Occupy This!

I was contemplating two different titles for this Blog entry……but my son and I were just discussing the Occupy Wall Street movement and so this title won out.

Now I was born in the 50’s and grew up in the 60’s and 70’s, so I have seen my share of movements before.  You know, the hippie’s and flower power and all of that. 

And of course we all have a right to speak out with our opinions.  So they can speak out all they want!

But the occupy movement is obviously one that has grown out of frustration by many age groups.  So it is a little different than comparing it to….let’s say draft age people who oppose the Vietnam War.

In the occupy movement you have college kids…..and then you have middle aged people who may have lost their jobs…and possibly even their homes.  And then you have older people who may have lost their retirement and savings.  But in any case the movement is different from what I have witnessed when I was growing up.

But when the anti establishment flower power movement died off and withered away……the young people went off and got jobs in the establishment……and many today are executives in the very establishment that they were opposed to.

Hmmmmm…..that’s a little funny and then again, not really surprising after all.

So what about the occupy folks?  Well because they span over several generations it is not a single answer, and yet…..the most obvious answer for all of them is in the very thing that they oppose.  But before I jump into a possible answer for these folks….we need to first look at some of the causes.

First of all, the younger folks….the college aged kids, are now being faced with paying for their college tuition.  And why should they be burdened with such a thing?  If the middle class is struggling to pay the bills, well then obviously they don’t have the money to pay for their kid’s college education. 

But that isn’t a surprise for me personally because I had to pay my own way through college and in fact it took me 9 years to pay off my loans.

But the real point is that these same kids were brought up on the internet where everything is free.  Any information that they would require is pretty easy to find on the internet….for free.  I mean Facebook is free right…..and Google is free…..even this Blog site is free.  J 

And when Google wanted to put all the books of the world on the internet…..so that all people would have equal opportunity at this information……some people were outraged that the authors wanted to protect their work through the copyright laws……after all…..they worked hard to write the book.  Why should the rights be taken away from them…….and given away for free?

So this young generation has a feeling of entitlement……to get things for free.  But we live in the real world and that’s not the way it works…..at least in most parts of the world.  And taking away from hard working individuals…..in order to give others information or provisions……is not the answer to the problem.

And then there is the middle aged and even the older folks.  They feel an entitlement to their badly needed job…..or their retirement fund.  And they do have a right to such things…..but the world has changed. 

Folks who know me know that it took me 2 years and 10 months to find a job.  And even at that….the new job will take about 3 months to start generating an income….and maybe up to 6 months to have that income, produce enough to where we could live off of it.

And I am ecstatic about my new job……but because it’s a new career…..there is a price to be paid.  In this case the price means I need to earn my way up the ladder and that will take a few months…..at the very least.

So I understand these folks….I really do.  And I thought for sure that in my industry….I would never have a hard time finding a job.  And not being able to find a job…..or get financially wiped out just before reaching retirement age……well I didn’t see that one coming.

But there are different ways to approach any problem.  We need to come up with an answer that not only fixes the problem……but also reimburses you for the time and money lost……because of that problem.

Some would say that we need to start a class war…….putting those who have, against those who do not have. 

Really?  Take from the rich to give to the poor?  Taking from those who work hard, in order to give to others isn’t the answer either. 

Might be a great idea for a fable like Robin Hood…..but it doesn’t really work in the real world.

Well if we look back into history we find two very important facts.  The first is that wealth redistribution doesn’t work.  It doesn’t.  The money always returns back to those who work hard, save their money, live below their means and invest their money…..in order to get their money to work for them…..instead of them working for the money.

The second fact is that a country is only as rich as its citizens.  So……taking away from the rich and giving to the poor and middle classed folks may sound great to the poor and middle classed folks who lost their jobs……..but it does not fix the problem.

Especially in a country that is going broke and digging a financial hole that is getting so deep, that the chances of getting out of the hole is becoming less likely as each new day passes.

Alright……alright……so what is the answer?

For all of us who lost our jobs…..or our retirement funds…...or even for all of those who have bills to pay, like college tuition…….well….we need to adapt to change.  It’s okay if we messed up and got into trouble. 

If we fix the problem…..we can get it all back…..and then some.

And instead of concentrating on finding someone to blame for our problems, what if we redirect that energy to find a new career.  Better yet……lets find a career that will pay us back…..not only with more money than what we used to make……but also repay us in the most precious commodity of all….and that’s time.

What if we found a career that gave us more time to do what we love to do…..spend more time with our friends and family…..AND…..more time to help those who need our help.

And for those of us who are Christians……more time to do what we were put on earth to do!!!!!

Well without re-writing War and Peace here…..lets look at a couple of possible answers……aimed directly at two of the avenues that the occupy movement either blames……or maybe one avenue that has a little credit in starting the movement.

The first new career could involve the internet.  Why…..because it’s free.  Well after you pay for the internet connection.

