The real problem lies in the economy. What with a marked rise in the cost of living, an alarming increase in divorce creating the need for dual-household income, outsourcing, multinationals that are richer than most countries creating CEOs that earn 1500% more than their generational predecessors, and so on. It’s just gotten downright ugly.

It used to be that with one job you could buy a house, a couple cars, and provide the essentials for your family. Now with both parents working in 70% of U.S. homes, it still doesn’t provide financial security. Like the get-a-college-degree-job-security myth that many still feed in to, even with both parents working the safety-in-numbers myth provides little security as well.

Why?

Consider this, the top three reasons why there are over two million foreclosures in the U.S. are divorce, job loss, and illness. Regardless that it was a 40-year low in interest rates that got most there, outside of this there lies another, more deep-seeded problem. One income cannot do it anymore. Even two are struggling to get by. Here’s a sobering report from Elizabeth Warren, author of “The Middle Class on the Precipice” (Harvard Magazine, Jan. / Feb 2006).

“By 2004, the family budget looks very different. As noted earlier, although a man is making nearly $800 less than his counterpart a generation ago, his wife’s paycheck brings the family to a combined income that is $73,770-a 75 percent increase. But higher expenses have more than eroded that apparent financial advantage. Their annual mortgage payments are more than $10,500. If they have a child in elementary school who goes to daycare after school and in the summers, the family will spend $5,660. If their second child is a preschooler, the cost is even higher-$6,920 a year. With both people in the workforce, the family spends more than $8,000 a year on its two vehicles. Health insurance costs the family $1,970, and taxes now take 30 percent [ it's actually 42 to 50%] of its money. The bottom line: today’s median-earning, median-spending middle-class family sends two people into the workforce, but at the end of the day they have about $1,500 less for discretionary spending than their one-income counterparts of a generation ago.”

More and more middle-class citizens are falling into the lower class, many by way of foreclosure. I was watching the news last night with my wife at a friend’s house. A man and woman had just lost their home and were sitting outside their new trailer home with transplanted lawn jockey, pots, and planters. Through teared-up sobs, the man explained how disheartening it was to work so hard for a dream only to see it lost with little chance of recovery.

What is the solution? Well, instead of going to a job factory (university / college) to learn a craft or skill only to end up working for the government (40 to 50% taken in taxes), banks, and credit card companies (average American owes $10,000) our students should be learning about finances, more specifically, how to own a business and invest.

Time and time and time again, I have gone to wealth seminars and heard former mortgage brokers, insurance agents, Kentucky Fried Chicken managers, teachers, the homeless (sometime the same–I know!), talk about dire times, skimming for nickels and dimes in the change jar to pay for groceries. It is a sad state of affairs, and some, like Hillary, feel that the government needs to do something about it. Well, if you know how the government moves, I’m not waiting. So what do we do?

Instead of working for a company, one which tells you when to come, when to go, how much your worth, and whether or not you’ll be working; instead of never even seeing 45% of your income; instead of being caught in the education matrix; instead of relying on the pain of scrimp and save to no safe solution; the only alternative is to let your money and the government work for you. Here’s how.

Consider the following trend. Most micro-business owners represent:

99% of all employers

50% of all employees

44% of all payroll dollars

70% of all net new jobs

Today, one out of six people that you meet are taking matters into their own hands and have joined the ranks of the “better-off,” if not secure.

If you want to get your taxes down to single digits, start a business. It can even be a part-time online business selling knitting techniques. Really! The tax write offs alone are worth it. Here’s a few examples:

Home Office Deduction: You no longer have any non-deductible commute. All of your mileage is now business related.

Pay your child up to $5000 to help you run your business and pay no taxes (fica, fed., state) and get $2500 back from Uncle Sam.

Convert other medical expenses from itemized deductions to business expenses. Convert limited health insurance deductions into fully deductible business expenses. You save not only on federal income taxes but reduce self employment taxes as well. Save up to 45% by deducting payments that you are already making.

For retirement, up to $45,000 / year can be deferred. Invest in your future and the IRS will reward you with lower taxes.

Why let your Bad Uncle take your money when your Good Uncle is only a business idea away?

How else can you win the money game? Real estate . The government wants you to do two things: start a business to create jobs and feed the economy and to provide affordable housing. And you don’t have to be “The Don” when it comes to real estate. But keep in mind that 7 out of 10 millionaires own real estate. It’s the safest and most profitable way to make passive or leveraged income. And by the way, the government is dying to give away money, provide the down payment, even forgive loans (yes, there are forgivable loans that don’t have to be paid back; hell, they’re forgiven!).

Need a home? Here’s a possibility. Try the 203 (b). It’s the purchase of a four-plex, where you move in to manage for a year before selling or keeping as an investment. And the good part? You live for free as you build equity.

Bottom line, the government wants you to help out, and if you do, they’ll help you, in a big way . There’s many ways of getting ahead. The limit is only in your ability to imagine.

So even though there’s a lot of bad news out there (foreclosures, job loss, cost of living increase), if you keep your eyes open there’s always a way out. With a little shift in thinking, a willingness to change, you can not only get back on top but rise higher than before. Good luck and God bless.

Do you lack energy, enthusiasm, desire? Do you have difficulty sleeping? Getting up for work? Lack desire to be with family, spouse, friends? Now some of these symptoms may be related to disease. And there is a belief that depression can result in physical disease, but this is not my area of expertise. But if you are relatively healthy, you’ve gone to regular doctor visits and you check out OK, but you still have symptoms of depression, lack of energy and enthusiasm, it is more than likely that your problems are motivational. Tony Robbins says that there are no lazy people, they simply have impotent goals. Put more simply, they are not doing what excites them. If boredom reigns in you life, get busy. But maybe you’ve been suppressing your desires for so long it is going to take some work to pull out the answer.

What is the best technique to use? Simple and short. Writing. You need a journal. If you are not used to self-examination, then you need to get a journal and practice opening up to the intuitive / creative voice within you. It is the subconscious voice or the subconscious you that has your answers. Major point here is that you are going to find out for yourself what it is that you want to do.

