Sometimes it seems like the financial Earth is moving beneath our feet. A recent ABC News poll reveals that 1 in 6 of us say we're in a great deal of financial pain. 3 in 10 won't open statements from our retirement or investment accounts; 2 in every 3 of us fear for our family's financial future; and 9 in 10 are worried about the direction of the economy.

These times are tougher and scarier than anything many of us have seen. Unemployment may even rise into the double digits. But Clark wants to set some perspective. Let's say we go to a worst-case scenario with the unemployment rate at 11%. That still means 89% of us have our jobs. Of course, that's no help if you're the 1 in 10 that's out of work. Still, you've got to realize that this is not the end of the world.

Clark wants to draw the distinction between tough times and dire times. Those under age 40 are probably clueless about dire times -- because such times predate their working career.

Meanwhile, Smart Money reports that Clark's beloved target-retirement funds are down. Fidelity's 2010 fund is down 21%; Vanguard's 2010 fund is down 19%; and T. Rowe Price is down 23%. That's extremely scary if you're on the precipice of retirement and you're down that much in a moderately conservative portfolio.

There's no telling when the economy will stop ailing. But realize this: Your money will recover over time, especially if you're younger. Time, to paraphrase Mick Jagger, is on your side.

Of course, you know you're hurting when you're afraid to open your quarterly statement. You just have to keep in mind that it's called investing because there is an element of risk. The key is to build your portfolio so the risk is right for your time in life.

Today is the day that Clark contributes to a variety of mutual funds through automatic paycheck deduction. He did it last month, and he'll do it again next month and the month after that. The point is that nothing has changed. Yes, his portfolio is down. But right now he benefits through buying more shares for the same price. That's a recipe for creating wealth over time.