The recession was not easy for anyone, but it did bring some unexpected opportunities to many people. Because people found themselves in situations and circumstances they may have never encountered during their adult lives, they were forced to make changes in their day to day activities and to their lifestyle. Some of these changes related to job and career choices. This opened up doors that had previously been closed, when it came to making decisions about the way they would earn a living. Sometimes change can be a very good thing. Change is often very hard for us because we tend to resist change. If we learn how to adapt instead of resist we will find ourselves benefitting from the things that come our way called adversity. 

For instance, one of my neighbors had worked part-time in real estate for several years. This income supplemented what her husband earned as the regional manager of a large grocery chain. When the company downsized, he was forced to take a much lower paying position at another grocery chain in a nearby town. Real estate was never something she had really enjoyed all that much so when the market changed she found herself with very little business and not much desire. 

The result was that she has now opened up a business she can run from home, and after a year the family now has as much disposable income as they had before the downshift in the economy. 

When I came online at the end of 2005 it had nothing to do with the economy. I had wanted to be able to work from home and to have the opportunity to earn more than was possible from the two jobs I was working at then. The economy changed, and I soon realized I had made a wise decision to work from home. Change in my life had become a very good thing. 

Overall, I believe that more people will lead more productive lives as a result of what has happened, and find that the new opportunities will lead to a better quality of life. The economy is still fighting to recover, so take a look at your own circumstances and see what changes you can make. I believe it is better to look ahead, and to know that you have a choice in what you do to make a living.