Equal Opportunity. ?.

There are a lot of “equal” words flying around today.  “All men are created equal”, “equal opportunity”, “equity”, “equal outcomes” and various other forms of “equal”.  I think many people just get behind anyone using any combination of these words automatically.

Of course, “all men are created equal” comes from the Declaration of Independence. These must have been pretty groundbreaking words back then when the world was much different.

But let’s take “equal opportunity” in this post and unpack it.  We are all born with equal rights.  But whether we get equal opportunity depends on what the value you can bring to a situation, job or appointment.  That depends on your parents first, your schools, and the individual to learn, prepare and get experience. 

Diedre Hansen McClosky puts it this way.  I have paraphrased for brevity. “If we try to get other equalities we don’t get them at all.  Robbing Peter to pay Paul turns out to make us all poorer by driving Peter out of business, corrupting Paul, and giving Helen, the bureaucrat who runs the redistribution, such powers that she is tempted to misuse them in a very nasty fashion.  

And equality of opportunity, which also sounds nice, is impossible to achieve if you take it literally.  You had better parents than Tommy, say, should we forbid your parents from being better, or should we intervene to coerce Tommy’s parents to be better – or at least be better in the opinion of Helen the bureaucrat?  

Say one person is smarter than another and speaks Spanish as well as English.  So to make them equal at the starting line, should we drive nails into that first person’s head until they are as stupid as the second person, and they forget Spanish?

You see the problem.  The metaphor of an exactly equal starting line for a foot race is not the sensible, practical, doable, fair proposal.  The sensible proposal is to let people race as they will.  That way you get more runners and immense innovation in the economy.”

Ok, now it’s me again.  I think we can look at the words “equal opportunity” in a number of ways.  Certainly, as it is related to discrimination of any kind, I feel that issue is so far behind us it’s not worth discussing on Think Daily.  That argument is over and anyone who doesn’t realize it is a millennium behind.

Equal opportunity to choose your own path and make of oneself what one chooses is something I believe in and is a meaning of the term I think we should all support.  But if I show up for tryouts for the New York Yankees and have an equal opportunity to make the team as the men, or women for that matter, who are prepared, experienced and naturally gifted, I don’t think the Yankees would get very far.

This is because I am 58 years old, I can not run fast anymore, I can’t hit a major league pitch, I have not been in the game getting better, and I simply don’t deserve to be on the team.  They are trying to win, and they don’t want me.

It’s the same for a company.  They are trying to win with their customers and they want the best people they can get for the job.  Fortunately, there are thousands of types of companies that need people of all skills at all levels, and there is a place for most anyone.  But we all don’t have an equal opportunity at any job.  We must be judged on merit.

And that’s where we all start – with equal rights and an equal opportunity to pursue what we wish, learn to create value or not, and accept the consequences of our decisions and the compound interest of how we have spent our days, whether it be positive or negative.

You are (most likely) controlled by fear

Don’t believe it?

Then why aren’t you shooting higher and going for more/better/greater and using more of your potential?

Fear – overcome it, eliminate it or use it – and you are on your way up!

You will never rise above your highest expectations

What do you expect for yourself?

Where do you see yourself in one year?  Five?  Ten?  Twenty?

What do you think is possible for you?

Whatever it is, that is your limitation.  

You will never exceed your highest expectation for yourself.

Believe higher.

Some days are far bigger than others.

Some days are big.  Other days are REALLY BIG.

July 9, 2022 was a very big day for me and Adolia Marie.

This is our video to remember it.

https://fairytalestudio.com/2022/06/24/marie-larry/

Be around people who believe in you

You may have friends who like you when you play life as they do.  The minute you go for more and try to rise up, they aren’t so supportive anymore – you may make them look bad.

You may be around people that love you, but you know they really don’t believe in you becoming the best person you can be.

Then there are the people who believe in you and expect you to do well.  They are supportive of your highest self and inspire you – and you don’t want to disappoint them.  They bring out the best ideals and aspirations in you.

Those are the people you want to be around, talk to, and ask for advice.

Who is that for you?

(If there is nobody you can think of, you need to purposefully open up the circle of people you interact with on a regular basis.)

See where you're going.

“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”

Who are your friends?

Is that future ok with you?

What have you been putting off?

What is important that you have been putting off?

Believe in yourself

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker

This is what I see as the number one thing holding people back.  They don’t believe in themselves and their ability.  

They have been beaten down or told a story by someone who was weak or ignorant or scared, and they bought into it.

You are powerful and capable – but you have to know it, and claim it.

People who are in pain, cause pain.

People who are hurting badly, hurt badly.

Do you know someone who feels they are circling the drain?

Help others who are in pain.

And for heaven’s sake, and yours, don’t cause pain.

Believe in a life of your own construction

This is really what the American Dream is all about – believing in a life of your own construction.

Believe in it enough to go after it!

You have one chance, and this is it.