Taking a chance (#1105)

You do need to be careful when taking a chance. Some chances are small and the cost/benefit is worth the risk. However I am not talking about buying a lottery ticket or small friendly wagers. I am talking about life long commitments that are anything but inconsequential. What am I talking about? Could be it is a relationship or a major purchase or a major change in living standards. Whatever the chance that is being taken, it is always best to have the right attitude about it. Know what the real consequences will be despite whatever the outcome becomes. Measure the risk by what you are willing to accept. Our values come into play and ignoring them for the hope of the best outcome is childish behavior. For me, some things are never worth taking a chance on and that is how I stay grounded. Yet still there are so many other areas that I am willing to take a chance on, especially relationships that, although not perfect, at least could bring joy and comfort. As to purchases of significant expense, a wise man told me that if you cannot turn around and sell that which you just bought for an equal or greater amount, then it is not worth buying. In today's economy, that doesn't leave much unless a really good deal can be found. But by far what most of us are experiencing is downsizing. Changing from an ideal we either had recently or hoped to have as a goal in life. Today's reality has changed what we had previously perceived as the American dream. There is not enough money flowing in our working class structure to afford us to hope for what we had just 30 to 40 years ago. The money has found it's way up to the top of the income earners and they are not sharing their fortunes with us in an equally beneficial way. The hard truth is that regardless of this inequality of economic power, we working class stiffs need to adjust until a new dynamic which also includes us comes into being.