Japanese Earthquake

The earthquake and tidal wave in Japan is a horrific reminder that the world we inhabit makes life precarious. The Japanese have lived with frequent reminders that their nation happens to be located in a part of the the world where earthquakes are common. They have planned for such events and done about as much as humanly possible for a nation to do at this point in history. Many of their preparations have been proven to be of tremendous value, reducing damage and loss of life, but there is only so much that can be planned for. Sometimes, we simply cannot do enough.

Financial planning is no different, a good, robust plan will take account of most circumstances that life can offer, but however much wealth or insurance one has, it is not real security. We live with the reality that we are stewards of a planet that is really a very large ball of fire covered in rock and water. Some things we can change, others we cannot. Our inability to control the universe and play "god" ought to be apparent to us all, but invariably our world is full of "leaders" that seem to forget this basic truth and are intent only on  protecting their own deeply flawed ego. The essence of being human, seems to me to be more about how we respond to suffering and loss as we learn from experiences and find the energy, courage and hope to build again.