You Might Want To Get Used To This

"In June, virtually all the job growth came from private companies, which added 57,000 jobs, a striking retrenchment from the average of more than 200,000 jobs a month between February and April. The largest gains came from health care and leisure and hospitality, while manufacturing, which lost jobs in May, was able to add just 6,000 slots in June."  -- New York Times


I should be doing my job right now. But, this subject is more fun. Fun, you say? How can it be fun to discuss job loss, America's tanking economy and the dissolution of the middle class? To be totally frank, I'm not out of work. Nor am I Mr. Obama. To me, these statistics are abstract, and there's no reason why they shouldn't be for you too. 


Life is a game of opportunity mixed with preparedness. Or what some like to call "luck." Your luck is dependent on your work ethic, your planning and the pursuit of your life, each and every day. When we sink into the couch and assume our lot is safe, we set ourselves up for unpreparedness. And opportunities pass us by without us knowing. And we have no luck. 


Just the highlighted quote above can help you prepare for the future. You know the tides are changing, have been changing for some time. Do you know why hospitality is on the rise and manufacturing is on the decline? This isn't a temporary situation brought on by the after effects of a recession. This is a direct result, in my opinion, of a change in technology, a change from the age of industry to the age of information. 


So, little babies, do not expect that one day manufacturing jobs will come back. Or that the one you have now is safe. Get richer, get educated, invest your time and money and thought into your future and your goals. Don't be afraid to move to a new place. Don't be scared to change careers. Just keep pursuing your life, day after day. And for God Sakes, diversify.