Improvement

Stop Trying To Make More Jobs

Garth Beyer

Making old jobs new and allowing creativity and freedom for passion to play in the jobs of our workers is what makes them new. It makes the old jobs work without the need to keep creating more jobs, especially when the jobs that are being created are just more of the old ones. It gets us nowhere.

More jobs are created when old ones are made new. These people, now with freedom, are able to advance in the job they are working at. In this advancement, they open doors for more people to enter a new job. One that is a stepping stone from which the original person has placed.

People don’t just create new jobs, all they do is create more of the old ones and less and less people are going along with it. (Which is one reason the unemployment rate continues to rise)

It is the creative people who introduce new jobs and I mean new jobs. Not more of the old ones. These people, these marvelous people, are able to follow their passion in their job, in doing so they come across problems we have never had before because we never let our workers have freedom to their potential, never let them be innovative. In their innovation, in their dire need to improve their job, and through their creation of new problems, they need new solutions and that is where new jobs come from.

When people are given the chance to be truly creative, they don’t develop small changes, they manifest huge ones. Ones that require help, a team, a tribe, other like-minded people who have a similar passion, who will work together to produce even bigger newer problems which then calls for more even more remarkably innovative people. And so on.

When we make old jobs new, we make new new jobs.

Making new new jobs will bring this -us, our neighbors, our coworkers, our politicians, our government, our nation, our friends oversees and those who look up to us- closer together.

In this sense, in this slight improvement to jobs, we make progress. Slight progress, but nonetheless, necessary progress.

 

Stay Positive & Progress For The Sake Of Progress Is Still Progress

Garth E. Beyer

Making Old Jobs New

Garth Beyer

The unemployment rate is despicable. It’s not because more jobs aren’t being created, they are. It’s the fact that the new jobs are replicating the ones that have always been used.

If we want the unemployment rate to go down, if we want to do real, honest and passionate work, if we want to look forward to work (something that is necessary to want the unemployment rate down), then we need to make old jobs new, not make new old jobs.

Currently, a worker’s pay is based on compensation, of the hours put into work. What it needs to be based off of is creativity deliberation, not compensation. Simple terms: paid to go in and make a ruckus.

Through that ruckus, we see improvement, new development, a fresh way of thinking, creativity and above all, results that mean something, not just numbers on a financial statement.

That doesn’t mean you need a new job, a better job or a second job, it has nothing to do with making more jobs, it’s about transforming new ones out of the old ones. It’s about doing the ones we do now differently, creatively and passionately.

We’re all self-employed even if we have a job, that’s a given, but to leave it at just “self-employed” doesn’t do any good, it doesn’t call for an action, a direction to take. We’re all “self-employed artists“, capable to be original in our thought processes straight to the core of what we create in our jobs.

Through our artistry, we can change, improve and develop our jobs into something magnificent. Something worth waking up for each day. It is through this that we can discover new ways to do the job better, more efficiently, uniquely and to serve and benefit people even more.

Most importantly, this is the way we can end the idea of an unemployment rate.

 

Stay Positive & These Are The Jobs We Want In The USA

Garth E. Beyer

Think On These Things

Garth Beyer

Don’t you hate when questions are answered with questions? They are often confusing and even more aggravating unless it’s Krishnamurti asking the questions.

This was my second time picking up “Think On These Things” and reading it all the way through. I mentioned that I read it all the way through because it’s actually a hard book to read start to finish because you are constantly asked to do exactly what the title says, to think on the things that are talked about. I’m not sure about you, but thinking can get exhausting especially when what you are thinking about is breaking boundaries, challenges status-quo and punching tradition in the face.

The reason I tried reading it a second time is because the last time I read it, I was 16 years old and I wanted to see if 1. It is really worth reading a book twice and 2. If I had a different outlook on the philosophies that Krishnamurti spoke about 3.5 years later.

Before I write a short book regurgitation, let me riff on reading books over again. This isn’t my first time trying it, and I’m going to give it one more shot with another book that I am going to read again soon. During New Years I was reading dozens of posts about the best books to read and the fact that this year is supposed to be about reading the best books over again and applying the lessons to your life.

What I have come to learn is the little things which you would catch in reading a book over again, are rain dropped throughout a similar book by a different author. The books are similar, so these small repetitive lessons are also similar. You have already taken the most important pieces of the first book; there is no point in reading it again to catch the small points when you can just read another book with new big important pieces and the same small points.

