Sunday, June 16, 2013

We're Too Busy to Care

Most people are working frantically to keep up with their mortgage, school loans, and credit card payments. Some are working two jobs. No time for quality family time. Weekends are filled with diversions because "we deserve it" having worked so hard all week.

Almost our entire lives are spent working for a paycheck, and yet most of us haven't spent time to understand how money actually works. Central banking, fractional reserve lending, and fiat currencies are things for the crazy "occupy" people to worry about. We're busy watching football or Americon Idol.

And yet, we know intrinsically something is wrong. We get that politicians and those in power are corrupt, but what can we do about it? We're too busy. We're clocked in. No time to read a Wikipedia page, watch a documentary, or read a book. Bills are due. Payments have to be made.

We're immersed in a system designed to keep us from asking questions. The system punishes and labels those who don't fit in. We're like frogs in a slowly heating pot of water.

What if your employer gave you the freedom to live your life on your own terms? What if you could set your own hours? What if you could spend an afternoon with your family and work later that night instead of watching TV? What if you had the freedom to research and learn things on your own schedule? What if the standard 9-5 model could be changed via creative thinking and technology?

Don't be too busy for life. Work so you have the freedom to live, learn, and act. Our world has some serious problems right now. Governments around the world are losing credibility and losing approval at an alarming rate. Difficult problems won't go away if we only make time for entertainment television, or if we're hopeless enslaved by debt.

This post may not be for you. You might be hanging on by your fingernails. Instead, this post is for those who are meant to catch you if you fall.

All of us need to get informed. We need to change the conversations we have with our friends and neighbors. Let's start talking about things that matter. Let's care enough to make some changes. Downsize, change jobs, cut out some monthly expenses. Drastic times call for drastic measures.

Don't sit back and let life happen to you. Take action. Many believe a huge financial collapse is coming (and is actually already taking place). What will you do if that happens? Take some steps to provide for your family.

If you have a business idea, pursue it now. Those who control their own income will be in the best position in the future, no matter what happens. It took me 5 years working long hours to build my own business. It's not easy, but it's worth it. Get rid of the stuff keeping you too busy to care.

Most likely, this post won't change your mind about much. It wouldn't have impacted me not long ago. I was so used to the stereotypes of the system, I couldn't see around them. But these thoughts just might plant a seed and help you realize sometime in the future you do have a choice.

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Some things I've been reading/listening to/watching lately:
Work Smarter - 11 Ted Talks
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind
The Icarus Deception
Predictably Irrational
Lean Analytics
The Keiser Report

5 comments:

Cal Evans said...

"We get that politicians and those in power are corrupt, but what can we do about it? We're too busy."

The problem is, the system is designed so that if you start to question it, you are flagged. If you dare to suggest that the people rise up and take back what is rightfully their - outside of the prescribed formula, by which you will never succeed - you are labeled a terrorist and absorbed by the system. Without revolution, the system will not change fo the better, we have 200 years of history to prove that.

As a slave to my own past mistakes, I am not yet in the position that you are in. However, I will turn this on you. As an employeer, do you allow your employees to live life on their own terms?

=C=

Luke Stokes said...

Yes, the system is very cleverly designed. I think the first step is exposing The Great Oz behind the curtain and start more dialogs about what's broken. The system may flag us, but I also believe independent communication platforms are starting to spread truth at a faster rate than can be controlled.


Is it a long shot? For sure. It was a long shot in 1776 as well. It may not work, but there are other cool options arising such as Gult's Gultch (http://galtsgulchchile.com/) and Seasteading (http://www.seasteading.org/).

As for mistakes, I've got that t-shirt for sure. I still owe on this house which drives me daily to work my ass off.

And yes, as an employer, I do everything I can to empower our team to live life to the fullest (see linked post from within this post: http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/05/can-employees-live-life-intentionally.html along with the followup: http://bestoked.blogspot.com/2012/05/followup-to-intentional-living.html). Are we doing it perfectly? Heck no! But I do believe we're moving in the right direction. Our team members have their own side projects as well. We don't own them.

Luke Stokes said...

Thanks C. :)

Larry Garfield said...

Step 1: Give the politicians an alternative to being bought off. Right now, there are two kinds of politicians: Those that are bought and paid for, and those that lose elections (or don't even run) because they can't afford it.

Start here: http://represent.us/cosponsor/4850

Luke Stokes said...

YES! Thanks for sharing this, Larry. I've been doing my best to share the news about Represent.Us ever since you told me about them. They seem to have a good plan and are doing some fun, creative things to promote it.