We need a revolution!!!
As JFK stated “Those who will not make peaceful revolution possible will make violent revolution inevitable”.
I have identified 3 specific arena’s that need transforming and they are all intertwined.
Firstly, we need a new education as the old one just isn’t getting the job done. Unemployment grows along with the dissatisfaction in the workplace. Our work need not be something that we dread and feel somewhat chained to or demoralized by. It needs to be an expression of our unique, authentic, best selves instead of something we fall into by default.
“All the energy and influence we ever want in life is controlled by one thing.Whether or not we are purposefully acting as our highest selves.From that place of character flows grace and love and in that place we find happiness and meaning”. (Brendon Burchard)
Secondly, we need to narrow the gap between the haves and the have not’s because the greater inequality of wealth in society creates greater social and health issues. We need to find the best way to elevate the masses.
As JFK stated “A rising tide lifts all boats”.
Finally, we need to attack the loneliness and disconnection that is increasingly prevalent in today’s world.
Maybe our most inspiring purpose could be fulfilled in the pursuit of this ideal From Kurt Vonnegut.
“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured”.
It is my aim, my intention and my commitment to find workable solutions to attack each of these issues and I am hoping that you may join with me, collaborate and participate so that we may synergize our ideas and resources to journeying toward an exciting future.
Hi, my name is Paul Beer and I advocate for the little guy, the battler, the one who may sometimes feel stuck or getting left behind in an ever faster paced technologically advancing age.
My background is from blue collar industry.
I have worked in many process worker roles, foundries, smelters, commercial cleaner and in more recent times as a maintenance technician for an advertising company. I have a great deal of experience in doing the daily grind, living in deferment, doing the Monday morning blues, Wednesday hump day, thank God it’s Friday and finally the weak end.
As a proud, typical Aussie, I have always loved my sport. Not just as a spectator but I love to participate. Keeping myself fit has always been a huge part of my life. In my younger days, I played a lot of soccer and achieved good results in middle distance athletics.
The heavy impact on my joints was to take its toll on me as I got a little older and after having two arthroscopies on my knee, decided that I needed to look at lower impact sports, so I took to mountain biking, which I am absolutely loving.
This experience was a major life learning lesson that I consider one of my key philosophies to live by. That is that life is all about continually re-inventing yourself as the inevitable changes occur. Being flexible and adaptable to change is not only important. It is imperative and will keep us growing, which is one of our primary purposes.
We can’t afford to get stuck, defined, resigned or confined into thinking with the most deadly of mindsets, which is the fixed mind scarcity thinking that I hear so often. Statements such as “Is this all there is” or when I ask someone how they are, I get the response “same shit, different day”.
As Teddy Roosevelt stated “There are many ways of moving forward, but only one way of standing still”.
The double barreled impact of technological progression and globalization is totally re-shaping the workplace and society. It could be said that it is doing to the labor market what the automobile did to the horse and cart all those years ago.
It is my intention to re-define progress because economic growth and the idea of progress are terms that need far closer examination.
Considering that the obesity rates have doubled here in Australia in the last 20yrs, then we definitely have growth of some kind.
Seeing as depression has escalated 10 fold in the last 40 years across the developed nations, then if this is the price of progress, stop the bus and let me off.
Economic growth needs to be aimed squarely at the betterment of all. Creating education that takes aim at the ever growing stratification of our society where greater wealth and power continues to reside in fewer hands and instead create a more egalitarian society is not just important, but it is essential if we wish to continue to enjoy a democracy.
Just a few alarming statistics to ponder.
*In 59 countries, the average income is lower today than it was 20 yrs. ago.
* In the same time globally, the incomes of the top 1% have increased by 60%
* 6% of the world’s population holds 40% of the world’s wealth whilst 69% barely exist on 3% of the world’s wealth, and the number of people living on less than $2 a day has risen by almost 50% since 1980.
*All this despite the fact that the $240 billion net income in 2012 of the richest 100 billionaires would be enough to end extreme poverty 4 times over according to Oxfam.
It is oftentimes that the more we have, the more we want and the less we appreciate and the less we care about our fellow man.
In becoming consumed by our consumerism, we also create a competing and comparing, status games, us and them, one upmanship, superiority or inferiority, justified or unjustified view of the world that essentially breaks down trust in society.
From Aristotle to Justice Louis Brandeis in more recent times, the same sentiment has been expressed.
You can have the wealth and power in the hands of a few, or you can have a democracy, but you can’t have both.
Perhaps the definition of progress should be aligned with this ideal from Franklin Roosevelt.
“The true measure of our progress is not whether we can add more to the abundance of those who have much, but whether we can provide enough for those who have too little.”
I believe we can achieve this through focusing on two specific factors.
