We have at least five economies that are alive and well in America and are becoming more and more prominent with every passing decade. First, we have those who are one months worth of food stamps away from starving. These are the unemployed, underemployed poor people we see in the grocery stores, malls and Walmarts that dot the landscape of our country. Next, we have those who are one pay check or two away from losing everything they have worked so hard to obtain. Their day to day work routines are the only thing that keeps the food stamp rolls from expanding out of control. The third group is represented by those of us who make enough to create the appearance that they are living the American dream with a measured amount of success. These people have a handle on their budgets enough to keep their heads above water, save a little money, have decent insurance, drive decent vehicles and plan vacations they really can't afford. The fourth group is occupied by those who have issues, and occasional struggles common to man. However, their economic status makes money the least of their concerns. Finally, the fifth group is the elite of America for which money has never been and will never be a problem. They are the inventors and re-inventors of the elusive American Dream. Unfortunately, for time in memoriam African Americans and certain other minorities in America have almost exclusively resided in the first three groups and they represent a disproportionate number of those who are in groups one and two. This is of course not by accident but by design. It is a result of subsisting in a system that was never designed for them to prosper and actually promotes and perpetuates their current positions. To put it another way, the deck has been stacked against African Americans from day one and the motives and intents of the card dealers have never changed. The tragic thing is that African Americans and other similar minorities are either unaware of the situation or in some form of self-delusion that allows them to mistakenly believe that they can actually win despite 400 years of evidence to the contrary. To that end, I will introduce several situations that represent what many groups of individuals dwelling in the environment called the US economy face everyday. The hope is that you will be able to quickly identify with these not so fictional situations and curiously follow along as I share how they can survive in this harsh, unrelenting environment. Finally, I invite you to relax, open your mind and envision how your life can be drastically different than you have ever imagined.
About the Author: Tim Davidson, Sr. is the Chief Financial Officer and Personal Development Counselor of Training Solution, LLC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Old Dominion University and a MBA from The College of William and Mary. Tim has professional certifications in Project Management and Change Management certification and is a Black Belt in Six Sigma. Tim also works in a Fortune 200 company and as a consultant to entrepreneurial businesses and non-profit organizations. Tim has spent the last five years coaching, teaching and developing business professionals across the country. Tim has 28 years experience in project management, process engineering, developing and facilitating process certification training programs as well as conducting career and personal development seminars. He frequently conducts certification and continuous improvement training in Business Process Management, Project Management, Change Management, Lean Six Sigma, Leadership and Personal Presence training in several regions of the United States.