Every once and awhile, I come across a ludicrous idea that people want you to participate in. Usually, these ideas come under the guise of being politically correct which serves the same function as pie in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, which is to fill in the cracks in the heart. “Go away, pain. Go away.” Instead of taking action to improve things, they want to put a better face on their miseries.

This morning, I read a newspaper columnist ranting on how wealthy people should join the austerity chic movement so as not to make the people who didn’t have money feel worse by comparison. In other words, stop enjoying the fruits of your labors because the fruits of my labors aren’t that good. They are trying to put the responsibility of their current situation on something besides themselves. That’s like hitting yourself in the head with a baseball bat and then blaming the bat.

First, you are where you because of the choices you have made. The way to change where you are is to change your choices. Take responsibility for your situation.

One of the ideas that really hit home for me was the idea that everyone is self-employed. You have a personal services business that you are selling to other people. Your employer is paying your company for the value your services provides. In order to receive more money, your company must provide more value. If you demand more money without more value, they will turn to another company who will provide that value for a lower cost.

Also, remember, value is not the same as difficulty. A person performing manual labor has a physically difficult job but they tend to be valued less than a bookkeeper who tends to have a much better work environment.

Another reason this is bad is that in difficult times you need examples to show you that life can be better. It gives you something to shoot for. “Where there is no vision, people perish.”

Instead of trying to make yourself feel better by tearing other people down, you should figure out how to make your situation better.

Technorati Tags: austerity, business, difficult times, money, personal services, politically correct

I saw that number was a little taken aback. That’s twice the population of the town I was born in. My heart goes out to to those affected. I’ve been there, I know what it feels like.

After I was laid off, I decided not to get into that situation again. My job history has read like a tale of abuse. One company wanted me to work long hours and they would give “comp time” to make up for it. When I left that job 10 months after I started, I was owed 2 months of comp time and my puppy had started barking at me like I was a stranger. Another company budgeted my performance rating, and therefore my pay raise, before I had done any work.

Within 20 minutes of being asked to meet with my manager, I walked out those doors with my boxed possessions. I had put in the long hours, saved many customer contracts with tech solutions and basically made it possible for that division to function and be profitable. My 7 figure stock options had become bird cage lining a couple of years earlier when the dot bombs made tech IPO’s almost impossible.

I decided that if I was going to work hard, put in the extra effort and build someone’s dream, it should be my dream. And so I have.

Technorati Tags: dot bombs, jobs lost, stock options, tech solutions

My youngest son’s 5th grade class wrapped up a poetry unit in school and held a ‘poetry cafe’ event where they stood up and read poems. The parents were invited. I noticed that I was the only father there that did not have an access card dangling on my person. On other words, I was the only father who did not have to rush back to a job.

This is not an isolated incident. At his Winter Party in December, I was the only father there.

With my oldest son, I will be 1 of only 2 dads that will be chaperoning his choir to Walt Disney World in March.

Being my own boss allows me the flexibility to control my schedule. I get to spend more time doing what I want to do which to me means spending more time with my family. At the end of your life, the main things that matter are you memories and your relationships, not how many hows you spent at the office.

Another important fact in this economy is that I am in control of my income. I can’t be laid off.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those that sacrifice freedom for security will receive neither.”

Technorati Tags: access card, job, memories, poetry cafe, relationships, things that matter, walt disney world, winter party

This time of year the mainstream media always publishes articles on how to get ahead in the coming year. They offer tips for improving your health to getting more for your money. It always amuses me, especially when they talk of financial subjects, that they come from a scarcity point of view. They seem to think that this is as good as it’s going to get so you have to make the most of what you have now.

My thought is, to improve your financial situation, MAKE MORE MONEY! What a novel idea!

This world is one of abundance and growth. When you plant corn, you don’t get a plant with just one seed or even just a few. You get a plant with multiple ears of corn, each with hundreds of seeds.

The financial pie is not finite. If it were, there would be only the same amount of money as there was in ancient times when there were just a few million people on the earth. Only now, that amount would be split amongst 6 billion people.

A good idea can create money out of thin air. One man thought of a way to transmit voices over copper wire which created billions and billions of dollars in the telecommunications industry.

In your own economy, you can start your own business. A good network marketing opportunity is a business in a box. All you add is your talents and efforts. If you don’t know where to start or even if it’s for you, you can get a free CD from RIchard Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and The Cashflow Quadrant, called The Perfect Business at FreeRKCDForYou.com.

Just because other people say there is a recession doesn’t mean you have to participate in it.

Technorati Tags: cashflow quadrant, financial pie, free cd, mainstream media, network marketing, recession, rich dad poor dad, richard kiyosaki, telecommunications industry, your own business