Here’s a case in point. I had a student come to me one day complaining that no matter how hard she tried to be objective in her writing she always found herself putting in her ten cents, so to speak. She just couldn’t keep herself from putting her subjective stories in to support what she was saying. The assignment called for a more objective approach but no matter what she just couldn’t maintain her objectivity.

I asked her if she kept a journal. She said no. I said, well, for your mental health, I suggest that you do. There is obviously something that you have to work out. If you have a continual desire to express yourself, you either have a problem to work out or you’re a writer incognito.

She confessed that she used to write all the time and loves to write but found it impractical. I told her that she better get writing. It is your core genius. If you are that motivated to write, that obsessed with writing, you are a writer. Exactly what you are going to do with it, I don’t know. But I do know that you have to write and as you do so on a consistent basis, you will discover what it is that you need to do with your writing.

I had a similar experience. After working in the computer field for several years, and then the entertainment field, I knew that I was at an impasse. But after a fashion, I knew through brainstorming or free-writing what my plan was: I would get my BA and MA in English, teach for six years or so, learn, gain extensive experience speaking, and then move into a private entity as an info-preneur. And as I sit and write this article, something that I had gotten away from for some time (writing that is), I find my energy increasing, my focus and sharpness of mind excelling. Mental sharpness is a key feature of those who are following their path. Interesting that I read today on the AP wire that elderly people who see themselves as self-disciplined, organized achievers have a lower risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease than people who are less conscientious. Why? Universal law. You were put here to do certain things. You were also put here to get off the sofa and do things, period-and, may I add, mostly for other people. There are rewards just for doing something, even those things that don’t promote your core genius, so imagine the physical, emotional, intellectual, psychological, spiritual benefits of doing that which you came here to do. And everybody, everybody, has their talent.

You know mine. My wife’s is interior decorating. She’ll see something in the store and instantly knows where it will fit into the house. She spotted a painting one time and when we got it home I put it on the wall and it amazed me how the colors in the painting matched with the surroundings. My older son is a mechanical genius. My daughter is a bookworm like her father. Our youngest Michael, who barely speaks, is going to be a politician or a lawyer. During activities at our church everyone young and old is asking, where’s Michael? Where’s Michael? One day we went to Universal Studios and my wife and I were waiting for the kids to get soaked on the Jurassic Park ride as Michael introduced himself to the people around him, just going up to tables sitting down next to whoever and socializing. He can’t talk yet, but that didn’t stop him from holding a young ladies hand for ten minutes. Quite the flirt.

But getting back to the issue at hand, you do have a talent. And some people complain that they’ve looked and they’ve looked and they’ve looked but to no avail. Well, I say, you are probably looking past, over, below or around it. It is there, you just need to think more simply. What do you like to do? How do you find this out? Let’s look into it.

Journaling

One of the best ways to discover or uncover is to journal. Unfortunately, most people have gotten away form writing. Years ago, before the glut on the market of entertainment related devices (Xbox, Game Cube, Internet, iPod, PCs, MP3 players, cell phones, email), people actually sat down and wrote each other. In junior high, I remember writing to a friend who had moved to the next state. I also wrote funny stories to entertain my friends. I wrote ideas and notes down of things I needed to do, wanted to remember, and was looking forward to. But writing is a lost art. I have seen major evidence of this over the seven-plus years I taught at the college / university level. But let’s get to what journaling can do for you.

One of the major features of journaling is its ability to pull from you information, wisdom, thoughts you never knew you had or had forgotten that are recalled just at the right time to help solve an issue.

I have yet to pin down why writing is so important to self-understanding or why it is the best way to problem solve or discover insight. It may have to do with our limitations more than anything else. Since we are such forgetful beings and have a difficult time retaining, processing, and recalling information, the best thing for us is to simply write it down. Write it down so we don’t forget what we’ve just discovered, and write it down so that we can go back and look at where our problems lie, enabling us to compare and contrast to fix ongoing issues.

But one of the greatest attributes of writing is that it enables us to create a direct path to that intuitive voice, the subconscious mind, the sixth sense, the divine, if you will. Here is where we find oftentimes priceless gems of knowledge and understanding that would probably stay hidden if we didn’t write.

It stays hidden because people are looking at life with myopic eyeglasses. They aren’t seeing the forest for the trees. The major reason being that they don’t study enough of what is going on around them. In order to truly see what’s going on, you have to read, study, think, contemplate, write or journal, just generally keep the mind active and nimble. Like your belly, it gets soft with inactivity. One of the best things you can do is write on a daily basis. Writing enables one to call forth hidden wisdom, forgotten facts that create insights that are powerful and priceless. Let me give you a few examples of what this journaling can do for you.

I know of a man who was having a normal life working as a computer programmer, going to work, raising a family, enjoying his work and leisure time. However, one day his life was turned upside down, as often happens to us humans (It happens so often that it should not be a surprise to us-maybe add this to our early education as well). He contracted MS. He did the usual in attempting to work with the mental / emotional aspect of the disease. He spoke to doctors. He spoke to family and friends. This helped to a degree but he needed more help than they could provide. So where did he go? To paper and pen. He realized that only by examining his thoughts on his own could he reach needed understanding. As he wrote, he began to have insights and understandings that were specific to his plight. Understandings others and even he could not have come up with.

“What?” You ask. “Not even him? But isn’t he writing here?”

Yes, but as I’ve stated before, it is the subconscious, intuitive / creative voice that taps into submerged solutions, understandings, forgotten facts and connections that only come forth when we allow ourselves to think freely and intuitively. Subsequent chapters will help you free yourself up, let go of counterproductive thoughts and habits locking up great personal discovery. Not sure if you’ve ever heard the old sixties saying, “Free you mind and your ass will follow.” Well, hopefully we’ll get a lot more than rear end feed up. Let’s get back to the example.

This man began to discover ways of dealing with his disease that no one else was coming up with, solutions that worked specifically for him-his unique situation. He began recording how he was feeling at his worst times. For instance, at one point, he began writing down how often he was waking up at night, and what he was feeling, and passed that information on to his doctor who was able to tailor preventative solutions based on this information. The man even went back to writing poetry, something that he hadn’t done in years, to discover insight and calm that he said would have never happened if he hadn’t gotten sick-the sickness forcing him to write again.

