United States and It's Fabulous 50

I started in banking in 1976 and worked at that same job until 1994.  Our bank was offered three times what our stock was worth in order to make the sale look attractive to stockholders.  Since all the employees where stockholders, this seemed like a great deal.  All the employees where told they would be safe in that they would still have a job with the new bank that was taking over.  This was not the case.  Many 20 and 30 year employees where brought back to day 1 with a nice little reminder they where also back to only 1 week of vacation per year.

Since my Dad was the bank president of the selling bank it seemed that my position being eliminated was not going to be addressed by the new corporate ownership.  After my data processing department was outsourced and my keys where taken away I ended up being doorman (self appointed) at our location.  No one seemed to care I was getting paid $36,000 annual to stand and greet our customers at the door.

I fianlly broke down after 4 days of door greeter and took some initiative.  I went up to a new employee who was part of the take over bank and asked if she would fire me.  I was standing in the middle of the crowed lobby and had to ask 3 times if this lady who did not even know who I was would fire me.  I finally got the attention of an old time employee and she took me aside and told me to get a grip.  I started to cry and finally decided it best to take some needed time off.

Upon my returne 3 days later the new management finally gave me a meeting with the new bank President who knew something had to be done about the lack of position associated with my employment.  I was offered a job doing appraisals in Chicago at half my pay rate without a company car.  I had to decline.

Then I was offered a position doing something I don't even remember at some other rate that was simply asking me to go to far back for the time I had spent working in banking.  I declined with a nice offer of 1 months severance for my 18 years of service.

I walked out that door knowing I would never return to the bank that my Father had founded back in 1958.  I made a decision that day I would no longer be part of the corporate bull that has become the accepted form for life here in the U.S.A.

I work from home.  I work when I want.  I work as much or as little as I want.  I am in control of where I live and I am in control of how much time I spend with the ones I love.  I share this story as a way to show you do not have to be controlled by society and government.  Think about what you want from life and take control of your future.   I life each and every day to the fullest and I thank God for no longer having to go to a job anymore. 

You deserve all the best life has to offer.  Reward yourself and start living today.

by Ron White

His name was Jason Dunham and he was a corporal in the United States Marines. The story picks up with Jason as he was talking with the men in his unit. They wondered whether a person could jump on a grenade and survive by putting it under his helmet. Deep down they all knew that it most likely wouldn't work, yet on the streets of Baghdad all topics of conversation can soon become quickly exhausted and hypothetical solutions to real-life problems can pass the time.

Unfortunately for Jason Dunham, the circumstance that he had hypothesized about arrived just a few weeks later. However, fortunately for his unit, Corporal Jason Dunham was there. In this life and death scenario, there is no time to think. There is only time for fight or flight. Jason chose fight and performed above and beyond the call of duty. He threw his helmet and body over a grenade and gave his life for his friends. Jason was nominated for The Congressional Medal of Honor. He was 20 years old.

Your stance on political matters or world issues is irrelevant in this scenario. Jason did not do this for you. He did not do it for the people of Baghdad. He didn't do it for the U.S. government or a politician. He did it for the men beside him, period.

To give your life for your friends is perhaps the greatest thing one person can do for another. It is also one of the rarest acts of civilization.

In 1981, shots rang out and bullets screamed through the air to pierce the flesh of the 40th President of the United States. No sooner had the gun powder been ignited than secret service agent Tim McCarthy stood up as straight as a board and extended his arms to make himself a large barrier between would-be assassin John Hinckley and President Reagan. While others ran for cover, Agent McCarthy stood looking directly at his potential death with firm resolve. Tim was shot square in the chest and, believe it or not, that was exactly his goal. As he positioned himself spread eagle to take a bullet for a man, an office and a nation, others cowered in trembling fear. Because of amazing grace, agent McCarthy survived.

What causes men and women to lay down their lives for another? It takes a lot. First and foremost, it takes a realization that life isn't about you. It is about making a difference, about making an impact and about giving.

