(A Chinese police station in the United States of America, anyone? GMO mosquitos that will vaccinate you against your will?)

More people than in recent memory are living paycheck to paycheck now – at least a whopping 63%. Unfortunately, that means that everyone in that situation is just one missed paycheck from a personal financial disaster from which extricating themselves could be difficult, if not impossible. This kind of financial tension is incredibly stressful. You may have done everything right financially your entire adult life only to be right on the edge of losing it all. It's a horribly vulnerable feeling. I've been there myself and the sinking feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you are barraged with calls from bill collectors and you stare at a bank account that simply will not stretch far enough to cover your basic necessities is like no other.

There's only one way through a mess like the one we find ourselves in now.

We have to keep going, keep striving, keep trying, and survive. A snippet of the Serenity Prayer comes to mind, and you don't have to be religious to appreciate the prudence of this philosophy right now…