Give a Man a Fish, Teach a Man to Fish
These last half dozen years have been some of the most challenging for most people when it comes to finances. We've all either seen our personal wealth go down or disappear all together. As for myself the latter is most certainly true. We want from doing okay to worrying what week the job would end.
Fortunately for me, I had a plan in place to retrain myself and exploit a skill set I had learned on my own, but didn't use a lot in the workplace. So for last three years of my last job working for someone else, I went back to school. I started school about the time the economy began to unravel, but I was fortunate to continue working for my employer until the end of 2010. Since that time I have done my best to establish myself as a all around IT business consultant. Working mostly with other small mom & pop businesses, advising them on how to take advantage of the computing tools at their disposal to help their businesses bottom line.
The journey hasn't been easy, but the rewards of seeing my efforts pay-off are great. I continued to complete my education because, I feel that above all else education and knowledge are the keys to pulling ourselves out of this dire money situation. Now along the way I've been hit with negative comments. Some were people telling me I was wasting my time. While others thought my efforts were a "fool's folly". For me the interesting part of those comments were that they mostly come from one's whom claim to care, huh.
While at times those negative thoughts have slowed my pace. I have continued and completed a life long goal of earning my Bachelor's Degree. And, even now I am a little over a third of the way to receiving my MBA in Technology Management. So although the skies aren't completely clear, the air is beginning to definitely warmer.
You maybe asking, what does this story have to do with the title, Give a man a fish? Well my point here is many things in society are uneven or out of balance. And, today some look upon being disadvantaged as an excuse for being lazy. So many feel that the social net should be done away with in our country. I am of the opinion that as a people and society we need to open avenues to educate does who are disadvantaged.
The old proverb says, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. But teach a man to fish and you feed him for life". Instead of being a society of individuals that look upon others as "moocher's" living off our sweat and hard work. Let's make it our mission to say, "Hey, instead of depending on a fish, let's learn to go fishing".
Now I realize there are many out there that can argue the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of my opinion and that's quite fair. But, to sit on our hands and say, "My four and no more", is selfish and limiting our own good.
So if like myself, your sitting down and trying to squeeze pennies out of turnips, remember this thought. There is always someone in worse shape then you. So instead of condemning them for what you think you see. How about trying to find out who they really are, you maybe surprised when you find yourself looking in a mirror.
Fortunately for me, I had a plan in place to retrain myself and exploit a skill set I had learned on my own, but didn't use a lot in the workplace. So for last three years of my last job working for someone else, I went back to school. I started school about the time the economy began to unravel, but I was fortunate to continue working for my employer until the end of 2010. Since that time I have done my best to establish myself as a all around IT business consultant. Working mostly with other small mom & pop businesses, advising them on how to take advantage of the computing tools at their disposal to help their businesses bottom line.
The journey hasn't been easy, but the rewards of seeing my efforts pay-off are great. I continued to complete my education because, I feel that above all else education and knowledge are the keys to pulling ourselves out of this dire money situation. Now along the way I've been hit with negative comments. Some were people telling me I was wasting my time. While others thought my efforts were a "fool's folly". For me the interesting part of those comments were that they mostly come from one's whom claim to care, huh.
While at times those negative thoughts have slowed my pace. I have continued and completed a life long goal of earning my Bachelor's Degree. And, even now I am a little over a third of the way to receiving my MBA in Technology Management. So although the skies aren't completely clear, the air is beginning to definitely warmer.
You maybe asking, what does this story have to do with the title, Give a man a fish? Well my point here is many things in society are uneven or out of balance. And, today some look upon being disadvantaged as an excuse for being lazy. So many feel that the social net should be done away with in our country. I am of the opinion that as a people and society we need to open avenues to educate does who are disadvantaged.
The old proverb says, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. But teach a man to fish and you feed him for life". Instead of being a society of individuals that look upon others as "moocher's" living off our sweat and hard work. Let's make it our mission to say, "Hey, instead of depending on a fish, let's learn to go fishing".
Now I realize there are many out there that can argue the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of my opinion and that's quite fair. But, to sit on our hands and say, "My four and no more", is selfish and limiting our own good.
So if like myself, your sitting down and trying to squeeze pennies out of turnips, remember this thought. There is always someone in worse shape then you. So instead of condemning them for what you think you see. How about trying to find out who they really are, you maybe surprised when you find yourself looking in a mirror.
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