There’s just one link I’d like to share this week, and I hope everyone clicks through to read it. We all need a little positivity sometimes, especially when it’s based in facts and not merely good cheer.
“50 Reasons We’re Living Through the Greatest Period in World History”
The Motley Fool
I’m absolutely fascinated by this post about how we as Americans tend to ignore the good and obsess over the bad. This article is one to bookmark for whenever you’re feeling jealous, slighted or pessimistic in general. If you don’t have time to read the whole list, skip right to No. 50. Or, peruse the handful of points I’ve called out below that may resonate with your career or Green Industry business. (My comments are in italics.)
5. The average American now retires at age 62. One hundred years ago, the average American died at age 51. Enjoy your golden years — your ancestors didn’t get any of them. It should also be noted that until recently, most people worked until they died. For the average person, there was no “planning for retirement.”
17. Median household income adjusted for inflation was around $25,000 per year during the 1950s. It’s nearly double that amount today. We have false nostalgia about the prosperity of the 1950s because our definition of what counts as “middle class” has been inflated–see the 34% rise in the size of the median American home in just the past 25 years. If you dig into how the average “prosperous” American family lived in the 1950s, I think you’ll find a standard of living we’d call “poverty” today. In other words, this rise in the standard of living has given birth to an entire class that desires and can afford landscape services.
26. Google Maps is free. If you think about this for a few moments, it’s really astounding. It’s probably the single most useful piece of software ever invented, and it’s free for anyone to use. Try to quantify how much more efficient your business is with this technology. Just try.
37. In 1940, less than 5% of the adult population held a bachelor’s degree or higher. By 2012, more than 30% did, according to the Census Bureau. Many Green Industry professionals have benefited from the opportunity to earn an education beyond high school. Not to mention: An educated population has disposable income. Again, more customers.
46. As recently as 1950, nearly 40% of American homes didn’t have a telephone. Today, there are 500 million Internet-connected devices in America, or enough for 5.7 per household. Do you remember a time when you didn’t tote around a single device in your back pocket that can answer nearly any question you have within seconds? It wasn’t that long ago but feels like a distant memory.
One final tip: For a good laugh, watch the Louis C.K. bit Housel references. It’s hilarious.
