Month: April 2016

Tyranny from the Left

On By seancovellIn Politics, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Let’s Agree to Disagree

Here’s a question: what happened to the liberal dogma of the 1960’s “I disagree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” Freedom of speech was a major tenant of the liberal platform in the 20th century. So what happened? Conservatives and Libertarians are regularly targets for the left. They are referred to as Hitler, bigots, “climate deniers”. Christians are persecuted all the time for their beliefs without any negative recourse on those attacking them. The Black Lives Matter movement goes after businesses and politicians with violent protesting. I guess that’s ok nowadays. But if someone calls out a liberal or progressive or a non-Christian and questions their ideology, they are viciously attacked.

Free speech was not designed for talking about the weather. It wasn’t ratified as the First Amendment so people could have conversations about their favorite sports team. Free speech is for controversial speech. But for the left, free speech is only allowed if you agree with them. If not, your speech will be called “hate-speech” and they will declare that it shouldn’t be allowed. They are, however the ones engaging in the very hate speech they speak of. Don’t believe me? Turn on the news. Follow a Facebook thread about Donald Trump or even Ron Paul—the non-violent, non-interventionist libertarian. You’ll see these people decried as Hitler, bigots, Nazis, fascists, etc. Do you have reservations about policy? Criticize the hike in the minimum wage…you are an evil person who doesn’t care about people. Question the validity of transgender bathrooms and you are the scum of the Earth. The only people who have freedom of speech today are those who agree with political correctness and big, interventionist government.

So what happened to tolerance for ideas? In college I studied endlessly about a “discourse” in the culture that was necessary for all individuals to grow. Today, that discourse is tolerated in theory, but in practice you had better follow the liberal, university establishment policies and belief systems or you’ll find yourself the target of the very hate speech they decry. Tolerance is dead among the left. In it’s place is a militant ideology dedicated to subverting the freedoms we all cherish—Life, Liberty and Property. How did this happen? Read Theodore And Woodrow by Andrew Napolitano. Then read For a New Liberty by Murray Rothbard. You’ll discover how the progressive movement infiltrated both parties to the extent that they are nearly inseparable. Even those considered to be on the right have adopted a mostly progressive philosophy, which begs the question as to why the left so viciously attacks them when many of their policies are identical—the federal reserve, the war on poverty, the war on drugs, foreign intervention.

I’ll leave you with these thoughts so that people may be a little more tolerant and less militant about the speech of others:

“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” ― George Orwell

“Because if you don’t stand up for the stuff you don’t like, when they come for the stuff you do like, you’ve already lost.” ― Neil Gaiman

“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.” ― Benjamin Franklin

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” ― George Washington

Life’s Greatest Secret

On By seancovellIn Health and Wellness, Politics, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Turning Adversity into an Ally

“Problems are life’s gifts–without them we wouldn’t grow”

– Anthony Robbins

            There is a very powerful and strange secret in the universe that few understand and even fewer take advantage of. Some will think what I’m about to write is controversial. It may be. The world is not and will never be without some controversy. When it comes to powers that exist in the universe, controversy will always accompany the science. Indeed, the universe is full of untold, unrevealed secrets waiting for man to uncover them. In some cases we already have uncovered some of the secrets and are able to apply them in our own lives. Specifically, I’m referring to the ability for humans to take adversity, defeat and failure and turn them into a seed of an equivalent or greater benefit. I came across this strange power from Napoleon Hill in his 16 Laws of Success. He argued that to be really great and successful, you must profit from problems. It’s an understatement to say problems exist for everyone. The only people without any problems live in a cemetery. But the truth is that humans need problems in order to grow. You see, some people need to be cut down by failure and defeat before they realize they have the ability to use their minds and turn their problems into assets that can take them to a higher level of success than they ever dreamed of. The problem is, of course, nobody wants to have bad things happen to them and when they do happen, it’s very difficult to keep a positive and open mind. But you can, in fact, profit from adversity.

