It would have been a different world today if only our financial gurus had followed Ralph Waldo Emerson's advice to "Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense" 
Our world today is so full of nonsense and absurdities we think are all important whilst the real important "LIFE WE LIVE"can just slip slide away.

One thing we could all learn from the financial crisis is to live within our means. To listen to our inner instincts and not live on credit. Most of the "must haves" are totally irrelevant to our real needs.

The corporate world, banks etc. have certainly missed the boat. they have allowed greed and self indulgence to overrule what is staring them in the eyes. Life and family is a special gift man has been given and we should not abuse this nor take it for granted. Cherish each day and the people around you.

I am not sure about the end of all things positive, but when the pillars of our life, like good government and fundamental financial stability are shaken we naturally feel anger, helplessness and despair.  
Even as the financial world collapses there are many waiting in the shadows for their chance to gain from another's pain, and as we know there are those who engineered this misery for personal profit. 
Then you get incompetent people in government who compound the problems. 
Financial security is paramount to everyone, but as you suggest Mike, it only takes death, illness, injury or incapacitation to ourselves or someone near to bring it all back into perspective. 
Keep on loving those near and dear, and even those not quite so.

Dear Mike 
Couldn't agree more. Whilst walking down the Cosro pondering the fate of my shares (and having just put Lotto on !), when 
I met some old family friends. They were pushing their grandson who was about to go into hospital for his 12th operation, he has Cerebral Palsy. He was dressed to the nines in total spiderman gear ! I quickly reassessed my outlook on the day and have kept the thought ever since. 
Kind regards 
Ellen