America – and that means you! – Let’s do this thing!
Last week I had dinner with Michael Jenkins of Market Leverage, Chris Hedgecock a super star programmer, designer and marketer and about 20 other folks including Shoemoney at Switch, a new 5 star restaurant at Encore in Vegas.
When Michael, Chris and myself got up after finishing dinner, we looked at our watches and saw that 5 1/2 hours had passed.
We covered a lot of ground, and Chris schooled me good.
First we discussed business and travel. Michael told us the stories of climbing Kilimanjaro in Africa this year and also about another 23 thousand foot peak in Argentina. Michael proudly announced a new technology they are using on their site whereby you click what appears to be a regular link in green, and up pops a video that teaches you about that subject. In a way it what hyperlinks were originally designed for. You can see these “Green Links” now on the Market Leverage site. I will get to why I bring this up in a sec.
So I grew up in a very middle class family, but went to schools in areas with lots of gangs, drugs, massively mixed races, like a salad, and definitely was not in a family that was connected to politics. As a result of this I have been of the mindset of jumping up and down and screaming about global injustices, but never really have been able to do anything about it.
Chris on the other hand comes from a family where he got to meet a lot of the biggest politicians in the world, and a family where if they disagree, they do something about what is going on.
So I was telling the story of how I sat in a little diner in Lake Shasta eating breakfast a few years ago reading the San Francisco Chronicle’s story about how the U.S. was now torturing prisoners of war. I got really sad. I told Chris and Michael about how at that moment I lost my pride in being an American. Chris was on me immediately and told me how sad that made him.
Chris in his own way, and with his own words shifted my mindset to allow me to realize what a wimp I was being, and that something could be done about it. Wow. That’s right, we are a democracy, we can as individuals and collectively make change. Wow. Thanks so much for that Chris.
With my mindset changed, what then ensued was a discussion amongst the three of us about the constitution, the founding fathers, what could be done for the good with all this internet money, and the time and hours flew like feathers in the wind.
I have a good sense who reads this blog. You guys influence the minds of billions of people collectively through what we do online. This is it. This is the moment for our country. We are the guys who can change it. And that means you!
We have a new slate opening up tomorrow. A reset button, to power down and boot up again. It’s an American Defrag, Virus Scan, and reboot all taking place.
What is a recession? It is simply not enough production and commerce taking place right? What caused it? Overvalued homes? B.S.
It was beat up, demoralized Americans. It was Americans who as individuals feel responsible for losing at the global superbowl. One way or another a bunch of us got killed on 9-11. More of us have gotten killed in Iraq, and we have as a nation killed in Iraq. I am part of the responsibility of all of it.
I am an American.
Sick of it? Ready to do something? Ready to make a change?
How bad is the stock market anyway, one of the major factors looked at in evaluating the economy. The S and P 500 where most of my money has dropped back to 03 levels. Big deal. The stock market has always gone up and down and always will. But lets not sit at 03 levels any longer.
So how do we get out of this? I’m not talking a trick. I’m not talking about printing a bunch more monopoly money, or trying to feed a village with a stone. I’m talking that old Clint Eastwood, John Wayne Cowboy way. Where the town get’s together as a group and kicks some ass.
It’s time to stop trying to outsmart the next guy and and time to stop takeing without giving. What each of us needs to do is make enough loaves of bread, cars, homes, computers and whatever is needed, so that there is plenty to go around. If there is plenty made, then everyone can afford one, they buy, the money flows and the economy fixes itself.
I am sure Obama is going to do his best with social welfare programs and seeded money to try to jumstart the economy. But we can do it. We are America. We are Obama whether you voted for him or not. You and I know how to influence minds. We know how to sell.
We can get America to get off the couch tune out, and turn on! their computer and get to work.
We can sell, so why not sell success, hard work, the U.S. constitution, and good values to work hard and work ourselves out of this mess. Think Will Smith and friends at the end of Independence day.
If we work hard, produce our tails off, and market the heck out of our production the country could turn around in weeks with the stock market soaring!
So for me this is time. We have a clean slate, with no excuses. If we can elect a president, who of all things is Hawaiian, our country is capable of anything 🙂
So with no bullshit, and no rah no rah rah, would you be willing to help me and our new leaders get the show on the road? Blog about it, yell about it, twitter about it.
Are you ready again to be proud of your country, and proud to be an American?
Let’s do this thing! Let’s work hard and proud! Let’s go to sleep exhausted after working so hard all day. Let’s encourage the masses to do the same. Let’s be fair, and honest, and true to our own ideals.
That will solve it.
And if you wonder what I am trying to sell you?
Your future.
So if you give even half a rats ass about me I would like you to help.
I want you to blog about it.
I want you to write a blog so far out of your comfort zone it makes your chest thump and your stomach ache when you hit the publish button.
