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Despite disrupted lives and some intense personal struggles resulting from lost jobs, declining retirement accounts, and a host of other concerns, many good things are happening because of the deep recession the nation is experiencing.
A "new creed of thrift," as one national polling organization describes it, has surfaced. Americans are tightening their belts and turning from rampant materialism and an unbridled culture of consumption. What once were considered necessities are now viewed as luxuries that consumers are learning they can live without. Excessive debt, while still a huge concern, is giving way to increased saving and a "pay-as-you-go" mentality. Penny-pinching is in vogue.
Another national study concludes "money does not buy happiness as scripture asserts and research confirms." People are spending more time with family and friends, and polls suggest many parents have better relationships with their children.
If the new frugality can result in less "me-ism," then good will come from the prolonged recession we're experiencing. If people the world over can sustain a renewed culture of looking outward more than inward; if they seek to help others, act with compassion and live the "Golden Rule," the world will be a much better place. We can hope that's the case!
