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Showing posts with the label reality

The Daily Crisis of, "Can't Afford It"

I was in the grocery store recently.  There were two young kids with their mom.  The boy was about 7, the girl 4 or so.  Like most kids in the checkout line, they were wide-eyed and grabbing candy bars.  Even before they could ask, the Mom said, "Put it back, we can't afford it".  With a sunken whimper, they complied and that was that. For me, I just stood as a stoic observer, but inside I was crushed for the kids.  They were just doing what kids do... testing limits and "going for it".  But, the thud of the Mom's authority struck me.  Their budget obviously could not withstand a frivolous candy purchase.  She didn't say, "Not this time" (or) "No, we got candy last time..."  It was like, shut 'em down, drop a rock on their head finality - and they knew there was no sense in arguing.  They were being trained to "not afford it". This simple example is how many people live... on the edge and barely making it.  A $2 make...

Access to Economic Opportunity

This article is about tone.  It is about how we present ourselves to people evaluating what we do.  It is about "access" to an off-ramp on the highway of life.  Some people will choose to read the road sign, turn on their blinker and pull off to have a look.  Most will keep moseying on down the road without a thought of attending to what is passing by them. Yes, we have something to offer.  Ultimately, it can be transforming in terms of income, lifestyle, and options people have.  Our ethos and values dictate that people understand that we are simply one of many options.  We feel no need to impress others in a showy manner but allow the overall "tone" of what we do carry-the-day, followed by responsible, descriptive information. We don't want to be perceived as the latest, greatest, whiz-bang deal that you want to jump on and get rich with.  It is simply not that easy and does not work that way.  Therefore, our focus is the fric...