Thoughts of the Future

I am surrounded by a world of excess and opportunities that are just out of reach. There is no single most important thing than to help men and women build new lives after this new reality. A reality based on the austere, I have no illusion that this is some manifest destiny. Failure is by definition expendable. But the whole universe sits there, open to the man who can make the right decisions. Initiative, hard work, and most importantly smart work. These are the only logical places left for those such as myself to evolve.

The question now becomes what are the essentials? Credibility. Credibility is a difficult capital to foster. It cannot be won through coercion and threat, it cannot be sustained through protectionism or exclusion. Credibility requires engagement, strength, and most importantly—reliability.

Many of the trends affecting our environments were conditions based. That is they had developed within a complex system as the result of conditions left unchecked for many years. The rise of gray and black markets is the phenomenon of vacuum. Whenever you find a vacuum in this world, Nature or man attempts to fill the void.

So returning to the essentials: vision and values are as important as credibility.

The opportunity for self-fulfillment; entrepreneurial freedom and prosperity; human dignity and justice with compassion; along with a buttressed sense of personal responsibility, when facilitate properly, have the effect of revamping the perspective of those disenfranchised after terms of incarceration.

The rejection of the subculture of despair and hopelessness that has become self-perpetuating must at some point be addressed by offering choices and options that will nudge our "fellow citizens" to engage in more sustainable life choices. Our values provide the bounds within which we pursue our enduring personal interests.

Each of us must make our own path...

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