Did you get your Obamacare talking points to defend
and pitch the failed healthcare system at your
Thanksgiving meal?

(yes, Obama actually issued talking points.)

Were you one of the millions that left your family
on Thanksgiving, in the spirit of shopping?

And did you count them?

How many fake, inauthentic, “Thank Yous” did you get
from people who “all of sudden” appreciated you
and wanted you to know just “how much” you mean to them—
because they wanted to sell you something?

This year more than ever, it was apparent Thanksgiving
has been bastardized.

Stripped of its meaning.

When the President of the United States turns Thanksgiving
into a platform to defend and pitch failed policy, you know
this is not the America we grew up with. That something has
gone terribly wrong.

If my Jackson or Zoey ever leave Thanksgiving Dinner at 6:00pm
to save $300 on a flat screen, I’m going to beat ‘em both
with a hose. “Your family is more important than the chance
to save a few hundreds bucks.”

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised though.

In a country that was once founded on rugged individualism,
with the core value of self-reliance, preached and shouted
from the roof tops, and truly believed in by its leaders—
it’s now acceptable for a grown-ass adult, I mean, “kid”
to stay on their parents’ health insurance until their 26
years old.

Btw, if you’re a 26-year old “kid,” and still on your parents health
plan, you ought to be embarrassed and ashamed. Get off
the teat, and forge your own way in life.

“But I have student loan debt,” says the whiny college
graduate. “But I can’t find a job” says the whiny college graduate.
“But Obama said its alright to live off the fruits and labor
of others,” says the whiny college graduate.

Folks, this is the society I’m seeing.

I’m only 32, well 31, I’ll be 32 on the 15th of this month, so this
is my generation and I’m f***king ashamed of them (sorry
if that word offends you, but we’re adults here) and their attitudes.
Their values. Their beliefs.

They disgust me.

Oh—and I counted, from the gurus’ email lists I’m on,
I received 39 solicitations to buy something, after,
of course, they said, “Thank You” and told me how much
I sincerely meant to them.

Only 2 just said “Thank You”, and really meant it.

That’s a gratitude success rate of just 4.8%.

About the same success rate of Healthcare.gov, no wonder
Thanksgiving has been bastardized, because it’s been
overtaken by government—as a platform
to pitch policy.

The government can’t do anything right, they’re the
poster child for mediocrity.

Folks, I guess I’m just frustrated.

I don’t recognize my country and I’m sick of living in a society
where the focus is on “taking.” Who knew “taking”, could be
justified and rationalized by so many, in so many ways,
even passed into law?

Thanksgiving, by definition is about “Giving.”

The holidays, about “Giving.”

Why must there always be a commercial or political message
attached to it?

Again, I’m just frustrated.

Of course, maybe I’m part of the problem. What have I done
to voice my opinion? What have I done to make myself
heard and/or paid attention to? What have I done over the last
6 months to affect change on a large scale?

Nothing really. Nothing.

I haven’t written you for weeks, maybe even a month or more
and only sporadically before that, since July.

So, maybe I am part of the problem.

I want to fix that.

In 2014 I will be launching a podcast/radio show, at your
request—from an email I sent awhile back with the subject line
“I’m honored”—as a way to stand up, do my part,
to voice more of my beliefs about business, politics, and
entrepreneurship.

“The fusion of business and entertainment.”

I can’t sit here, bitch and complain, if I’m not willing to speak out
to affect the direction of those I come in contact with.

Some will welcome this show, my loyal readers.

Others, I’m sure, will hate it. Maybe they’ll be offended and tell me
how I’m such a horrible person. It wouldn’t be
the first time.

And most, will make their decision about it after hearing the
first few episodes.

And no! I don’t want your money.

Unlike most, I just want to say THANK YOU for the many stories
you have shared with me, about your life, your success,
and about your struggles.

Ryan Sloper, a member of my Protector/Social Superhero Program
sent me this note the day before thanksgiving. It meant
the world to me:

Hey man…just wanted to take a second to say THANKS for all that you do!!! I can honestly say that you are one of the people that I am most thankful for this year…One of the main reasons my business has grown so much over the last year is because I have focused so much on being even more of an authority, staying consistent with my marketing, stepping out of my comfort zone to do video (hard to believe considering I did Live radio for 2 years but video is a different animal…LOL), creating marketing messages/sales letters using stories then getting people to respond with the use of Great Calls to actions, improving my website by making simple tweaks…..All this has happened because I have bought into YOU and your teachings and I honestly couldn’t be more thankful to have you as a Mentor!!

Before finding you I did study direct marketing concepts ala Dan Kennedy, Joe Polish, Dean Jackson etc, but you were the first person to be able to break things down on a level that not only could I understand them but I gained the confidence I needed to go out there and IMPLEMENT.

I look forward to another year of IMPLEMENTING as we head toward 2014!! Thanks again and hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! P.S.–That quote you said the other day on a call “Vision without execution is delusion” is embedded in my head and I repeat that to myself every morning at least 10 times before I start my day!

Talk soon brother! Sloper

My message back to him was, “Thank you, you give me purpose!”

Merry Christmas my Friends,
Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!
2014 is just around the corner.

PPS: There really isn’t any excuse for me not writing you more often
over the past few months. For that I’m sorry. If you wish
to unsubscribe, I get it.

Last, let me know what you think. Has Thanksgiving been bastardized,
what’s your take on this?

Or am I way off?