The thing about the many books based on the same subject or field of interest is that they are all plagiarized. The author read nearly a hundred books on the subject, used the small points from them and created the larger, new, more important ones and the next author did the same. Because this is the way books are written, it seems ill-fitting to reread a book over again.

Book Regurgitation

“To find out what you love to do demands a great deal of intelligence; because, if you are afraid of not being able to earn a livelihood, or of not fitting into this rotten society, then you will never find out”

The real reason I picked Think On These Things up to read it again was because I wanted to revisit his concepts of the function of education which is the title of the first chapter. Throughout the entire book the way education is taught is challenged and ideas are given to improve it. Being straightforward, everything that is mentioned in the book is supposed to also be mentioned in school, to be thought on, to be philosophized on – something that will also appear in my first 30,000 word eBook that will be released at the beginning of August.

Freedom is the next subject that is focused on as most people are not free; they are dead or near death. “We all want to be famous people – and the moment we want to be something, we are no longer free.” (pg 10) At the same time of freedom, intelligence is thought on. Intelligence is to find out, but to find out is not to make a conclusion. Once a conclusion is made, the mind is bordered and dies much quicker. See, the whole concept of freedom is to free the mind, not in the sense of it being empty but in the sense of it being aware with love and experience.

Love is mentioned very few times throughout the book because love is simple.

“Have you noticed how few of us have deep feeling about anything? Do you ever rebel against your teachers, against your parents, not just because you don’t like something, but because you have a deep, ardent feeling that you don’t want to do certain things? If you feel deeply and ardently about something, you will find that this very feeling in a curious way brings a new order into your life” (pg 61)

Another quick note to make about the book is that aside from the opening of each chapter, the chapter is comprised of answers to questions. One particular question is “However much I may want to be an engineer, if my father is against it and won’t help me, how can I study engineering?”

Krishnamurti’s answer, “If you persist in wanting to be an engineer even though your father turns you out of the house, do you mean to say that you won’t find ways and means to study engineering? You will beg, go to friends. Sir, life is very strange. The moment you are very clear about what you want to do, things happen. Life comes to your aid – a friend, a relation, a teacher, a grandmother, somebody helps you… But you see, we don’t want to invite life, we want to play a safe game; and those who play a safe game die very safely is that not so?” (pg 126)

Other great questions which are issued and responded to:

To revolt, to learn, to love – are these three separate processes, or are they simultaneous?

How can we be free of dependence as long as we are living in society?

What is self-knowledge, and how can we get it?

Why do we want to be famous?

I am full of hate. Will you please teach me how to love?

What is happiness in life?

Why do we find pleasure in our games and not in our studies?

Why do we hate the poor?

Why do we like to be lazy?

How is one to become intelligent?

Why do birds fly away when I come near?

As always, I have to give the one chapter to read to see if you are interested in getting the book. “The energy to life” is the fourth to last chapter in the book and basically answers how to be full of energy all of the time rather than lethargic and lazy each day. All in all, was it worth the read a second time? No. Was it worth a read the first time? Yes.

Free Library

Krishnamurti is the far right one, had to be different and put the pages facing out

Since I moved to Madison, I have noticed something peculiar popping up as I ride my bike on the bike paths. Bird houses. Not just your typical bird house, but a huge bird house, with an actual door instead of a hole. Above the door the words “Little Free Library” are written. Inside this giant bird house are random books that people have put inside. I think it is an absolutely brilliant idea and as you can see, I have deposited my Krishnamurti book in one. At first I was worried that there are only bad, terrible books being tossed into the free library because people don’t want to hold on to them. Then I realized the books inside are probably the best books anyone can read because they are so valuable that people have to share them, have to let someone else experience them and have to feel that inspiring power of knowing that you contributed to someone’s experience in reading a fresh, positive, great book. To the person who will pick this book out, enjoy. To the readers who will check this  book out at a public library or view the recommended chapter at a book store, enjoy.