I know from personal experience that it has been the times I’ve spent alone, feeling down and desperate, sad and destitute, that have not only motivated me to seek out a better life but has helped me to see the significance of this better life and to appreciate it for all the joy and reward it brings. The result? Greater insight, understanding, compassion for others who suffer the same plight, and strength, coming from overcoming such difficulties and tragedies.

People often complain about their difficulties, curse God for their bad luck, but they never look to the light at the underbelly of tragedy and failure. Without these downtimes, how do we ever know success? There is no one who has ever succeeded who hasn’t known failure. And that is good, for how can you succeed without it? If failure did not exist, and you only knew success, how would you know your were successful? If you were always healthy and never got sick, how could you know health?

This is old news, philosophy that has been around for ages. The Taoist speaks of it in the ying / yang: hot / cold, light / darkness, health / sickness, pleasure / pain. If we didn’t have these pairs then we would not know the good or the bad. It is the way this world is set up. For our benefit.

By keeping our minds open, we are able to see things we would not normally be able to see. Important things.

Here’s another example. A woman was concerned about a defect in her child’s head. She had gone to a couple of experts who said that everything was fine, that the child would grow out of it. Nevertheless, she continued to worry and seek out experts. She just knew something was wrong.

Point of note: good example here of not listening to others or blindly following the crowd. How many less informed mothers or mothers with weaker intuition would have accepted these expert’s opinions?

She decided that in order to work out this problem she would journal. She, like the man with MS, had gone to experts, family and friends for advice but she knew that she hadn’t found what she was looking for. So she began to write.

In writing, she discovered an un-opinionated, neutral partner in her pen and paper. But she was not alone. She knew that there was another presence working with her. She could feel it as she came to greater understanding of what she should do. Seek out additional experts. She did.

Some time later she came upon a doctor who was working on a new disease of the bone, specifically related to children. She brought her child in. After the doctor examined the child, he suggested that they not delay and operate as soon as possible.

After the operation both the doctor and mother were satisfied with the result, the doctor telling the mother that if she had delayed the child might not have survived. The mother was also satisfied with the information and insight that she received from her journal, not only because she had saved her child but she had come to a great understanding through writing how to best deal with a highly charged emotional situation-a situation no one else was able to remedy to the mother’s satisfaction.

Journaling, writing, keeping a diary, any form of jotting down one’s ideas in a quiet place on a regular basis is fundamental to tapping into and maximizing one’s ability to be successful in most if not all areas of life.

Jeff Brown has been writing for over thirty years. He is an astute observer of the human condition and has overcome many personal development challengs by applying the principles he speaks of to his own life. His current novel Black Body Radiation and the Ultraviolet Catastrophe can be found at Amazon.com His newest book, Give and Grow Yourself Rich will be out in early 2008.

First, to set the stage, let’s start by saying that most believe education to be critical. Education here meaning high school since it is compulsory and everyone is required to attend. But specifically the content of the “education” spoken to by the majority is quite different from what is essential to survive in today’s competitive world. (More on this later.) Nevertheless, the popular content of the general high school curriculum those in the media, political and public arenas speak of entails arithmetic, science, language, phys ed, history, and English.

And most have been conditioned to believe that this type of education is necessary or critical or that a child without a high school education and, in most cases today, a college education limits the average child’s chance for success in the job market. And this is true to a degree but less so than most believe. But to continue our definition, it should be pointed out here that education gained usually translates to “job,” meaning that the belief is that high school and / or college are preparing the student for her life’s work. But this is not true and our youth are being shortchanged. For after twelve maybe sixteen years of education, then what? Education stops because institutional education is complete?

Today such thinking is disastrous, for with the opening of the global job market and greater competition–therefore the greater creative destruction of capitalism–one needs to be on the ball and constantly updating skills, even deleting and re-learning new skills, a situation that requires less of educational standards and a greater understanding of the critical need for developing one’s self-education skills that readies one for the great changes ahead–not only numerous jobs but careers that are sure to come. Never before has it been more critical for students and workers to understand the need to keep one’s skills, attitudes, and knowledge in tip-top shape, up to date and forever expanding.

And of course, as I’ve mentioned before numerous times-but bears repeating-high school grads and even college grads are lacking fundamental skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are more critical today than ever before: self-educating skills (as mentioned), critical and intuitive thinking, financial IQ, honesty, integrity, work ethic, success principles (upwards of 64 of them!), ability to work well with others, public speaking / leadership skills, and so much more.

Why are these intangibles, these often over looked skills, knowledge, and attitudes so important? Well, it is just the foundation of these very intangibles-which are rarely addressed in education-that will keep the average graduate on solid footing in regards to the many career changes guaranteed to come. After all this is, as Allen Greenspan states, the age of turbulence. The new grad must be adaptive, focused, work ready, and basically a company of one, ready and able to adapt as change occurs on the job, in the world national and international, and in ever changing career shifts. How market ready are you? How valuable and adaptive are your insights, skills, and attitudes? No longer can one rely on just one degree, skill, or job to see them through to retirement and its pension (by the way, pensions will have nearly evaporated by the time those who are just entering the work force have retired if current trends continue–they already are weakened and dissappearing).

This now brings us to the current state of education and belief that a standard high school education is necessary. Let’s bear down on the point at hand.

We often hear that schools are doing poorly or doing well in regards to testing and grades in the standard disciplines mentioned above–math, science, English, etc.. And it is generally taken for granted that we need these courses and that our children will benefit by taking them. However, how do we know this? What tangible evidence, research and verification tells us that what our children study is benefiting them five, ten, twenty years down the road?

As far as I know, there is none. To ensure that an education is critical it first must have value for the consumer, for if it holds none its hold on the consumer will be short lived. If we looked at the truth, we will find that not only are most not using that which they’ve learned in school and even college but they have little to no desire to retain it in the first place. Here are a few direct quotes from current and former students of mine.

“Got labs today. Can’t wait to purge this junk once the test is over.”

“Dude, that class is a joke. Do what we all do. Get the grade, dump the junk, and get on with your life.”

“Whoever thought we needed half this crap [knowledge gained from classes taken] should be shot, run over, then shot again.”

