Have you been impacted by this "Economic Slow-Down"?

I have to admit, I never expected this "crisis" to get as bad as it has. Maybe it's the way I was raised. My family was very pro small business. I remember working at our family business at the age of five or six and both of my parents had sideline businesses outside of their regular jobs. It seemed to me that America was blessed by God and we had a system that was built upon the strength of each person working to improve his life.

I was a true believer. The first clue I had of how fragile our nation is came with the 9/11 attacks and the resulting economic ramifications. Evidence continued to mount with the Hurricane Katrina response and eventually forced me to face the truth with this latest disaster. I now realize that our country has become a victim of what I call the Management Mentality. We manage things that should be unacceptable or things that can't be managed. "That lady they attacked was in the wrong place, she should have known better or locked her doors". "Of course they took your money and gave you a bad deal, that's what companies do". Thinking like this causes a slow but steady degradation of society. People who commit horrible crimes are sick or evil.......period. We need people who run companies to be responsible for the welfare of their employees and customers. Teachers for their students, parents for their children.

I know that this thinking is thought to be a way to control people that don't fit in a neat little "family values" lifestyle, but what's the alternative? We as Hustlers depend on directing our time, money and energy at activities designed to create value for others which result in profits for ourselves. We don't necessarily need a level playing field, but we need SOME kind of field to play on. Right now too many people are afraid to play the game. Trying to manage areas best left to faith or chance.

"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you oughtta go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross; but it's not for the timid." -- Q (Star Trek)

Hustlers, don't sit on the sidelines, we know when you play you might loose some games. But those that never play, never win.

Sorry for this "dark" post. I am usually a very positive person, but it seems like so many people are confusing opportunity with risk these days................makes it hard to hustle!