We have lost our way
As I watch news talk shows and listen to the hosts and guest discuss the problems of our society, government and news stories, there is always a common question that comes to mind. Don’t you think this problem is rooted in a cultural misdirection?
I say this in my head over and over. Our cultural misdirection are forms of instant gratification. The American Dream still lives but it seems people are not taking advantage of the opportunities that exist.
Whether you are discussing education, labor costs, federal budgeting, or healthcare the root of the issue can trace back to wanting something for nothing.
Education is not a funding issue. Education is a value issue. We have to value the education. Value comes from the elder care takers of the student. In its simplest form, parents must instill the value into the child. We have lost our way on this tenet of our society. If more parents took a more active role in the students life, more schools would be successful. As any teacher and they would tell you this. Teachers would prioritize parental involvement way above salary in terms of making education more successful.
High labor costs are often rooted in unions and minimum wage. Smart organizations will modify their bidding to market value. The more intimidating of unions will hike up the bids and demand a larger stake even at the risk of putting workers on the sidelines. We lost our way. We want something for nothing. Government workers should be paid equally as the same job function as private sector workers. Unions can be useful as a collective force, but when they power grab, they hurt themselves and the economy as a whole.
Budgeting at home is a challenge for many people. But we have to weigh our wants and needs to create the financial balance. Those who have more wants tend to incur debt to make that happen which can lead to troubles later. Federal budgeting is a disaster right now. Something as simple as only spending what you can collect in taxes from the people, is derailed because we want something for nothing. No matter who you want to blame individually or collectively (democrats or republicans), the fact remains we don’t have a budget. The argument is spend less or tax more. We want something for nothing.
Healthcare is the grandest example of “something for nothing”. Healthcare is trying to fix itself by throwing money at it. The real fix to a healthy community is the individual who needs to take care of themselves. Our instant gratification has lead us to obesity. Obesity leads to diabetes and cancers. I simplify, yes, but you do recognize that your chances of good health go up when you keep yourself fit and healthy.
We have lost our way.
We can find it again. Every individual can do this.
Earn more than you spend.
Learn everything you can. Be productive and valued.
Don’t feed your ego with money. It’s not about money, its about respect from peers.
To solve a problem, you must identify the problem. Just because an answer feels good, be sure it addresses the problem even in the face of unpopularity. In most cases, the identification of the problem is the hard part. The fix is the easy part.
Take care of yourself physically. Instant gratification with food, tobacco, drugs, or booze can quickly lead you down the wrong path in the long run. In the same methodology of finances, burn more calories than you consume. Exercise. Sweat at least once a day.
Avoid advertising. Throw out flyers, catalogs, and other mailings that suck you in and try to convince you to purchase something. You will be happier for it.
Get 8 hours of sleep.
Work hard and hug your kids.
Teaching your kids sports will benefit everyone. Learning to lose is more valuable than winning.
Wear sunscreen.
