[ Click here for Part 1 – from 12/16/12 ]
Economic value. What has it? What doesn’t? How is this affecting individuals and thus society at large? And…can we do anything about all the values being left out of the present equation?
Two and a half weeks ago I began a post attempting to answer some of these questions. I felt, however, the beginning of inadvertently creating an “us” vs. “them” scenario as it pertains to this issue. I abhor the human tendency to categorize, label, and group one another for I believe that is the true root of many of our societal concerns at present. Consequently, this caused me to take great pause on how to write about this extremely important topic.
Being that I cannot control how any one of you will interpret my words all I can do is to make clear my intent. Pertaining to this topic, my intent is only to point out that many values held by MANY people have not been deemed to have any actual monetary worth. In other words, in the present economic model, there is seemingly limited or no earning capacity for holding certain values.
For example, stay-at-home moms (and dads). NO actual economic value placed on this immensely important job that “society” claims is of great value. Really?! It is of great value but it has no actual, economic worth all on its own. Interesting, huh? So, a house – a structure, a thing – owning IT and taking care of it gets all this value (at RIDICULOUS levels, no less, prior to ’08) but children and the ones in society who bear and generally raise & influence these children – get assigned no value. Things = economic value; People = no economic value.
Ahh, but wait…we do assign value to people. We do so based more than anything on what jobs they perform (or don’t perform). Hang on…we’ll come back to this but stay with me, if you will, on the example of parenting/taking care of children.
The stay-at-home-parent becomes wholly dependent on the working parent. When marriages go sour – which now over 50% do – most “agreements” made between spouses go out the window and the one who held the job determined to have no economic value is left with what? Holding employment as “only” a parent doesn’t pay the bills nor does it sustain a family or even an individual.
Because of this fact, women were left with no other choice but to seek equality through the legal system & the courts (causing the experience of divorce to be one of the ugliest that humans have created). How would you feel if your entire life was judged to have no value in the economic system all on its own? If you value being a parent as a job, you must be the spouse of someone who is doing something recognized by society as valuable or you don’t survive? And as such, you are now tied to the working spouse forever since you have no skills that can garner a wage much above minimum? You’ve developed & guided the maturation of at least one human being and this holds no “real” value? Seriously?!
What greater resource do we have in our world than our people? None! Every corporation…every employer makes this claim. Yet, our systems have gotten so insanely backwards that the fields & professions that have been deemed most valuable are actually taking individuals further away from their full potential as human beings. Working 40-70 hours a week with people we wouldn’t necessarily befriend outside of work. Working more or less until retirement age enjoying perhaps only a few weeks of 52 per year when you aren’t working. Not ever fully enjoying a vacation, however, since you still have complete access to work & all that is piling up while you are gone. Selecting from jobs & professions that really don’t fulfill or inspire you thus limiting your creative and innovative ideas. Having to be concerned with others’ perspectives and thoughts of you at work over your own gut feelings often for fear of how you will be evaluated – individually and/or against your peers. Working within a system that constantly forces you to compare yourself to others which is the quickest way to confuse yourself about you AND to feel like crap. I am guaranteeing you that this reality is not bringing anywhere near the great potential out of our people in this world.
Ironically, the occupations most capable of obtaining the absolute best in people – the ones that directly aim to help others reach their full potential – these are the ones that have been deemed significantly less valuable. Parenting, teaching, coaching, social workers, mental health employees, nurses, nutritionists, and fitness experts as a few examples. The individuals whose jobs align most with their actual values – artists, musicians, healers, farmers, writers, mechanics, carpenters – they have power, influence, and worth far, FAR exceeding what we see in the world right now. Those whose jobs have people as the main focus/priority as opposed to things…those who have the best communication skills and the ability to read people well beyond what is said as a result of having dealt with a much greater array of behavior…those who believe in cooperation instead of competition…those who are living motivated by love & not fear…those that believe we can create the world in which we want to live…a world of peace…THEY are about to get a chance to see how powerful they really are.
This is about recognizing the value in people in an entirely new manner. This is about expanding how we view the people in our world & their worth in it. This is about growing to understand that the missing component – those who have experiences, knowledge, and great skill relating to the emotional side of humans – will change the entire face of for-profit business. And what will be done with those profits will do nothing short of change the world. The understanding of people’s life experiences; the ability to honestly & genuinely empathize with someone’s past rather than judge them for it due to fear and/or a lack of understanding; those who are keenly aware that they are no better or worth any more as a human being living in this world than anyone else… there are MASSIVE amounts of value just waiting to be cashed in.
It is time for these millions of people to get the spotlight. It is their time to be called up to the Big Dance. The only thing these people have been missing in order to be able to demonstrate their true capabilities…their true power…their true value…is money. This is about getting money to a different group of people and watching what they accomplish and the corresponding world changes that result from their individual & collective creations.
We are about to witness the fastest, most beautiful, positive change in human behavior ever recorded in history. The playing field is about to do way more than just become leveled. There is an entirely new playing field being created. And I am the one creating it. It’s time to take our game to an entirely new level. It is time to call upon & focus on the best within each of us. It is time to re-ignite the human potential. It is time to be inspired again!
To be continued…
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