Standing in the middle of a storm, the baby looked confused. We all saw the storm grow stronger. The rain had already stuck his hair on his forehead and his new black suit was starting to stick to him in ways that Mr. A storm was coming - for the seventh time this summer in Japan - and the child's job, as a new worker, was to stand in front of a TV camera while the weather was turbulent for the nation to watch.
Type of talking climate. I exercise on that beach every day, and today one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded will come soon. I knew I could not stay long, or I would be caught in the wind and heavy rain. I will make my trip shorter on this day. But the television crew had a different job. They, along with many others like them, were sent by satellite trucks to many well-known locations throughout Japan.
The crew provided live reports of hurricane-force winds as they made their way up and down the Japanese archipelago. And the kid in the black suit was their sacrificial lamb today. It was his job to get out of there, when the storm had reached the top, and make a show and tell. That's what home-grown people want to see, and sponsors will pay well to deliver exactly what they expect.
If you watch a lot of stories over the years, you will know that the greater the damage, the more spectator ratings. That's the way it works - more vandalism means more interest. In fact, you may recall that Dan instead gained his greatest momentum in world affairs by doing exactly what this kid did - forcing himself into a violent storm and giving temporary reports to viewers at home.
Networks find it a useful program to report all damage, disruption and death. But before we get down to the tangent, let me just say here that the scene I just described has one of the richest lessons you can find. Storms and hurricanes cause great disruption. Your human heart sympathizes with those affected by the disaster; pain in them; you want to reach out for help and help.
And I applaud that desire to provide comfort and assistance to those who have lost their lives. Feelings are normal and appropriate. But I suggest that compassion alone, no matter how sincere it is, is one side (even full of poverty) of the way the world responds. Empathy can be a beautiful thing, but it is often a cheap imitation of caring. If it doesn't lead to action, it really doesn't help anything other than the show.
However, it is possible to add a second layer of responses, a layer that involves going out and connecting with a country of sympathy. Plus, since you've been searching for a way to get rich, let me tell you this. You just got it. It is called an action. Action - the right action in response to the problems and tragedies you see around you can make you not only a better person, but also a lot richer.
It can allow you to give greater help to those who need it than you would otherwise be able to do. And profit from your actions will help you stay in business longer to continue helping your family member. Now, you may already be running a business. If so, you give people some sort of solution to their problems. Are you well paid for your solutions? If so, that's fine. But if you are not rewarded for your efforts, there are only three possible reasons.
1. You don't tell enough people about you.
2. You are not very persuasive because you do not believe that you are very good at what you do.
3. You may not solve problems that are big or urgent enough.
This is probably the most common limitation. The great need today is for people to do what you and I can (or will not) do. This includes people who make us feel better. Consider the social value of a heart surgeon compared with a commercial clerk. Attractive artist or athlete who competes with the office cleaner. A clever lawyer compared to a typewriter. It is not my intention to look down on anyone who plays any important role in society.
But small payment dates almost always go to someone who is easily replaced. If almost anyone is not immediately trained to do the job, there is a lot of competition in that space, so the price goes down. And high-level jobs like a brain surgeon, attorney, professional footballer, or CEO of international companies - yes, most people will not even try those areas, which means there is less competition.
So people who try these jobs can charge anything that will carry traffic. This is a basic economy, isn't it? We already know all of this. But if we already know, why don't we usually apply it in our lives? Why do we not qualify ourselves for the highest position in our various industries? In many cases, it is because we unwittingly avoid the "obligation". We fear a huge role ... high profile. We keep it small because… well… we just do it, that's all.
For example, can you tell me why you are not the top manager in your industry? Can I say why I am not there? We know the answer to that, though, are we not? It is actually cowardice. We are afraid to make ourselves uncomfortable by doing things we are not sure we can do completely. If we have tried something great and ambitious, oh my God, what if we have not done it very well? We don't like to take chances. Do not enjoy the big steps of ambiguity in the things we do.
So, instead, we paddle like cattle that come from the pasture in the evening, usually like a clock, fully predictable - and depend on anyone who feeds them at the end of the day. Cattle do not take great chances. And the sheep do not have them. They live near the same place every day, year after year, together, doing the same, grazing in an orderly fashion, with no adventures.
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