Jason Dunham and Tim McCarthy were able to respond the way they did because:

• They decided how they were going to respond long before the event occurred.
• They were not selfish people – the farthest you could be from selfish, as a matter of fact.
• They realized that life was not about them; it was about making a difference – it was about others.

I hope with all my heart you are never placed in a situation where you have to choose between your life and those around you. Yet, every day you are in situations where you have to make choices. You must decide right now how you will respond.

The lesson to extract from the lives of Corporal Dunham and Agent McCarthy is that of an overall attitude on life. That attitude, simply put, is that it is better to give than receive. It is honorable to view the lives and well-being of others above yourself. If we can take any pearl of wisdom from the extraordinary lives and attitudes of these two men, it is that making an impact on the world is not always about recognition, power, money or personal gain. Sometimes the greatest success is one who gives himself up so others can succeed. That is the mark of the ultimate high achiever.

Decide today how you will respond in your moments of crisis - whether it is financial, personal or life and death. As you plan your actions, remember the selfless lessons of Corporal Dunham and Agent McCarthy.

-- Ron White

This is a blog post from a good friend of mine from Molalla Oregon.

Unemployment, in Oregon, has increased again. It is now at 12.3% - the highest level since records began. The current administration has spent trillions to rescue failing businesses and "stimulate the economy", yet money remains tight, foreclosures continue and employment continues to fall. The only segment of the economy which seems to be growing is government and the tax-payer supported market.

I urge that each and every American look at your own circumstance and ask yourself: Is anything in my life getting better, do I feel more financially secure, and am I more optimistic about where our country and the economy is heading?

If anyone can answer yes to ANY of these questions then perhaps it's time to put away the Prozac and protest banners so we can run into the streets and celebrate our victory over the "great recession"!

I, for one, cannot. I also agree with Ben Franklin: “God governs in the affairs of man. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We have been assured in the Sacred Writings that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this. I also believe that, without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel” –Constitutional Convention of 1787

Perhaps it's time for praying - not preying.

Thank you Jim for allowing me to use this post. 

Some may think that The American Dream is gone.  I have been part of discussions on this very subject and I actually agreed that the dream is no longer within reach.

Then I laid in bed this morning and I had to correct my own thinking.  Yes, with the demise of GM, Chrysler, and other big names in addition to corporate takeovers and downsizing it is getting pretty rough to go out and find a job.  I am a personal witness to having my job cut as well as seeing first hand how friends around this country have lost jobs, lost homes as well as have to struggle for food.

Lets take a look at our basic freedom as Americans.  We have the right to start a business and we don't even have to go get permission first.  That said, once you get the right mindset and plan of action there is no real excuse for not being able to live The American Dream.  I just happen to be building a business and the only tools I use are a $300.00 computer and a business plan I found online.

Sometimes you have to rely on faith to get past a bad situation and I am no exception.  I lost a nice paying job that I had for 18 years.  I lost a home I purchased for cash because the cost of the homeowners insurance got out of hand in relation to my debt ratio.  I have had the cars and the toys.  I have seen my father who is a retired bank president loose all his savings because of the recent drop of the stock market due to the financial industries mismanagement.

You can take a bow and live a lower level of life and adjust or rise above it and do something to start reliving The American Dream.  I was doing the latter and I never really even took the time to acknowledge what I was doing.  I was fighting to run a successfull small business with a mindset this is so hard to make work.  Until this morning when i realized that I have more then what so many people do not have in this country.  I have the security of a job where I am in control and I have no one but myself to blame if I end up without a job. 

Take the time to look at who you are and why you are in this world.  Look at your future and see how bright it looks.  If you do not like what you see then its time to make a change and do what it takes to provide for yourself and those you love.  I am part of a group of people who are in the business of sharing ideas.  These ideas are to help others succeed.  I invite you to look at this system and be part of this group who has not only helped me on a personal level of success, but also on a level of thinking as those who succeed think.

May God bless you in all you do.  Now go live The American Dream.

http://www.crackingthecashflowcode.com/1957