If there is something you really love to do…..maybe archery….or photography….how about camping and hiking…..what about writing…or reading?  You see….if you look you will find opportunities all over the internet to take what you really love to do…..and use the internet to share that love with others who love that topic as well.

But how do you get paid?  How does Google get paid?  Why would they give Blog sites away for free? 

They get paid for the little advertisements that you see off to the side on Facebook….and every other web site that you probably visit.  That’s one way of getting paid.

Another way is to market what you love.  Why try and do business in your small little town or city when you can reach the whole country?

Now you may ask…..how can I do that?  Well, maybe you love photography.

Let me tell you a little about a friend of mine.  He was in the same field that I was in…and he was also out of work.  He loves photography.  And he is really good at it. 

He now spends a lot of time taking photo’s…….and he is starting to post them on the internet to be sold as stock photo’s and maybe even photos for other purposes, like a photo framed for the wall of your office.  And they are that good!!!!

But the point is…..he is doing something that he loves to do.  When his income gets up high enough….to replace his first careers income…..I bet it would take a truck load of dynamite to get him to go back to the old career.

You see….he is taking a bad thing like losing his job…..and turning it into the career of his dreams.  And I am so happy for him.

Now…..what about you?

Maybe you like to travel…..ever think of exploring how to get paid by blogging about travel?

What about quilting…..ok there is one that you would think has no chance of making money…..to match the love and care that you put into the quilt.  But sharing tips and tricks…..sharing links for suppliers…..teaching people how to quilt……yes that would make for a great topic on the internet.

But what about traders…..after all….that’s why you are on this page right?

The occupy movement blames the banks for all or most of their problems.  And the money managers and traders who make all that obscene income…..that’s not fair.  They should give us the money…..I mean in order to be fair….right? 

And…..many people lost their retirement funds when the stock market went down.  After all…..weren’t they taught to buy and the market only goes in one direction, right?

What if we learned how to do….what it is….that those money managers and traders do?  Instead of blaming them for our problems…….what if we applied that very same energy, to learn what they do….and how they do it?

Well now we are cooking!!!

But it’s hard to do….and it takes years to learn how to do it……right?

Well yes and no……and I do mean that and it’s not meant to be rhetorical in any way.

You see most of us who get into trading, have taught ourselves.  And we repeat the same mistakes that all that have traded before us have also tried……and made the same mistakes.  Day after day, year after year, we make the same mistakes.

We fall into a very serious trap of constantly looking for a Holy Grail…..when in fact…..if we were to concentrate on one method and we followed specific rules without changing the rules everyday…..we would become successful.

So if we were to open our minds…..and follow someone who has already gone down the road…..and truly listened and obeyed…..we too could be successful.

Instead of blaming the banks…..the markets…..the big guys…..the corporations…..or even the government…….what if we truly embarked on a mission to really learn how to trade?

Well that is the purpose of this new blog site.  And no…..not all of the blog entries will be this long.

But this I will promise.  If you have fallen into the pit because of this economy…..and you will open your mind to learning something new like trading……you will find folks here…..in this trading room……that feel your pain and we will help you learn how to trade.

Now let’s be up front here and get it out on the table.  You have to put an effort into it…..and it will take some time to learn how to trade. 

How much time?  That is totally proportional to how much time you are willing to put into it….and whether or not you will waste your time seeking the Holy Grail…..and whether or not you will follow the rules, instead of reinventing the rules on a daily basis.

And…..we love free as well.  Just like the occupy folks….and the present day internet generation…..we also like free.

We can help you get a demo trading platform for free…..and it never expires.  So you can learn and trade along with us until you learn how to run on your own.

Why would we do this?  Because we know it’s not the banks fault…..it’s not the money managers or traders fault that we have suffered during this economy.  It’s called change.  And we need to adapt and concentrate on getting back what we lost and then some.

And we have compassion for all of those folks who have gone down this bumpy road that most of us in this room have also traveled.

In addition, when we become successful……we in turn will turn around and bless those who are less fortunate by giving.  It doesn’t need to be taken from us…..because what we were freely given…..we shall in turn freely give.

We are different than those who want to take…..we want to give!!!

So now is the time to roll up your sleeves and learn how to get a new career.  Not just any old career.  A new career that will not only get you paid better than what you have ever been paid before……but more importantly…..give you more time to spend with your family and friends……and do what it is that you were put on this earth to do.

Let’s do it!!!!!  No more games and no more trying to find someone to blame.  Let’s fix the problem once and for all……and let’s bless others in the name of Jesus….with the harvest that comes from our hard work.

Oh yeah….it’s still work…..but it is really a lot of fun J

Got questions……come on into our trading room and speak up.  That’s what we are here for!

And I didn’t forget about the internet and information on how to start your own internet business…..if that’s what you are interested in.  Again…..come on into our trading room and ask for me…..I’ll set you up.

Until the next blog entry….may God bless you…..a whole bunch!!!