Seeking Opportunity in America

Written by The Lead Coordinator,  Kokayi Nosakhere

POTUS choosing to inspire America

If you so choose to accept, we are embarking on an adventure. The Movement and most experts agree that child hunger is the result of adult poverty. To cure child hunger, we must address conditions producing parental poverty. The two issues are irrevocably connected.

Our new blog series desires to inspire you – a regular American citizen – to begin taking advantage of the connections and resources which exist around you.  We are no longer going to listen to the news, telling us how much of a Recession our nation is in.

This blog accepts the challenge of reminding YOU what Dr. Napoleon Hill devoted his entire life to: that Greatness Lies Within You – a living; breathing; ordinary American.

Currently, the United States of America is in a five year old (man-made) Recession.  At the 2010 State of the Union, President Barack Obama spoke directly to the economy.  While emergency action (TARP – Temporary Asset Recovery Program / ARRA – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) stymied complete economic collapse, 301 million Americans watched one family after another forced to confront the brutal reality of decreasing access to resources.  Conditions were becoming more dire.

Maybe dire is a weak word.  At that time the once mighty city of Detroit – the famed Motor City – was struggling with 45% unemployment.  Only 2 out of 10 households in South Carolina could afford a federally subsidized school lunch.  Yet, Goldman Sachs’ top performing employees enjoyed $595,000 bonuses, which meant money was still flowing.

No doubt about it. Despite the hope that is Obama, all 301 million of us were in serious trouble.  The Union from which we will benefit made it so.  Wal-Mart and McDonald’s exercise enough cultural influence to convince the Supreme Court to recognize the full economic rights of “corporate citizens.” (Thanks to an interpretation of the 14^th Amendment so ironic every Native and African American should object on the point of self-preservation alone.)

In other words, the Federal Reserve prints national unity – cultural and economic – one dollar at a time.  Depending upon how confident “We the People” remain in the state of our economy.  Like anything else in a democracy, while we act as if institutions are all-powerful, the dollar only has as much power as we give it.

And we give it a lot.

The challenge of this blog is now to inspire Americans – ahem, the “human” citizens – to renounce the politically-abused idea of “hope.” Rhetorical “hope” is not going to revive the economy. Living; breathing; ordinary, hard-working Americans are going to revive the economy.

We will remind you dear reader of those ideas critical to individual success, believing that individual success leads to collective success.

Napoleon Hill choosing to inspire America

Considering the opposition, our intention doesn’t have a chance – not on the surface.  Unfortunately, neither does Congress.  The “corporate citizens” of America control the marketplace of ideas.  Through various methods of communication they are able to stock the shelves of the collective American mind.  Since we enjoy the fruit of their labor, we “human citizens” cannot really complain.  After all, thanks to the “corporate citizens,” I can enjoy Florida-grown orange in Alaska for breakfast in exchange for a few dollars.  The benefits of the Union reinforce in the minds of ordinary, hard-working Americans that the material dollar possesses a lot of power.

However, they are wrong.  Money –the dollar – is not real; it is a symbol. (I know – I know, this is a STRANGE concept!)

For example, when you, a “human citizen,” pick up a telephone (which is a complex business system) and call a plumber, who is another “human citizen,” you establish an economic connection.  You communicate your need for a service to be performed at your place of residence. The plumber, who operates a business system, asks a few questions. You give answers.  An agreement is made. The plumber chooses to provide you the service at a “price,” or amount of dollars.

This “price” covers the gas, auto insurance and licensing for the van that transports the plumber to your house.  It pays for the tools that the plumber uses to provide the agreed upon service.  After the plumber completes the “job,” you thank the plumber, and even share the quality of service (free advertising?) to other “human citizens.”  The money (dollars) exchanged “honor” the plumber for the skilled work performed.

Countless self-help books inform us that “money” is how we choose to keep score.  It is how we measure the amount of human “energy,” “time,” “talent,” or “creativity” went into the formation of a product or service.  Thus, you paying for quality. Literally.  In the marketplace, a journeyman plumber cost less than a veteran plumber.

Again, I say, money is not real! Think about it.  An American dollar is a printed piece of paper. It has pictures upon it.  Unlike real items, such as diamonds or gold, the American dollar is not recognized as possessing universal value outside of America.  The dollar doesn’t have universal value because it is not real.

Thought. That’s what money is: thought.

This Recession is YOUR opportunity to change your relationship with money.  To switch the gears inside your brain.  To actually use your mind in ways it hasn’t yet been inspired to.  I imagine, over the next three years (By2015) that the journey towards your greater individual prosperity will bond America in ways that cause a cultural shift toward our collective humanity.  At least, this is my hope.

Contact Kokayi Nosakhere at – by2015america@gmail.com