Stay Positive & You Get The Most Thoughts For Your 4 Bucks With This Book

Garth E. Beyer

25 Life Lessons You Need To Know To Succeed

Garth Beyer
  • Begin taking responsiblity for everything in your life, even if you had nothing to do with it.
  • Implement an everyday attitude check: Are you believing in yourself?
  • Just do it… yourself. Don’t waste time telling others to do it. Do it yourself, take responsiblity. The more adapt you get to taking responsibilities, the more successfully you can handle your dream job.
  • Mistakes teach you what you should have prepared for. Learn them and appreciate them.
  • Invest in yourself.
  • Write a plan even if you never look at it again.
  • Stick with it until you win.
  • ^ Quit quitting. Finish. Ship. Just freaking complete it!
  • Do as much self teaching as you would learn from others.
  • The world doesn’t just give luck to anyone. Only to those with a positive attitude and who work hard.
  • You are the best, take people’s time, you deserve it.
  • Until we change what school is for, no one is going to stop and make sure you get your daily dose of inspiration.
  • Don’t wait for someone to come to you.
  • ^ People die standing still.
  • Procrastination is more expensive than the resources it would cost to achieve your goal.
  • Everyone believes they deserve better. At some point in your life, the only way to receive better is to quite complaining and do better.
  • The things you give for nothing can never be replaced.
  • The goal is new ideas and approaches, not consensus.
  • It will always be “the best time in all of history”.
  • Everything is dynamic.
  • If someone isn’t willing to buy, it’s not a loss, it’s a chance to improve.
  • Success is relative to the quality of the process.
  • Always seek to be surprised.
  • Trying gives you the right to try again.

 

Stay Positive & Share Your 25 Life Lessons In The Comments Section

Garth E. Beyer

Mentors Can Be Unnecessary

Garth Beyer

As long as you still have evaluators.

It’s your responsibility to jump the gap, exceed expectations and take risks.  You don’t need anybody telling you how or what to do – you make the process your art, not theirs.

However, you still need to be held accountable for current improvement and future success, so evaluators are necessary. Lucky for you, there are 7 billion of them.

 

Stay Positive & You Get A Perfect 10 For Trying

Garth E. Beyer

 

Family Instability and Child Well-Being

Garth Beyer

At age 15 my family really began to crash. My parents were getting divorced and my brother was addicted to drugs and alcohol. It is no longer something surprising for a kid to say, no matter the age. Seemingly, family instability is becoming more and more contagious. Many parents are divorcing, partaking in separation periods, or even still staying together but ignoring and abusing one another. Unfortunately, the world is lacking in its ability to care for the child’s well-being during these periods of transition. While I begin by giving an assessment of an American Sociological Review titled “Family and Instability and Child Well-Being”, I will progress to proposing research in the Rockford Area and also detailing alternative ideas for future research regarding the topic of discussion.

To begin, Fomby and Cherlin wrote the American Sociological Review journal article named, “Family and Instability and Child Well-Being.” The main research question can be correctly derived only after knowing two hypotheses of which they base their work. They used the instability hypothesis, which predicts that “children are affected by disruption and changes in family structure as much as (or even more) by the type of family structures they experience” (Fomby and Cherlin 181). The second hypothesis is the selection hypothesis which states that the “multiple transitions and negative child outcomes may be associated with each other through common causal factors reflected in the parents’ antecedent behaviors and attributes” (Fomby and Cherlin181). When the hypotheses are combined, it is clear Fomby and Cherlin seek to find out how children are affected by changes in family structure in contrast to the effects their parents’ behaviors have on them.

Fomby and Cherlin’s research design was very thorough and had much strength and only a few weaknesses. One reason their research was strong was because they used fairly recent data. This includes the 1979 through 2000 waves of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2000 mother-child supplement also from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and various other recent research and tests made by a range of professionals and colleagues on the topic (Fomby and Cherlin 182). An additional strength is the fact of the amount of research they used for support. They had over nine pages of sustainable and assisting information. Fomby and Cherlin also were sure to provide research on ideas that went a step further than their regular hypotheses they were following. For example, in addition to behavioral issues of parents, they provided studies on the differences by race. This showed that “for white women, the number of family structure transitions that a woman experiences was associated with a higher risk of first intercourse at an early age. For a black women, the number of transitions had no predictive effect, but family structure in adolescence was strongly associated with age at sexual initiation” (Fomby and Cherlin 183). Overall, Fomby and Cherlin’s mass amount of data collection strengthens their pursuit of a conclusion.

However, there were a few weaknesses I found based off an idea that everything has been stated before, and is only stated in a different idea. Fomby and Cherlin are looking at family structural changes and child-well being in a new light. In doing so, they are missing out on the most important part of the reason behind research. The point of research is to support a hypothesis, but very rarely does anybody propose an idea of how to correct or improve the topic of which they are researching. I will explain this further when I discuss ideas for future research.