Some of these statements I’ve overheard or seen posted on various social media. (I’ve left out  the numerous comments that have an “R” rating or higher.) The point being that there’s a lot of precious “knowledge” out there that has little value for many in high school and college.

Why is this allowed to happen in the first place?

Well, most education is not for profit, meaning that if it were there would be a lot of asking of the customer what she likes and doesn’t like, as well as what is useful and not useful to not only retain  customers but to encourage them to come back. There’s little if any of that concern in education at any level. For emphasis, just consider where you get optimum service, at the DMV, US Post Office, or INS? Or maybe more so at Blockbusters, Wells Fargo, or Vons Supermarket? Yes, where the customer is king, in the private sector.

Most education is run by states and, therefore, talked about by those governing the country–those with short-term agendas to get elected or re-elected–not with the long-term picture in mind. And this bears out the point that most have little interest in or concern for what happens to grads after they’re gone and whether or not what they’ve studied is needed or necessary. Even schools and colleges are guilty of this offense. Have you ever been approached by your school or college with a survey to discern your consumer satisfaction? Then my question is, how do they have any idea that what they are doing is right? Good? Of merit or quality? Of need, even?
On top of it all, students attending school and college and their parents just take it for granted that authorities and governing bodies (regional accreditors that are academically oriented and not tied into the realities of the private sector) have selected curriculum that is appropriate for ever child’s needs, a ridiculous proposal at best. Does anyone ever question what they or their child is taking in school and / or college and how it specifically applies to them, their abilities, talents, character, skills, and desires? Trusting so much in governing bodies that do little to no checking to see if that which they are requiring students in schools and college is beneficial years later? If private companies were run like this they’d be out of business quicker than you could say “failed thinking.”

It is critical today more than ever before that consumers-students-understand thoroughly not only what education means, and its limitations, but what they need to ensure success not only in the workforce, but in their families, society, and spiritual life. There is so much that so many are missing out on with the current state of the education nation. It is in a sad state indeed and only its privatization or the seeking of a proper, thorough and adequate education by individuals in the know of what is needed will truly reform education. As consumers of education, we certainly need to be better trained in what we are receiving, what we need, and how to go about getting it.

According to Kathy Kristof, “Crushed by College,” the above attorneys were “victims of an unfolding education hoax on the middle class that’s just as insidious, and nearly as sweeping, as the housing debacle The ingredients are strikingly similar, too: Misguided easy-money policies that are encouraging the masses to go into debt; a self-serving establishment trading in half-truths that exaggerate the value of its product; plus a Wall Street money machine dabbling in outright fraud as it foists unaffordable debt on the most vulnerable marks” (Forbes, Feb 2, 2009).

There’s also the myth that if you go to college you make about $1 million more on average than a high school grad, once again, failed thinking. The belief is that it is college that is enabling the individual to make more money. Maybe it’s just that smart people go to college and are more likely to make more money than high school grads because of their smarts, and it has little to nothing to do with the degree. It’s failed cause effect thinking. There are many who have never gone to college or dropped out, like Bill Gates from Harvard, who don’t have a degree who are making cash hand over fist.

Even if you get a degree, there’s no promise that you’ll use it, need it, or that it will prepare you for the work you desire to take up. For example, I hear time and again that those who are now in business have little use for their business degree. Personally, I obtained a certificate in programming and had to get in at the entry level shuffling reports. I eventually got into programming, but I didn’t use any of the languages I learned and acquired all of my know-how on the job. Even my BA and MA in English did little to nothing to prepare me to teach grammar, mechanics, punctuation, and composition, all of which I learned on the job, once again. Interesting to note that an English major was not required to take even one grammar or composition class.

But there’s more to the story.

If you add the expense of going to college (tuition, fees, books, room & board: $46, 700 / yr. public schools; $99,000 yr. / private schools) what isn’t taken into consideration is that the “$1 million college over high school grad” advantage doesn’t kick in until the grad has been out of school twelve years or more (don’t forget to include the four years of college where no money is earned) before the loan is paid off.That is if you graduate (half entering college never do), don’t default on your loan (17% write offs), aren’t delinquent (upwards of 24%) and pay without interruption (many defer payments or file for hardships while interest continues to accrue).

On top of all this is the fact that private lenders add 10% “origination fees” onto 18% variable interest rates (there’s no legal limit). These private loans are now twice as profitable as government loans and has attracted financial institutions like Citigroup, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo.

The arm of abuse extends far, for according to New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s office, investigations have discovered “troubling, deceptive and often illegal practices . . . involving lenders, educational institutions and financial aid officials.” So those “sacrosanct” college and university staff are not as many perceive them to be.

Another thing that colleges, universities, and other institutions of learning (for profit) don’t tell American Dream hopefuls is the reality of what their degree can actually get them. Often times, as stated above, the curriculum to job or reality match is not even close. Some students are preached to about the great paying jobs they’ll get only to discover that it is those with years of experience or a greater degree and years of struggle that has “ensured” said success.

Here’s another sobering factoid:

“One in four college grads takes home considerably less than the top quartile of high school grads, according to a College Board study” (Kathy Kristof, “Crushed by College”).

Also, if you’re thinking of taking the traditional path to “job security” and the American Dream through being a doctor and opening up your private practice, think again.

In a recent survey only 18% of physicians deemed their practices financially stable. What with liability, exorbitant student loan debt ($155,000 average which has jumped from 20% of their average pay to 60%) and the fact that the self-employed don’t get considerable tax breaks like business owners or investors, the American dream here has moved into nightmare territory.

One day at a McDonalds, my wife and I were sitting next to a nanny with two children. Speaking in Spanish, she told us that she worked for a couple with private practices. They worked from seven in the morning until seven in the evening seeing their children for an hour before putting them to bed and going to bed themselves.Why? To survive.

Another consideration is a single income stream and its overall disadvantage. Even if the employee happens to be a college grad who has optimized her income (some $30,000 / yr. over what high school grads make), what happens when that steam dries up in these economically challenging times? where cost of living to income ration is the worst it’s ever been for single income employees. Never before has it been so challenging just to pay the bills never mind put away a little money for a “rainy day.” If the employee can’t work any longer for whatever reason (health, business or industry collapse, competition), what is a single-stream income employee to do?

