Perspective

Whenever I am anxious about my personal finances, I need only remind myself that I am among the richest people in the world.

The BBC confirms that today with a feature on global wages. You can plot your monthly wage on a chart of national averages. My very good American salary is nearly off the scale. Even a half-decent American wage tops most national averages.

The chart actually understates the difference since it omits the poorest nations. That means I am better off than even more people whose economic activity is either not measurable or not worth measuring.

I haven't won on any of the big bucks lottery tickets I've purchased over the years but I certainly won the economic history lottery by being born a mid-20th century white American.

Everyone should be so lucky.

Good fortune is best shared.