There is no denying that the economy is in a bad place and that we’re not quite sure when things are going to get better. This has created suffering of various degrees for many people across the United States. It is not a pretty picture. But there are two sides to every coin and it’s good to remember that not everything about this downward economic shift is bad.

Here is a look at fifteen things we could consider to be the “silver lining” of the bad economic cloud that’s been hanging over us:

1.      People are coming together to help one another out. One of the most profound things that has already begun to occur as a result of the change in the economy is that people are more concerned about the others in their community. When we aren’t wasting our energy trying to get more stuff and keep up with the Joneses, we start to realize that the Joneses are just people just like us and we begin to be kinder to them.

2.      Priorities are shifting. Individual, corporate and global priorities seem to be shifting a little bit as we adjust to the idea that money is important and necessary but it’s not the be-all-and-end-all of happiness.

3.      The environment is improving. People are naturally making changes to reduce their spending that result in positive effects on the environment. For example, putting on a sweater instead of turning on the heater saves you money and also saves the earth.

4.      Everyone is looking at jobs a little bit differently. For some people, this has been the perfect time to start looking for a job that they can be truly passionate about because there’s just no guarantee that they’re going to be able to keep the job that they don’t really like but which pays the bills. For other people, there has become a greater appreciation for just having a job, even one they complained a lot about in the past. These changing relationships that we have with our work may be difficult to go through but they are ultimately positive changes.

5.      Many people are stopping to smell the roses. We are noticing the small things in life again as a way of dealing with these big changes. And really, it’s the small things that matter.

6.      We are taking care of ourselves. As the economy has suffered, each of us has tried individually and collectively to find a way to make ourselves feel stable and okay and better. This means that we are taking better care of ourselves than before these changes occurred.

7.      People are equalized a little bit. People are certainly being impacted to different degrees by the economy’s change but most of us feel like we’re all kind of in the same boat. We are all losing something here; we are all feeling a little bit nervous and unsure. This helps to iron out the differences that exist between us and bonds us through our shared plight.

8.      Local businesses and organizations are benefiting. Yes, there are definitely some losses at the local level. However, there have also been some gains. People are sticking closer to home and this means that some local businesses and organizations are strengthened as a result of the economic downturn.

9.      We are becoming more creative. When you have a lot of money, you can do things habitually. When you don’t have a lot of money, you have to get creative about doing the things that you want to be doing. More creativity among people is always a good thing as far as I’m concerned.

10.  We are learning to make choices. We are asking ourselves what we really want to spend our money on. This is teaching us to make really basic choices about what matters to us on a daily basis. This increased ability to make better choices ultimately means that we are learning how to choose the kind of life we really want instead of accepting the one that has been handed to us in the past.

11.  We are relaxing more. Believe it or not, many people are relaxing more than they did in the past. For some, this is because the sheer stress of the situation has forced them to figure out ways to de-stress. For others, it is because they can’t afford to spend money on constant entertainment the way that they did in the past. Whatever the reason, people now are taking more walks, going to yoga classes and hanging out at board game nights with their friends.

12.  There is less waste. We are wasting less money. We are wasting less food. We are finding new uses for old things instead of just throwing them away. We are even wasting less time. We may have less but this also means that we waste less and that’s generally a positive thing.

13.  We are more grateful than in the past. People who stop to think of the things that they are thankful for each day are people who tend to be happier in their lives. More and more people are starting to do this because it has become increasingly important to us to count our blessings even as we acknowledge that we are going through a tough time filled with various types of loss.

14.  Everyone is doing a better job at the work that they do. People who are afraid of losing their jobs are going to make sure that they go above and beyond to do what needs to be done to stand out in their companies. This means that people are really giving their all which is something that we ought to feel good about doing when it comes to the jobs that we have chosen.

15.  We are recognizing our own strength. Going through any period of loss causes us each to deal with situations that we may feel like we aren’t capable of getting through. When we get through these things, we feel stronger than we did before and we recognize our own ability to take care of ourselves and our loved ones in a way we didn’t know we could before. The loss of economic stability is creating this on a big scale.