I want you to ask all of your readers whether they are a dozen or a million to work harder, be true to their ideals, and to tell their boss or themselves, I know the work day is done, but I am going to work a little harder and a little later to get the job done.
Could you blog about that for me? In your own words? With your own ideals?
Let me know when you do, and I will love you even more for it.
Peace and prosperity!
dk
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Wow man I am speechless. That dinner was amazing, and I know I walked away from it changed and educated by other people’s mindsets. I just didn’t know anyone else felt that way 🙂
Posted this yesterday while watching the Obama concert yesterday
http://www.knofun.com/2009/01/18/transparency-is-the-new-morality/
you are the man dk.
ReplyOne never knows what their words might start. 🙂
ReplyI had no idea that you wrote this. Let’s see who else we can get motivated into blogging to make the world better? Any takers?
Replythe power of positive thinking? the power of positive action.
as one of the nation’s millions of currently unemployed, i recognize how easy it is to get into a depressed funk: there’s no jobs available… how am i supposed to be productive? but, your message points out that positive action is what we need to get things turned around. go at that job search with gusto. show this country and the world that you can take on the challenge with pride and enthusiasm!
if we can… then maybe things will start to take a turn for the better.
🙂
ReplyI acknowledge the fact that no job is a pain. I haven’t had one myself in 20 years 🙂
If one has a need for work, and willing to work hard enough, In this country there is always help needed, work to be done, and those who will give you back for what you did.
The opportunities that exist today are boundless if you look hard enough for them.
None of us are owed anything. It is our responsibility to work for it!
ReplyWow. This is an phenomenal post dK. I truly believe that dedicating ourselves to some hard work will have an incredibly great return. Thank you for reminding me what immense power each American is given- should we only choose to embrace it our days of living in fear will simply wash away.
ReplyGreat Post.
People are too often caught up in talking about what others and especially what the government should do.
We need to realize that the big problems are only manageable if we all get off our asses and do something to make a change for the better every day.
ReplyGreat story. I have met many people who have a tale about some simple sentence that changes there mindset. I was in a funk once and a good friend told me that no one was gonna do it for me, I had to do it for myself. He wasn’t even trying to be motivational, without knowing it, he flipped a switch. The lights were on. Hopefully this blog will flip some switches. Good words DK. Go America.
ReplyI’m glad to see so many nods of agreement. The discussion in the chiropractic office today is simply how we are at such a fantastic crossroads. First time in 8 years that a lot of people have been hopeful.
Can I get you to blog on your own blog about this?
Don’t even care if I get a link, I just want to spread this message.
If this message is too bold or two positive then as a country we are screwed. This is one of the most optimistic moments since JFK, and our chance to stop being so dam sarcastic and flipant about government and the economy and actually take some responsibility and fix it.
No B.S., the readers of this blog are some of the most powerful people in our country, whose readership reaches millions of people. If we can’t win right now, this second, in capturing the hearts and imagination of the people of this country, then I don’t know when the right moment will ever come.
ReplyI was talking to my mom about this very subject recently and we decided that no matter how long it takes for Obama to turn things around, you can tell already that the American people in general feel more confident about our future situation because of his attitude towards it. It’s so much more important to give people hope for the future than it is to simply promise them more money as many politicians do today. Give people a new sense of right and wrong versus profitable and not profitable. We need to look at a more Buddhist ideal in which we have an inner nature to do the most good and help the greater community rather than just a “what’s going to put me ahead of the crowd” attitude. Being kind and compassionate to everyone (especially your enemies) and realizing that all sentient beings have the basic want of happiness and do not want suffering, will begin to fix an attitude within us that will really turn things around for the better. So stop your car and let an elderly person cross the street in front of you. What harm can that possibly do? Hold the door open for someone with a stroller or wheelchair. Give a smile to everyone you walk past, it’s contagious. We can fix our economy but first we must fix ourselves and our misconceptions about what’s good and bad.
Replynow, america have new president “barack obama”
ReplyI think today was National Service Day, and while this may not seem like a typical volunteering gig, I think that blogging and taking virtual action should count too! Spreading the message online is much more effective! While I’m happy to still work with great causes, I think speaking up and being a concerned citizen with an active voice should play just as big a role. Glad our event could spur some of the thought behind this post. Looking forward to some follow ups from those taking you up on your challenge!
ReplyIt’s amazing what one can accomplish with someone pushing you to do it. Sometimes it takes a little push to do something big. And even if you are in a funk, of all things positive thinking will get you out. Imagine how much longer you will be in that funk if you just sit and be do nothing and think negatively. Wayyyyy longer than if you do something, anything and think positive thoughts that things will change. The big thing is making your positive thinking into positive acting.
Reply[…] you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. DK of Purpose, Inc. has issued a challenge to America to get off our asses and make our country better any way we can and I’ve gladly accepted the […]