soon, your hood will become cool, and you can go through the process all over again.