It’s old thinking, out-dated thinking, failed thinking, and most of all, dangerous thinking. Never before has it been so critical, so essential that the individual understand that he is responsible for his financial future and that financial IQ is one of the most important elements of his ongoing education.

The American Dream has changed along with the economy and few are aware. There needs to be an awakening to the facts that achievement of the American Dream through college and “job security” are things of the past and that people need to quickly get up to speed as to what needs to be done to survive financially through the working years into retirement. Little of what is needed relies on a college degree. Just ask the experienced. They’ll tell you the truth. No lie.

But if a child is to learn, spending at least the required twelve years in school in America, why this “education”?

For one, there are certain, as Allan Bloom believed, education standards required to enhance not only communication amongst a people but understanding. In addition, there is a certain level of significance to the fact that children must learn reading, writing, arithmetic, science, literature, history and such, for intellectual and vocational satisfaction. However, specifically what the depth and breadth of that knowledge should be is widely debated.

But there is more.

As we all know, there is quite a bit missing from education: for one, the heart and soul little touched.

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” ~~ Aristotle

And imagination is given lip service in the arts (it should be used in all disciplines) but our students are little encouraged to fly, rather working to the test ingesting fact, theory, and formula.

“He who has imagination without learning has wings but no feet.” ~~ Joseph Joubert

In addition to an under-stimulated imagination, we do little to encourage independent intuitive and critical thinking, the student marching on for the academic machine; or as one of my students claimed “To serve.”

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” ~~ Dorothy Parker

“To control and sort young people for the sake of institutional efficiency is to crush the human spirit.” ~~ Ron Miller

And little is done to encourage individual thinking that which comes through quite reflection and solitude, especially in a day-n-age of constant motion: texting, television, games, and chatting.

“The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind.” ~~ Albert Einstein

But I am here to tell you that even though all of these greater things are missing, the argument as to what of the lesser (fact, theory, formula) should be taught in school matters little.

But “Why?” you say. Because most of what is taught to the student is not only of little interest but most of it is never thought of or used again.

But there’s more.

As long as a child is exposed to a good variety of knowledge and, probably more importantly, an enthusiasm for gaining discipline and consistency in obtaining that knowledge, when the child obtains young adulthood she will, through proper training or happenstance (which unfortunately is most often the case), learn what she desires to end up doing the majority of her waking hours here on this earth. And from here she will take the necessary steps to seek satisfaction, if she is fortunate. Unfortunately, within 5 to 10 years after graduation, 70% of college grads are no longer working in a field related to their major. After all that which has been learned in high school has been forgotten and that which has been learned in college no longer of use to the majority, one can see the waste this so called “education” is.

The key issue here, as alluded to above, is that the student needs to know how to self-teach, for it is here and only here where most of her development will occur. (An inward understanding of desires, talents, abilities, and gifts is also necessary to waste less time working where one should not be, a critical point I have spoken to often). It is interesting to note that the majority of those seeking improvement from the mislabeled field of self-help (interesting that ideally this is where the help should come from–the self) begin to do so around the age of twenty-seven. It is at this point in life when the majority get an inkling that “education” has failed them and that they must personally make amends.

But why is this self-educating critical to one’s greater education?

For those who go the extra mile, students will complete their formal education at the age of twenty-two. Of course some later, some sooner, and some will return, regardless, for those who maximize their education they will do so after completing 16 years of a formal education.

Then what?

Since school systems force what is to be learned upon students in a rigorous manor with little desire for input or feedback from them as to feelings, concerns, or thoughts, this has turned off the majority to learning; because of this there is little hope that learning will continue beyond those 12 years, 16 if going on to college. And since learning by wrote to the test is often the plight of most students (after all this “training” they get it and do little other than look to nurture their grade average), learning how to think creatively, intuitively, and rigorously to see the more stimulating and enlivening bigger picture is a moot point. Unfortunately, we are creating drones with little imagination and ability to adapt and think creatively, intuitively, critically in an age when job security and even career security (some experts say up to 10 career changes over a workers life span) is a thing of the past.

Bottom line, if education does not instill a passion for learning in the student, the student has been shortchanged emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually.

Another related point to consider is that education fades. Consider that within 24 hours of reading one forgets 80% without review, what does that say of an education months, never mind years, after completion if, first, that knowledge gained is repulsive (many taking the test and then purging what has been learned like a bulimic), second, that knowledge is never revisited for lack of use.

We fool ourselves as a nation if we think education has any great redeeming or lasting importance under these circumstances. People treat education as if it were a saving grace, the knowledge and understanding gained to be used for greater human good or “job security” (to be a good human one learns wisdom–difference between right and wrong–not facts, stats, and formulas). Yet the majority of knowledge is taken in and lost faster than you can say “Senior skip day.”

“Education in our times must try to find whatever there is in students that might yearn for completion, and to reconstruct the learning that would enable them autonomously to seek that completion.” – Allan Bloom, Closing of the American Mind

Some of that “completion” may entail a standard education, but not much. There is so much beyond what schools teach our children that is not only never taught but never mentioned and is, in most cases, stumbled upon as graduates real from trying to discern why their lives are out of control and missing so much satisfaction not only in career pursuits but greater pursuits of the emotional and critical strengthening of the character.

“As it now stands, students have powerful images of what a perfect body is and pursue it incessantly. But deprived of literary guidance, they no longer have any image of a perfect soul, and hence do not long to have one. They do not even imagine that there is such a thing.” – Allan Bloom, Closing of the American Mind.

May our minds remain open to the possibility of the need for the greatest of change to bring about a better education so that formal education does not simply expire and fade away. May we seek the best answers for our youth now and in the future.

Let’s begin by dispelling the myth that teachers (for now let’s talk primary and secondary) are all that and a bag of chips. Teachers are not only given too much credit, they are given too much of the blame. Currently, the move is toward greater teacher accountability for student outcomes based on assessment criteria. What’s all that arcane jargon mean? Simply that teachers are to a greater and greater degree being held responsible for students’ grades. That, my friend, is a good one. Almost as funny as the one where a minister, priest and rabbi walk into a bar . . . OK, forget the joke, let me explain.

