Material Wealth

[MikeUpton]

Dude, I am an American. My ancestors walked across the plains to Zion. I have just lived in enough countries around the world to see the reality that many people face in their day to day life. People really aren't that different around the world and want the same things out of their life. They just have different ways of getting it.

I apologize for my assumption.

The answer is not to tear down, but to build. There are ways of doing this which simply require ingenuity for recognizing opportunity in its many forms, seeing wealth not in limited terms in the hands of the few, but in terms of abundance (you just need to learn how to work the system to make it work for you in your own way). Its always wise to lean on the Lord for help in these matters, and he can help you see opportunity when it comes. It helps if you're always looking. And it may well take faith like unto Nephi. Why not take this matter to the Lord, pray and ask his opinion? Perhaps he will show you.

My personal belief is that if you're really upset by "The Man," then become "The Man". Then if you're still upset, you can kick him in the pants by providing good competition.

Edited June 27, 2009 by MikeUpton
grammar

[skippy740]

The problem as I see it (for personal economic power) is this:

You can't get rich by demand.

You can't get rich by wealth re-distribution via Congress & IRS.

You can't get rich by demanding that large corporations pay their lowest paying people more and their top executives less.

You can't get rich NOW by waiting for this plan to work.

If you want things to change, YOU have to change.

One of my favorite business philosophers, Jim Rohn, said it like this: "Here's my economic forecast for the next 6,000 years: Opportunity mixed with Difficulty. In some years, there may be more difficulty than opportunity and others more opportunity than difficulty... but the mix isn't going to change. It's like Spring following Winter."

Now, I work in financial services. There has been a shake-up in my industry as has never been seen before. It used to be cool to tell your golf buddies that "I have a Merrill Lynch advisor". Now you may be looked at like a fool for keeping your account there.

In my industry, the public is beginning to award the smaller independent advisor MORE than the investment houses - like Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, UBS, etc. There is more of a "flight to quality" and less tolerances for "conflicts of interest" between the investment firm's interests and the interests of their clients.

Why do I mention this? Because in my industry "The Man" HAS been "taken down". Public confidence is shaken in investment firms that "make a market" for a stock as well as advise the public.

Well, WHO can profit from this? I CAN! I am an independent advisor who helps his clients make educated financial decisions that feel right to them. In my industry, this is a PRIME market to build a practice to help have it last for the rest of my life!

Now, this is more of a professional service than labor production or the sale of goods. If you are wanting to compare the corner market to Walmart in a neighborhood and how Walmart can have lower prices, lower quality of service, hires more people at lower wages and buys everything from China... yeah, I can see your point. I think the true small business of America is being threatened all the time by larger chains, global competition and the internet.

But, if Walmart has a better ad campaign, better distribution system and better business model than you do, well it's called Economic Darwinism - and the survival of the fittest. If you aren't growing, you're dying. If you're not improving and keeping your edge in this economy, you're dying. And you'd be foolish to not open your eyes to see what is going on around you so you can keep pace with your competition (as best as possible).

You may cook a better hamburger, but if you don't have a complete business system like McDonalds, they will out-sell you every hour compared to every day that you are open. And yes, I don't like McDonalds's burgers, but they are consistent every time I order one. They have branding and they have a great distribution system of their product.

Try reading The E-Myth by Michael Gerber about why most small businesses fail and what the practitioner can do about it.

BTW, Rico, your profile says you're self-employed. What kind of work do you do? (I'm genuinely curious.)

Edited June 27, 2009 by skippy740

[MikeUpton]

And yes, I don't like McDonalds's burgers, but they are consistent every time I order one.

Meaning that they are consistently bad?

[Still_Small_Voice]

What happens is the "consumerism of America" mentality. "I want that car and I want it now" creeps in.

I study computers and it is a constant temptation to me to want to upgrade to better hardware. But I need to pay down debt and lay up in store for harder times that are coming in the future.

[Hemidakota]

True...but then I would be the first one to call myself a hyprocrite....I love techy toys. Things like the latest tabletop laptop - 20-inch LCD screen - to a quad-core laptop.

[rameumptom]

There is a difference between needs, wants and desires.

I need a home to live in. I want a home with enough bedrooms for each of my children. I desire a home with a large swimming pool and tennis court.

We have to separate these out. And then determine which ones are righteous desires, versus coveting what someone else has. Our media has turned us all into coveters, as we desire what others have so much that we will run away from what we currently have that is perfectly useful, just to get something more extravagant. And we'll often go into enormous debt to get it (which can be a form of sin).