Moreover, given the amount of research and results of this study, “instability may have a causal effect on some children’s behavior” (Fomby and Cherlin 201). This means that there is a defined line in the correlation of instability in families and it’s affect on children’s behavior. From experience, I can draw conclusions such as, that the degree of instability is roughly parallel with the degree of negative impact on the children’s behavior. After reading and analyzing the article, I can correctly state that the article focuses on structural functionalism. Meaning, that they have taken an approach that shows that a family is made up of connected interdependent parts that work together to ensure family stability (Benokraitis 15). Nevertheless, I have some questions that still remain, especially since I believe there is always room for improvement. One question would be what other variables have a deep impact? Fomby and Cherlin detail many variables such as race, first intercourse, and many more. Another question is one that can barely be researched. How does the degree of positive behavior between the parents who are splitting up affect the child? Fomby and Cherlin focus their research on very accessible and focused variables that could be given in a multiple choice question, rather than variables that would ask an individual to create their own responses. Further questions will also be stated in the ideas for future research portion.

Now, I would like to propose research to be done in the Rockford area. As stated at the beginning, I am a child of divorced parents. It is fact that I am not the only one in Rockford. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, divorce rates remain in the one-thousands each year between the years of 2000 and 2009 (Divorces). The table also indicates that the area is subject to more divorces then a majority of other counties in Illinois (Divorces). This chart adds to the relevance of Rockford being chosen to provide more research on the topic since it is subject to multiple family structural transitions. Another reason for continued research to be connected with Rockford is that, according to the STI Earth Resource System, Rockford has a wide variety of race including White, Black, Asian and Hispanic. Fomby and Cherlin provided a lot of valuable information of parental behaviors and risks of change in family structure in relation to race (Fomby and Cherlin 183). Rockford seems a fit place to continue research since it provides much relevance and a strong connection to the different variables that were investigated in Fomby and Cherlin’s research.  Lastly, it is common knowledge that the more tests done, the more reliable the outcome is. This concept is another reason why Rockford is a perfect place to continue more research in. According to the Illinois Census of 2000, the Rockford area (Winnebago) is number six, in the top ten largest counties of Illinois (State). This provides a large amount of test subjects for research, which provides a more concrete conclusion.

Pursuing this further, I would like to propose new ideas for future research in Rockford. Rather than conducting different experiments that attain the same conclusions that Fomby and Cherlin found, I would like to propose the idea that we work on improving this dilemma. It is clear from the amount of research provided by Fomby and Cherlin that family instability provides a negative reaction on children. What we need to research is what supports a positive reaction on children? An idea that can be used is research on the types of positive behavior created by the parents of the children who are part of family instability. This research can be completed by sending out a survey to divorcing families asking how they have made an effort to assist their child or children in the change and their child or children’s reaction. It is also possible to make a conclusion based on a survey of the number of families who attend family counseling as a way to assist themselves and their children in the process.

Another idea for research would be to investigate the financial assistance that families who are breaking up receive. As I am not a professional on the subject of matter, I can only assume that through a divorce, money is provided to families for the children. If this is not the case, I believe we can collect data to show that it would have a positive influence on disconnecting families if there was extra money being provided for the separation and the child or children. I believe this would be beneficial because according to Suzanne Bianchi who wrote “Family Disruption and Economic Hardship: The Short-Run Picture for Children”, says that “results suggest that family income available to children drops by 37 percent immediately following loss of a father. The economic differences between children who experience family disruption and those who do not result from two factors: the economic hardship brought on by a father’s departure and the fact that economic disadvantage tends to precede family disruption” (Bianchi 37). One can assume that the drop of income available to children is also high if the mother was the one who left. So, with the fact that there is an income drop through family separations, it is logical that having economical assistance through a divorce would be beneficial. This research can be done in multiple ways. It might just be governmental research to see how to receive money for the child or children while going through a divorce, asking families who are going through a separation or have been separated might think having extra money to provide for the child could help their attitude and behavior. This, I believe, would be very helpful in Rockford since it is not a very successfully economical area based on my perspective. Thus, additional “material” benefits would assist in making the child or children happier.

