Are You Counting Your Financial Blessings?

This recession has had quite an impact on my life, although the opposite of what some may think. It has made me feel thankful for everything that I have, that I have not lost like so many unfortunate, undeserving others, thankful to have a functioning vehicle, a roof over my head, food in my refrigerator, and money to pay my bills, although admittedly our disposable income has dried up quite a bit because one of us has a side job whose income heavily relies on consumers and sales and that has dried up considerably, like any other business has.

I find myself thanking my lucky stars that not only does my job seem secure, but also that I am fortunate enough to work for a great company whose benefits just got better this year, increasing their per pay 401 match to 6%, up 2% from the 2008 year. I mean, how luck am I? Even though our income has contracted considerably along with the economy I find that I’m not crying the blues for what is not, but instead am thanking fate and the powers that be for what I do have, and that it happens to still cover our necessities and our mortgage.

My heart really goes out to those that have lost their jobs. Every day it seems I’m reading a new heart wrenching story about someone who lost a high paying job, only to lose their home, their pets, sometimes their marriages have busted up over the financial pressure, and most of them are having one heck of a time finding anything nearly comparable to what they lost.

These stories are way to plentiful right now, and it’s almost an exercise in self punishment to read the news pages and headlines today, since most of the new is depressing and seems to be focused on the bottoming economy.

I think that one huge lesson that comes out of this whole ordeal will be that we all really think twice about spending money, and we make sure that we are spending on things that will truly enrich and bring joy to our lives. Maybe we can rediscover our ancestors ways of saving and spending, which were much more thrifty and also had a sense of non-entitlement to them.

How do you think this recession has changed your perspective on life? Your appreciation for what you have, versus the longing for what you don’t have, materially speaking?