U.S. manufacturing is currently in the midst of a massive shift away from jobs in old industries like textiles and printing to new fields like semiconductors and communications equipment.

A new report from the Federal Reserve shows that, in addition to textiles and printing, sectors such as furniture, cars and plastics/rubber products also shrunk in 2009.

But that's only half the story. The Wall Street Journal reports that, in addition to semiconductors and communications equipment, other businesses that saw growth last year included computers and the electricity/oil/gas sector. For example, new methods of extraction have created incredible new supplies of domestically sourced natural gas.

Remember, this is precisely why it's so important in a dynamic modern economy to never stop learning. Don't think that what you do is the only thing you have any interest in. Remove your blinders! Be curious. Study and create new things to find the entrepreneur within you.

We're not at a dead end, we're just at a serious bump in road. But we as a country will adapt and have new opportunities.