Transformation Starts with Your Thinking

by Laura Thompson

We often equate poverty with ignorance. We look at what people don't have and compare it to what we have, and assume that people are bad because they don't have material things like us.  We criticize people that struggle day in and day out to put food on their families tables and turn our noses up at them because they may be riding the bus or may not have the latest model car.

But have you ever walked among the people that you dishonor because you view them as less than. You should get to know them better.  They are your people.  They are starving for knowledge and a way to succeed.  They are looking for a way out of poverty.  They are looking for a way to share their gifts and talents.  As they should.

You know, once upon a time, we were slaves, in America...but we were not slaves in our native land. Once upon a time, we were warriors in our native land.  Our culture was different there.  Our lifestyle was different there.  We were first class citizens.  We were considered brilliant...because we were.

In America,  we are still brilliant beyond measure.  We are inventors, creators, innovators, educators, leaders, scientists, technologists.  We are still all of those things and more.  The difference is that we somehow do not believe that about ourselves.  Somewhere, we lost our way in the land of the free...a terminology that does not describe us in this nation.

However, collectively, we keep this economy going.  We are not suppliers though, we are the consumers.  We are capable of being suppliers, if only we knew how to get started.  We are prosperity driven.  A lot of industries in this country could not and would not thrive without our collective dollars.

We often tell ourselves that we do not have the money to become successful.  We tell ourselves that we do not own the banks and the large corporations.  And you're right...we do not.  But we do have control over what we buy with the money we have...we do have control over where and how we invest our time.

We were once kings and queens...and yes we were once slaves...yet while in shackles and through beatings and through working long hours...and through being deprived of every right that you can imagine...our ancestors endured.  They didn't have money or land or banks either, but they pooled their resources together...talents, gifts, knowledge,abilities, wisdom...they pooled all they had together and built colleges, churches, communities,businesses and more.  We can do all of those things again...right now!

We have great minds in our communities across the country.  The only limitation that we have...is ourselves.  Changing the world only requires that we change our minds.  We're brilliant people. Focus your energy on building your own new world economy...the skies the limit!