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Like most of us you are probably looking for something good in today’s turbulent economy and unstable world events.  Remember, with every adversity there is a seed of equivalent or greater benefit.  You just have to look for it.

That said, we have all been hit hard by the current economic crisis.  Some of us have already felt it.  Some of us are waiting, knowing that the hammer is about hit.  Times are tough.  But there are real benefits.  Whether we find the benefit of this crisis or not is really up to us.  Tough times call for tough people who remain positive in the face of adversity.

As adults we are faced with realizing the same kind of decisions we make for our children.  How many times have we as grown-ups said to our children we are making a decision for their own good?  How many times have we made business decisions that put controls on our employees?  We make wise decisions that are designed to protect our children, to insure job stability in the workplace, but all too often we live above our wise decisions as if we have earned the right to live our dreams without any risks or work.

In the present times we, all of us, are being forced to make hard decisions not only at work or where our children are concerned.  We are being forced to take a good hard look at ourselves and our habits.  We spend more time planning a family vacation than we spend planning our family economics.

Some of the benefits of the present economic situation are that it is forcing us to make decisions based on facts rather than wants and desires.  We are being forced to live within our means.  We are being forced to use our individual creativity in some cases to create jobs and income for ourselves and our families.  Without the economic crisis we would in all probability have continued to grow our personal debt until we reached the tipping point. 

The present crisis is the opportunity for all of us to start over.  It is a learning tool and as some would say, it is a character building experience.  The choice is really up to each of us.  We can wallow in despair or we can look for the seed of benefit in this time of adversity.  We are being forced to face the truth, like it or not.  We must find the courage to face the truth and take action based on it.

Perhaps, it is time to get a pencil and paper and write out the benefits of this crisis.  As an example, one of the benefits for our family is that we are spending more quality time together.  We watch movies together at home as a family rather than each of us heading off to a different theater.  We have explored new recipes instead of ordering the same old plate at the local restaurant.  We are getting more exercise because we are driving less and walking more. 

Believe it or not, in the past few months our savings account has grown.  As we find that we can save a little here and there, we put our shopping savings aside and twice a month make a deposit into our savings account.

The key benefit is awareness.  Many of us have spent money we didn’t have, thanks to credit cards, and really were not aware of the debt we were creating.  Now, we are aware of how much we earn, how much we spend, and how much we save.  We can no longer deny our spending habits.  Each of us is aware of every dollar that comes in and goes out.

Take the time to explore the benefits of the economic crisis for you and your family.