Since last December, when Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos surprised Charlie Rose of 60 Minutes with the futuristic plan of air-delivering packages door-to-door by drones, the debate and controversy was quick to spread across America. While most were tormented over the alleged invasion of privacy, I was reminded of another, less attractive, definition of the word drone that continues to plague America (drone: a person who lives on the labor of others; a parasitic loafer).
A recent survey conducted by Mashable.com and SurveyMonkey revealed that nearly 10% of all Americans go to work high each day. As shocking as this sounds (especially to the sober-minded), I expect this number to get even worse in the near future.
Cannabis can now be purchased legally for medicinal use in just about every other state; which has caused its recreational use to skyrocket. Unfortunately, with our national debt breaking record highs and a recession in slow recovery, this couldn't be happening at a worse time for Americans.
I am not against the use of medicinal marijuana, but I am against the abuse of it. There are many who truly benefit from using cannabis to reduce nausea from chemotherapy, or to treat pain and muscle spasticity. However, those who smoke pot each day for pleasure or as a remedy for common aches, risk suffering from both short and long-term side-effects that will negate any gain. A few of the side-effects include: anxiety, sensory distortion, lowered reaction time, suppression of immune system, lack of motivation, mood changes, inability to understand things clearly and many more.
As a very proud and hardworking American, I am often reminiscent of how the 300,000 immigrants who came to this country, unable to speak the language and with little more than the shirt on their backs, prevailed against The Great Depression. This dedicated group left their families and everything they loved behind for the hope and dream of building a better life and brighter future in America. Failure was not an option and the devastated economy didn't change that, nor did it stop the discipline, focus and ambition that each American had to succeed.
For the tough immigrants of this era, there were almost no handouts and nothing came easy. They begged for work and gratefully accepted anything they could get their hands on, believing that outperforming the competition was the only way to succeed. Every task or job completed, no matter how small or light in pay, was of superior quality; which made every accomplishment about pride and building a strong reputation.
The immigrants of this great nation were hungry and did the right thing each day with very little reward. They were resilient and found countless ways to prevail against every pressure; which included unemployment rates > 20%. With exhausted bodies and stressed minds, our ancestors never looked to escape reality, they broke their backs to change it!
Today the opposite appears to be true, and America has lost its competitive edge as a result of it. The collapse of our education system further removes hope of our recovery towards greatness any time soon ... According to the Program for International Student Assessment, we now rank 24/65 on high school literacy. The Economist Intelligence Unit also reports that the United States ranks 17/40 in overall educational performance. Those days of providing our children with the advantages necessary to thrive are officially now over.
America's shoddy performance only begins here, as it can be observed in just about everyone and everything that surrounds us ... From spineless people, like the greedy who deliberately take what very little others have, and the slackers who charge top dollar for sub par work, to our many products and services that fail to meet expectations, quality or safety standards, all are telltale signs that the pride of this once great nation is in a death spiral. Today, everything is all about the money, and the American pride and integrity we once shared has been sold-out.
If things are this bad now, just imagine what America will be like when 20, 30 or 40% of the people go to work or school stoned each day. How much further removed from greatness will our county get? In a dazed and confused society, nothing ever gets learned or done right. The contractor who received half upfront, never shows up to complete the job, college students opt for another loan before ever leaving the couch to earn a buck, and our most brilliant doctors take to the golf courses on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Motivation is an internal engine and a catalyst to sustained greatness for all Americans who have it. Motivation is the fuel our ancestors of the 1930's used to drive us back into power, and it is exactly what's needed today to restore our strength once again.
Unfortunately, motivation is also what's first to be destroyed by the use of cannabis. Smoking pot for recreational use will bring unnecessary hurdles into your life and derail your future before it has the chance to get started. In a world where companies are after the brightest and most talented employees, Americans are now forced to compete globally for every new position, and the competition couldn't be happier. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if China, India and Russia subsidized our free consumption of recreational marijuana. But let's not be so eager to point the finger, just beware of how weak minds are first to be exploited.
Our government recognizes this and proves to be another great detriment ... through its eagerness to innovate new ways of income redistribution and other forms of entitlement, all are designed to remove us from power and squash our ambition ... as opposed to helping us acquire the skills and disciplines needed to succeed.
There is no denying that this country is in trouble, and in desperate need of monumental change; which means that our ability to focus is now of most importance. The rebuilding of American Pride is not something that can be outsourced or carried out by others. Our success as a nation starts with the dedication and commitment of each and every individual; which includes you and me!
We must all possess the ambition and motivation to strive for full potential. This is only achieved by removing any distractions and focusing on performing our very best. It's hard enough for both Generation Y and Z to put down their devices, or shift eyes away from the latest Tweet. Asking this group to also contend with a spirit-crushing force as great as marijuana may be the final blow that does us all in.
It is not too late to fight and keep your dream, the American Dream, alive. Appreciate the fact that there are still many in the world who wish they had the opportunity Americans do today. When we take everything we have for granted, nobody will ever work hard to keep it. Always stay hungry for more, and realize that success comes to those who believe there is no tomorrow. Start being the person you dream to be today!
If you find yourself in a position of weakness, or gravitating towards the use of cannabis, play the audio clip below and focus on staying motivated to perform your best. Listen to the recording over and over again if you must. When you have the right attitude and mindset, nothing can break you.
Play audio to hear the parting advice of an American icon
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