No Excuse for Mediocrity
Those who seek achievement without sacrifice will sacrifice the opportunity for achievement. Humans are uniquely privileged to pursue excellence and strive for greater things. We are the only species on earth that can be inspired by hardship and attempt to replicate that struggle to achieve something trivial. Yesterday I watched multiple blind athletes complete a full marathon. They were already given a tough hand in life, but they still sought distinctive self-imposed suffering in the form of running 26 miles. Many ask “why” some people put themselves through pain and anguish for marginal pursuits, but my answer is always the same. Opportunity. God solely blesses humans with the will to create; the propensity to sacrifice; and the ability to achieve things that other animals would never dream of pursuing.
For generations, the United States seemed particularly blessed because there was seemingly endless opportunity. Unsettled land, untapped markets, and unlimited prosperity for those willing to work for it. This sentiment is not lost, but perhaps, lost on us. The route to success has always been contrarian. To do what others will not. The younger generations are not sold on this idea that made America different from other nations. They are motivated but struggle to take risks and break from the crowd. They are conforming to the molds built by generations prior and expecting similar results. Prosperity came to Americans too quickly. The economic stars aligned so the young country could simultaneously take advantage of a population boom, technological improvements, and global financial supremacy. This advantageous momentum created the generational sentiment of conformity, simply because it worked.
The path of least resistance was created in a country built on arduous routes. The avenue of success was limited to college degrees, corporate positions and subsidized retirement. It worked flawlessly for those with the obedience to fit into that conventional box. Unprecedented wealth was made and maintained by a generation that just had to follow instructions. This made us exceedingly lethargic as we put too much faith in institutions designed to take more than they yield. We had no idea that we were taking from the future. Every fiscal deficit, every corporate bailout, every devaluation of currency was just kicking the proverbial can down the road for the next generation. They guaranteed a satisfying retirement for one generation at the expense of their kin.
The problem that faces current young people is failure by conformity. They were instructed from an early age to follow the footsteps of their parents, and nothing could go wrong. They were not sold a lie; they were playing the wrong game. The college degrees became too saturated and lost their luster despite quadrupling in price. The corporate lifestyle became unfulfilling and paid significantly less in proportion to productive output. What’s even worse is that they chased the dream their parents experienced by going into unfathomable debt. I am not insinuating that prior generations did not have their own struggle. Of course, some things were significantly harder. My argument is that today’s generation can do everything right and still make a poor decision.
They are told prioritize schooling over work and then told to prioritize work over family. Aspects regarding status has changed significantly. Affluent blue-collar work is mostly looked down upon compared to a soulless occupation revolved around Microsoft products that required a $100k advanced degree. Modern couples that start their families early are condemned while the majority of younger working generations have prioritized careers before the thought of having children. They made the wrong sacrifices and found that their hardship bore sour fruit. The consumerism that plagued their parents has a higher cost in today’s increasingly devalued currency. Sedentary lifestyles are more damaging with today’s insalubrious food and carcinogenic products. The modern world has unique challenges and characteristics not seen by previous generations. Wealth generation is tumultuous, fitness is demanding, dating is nontraditional, and the “safe” routes taken by parentage no longer produce the desired result.
The accumulated debts and substantial government guarantees created entitlement in this country. College for everyone, mortgages for everyone, bailouts for everyone, and true recessions for no one instigated a feeling of economic invincibility for the old to the detriment of the young who must pay for those mistakes. It’s way past time that we start looking at alternative routes to success. The small business owner who forgoes college may be better off than the M.B.A working at Starbucks. The corporate world is changing and moving in directions that disregard American bachelor’s degrees for cheap immigrant work and artificial intelligent automation. The path less traveled is slowly becoming preferable to the conventional road rife with debt. That first hundred grand in accumulated wealth is remarkably difficult when you begin a hundred grand in the hole via interest bearing student loans.
This may be unmerited optimism, but I believe we are entering a period of unmatched opportunity. The global economy is nationalizing; the monetary system is on the cusp of dramatic change; the greatest transfer of wealth in history is upon us. People are weighing their options as the failing conventional route is surpassed by entrepreneurial pursuits. Sacrificing financial security for independence is becoming prevalent as the old ways become less lucrative with rising inflation. The most substantial trend is the return to religion, family and hard work. Our sacrifice has been horribly displaced as we turned to governments and corporations to fulfill our needs. All along we had everything in front of us to create true wealth independent of central bank currencies and inflated assets.
Subservience exclusively to one’s family and trust in a higher power have always been the true route to success across generations. The generational comfort zone must be broken. It is a disgrace to God and downright effeminate to wallow in mediocrity while you have the ability to pursue greater things. America thrived on the tendency to go against the grain, and it will die if we conform to the monotonous paths of least resistance. Take advantage of all the blessings you are given and be thankful for the opportunity to work hard. The blind are running marathons, you have no excuse.
"Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others”
Galatians 6:10