- An education system that focuses on the ability to understand, value, honor and act upon our incredibly unique, authentic selves instead of the incessant conditioning of an education system aimed toward compliance rather than developing our imagination. An education system based on an abundance mentality rather than scarcity. The scarcity driven education is based on fear from competing and comparing with each other and has us playing status games. The abundance mentality focuses on raising conscious awareness, appreciation for who we are and what we have, proactive to change and always thinking how to add more value and a possibility mindset.
- To create economic systems that succeed only by the inclusion and support of a growing number of people rather than a few at the top profiting ever greater profits from the elimination, stagnation or reduction of the workers benefits.
Working co-operatively and collaboratively building teams who are inspired in their work toward a purpose that they are engaged in is not just a pie in the sky ideal, but a goal that I believe is possible and imperative.
The new technological age is driving globalization.According to Mario Pezzini in the observer, the size of the global middle class will increase from 1.8 to 3.2 billion by 2020 and 4.9 billion by 2030 whilst Asia represents 66% of this growth.
As these contrasting statistics indicate, money is constantly flowing out of certain areas and into others.
As supply and demand always dictate markets, globalization allows access to the large multi- national companies to avail themselves of much cheaper labor markets in the under privileged countries.
So whilst ever there is an oversupply of cheap labor available to these large companies in the underprivileged countries, it means that the labor component of our work in the developed nations is either eliminated or stagnating whilst our cost of living continues to escalate.
The big squeeze creates all manner of stress for people who have become accustomed to a certain lifestyle.
This situation may sound bleak for certain people in the marketplace but only if we don’t have a workable solution to the problem and the ability to re-invent ourselves.
The previously mentioned statistics that reflect an ever expanding inequality of wealth is driven by certain market forces and some greedy big business and government practices.
As Einstein stated “You cannot solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it”.
As long as the individual disempowers themselves and allows a small, fixed minded victim mentality to dictate terms, then this market direction will continue to create great distress and despair.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson stated “What lies behind and what lies before are tiny matters compared to what lies within”.
The little guy has to stop thinking like the little guy.Technologies are driving change at an ever rapid rate, but there are some factors that have never changed since the dawn of time and if we focused on improving our knowledge on these factors and the ability to act on them, then we can have technology and globalization working for us instead of against us.
People always have problems and relief from those problems is one of our greatest motivators, so assisting people with problems and being able to communicate those solutions effectively are skills that anyone can improve upon.
I need to emphasize that being in service, first and foremost rather than how we can profit from it, is a principle that will provide a far greater currency in return than just a financial one.This provides energy, fulfilment and self – worth. Area’s sadly lacking for many regardless of how much money they make.
As previously mentioned, there are literally millions of people, particularly from Asia, who are moving from low socio- economic to the middle class and with that is a complete change of lifestyle and the capacity to enter the consumer markets.
The industrial age is being replaced with the information age. With the advent of some 8 new internet connections being made around the world every second, it represents an incredible opportunity for us all to participate in key markets that previously were dominated by big business.
Online shopping turned over $65 billion last year jumping 26% higher than the previous year. With the popularity of social media, smartphones and tablets, tech-savvy users, no geographical restrictions and crowded shopping malls, it is a trend that is going to continue to gain popularity.
Anybody with an internet connection can now turn from being just a consumer into a merchant.
At the turn of the 19th century, the largest percentage of people were working for themselves in agricultural industry. The industrial revolution took over and we largely turned from being self- employed to becoming employee’s .Now in the information age, it is time we desperately need to have a revolution back to the self- employed mindset.
To become autonomous, in control of our economic future by the development of communities and networks that are helping each other is the way forward for society.
“You can have everything in life that you want if you will help enough other people get what they want”. (Zig Zigler)
During the Gold rush eras of the past, it was those who positioned themselves to provide the tools, the shovels and the picks who stood to make the most of the opportunity. Now with all these trends previously mentioned merging together, it is once again those who provide the tools, the information and support who stand to make the most of the opportunity.
Anybody can follow the google model with a personal touch to great effect.
You provide a free service that offers great value (information) and education to a targeted market. You then have an invaluable asset for life. You can offer relatable goods, services and products of you’re choosing, to this specific targeted market. As an affiliate, you are paid a commission from sales. You are the middle man, joining the dots, selling the shovels to the miners (consumers) on a global scale.
The most beautiful aspect of this process is yet to come. You are providing information and education in a topic, subject, personal interest that you are passionate about. Something you would love to spend your time doing, discovering, researching, exploring even if you weren’t paid for it.
This is blurring the line between work and play and turning your vocation into your vacation.It is imperative that we learn how to transition from being just a wage earner, exchanging time for money, oftentimes being paid a restrictive wage, to building compounding profits that can be creating passive residual income through systemizing it .
All the information we could ever need to do this is now available right at our fingertips but we need to have focus driven by a purpose that inspires us.
The new education that I am strongly suggesting is in line with this ideal from Howard Thurman.
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive”.
We have looked at many of the emerging trends, and I am sure you can weigh them on your own scales, but this site is all about providing opportunity and education to empower us to move forward together as victors and not victims.