One thing I love about America – you can move up the socio-economic ladder “at will” regardless of your race, religion, national original, or gender - if you are willing to work hard, be the best at what you do, and be a legal citizen. My parents were custodians and maids with very little education. We were from a large family of nine children. The boys worked after school helping my dad with janitorial cleaning duties and mowing lawns. The girls worked with my mom as “maids” cleaning homes, cooking food and caring for children. My dad served 3 years as a solider in the Air Force. My mom worked as a cook in the public schools in our town.
Here are a few things I’ve learned about how people today can work themselves out of poverty…
1. Live righteous – go to church and stay out of trouble. Don’t lie or steal. Don't critize or complain. Mind your own business. Work for what you want. Help others in need doing simple acts of kindness – helping the elderly, volunteering at homeless shelters, running errands for the disabled and etc.
2. Be industrious – learn how to make things and fix things, learn how to turn knowledge into cash, and learn how to buy & sell stuff online. My family could not afford to buy us new clothes or shoes, toys for Christmas, or food at restaurants. The way we made money as children was collecting bottles on side the road, fixing old lawn mowers on the trash and using them to mow yards for money, even asking for old cars sitting behind houses and making them run like new.
3. Go to school and learn. Become fascinated with every subject and relate everything to something you want to do in life. Learn physics and biology to further your interest in how airplane fly or how the body works, learn geometry to help build a storage room or align the wheels on a car, or learn English to help you read, speak and write well to advance your career.
4. Articulate your dreams to others – people who dream and tell others are more likely to accomplish BIG things in life because others will want to help you and be a part of your success.
5. Take tough courses in school - push yourself well above average. Use your time as a young person to build your career. Don’t waste your teen years with frivolous or mindless chatter, evil and malicious pranks or running the streets. Use your time at home or after school for self improvement, homework, and community activities that will build your skills for the future.
6. Decide with your parents on a career or skill that you enjoy. If you like cars, start hanging out with people who work on cars - find shops that will let you clean up or help technicians. If you like speaking and law – visit a law center or ask to interview a lawyer about his or her work, or if you can work as an assistance. If you like medicine – do some volunteer work that will get you inside a hospital. If you like looking good and making others look good, hang around cosmetology shops.
7. Take classes in high school to prepare you for technical training or college level courses. No child or family trying to get out of poverty can afford to waste their high school years taking general courses and electives that do not impact their career. Do not set foot on a college campus until you firm up a career decision.
8. Take and internship to help you get started in your career.
9. Make good grades and pass all standardized test (ACT, SAT, GRE and etc.). You can save $1,000's of dollars in college expenses by scoring proficient or advanced on national exams. Preparation is the key to passing national exams. Purchase a STUDY GUIDE to practice prior to taking tests.
10. Get certified or licensed and/or get a degree. Having the right credentials for a job is like a ticket out of poverty. Your credential tells everyone you have the training and discipline for the job at hand.
11. Engage in professional development and continuing education throughout your career. Stay up-to-date and current in your field with modern equipment and processes.
12. Develop your niche – what’s unique about you and your business? What makes people recognize you as a professional? What do you want people to remember you by - “cheapest price, best service, friendliest service, best deals, most caring, most detailed, what..?
13. Work hard and be smart in all you dealings.
14. Treat people with dignity and respect.
15. Show good manners. Keep your word and don’t be wishy-washy.
16. Stand on principles and don’t commit immoral acts, treat you family and friends with kindness, be concerned about others welfare, plan your future and be creative, look out for the safety and well-being of others, care for the sick, help those in need, and on and on with the things you know are decent and right.
17. Help others achieve success – be a mentor to young people struggling for identity and trying to get out of poverty.
18. Give back to the community, schools and churches that help you achieve success.
19. Celebrate your success and the success of others by never allowing yourself to forget where you came from. Make it an annual event to recognize the achievement of others in your profession.
20. Keep a record of your history – so you’ll never forget the past in hope to inspire others.
FINALLY…
WHATEVER YOU DO – DON’T WAIT ON SUPERMAN, HE AIN’T COMING!
PLEASE…
QUIT RUNNING FROM SCHOOL-TO-SCHOOL THINKING THAT SCHOOLS HAVE MAGICAL POWERS TO BESTOW GREATNESS ON CHILDREN – THAT’S YOUR JOB AS A PARENT! YOU ARE THEIR FIRST TEACHERS!
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