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By: Ben DeGeorge
There are 4.8 million people in the United States currently receiving unemployment benefits. That is the largest number of unemployed people in U.S. history. Also, we just experienced the largest quarterly GDP decline that our country has had in the past three decades.
Yikes.
In Western NY, careers have traditionally revolved around big, stable companies like Kodak, Bausch and Lomb and Xerox. Over time, this has changed. Now people in our region need a dogged personal independence in order to succeed.
I was walking through our beloved Wegman's today and spied people trudging along looking downcast, even gray. Sure, some of this was due to the weather -- Western New York can be a drag during the winter months. It could also have been due to too many spicy wings on Superbowl Sunday. However, I think there is a larger affliction.
Having traveled pretty extensively over the past year and a half, I have come to realize that communities all around the globe often exhibit a bit more energy, neighborly hospitality and excitement towards others than those in our region. This saddened and puzzled me. More importantly though, this inspired a desire to diagnose, and do my part to help correct this problem. This newsletter is one way to do so.
I found that many people in our region are still stuck expecting and hoping for the good old days of job stability and economic growth in our region. Many feel as if they deserve (rightfully) a 9 to 5 job with retirement and healthcare benefits. Unfortunately, many companies these days feel otherwise.
If the environment is not going to change, individuals need to. I challenge whoever is reading this, whomever this resonates with, to stop thoughts and actions of dependence and apathy immediately. Instead, take up a challenge to make yourself indispensableat your work and in your community. That is the only way out of this recession mess.
An epidemic starts with a few passionate and dedicated people, and ends up enveloping many. If you decide to, you can be an important part of the positive outbreak of optimism and action that can sweep our region.
Many of you are already serving the community. You probably commit lots of time, energy and creativity and have served to inspire others to follow in your footsteps.
However, don't you think you could do more?
As fellow community members, we challenge you to begin to monitor and enhance the positive news in our region, to celebrate and learn from those individuals who decide to make an impact. Most importantly, we challenge you to take action to make a bigger difference in your community. You will not only be able to help others, but you will also become a more complete citizen and individual.
Take our challenge; To Make a Bigger Impact.
And spread the word.
"If a voice can change a room, it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it can change a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world." - Barack Obama
Yikes.
In Western NY, careers have traditionally revolved around big, stable companies like Kodak, Bausch and Lomb and Xerox. Over time, this has changed. Now people in our region need a dogged personal independence in order to succeed.
I was walking through our beloved Wegman's today and spied people trudging along looking downcast, even gray. Sure, some of this was due to the weather -- Western New York can be a drag during the winter months. It could also have been due to too many spicy wings on Superbowl Sunday. However, I think there is a larger affliction.
Having traveled pretty extensively over the past year and a half, I have come to realize that communities all around the globe often exhibit a bit more energy, neighborly hospitality and excitement towards others than those in our region. This saddened and puzzled me. More importantly though, this inspired a desire to diagnose, and do my part to help correct this problem. This newsletter is one way to do so.
I found that many people in our region are still stuck expecting and hoping for the good old days of job stability and economic growth in our region. Many feel as if they deserve (rightfully) a 9 to 5 job with retirement and healthcare benefits. Unfortunately, many companies these days feel otherwise.
If the environment is not going to change, individuals need to. I challenge whoever is reading this, whomever this resonates with, to stop thoughts and actions of dependence and apathy immediately. Instead, take up a challenge to make yourself indispensableat your work and in your community. That is the only way out of this recession mess.
An epidemic starts with a few passionate and dedicated people, and ends up enveloping many. If you decide to, you can be an important part of the positive outbreak of optimism and action that can sweep our region.
Many of you are already serving the community. You probably commit lots of time, energy and creativity and have served to inspire others to follow in your footsteps.
However, don't you think you could do more?
As fellow community members, we challenge you to begin to monitor and enhance the positive news in our region, to celebrate and learn from those individuals who decide to make an impact. Most importantly, we challenge you to take action to make a bigger difference in your community. You will not only be able to help others, but you will also become a more complete citizen and individual.
Take our challenge; To Make a Bigger Impact.
And spread the word.
"If a voice can change a room, it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it can change a state, it can change a nation, and if it can change a nation, it can change the world." - Barack Obama