To a great degree, teachers (k through 12) have a workload that even the toughest laborer would bend and break under. They not only have to prepare lessons, attend meetings (teacher, administrative, parent), and have a life-if they can fit it in-they have a workload that has them averaging 57 hours worked per week ¹. On top of that, consider that working as a teacher is stressful because there is no time to relax. As a teacher, you are in charge of teaching, policing, cajoling, organizing, coaching, motivating, disciplining, and so on. From start to finish of the school day there is little time to relax, and you are working at full sensory capacity most of the time. That is why there is such great teacher burn out. You have very little time to kick back and recede into yourself (like a desk jockey or cubical cubby). So, on top of all this, teachers are now to be responsible for chasing 100 to 200 students to make sure they are doing their homework and are learning what they need to learn. Good luck.

But consider that there are other factors now that weaken the teacher physically, emotionally, and authoritatively. It is the last item I desire to focus on here. Students and parents, to a great degree, have sapped the teacher’s strength as the authoritative figure, one of the reasons why 3 out of 5 teachers now entering the field (K through 12) look at teaching as a stepping stone. I have a lawyer friend who did just that.

When he began teaching, he was told by a grizzled veteran that “you will either give into the student’s demands or you will quit.” To cite an example of this loss of control, at a general assembly a student was acting up. My friend told the student, who was not his, to settle down. The student challenged him and said, “I don’t care. You can even call the police. Nothing’s going to happen to me.” Another friend, a fellow classmate in graduate school, told me she was no longer a high school teacher because after 13 years her authority in the classroom had nearly vanished. Add to this parents who no longer, to a great degree, support teachers. Many a parent, if their child receives a bad grade, places the blame entirely on the teacher, the student getting off scot-free.

Teachers are not, should not, or ever be seen as the main educators, motivators, keepers of their students or children. Children? What does that word naturally imply? Of course, parents. It is the parents’ responsibility to make sure that their children are doing their homework and doing it well, getting off the couch and being the teachers they should be.

I have numerous friends who have taken back the teaching of their children by home teaching. An issue of much discussion, but I mention it here to show how the problems of the K-12 school system has gotten so out of control that parents are taking the issue into their own hands. Many parents have discovered that the education system is failing and is not preparing their children for the work-a-day world. This is an issue in and of itself, not to be gone into detail here, however.

But what is the role of the parent even if he or she decides not to home school?

It is essential that parents not only teach academics (meaning, bare minimum checking homework) but other vitally important issues of concern, concerns that last a lifetime beyond all the math, science, history, and English that is all too soon forgotten. A few things that should exist on that list are a work ethic, accountability, patience, perseverance, manors / respect for authority, cooperation, tolerance for difference, sacrifice, charity, humility, and more. If these things were taught by parents, as they should be, perhaps the number of problems we now face in school and society would be reduced.

Continuing with the issue of educational necessity and change, I’d like to propose an academic overhaul. This issue is quit complex and something I go into greater depth in my upcoming book Education is a Waste of Time, but I’d like to touch on a few points here.

Consider that in 24 hours we forget 80% of what we read if we don’t review, and even more so if we don’t pay attention, have acquired the skill of better retention, and, most importantly, don’t care, how much does our no-student-left-behind retain? Well, according to my eight-plus years of teaching, mostly at the college level, and concurring statistical evidence, less than 1/3 of all students entering college have sufficient math, reading, and writing skills. The key word here is “sufficient.” Considering that there is a push for more math and science majors to keep up with the 6 countries that produce students that exceed our student’s preparedness, it appears we don’t have much hope. Even though the push for students is ill-founded because of the small number of existing careers that require high level math skills, the numbers do not bode well.

Taking all this into consideration, how important is it that we teach our students specific, locked in studies: math, science, history, English, and so on. I often will address this point by asking my students to regurgitate on queue, from the first minute to last, all that they learned in a class that day before coming to my class. Most if not all come up completely empty handed. One thing we don’t teach or inspire our students to do is to pay attention and acquire skills that will aid in focusing on key material and being able to recall it. Where is that class in high school? We merely throw it at ‘em and hope it sticks.

Something else we’ve forgotten to do, like any good marketer in the business world know, is to simply ask. What has happened to our empowered, “no-student-left-behind” student? The overly liberal shift of power from teacher to student is being wasted if we don’t ask the empowered what they want? And if they don’t know, well, now that they’ve been given the power, they by all means should work on it. Many a parent, teacher, administrator will say, “Well, they’re children. They aren’t mature enough to know.” Well, if we don’t ask them we’ll never know. And we shouldn’t just ask them once, for they are developing and changing rapidly at this time. How ‘bout this. We ask ‘em often and we ask ‘em early. Consider the following. Please bare with me.

On average, 1 in 10,000 has perfect musical pitch. In many Asian countries, where pitch determines meaning (i.e.: going up at the end of a word means one thing, down another) 1 in 100 has perfect pitch. My point? Practice. If we get students thinking early and often what they want to do with their life, and more know than not, then that’s where they need to focus and not struggling, spending a majority of their time in classes they don’t care about, aren’t motivated to participate in, and bottom line, will end up wasting a lot of time in. Consider this, within ten years, 70% of college grads will be working in fields they were not educated in (regarding personal acquaintances, that number is low). And considering that many employers now only use a college degree as a dividing line (a way of weeding out candidates with less potential), why not get a degree in something you love? Don’t waste those four years.

There is a lot more to this topic, such as incorporating financial classes, inter-personal skills classes, success classes, and so on, but our K through 16 system is in serious need of repair and upgrading. And this must be done now before too much time passes and more time, money, and effort is wasted. I know that this magnitude of change is challenging but its essential and critical to the long-term welfare of our children; nevertheless, it is a goal or target that we have to shoot for. We have no alternative, remembering that it is not perfection that we seek but betterment.