One last research idea I have goes along with the previously mentioned idea. I think it is one of the most simple and straightforward point to follow. Researchers need to go directly to the source and ask kids. Having been a child myself, and since I am still young, I have not forgotten that I was smart enough to know what would have been a positive influence on my attitude and what contributions were negative on my behavior as my family became unstable. It is very likely it is the same for all other children in a certain age range. For example, children can be asked how they think extracurricular activities and additional events that they partake in help them keep their mind off their parents’ separation. It is common knowledge, that exercising releases endorphins that generally perk up your mood. In addition, based off Durkheim’s research that we have studied in class, we know that “suicide rates reflected the degree to which individuals were integrated into family, group, and community life” (Benokraitis 11). In turn, we can assume the idea that being surrounded by others, for example in extracurricular activities, heightens our mood and creates more positive behaviors.

After my ideas have been used, researched, and have gained conclusions, all of my unanswered questions and uncertainty towards the original American Sociological Review will dissipate. Incorporating these new ideas into the original research would not only make its original weaknesses disappear, but would provide much more for the paper and the world in general. It would then, not only show that there is a problem, why there is a problem, and how there is a problem, but also show how to solve the problem.

In final analysis, Fomby and Cherlin contrast the multiple transitions in family structures and the negative outcomes of children with the common causal factors such as parents’ prior behaviors and attributes. In the end, it boils down to the fact that both contribute to the effects and behavioral outcomes of the children experiencing family transitions. Fomby and Cherlin’s data can be well collected in the Rockford area based on various consensuses and statistics of race groups, economic standpoints, and most of all overall population. With new research taken place in Rockford, we can put forth more ideas of research to make up for the weaknesses of the initial research by Fomby and Cherlin. While I have provided multiple different ideas of research, the main point is to take Fomby and Cherlin’s research about the negative impact of family instability and the reasons for it, and connect it with positive behaviors to assist children in the transition. People need to begin to focus on prevention over clean-up. The best way is to find out how to create a better experience for the child then to focus on what contributes to the negative experience.

-Garth E. Beyer

Works Cited

Benokraitis, Nijole V. SOC. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.

Bianchi, Suzanne, Edith McArthur, and Suitland, MD. Bureau of the Census (DOC). “Family      Disruption       and Economic Hardship: The Short-Run Picture for Children.” Current Population Reports (1991):     ERIC. EBSCO. Web. 1 Apr. 2011.

“Divorces and Annulments Occurring in Illinois, 2000-2009.” Illinois Department of Public           Health Home             Page. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.      <http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/bdmd/divorce00_09.htm>.

Fomby, Paula, and Andrew J. Cherlin. “Family Instability and Child Well-Being.” American         Sociological             Review 72.2 (2007): 181-204. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web.    22 Mar. 2011.

“State of Illinois: Illinois Census 2000.” Illinois Gis. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.             <http://illinoisgis.ito.state.il.us/census2000/censusData/2000/ildata.asp>.

“STI: ERsys – Rockford, IL (Ethnicity).” STI: ERsys – Earth Resource System. 2001. Web. 22       Mar. 2011.             <http://www.ersys.com/usa/17/1765000/ethnic.htm>.

Down and Out Route To Success

Garth Beyer

“Not for too long”

I’m going to use a personal example, only because I know you can relate. All my life, I was told not to push it. To not do something for too long. To not over-do it. My parents knew I would burn out. If I was on the computer too long, I would get a migraine. If I lifted really heavy weights, I would pull a muscle. If I worked 10 or 11 hour days in construction, I would get muscle strain in my back. If I tried to memorize everything the night before a test, my brain would be kaput in the morning. I burned out, I crashed, essentially I failed.

Sound familiar?

You get pushed down. You get hit. You fall repetitively. You fail over and over.  Yet, somehow, you never fail to get up. It’s something engrained into your character, your heart and your minds desire to constantly adapt and improve. Setback is only temporary. It may last a day, a week, a year, but it will always subside and something will replace it: Success

Down and Out

When you burn out from doing something. You’re being gets that much better at doing it. How about the time you got sick because you stayed up too late for a few nights. Yet, the next month you were up late four days in a row and turned out fine. Or what about the time you got a headache from writing at your computer for 6 hours straight. Yet, after getting 3 more headaches, your average writing time at your computer became the same as a full-time job – with ease. You will noticeably experience this at least a few times each month that you are able to perform harder, put forth more effort, dedicate more time to the things that you constantly burn out doing. In fact, this is actually the source of constant adaptation.

 

Stay Positive & Failure Is Friendly To Those Who Don’t Fight It

Garth E. Beyer