The much-publicized budget situation in Washington requires me to spend a lot of time these days thinking about managing green ... as in, working with my fellow FAA managers to figure out how we can stretch every greenback and use our post-sequestration resources for maximum effect.Nobody likes the situation but, being an inveterate seeker of silver linings, I believe that tough times and tough choices can lead to positive outcomes. Here's what I mean. One of the common human characteristics is the tendency to avoid choices that require us to change what we are doing. We tend to put our operations and our activities on autopilot and turn our attention to other things, too often letting ourselves become blithely unaware that changing circumstances require us to change course.Changing course can mean a change of destination, but not always. Tough times require us to refocus on the fundamentals of our mission, and to redirect our efforts and our activities accordingly. Sometimes, changing course is the only way to get back on track to reach the intended destination.