The American Wage v. The Cost of Living

During my lifetime, I have experienced the flourishing and deprivation of the American economy. Memories of financial surplus, multiple week vacations, and shopping sprees of the 80's and 90's have now become just that; memories. Rights groups, not-for-profits, and individual Americans have begun to raise their voices and protest the American minimum wage in an effort to raise attention to the financial disparity of millions of U.S. citizens and motivate Congress to take action. Initially, I had planned to focus my attention on just the minimum wage, but in actuality, the struggle to survive in today's economy is not exclusive to minimum wage earners. The "Occupy" movement that began on Wall Street in 2011 and spread around the world is a direct example of how the economic construct that has been put in place is impacting too vast of a majority of people and their families. Why, despite working multiple jobs, or working one job that pays above minimum wage, are so many of us still in the metaphorical financial state of robbing Peter to pay Paul? The more money we make the better off we should be, right? "If I work overtime and get this part-time job on the weekend, surely my economic struggle will be over, won't it?" Perhaps; perhaps not. To understand this never-ending bout of The American Wage v. The Cost of Living, define first your financial status and then attempt to understand how you fit into a much larger socioeconomic paradigm that was not designed by you nor for you.  

Having worked for numerous big businesses such as Coca-Cola, Exxon Mobil, and Ford, and lived in cities such as New York City and Washington, DC, I have taken advantage of being afforded opportunities to expand my resources and intensely analyze the "American-way". What I have learned is that we no longer live in just a capitalist country, but rather a society that thrives on socio-capitalist ideas. This type of environment is one in which division is not solely based on your tax bracket but is also defined by your social status or lack of social status. Let me give you an example. A few years back, I was earnestly searching for an apartment in the city. The rent was over $1000 monthly for any 1 bedroom unit that wasn't in the "hood". I began to ponder how was it that so many of my newly college graduated coworkers afforded to live in these apartment buildings that were clearly out of my budget. They worked the same jobs I worked, made no more money that I made, and yet, they were able to secure housing that was far better than the majority of their peers. No, they didn't have more money than I had, but they did have a different social circle. That's when I had a great moment of clarity and new exactly what to do. Adjust my thinking and tactics. 

Your individual monetary status more than likely will not increase exponentially by the time you've read to the end of this post. What can and must change is your awareness and mindset. The rationalization for businesses is to pay workers enough to survive or maintain, but not so much as to become a viable threat to the design of things. Money is power, and they know that as long as you don't have too much money, then you won't have too much power. The decision makers are fully aware that lack of money in turn means lack of resources and lack of access to resources. If everyone had money, there would be no such thing as "rich". Therefore, the wealthy do not want you joining their ranks and lowering their value and lessening their influence as a power structure. So, how do you up your game and better yourself financially to have more money and in turn gain more power, giving yourself a voice in a system that plainly desires to keep you stagnant? You do this the same way I secured that luxury apartment in the mid-rise building; form a strategy and execute. I knew that I couldn't instantly change my income, but I could immediately begin working on the "socio" aspect of my environment, which made me privy to just the inside tip that I needed to accomplish my goal.  Mentally making margins for myself was hindering me from gaining what I wanted. Poverty is a state of mind more than a state of being.

The "Haves" in our society mingle in the same circles; six degrees of separation is a reality. They share information, tell each other inside secrets, make direct referrals for one another, and only introduce their friends to like-minded individuals. Your challenge is to intercept that circle and slowly expand your network base to a point that it ultimately raises your income base. You begin to attend events where you will be around individuals who know more than you know. Volunteer your time for organizations that are impacting your community and thus align yourself with the decision makers whose decisions affect you. Be aware that reputation is everything, and once you establish a sound reputation, it will be much easier to gain access to places, people, and things. Be ready to make tough decisions, because it is impossible to move into a new circle without being willing to change and decrease your current personal circle. That comes as part of the give in order to later be able to take.  Do your research and know the who's who in your area. You have to learn to change your focus from a hustle to a business, and businesses are all about branding. Your focus can't be just "getting money". Your focus must be on changing your social status which will in turn elevate your economic status. Learn how to dress, look, and act the part; eventually it will become your reality. Indeed, it will take time for you to begin to transition and notice an improvement in your circumstances, but if you are going to hustle and grind anyway, why not invest your energy into a new strategy that just may work? Yes, a lot of hard work must be enacted, but the payoff is well worth it. The cost of living is only going to continue to rise, so what will you do in the meantime. Remember the adage, "If you continue to do what you've always done, you will continue to get what you've always had."