Stop complaining Australia!
July 23, 2011 Leave a comment
Image via Wikipedia
I can’t help observe the pessimism that is permeating into the conversations and attitudes of Australians, more so than I have noticed over the the past 20 years. It’s easy to blame economies around the world, bank and politicians. Perhaps using the choices available and also taking responsibility for one’s actions is the obvious answer to effecting the change that a person needs?
Maybe we can re-think this unconscious or expectant idea of deservedness. Why do people have the notion that the world, your local community, the capital markets or government for that matter, are required to present them with a continual ‘fair & equitable’ existence.
Is the glass half-empty or half-full?
It seems as if we are losing the ability to “get on with it”. Obviously negativity and defeatism is an easier condition to accept. This may be understandable when we are bombarded with news stories that range from continual personal and corporate failures, increased family stress, xenophobic immigration, terrorism threats and rising nationalism.
I’ve probably got you shaking in your boots? Ready to sell your retirement portfolio and buy a hut by a river, buy a gun, learn to fish and bake bread? It’s a free country!
We happen to live in a wonderful country blessed with many benefits and indeed privileges, yet Australians are complaining.
Recent news stories that I have read include towns complaining about the influx of “fly in-fly out” miners who don’t spend money in the area whilst working there, calls for more indigenous, minority and women workers to feature prevalently in medium to high-end jobs OR complaints how a solar panel industry operator will suffer due to the government’s subsidy ceases to ‘back-stop’ their business.
Do you want democracy, free-markets and capitalism OR socialism?
If you prefer the former, then what about being competitive? How about offering an excellent, friendly service or developing a competency and tenacity that puts you in a position to compete for a terrific job (and rely on discrimination law if it’s applicable).
I have spoken to numerous friends in the United States over the past month. They too, are aware that the ‘world’ is telling them that the ‘sky is falling’, yet they are all trying like heck to be positive, get back to doing business, working hard and trying to spend their way out of out of recession.
Restaurants in San Francisco, plastic surgeons in Dallas and cruise ship operators in Miami are doing quite well.
Australia – let’s get on with it!
I’ll leave you with an adaptation of an old story about a hot dog vendor and psychology.
A Man lived by the side of the road…and sold hot dogs.
He was hard of hearing, so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes, so he had no newspaper. But he sold good hot dogs.
He put up a sign on the highway, telling how good they were. He stood by the side of the road and cried, “Buy a hot dog, mister!” And People bought.
He increased his meat and bun order, and he bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade. He got his son home from college to help him. But then something happened. His son said, “Father, haven’t you been listening to the radio? There’s a big Depression on. The international situation is terrible, and the domestic situation is even worse.”
Whereupon the father thought, “Well, my son has gone to college. He listens to the radio and reads the newspaper, so he ought to know.” So, the father cut down on the bun order, took down his advertising sign, and no longer bothered to stand on the highway to sell hot dogs.
His hot dog sales fell almost overnight. “You were right, son”, the father said to the boy. “We are certainly in the middle of a Great Depression.”