¹ Teacher’s Workloads Diary Survey, BMRB Social Research, Sept. 2006

“There’s always room for improvement, you know–it’s the biggest room in the house.”– Louise Heath Leber

Everyone has to overcome shortcomings or weaknesses to achieve greater happiness. Maybe you’re too easily angered; an excessive procrastinator; you don’t follow through on commitments; are socially inept or can’t relate to people well enough to maintain relationships, a job, or family; can’t commit; can’t finish what you started; you have addictions to alcohol, drugs, video games, collecting, sports, pornography, or any avoidance behavior, on and on and on.

But to overcome weaknesses is difficult. It’s much easier to ignore them or say “Well, that’s just me. That’s who I am.” You can overcome the majority of your major weaknesses or character flaws, but it takes a lot of work and honesty.

“How desperately difficult it is to be honest with oneself. It is much easier to be honest with other people.”– Edward White Benson

“I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.”- Aristotle

“Everyone needs to twelve-step their lives. Don’t simply wait until you’ve got an addiction.” Anonymous

“Procrastination is the fear of success. People procrastinate because they are afraid of the success that they know will result if they move ahead now. Because success is heavy, carries a responsibility with it, it is much easier to procrastinate and live on the “someday I’ll” philosophy.”– Denis Waitley

It is too easy to stay with the status quo. Too easy to put off for tomorrow what will never happen today or ever. But weaknesses must be addressed, for many if not all of these weaknesses are life killers. Life killers in the sense that you deny yourself a greater happiness and joy by not fixing or working on them enough to make significant inroads. Life killers in the sense that you are not only denying yourself but others the benefit of what you have to offer. Bottom line, the more you fix you weaknesses the greater happiness, confidence, and peace of mind you achieve. The greater you achieve in these areas the greater you will achieve in the areas of financial gain, personal satisfaction, and desire to reach out to others. But there is a lot of sacrifice and effort involved. No fast-food, get-rich, learn-it-in-one-day schemes here.

“In order to live free and happily you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice.”– Richard Bach

“Self-esteem must be earned! When you dare to dream, dare to follow that dream, dare to suffer through the pain, sacrifice, self-doubts, and friction from the world, you will genuinely impress yourself.”– Dr. Laura Schlessinger

But growth requires getting out of one’s comfort zone and to not only do the difficult but to do the unimaginable. If you are poor of spirit, poor of mind, poor of soul, poor of influence, poor in pocket and poor of experience, you are the only one to blame. Time and time and time and time again I have heard directly and indirectly of the uber-successful their failures: Tony Robbins eating once a day and washing his dishes in the bathtub; Og Mandino, the greatest salesman on earth, losing his family, turning to drink and living on the streets; Dr. Joe Vital living in poverty for over a decade in Dallas, Texas. The many billionaires, millionaires, and lesser-aires all coming from less-than-nothing to rise through the refining fire of dire straits and circumstance having their mortal coil of clay shaped, strengthened and sanctified to not only the betterment of self but to the betterment of the hundreds, thousands, millions they’ve touched.

How many do you want to touch?

If you think you can’t touch many, think again, for in desiring a lesser life, you snuff out the God-given potential to rise and affect the masses, the many, the always and many who need you to overcome yourself for their betterment, a hand lent, a hand reaching down to lift up, only up.

“Great minds have purposes; little minds have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; great minds rise above them.”– Washington Irving

“Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it.”– The Buddha

“As you grow older, you’ll discover that you have two hands: One for helping yourself, the second for helping others.”- Unknown

But you need to address fear, overcome the self, the self-limiting desire to be comfortable and remain. Only in the remaining do we find despair and lack of hope. It is in the quick not the dead that we find purpose, hope, joy, and desire to touch the masses. The dynamic is in action, growth, it is where life is sanctified and made of great purpose, indeed.

“Only when you’ve worked on yourself long enough can you be of great worth to others. Don’t be selfish by doing nothing, build yourself to the benefit of others.”– Jeffrey P. Brown

“Our lives improve only when we take chances — and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.”– Walter Anderson

“If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.”– Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

“It all comes down to one very simple choice… Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’.”– Andy Dufrain, “The Shawshank Redemption”

“Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory, nor defeat.”– Theodore Roosevelt

“Take chances, make mistakes. That’s how you grow. Pain nourishes your courage. You have to fail in order to practice being brave.”– Mary Tyler Moore

“Why not go out on a limb? Isn’t that where the fruit is?”– Frank Scully

“A ship in harbor is safe, But that is not what ships are built for.”- unknown

“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.”– James B. Conant

“If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.”– Mario Andretti

But in order to do well, in order to find your dream, lock your hands about its neck so it doesn’t slip away, focus and dedication is required. You need to be ruthless in taking massive action on a consistent, persistent basis, with your eyes on the prize which resides above the horizon within the great heights of the stars. Work, sacrifice, and boldness of action are not only those things that success are made of but happiness, greatest fulfillment, and joy. Do this and leave mediocrity and your half-empty life behind for those of a lesser heart. You, my friend, have great things to do.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”– Harold Whitman

“Most people are so busy knocking themselves out trying to do everything they think they should do, they never get around to what they want to do.”– Kathleen Winsor

“You’ve achieved success in your field when you don’t know whether what you are doing is work or play.”– Warren Beatty

“Lack of will power has caused more failure than lack of intelligence or ability.”– Flower A. Newhouse

“I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time.”– Charles Dickens

“We don’t know who we are until we see what we can do.”– Martha Grimes

“The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.”– Maureen Dowd

You need to build yourself, build your character by not only overcoming weaknesses but finding you strength. For in the monetized world, business coaches speak to building one’s strengths for greater success. Michael Jordan succeeded in basketball and failed at baseball. Einstein succeeded as a theoretical physicist not as a salesman, which he almost became. Certainly to monetize one needs to focus on strengths. But the underlying weaknesses-the many I mentioned above and more-will tear at the foundation of one’s being, and ultimately success, faster than anything else.

