Here’s the thing, when it comes to confidence and taking courageous action, so much of that is going to have to come from what you believe you should do, though being able to hear and distinguish your heart’s call, how your intuition’s speaking to you, that small voice inside that says, “You know what, pick up the phone and make that call, or “This is the next action to take.”
This is a volatile, even crazy time in American history. From diverse politicians whom people feel they can’t trust, to negativity toward entrepreneurs who work hard and make a lot of money, societal norms are changing. As I shared earlier, most people will tell you that they are working harder and faster to get things done, but to little effect; they strive to move up the saddle of success, yet for some reason, it just isn’t happening.
Do you feel like you’re not getting the results you desire or deserve? Well, besides technology affecting this outcome, another factor exists that you may not be aware of. The good news is that you’re not crazy for feeling like all your effort is going for naught. It’s not your fault. Let’s see what really is to blame.
Productivity VS. Income
If you look at a graph, you will see that for many years productivity and wages were going up unilaterally on a steep forty-five-degree angle. However, as 1973 rolled around things changed. Wages went flat but productivity remained on the same incline. And what does that massive gap between wages and productivity suggest? It means we are getting more done as a society yet income hasn’t reflected this output. So when you feel like you’re working quicker, harder, or faster and using today’s technologies to accomplish more, you are. However, wages are simply not keeping up.
That’s why you feel busier than ever and squeezed financially. The unfortunate fact is that the gap continues to widen and we can ignore it and blame others, or we can create the habits that multiply the income and success in our own homes and in our own life. The middle class is taking a serious hit. Some even say we are going toward a two-class society. Now, I know that politicians and those pushing their agendas have harped on this point, but I’m “LOCALIZING” the conversation—I’m talking about how it affects the economy in your house and within your family.
This isn’t a bash on the wealthy. Heck, I am giving you the habits to become wealthy or increase the wealth you already have. But the statistics don’t lie. If you are not prepared and armed with the right tools, the shift that is happening in America could greatly affect you. And when I saw the graph I knew I had to share it. Up until 1981, all classes of income were rising at about the same rate. However, in about 1981 a split started to happen. The 1% broke away from the crowd, and since then the top 1% of earners’ income has gone up 138%, while the bottom 90% of earners’ income has only gone up 15%.
Here is an alarming look at the actual graph. But give me a minute to go through the so-called “FACTS” and then let me explain how they impact you.
From one perspective, the gap is getting wider and wider; it seems as though we are evolving into a two-tiered society. The middle class is getting squeezed out and it’s obvious from this graph that this is not just a theory. This is Real life. And it’s why you may be feeling the effects we talked about earlier.
As scared as that graph makes you feel, imagine this: What if that income gap you saw on the graph did not matter to you? What if you knew there were ways to become financially bulletproof and for you to create the “CLASS” you desire in your life, in your home, and with your family.
Written by: Dean Graziosi