“Whenever anyone has offended me, I try to raise my soul so high that the offense cannot reach it.”– Rene Descartes

“How do you know when you’ve built great character? When you can no longer be offended.” Jeffrey P. Brown

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”– African proverb

“With confidence you can reach truly amazing heights; without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp.”– Jim Loehr

“Talk to yourself every morning. By looking into those eyes, she or he will tell you everything you need to know. That is, if you’re brave enough to go there.” Jeffrey P. Brown

“The willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life is the source from which self-respect springs.”– Joan Didion

“Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become.”– Jim Rohn

This is the age of the entrepreneur, not only for the sake of independence but out of economic necessity. The standard job (just beyond broke) no longer provides for the American dream. Many are losing their homes and their lives along with it. With the death of pensions, social security, and job security (experts estimate employees entering the job market will have upwards of ten career changes before retirement), people as never before are reliant upon themselves to not only provide for the here and now but the retirement of later. And the majority are woefully ill-prepared for the after-job life, most not waking to the calamity of the lack of preparation well into retirement when it is way too late.

Therefore, since so much is reliant upon the individual, it has never been more important to make that individual strong-and that’s YOU. You must overcome your fear of failure, procrastination, being embarrassed, hurt, risk, of even happiness-yes, the fear of success itself-to obtain your ultimate goal. The you you will discover and become as you chip away at the old you to find the wonder, purpose, and potential that lives deep within us all.

God bless.

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”– Herman Cain

“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”– Joseph Chilton Pearce

“If you’re not failing every now and again, it’s a sign you’re not doing anything very innovative.”– Woody Allen

“However well organized the foundations of life may be, life must always be full of risks.”– Havelock Ellis

“If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not taking risks, and that means you’re not going anywhere. The key is to make mistakes faster than the competition, so you have more changes to learn and win.”– John W. Holt, Jr.

“If you are never scared, embarrassed, or hurt, it means you never take chances.”– Julia Soul

“Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.”– Frederick Wilcox

“A failure is like fertilizer; it stinks to be sure, but it makes things grow faster in the future.”– Dennis Waitley

For some time I had been walking through the faculty back entrance coming up on the backs of students as they allegedly worked away at the computers. I never took much notice until one day at about 8:00 in the a.m. I noticed a student playing a computer game. Nothing unusual, but what struck me as exceptional was that eight hours later he was still there. Yes, finishing my day, heading back through the computer lab to the faculty exit, I noticed at 4 p.m. that he was still playing!

Playing or play is the optimum word here. I discoverd over a span of seven years through personal observation that the majority of students at the computer lab were not working but rather playing: MySpace, texting, emailing, comptuer games. Thus confirming to me that the majority of students are unmotivated and confused as to what to do, the main reason the majority of students have not declared a major. But unlike popular opinion, this is not a time for students to find themselves. This work should have been done years ago so that when they reach adulthood they’re ready to take off not only to go to work and build a career, but to obtain personal fulfillment and self-actualization.

I will not be getting into work ethic in this article; rather I will address an issue that goes back further in a student’s preparation. Motivation.

And motivation here is not pep talk but rather a focus on the student’s innate talents, skills, abilities, and interests.

Everyone comes to this earth with certain things that they do better than most. But unfortunately, schools don’t focus on student interests, talents, abilities, or if they do, they do it poorly.

I know of a young lady of 23 who served her church mission in Peru. My wife, from Colombia, tells me that her Spanish is very good. Interestingly enough, her Spanish teacher told her that she would never speak Spanish. Here there is certainly the motivation of doing what she loves and believes in, motivation, but on the other side of the coin is a teacher whose focus is on de-motivation.

Too many times have I heard stories by well-know business people, entertainers, politicians, and so forth who spoke of school teachers or counselors who de-motivated or advised according to personal belief as to what the student should be doing with their lives.

I’ve heard of a famous movie director who was told he’d never be one and that he should think about teaching. A wealthy business guru who was told he should be a social worker. And so on and so forth, example after example of de- or mis-motivation or advice.

What is essential, key, critical is that an informed, open minded, third party work with the student early and often inquiring into what really gets him or her interested. Certainly there may be mis-starts or mis-informed starts, but eventually the student will get it right.

Key phrase here “student will get it right.” It is not for you or for me or for anyone to dictate choice and preference to the student but encourage him / her to pull forth honestly and with some effort what it is that they love to do and will benefit from not only monetarily but emotionally and spiritually. For as one moves closer and closer to their purpose, their calling in life he / she will begin to gain in energy, insight, direction, and purpose.

As one gets closer and closer to what she or he was put here to do, her / his path will begin to unfold and things will begin to happen as if being prodded and guided by a hidden hand. Many a successful person who has taken the time and put in the work to maximize and then realize this understanding has seen positive consequence.

This includes getting moving quickly or shooting then aiming. Once one has a substantial not perfect understanding of his / her talents, desires, abilities it is essential to get moving in a positive direction. And as you move, you will not only be informed what to do-winds of insight nudging you along the proper course here and there-but as understanding of your special purpose increases so will your confidence, power, and enthusiasm for life.

Personally, some eleven years ago I was self-informed that I was to go back to school, learn to write, teach, study, and gain knowledge / experience and then build my business. As I have done so, I have certainly had stops and starts, but as I have stayed true to my vision-not being sidetracked by doubt, alleged “better opportunities,” or any distraction–I have been rewarded in the extreme.

And as I made my way, it was interesting to note that in order to achieve my goal certain things helped me that occurred fortuitously that I could never have predicted. And this is key. As the student moves along his / her self-chosen path, due to a deep understanding of self, then the fortuitous becomes the anticipated and the expected.

Time and again you hear the successful, those following “their path,” speak to the point that it was fortunate or fate’s hand that lead them here or there or certain people or events occurred when they did. This phenomenon exists, yet too many get caught up in playing it safe, playing for the money, or playing someone else’s game and not sticking to their own.

One must develop self-understanding for proper goal setting and obtainment.

Then after this has been accomplished and the student is on his / her way, she / he must work to better themselves in regards to character or address and resolve major weaknesses and shortcomings that will undermine any level of talent, ability, gift, or skill. But that issue is for another time. However, a knowing of the self-interest, abilities, talents, etc.-concludes with the overcoming of weaknesses / shortcomings. From there, we work on acquiring additional knowledge, skills, attitudes that will aid in not only enhancing income but inner-peace and fulfillment that few too many ever achieve in life. For you certainly want to be like those who love what they do so much that sleep just gets in the way.

Don’t waste time or play games with your life. Come and live with us, those who enjoy this level of satisfaction and joy, and be of the few, the proud, the fulfilled.