A quick look through history shows us a great many people who have turned adversity, even disaster and tragedy, and transmuted it into something that helped others. Stephen Hawking gave us a theory of how the universe works and even has suggested that alternate worlds may exist. Perhaps he was a genius before the onset of ALS, but perhaps the disease allowed (forced) Hawking to harness his mind to a degree that he might not have been able to otherwise. Would he be better off physically without the horrible disease? No doubt. Hawking himself might suggest there is an alternate reality in which he doesn’t have ALS and is a professional athlete. If so, the world would be without his gifts of scientific theory. Franklin Roosevelt is another example of someone stricken with a terrible disease and was able to keep a positive mind and succeed in capturing the presidency. I would argue he was a bad president, but I’ll save that for another article. The point is that people, if they keep a positive attitude, can learn from and even profit from defeat.

At the age of 19, I was diagnosed with a debilitating, progressive spine disorder that should have caused me to be reliant on immunosuppressive drugs and painkillers. The disease causes me immense pain everyday. It limits certain things I can do physically. It causes severe bouts of depression on occasion. When the diagnosis was confirmed, I made it part of my identity and I became severely depressed. But I was lucky enough to be around loving people who wouldn’t let me stay in that place. They didn’t indulge me in my self-loathing. So I decided to turn my life into one that is dedicated to helping others overcome adversity. I used my disease as inspiration to win three bodybuilding competitions, start a chain of health clubs that helps thousands transform their lives in a positive way and write articles that can reach people all over the globe. Do I still have the disease? Yes. Does it affect me daily? Yes. Do I let my problems determine where I go in life? No. I use them as an opportunity to learn and improve.

The loss of a loved one is probably the most painful experience in life. My biggest fear is to lose someone I love and care about. I think that’s true for most people. However, there are countless others that, despite the pain of loss, have decided to dedicate the memory of those who are gone to helping others in a positive way. Some even use tragic stories of loss of their loved ones to influence others to get over addiction, anger, abuse, teenage pregnancy and various other uses of turning tragedy into something positive. My beautiful, loving wife, the mother of my two children, lost her father to stomach cancer while she was pregnant with our first child. It was a terrible tragedy, especially witnessing the effects of chemotherapy on an adult man. Despite the loss of her father, she decided to turn her grief into a series of children’s books. I will add that the loss of my father-in-law reminds me daily that life is short and I need to be a great father for my children and spend as much time with them as possible. I want their memory of me when I pass to be an incredible one. And perhaps they will use the story of my life will be used to help others.

Nothing is ever so bad or so unpleasant that we cannot turn it into a seed of an equivalent benefit, if we keep a positive mental attitude during the struggle. Does that mean we should invite problems into our lives? No. But we should expect them when they come and not allow ourselves to be beaten down by them when we have the power to transform them into good. However, turning tragedy into something positive can only happen if the belief that it can happen exists and we keep a positive mental attitude when facing adversity. For many, religion helps them stay positive and inspires them to help others. The worlds largest religion is Christianity. There are 2.2 billion followers of the religion in the world. It’s worth noting that the popularity of Christianity is solely because Christ and his followers believed in turning defeat into success. In fact, Christianity spread like a wildfire across the Roman Empire because, according to the story, Christ used his own death and resurrection as a testament to God’s love for mankind. His disciples followed suit, allowing themselves to be burned and crucified before renouncing their beliefs. Their deaths only added to the popularity of the religion. Soon the Roman Empire itself would become a Christian empire.

One doesn’t need to follow a religion to believe that in any problem, there exists the seed of an equivalent benefit. Out of infection comes antiseptics. Out of tyranny comes the desire for freedom. Out of dangerous and deadly voyages comes the discovery of new worlds. Out of recession comes expansion. Out of death comes a new appreciation for mortality and life itself. Indeed, it takes a certain mindset to see the benefit in problems, but they do exist. Regardless of whether you believe this universal power exists or not, the fact remains that others have tapped into this “secret” and profited from it. Problems are life’s gifts. They truly allow us to grow, but only if we tap into our ability to turn them into a benefit and not allow them to defeat us permanently.

Start With Why

On By seancovellIn Health and Wellness, PoliticsLeave a comment

I’m currently halfway into a fantastic book by Simon Sinek, Start With Why, and I must say that’s its very thought provoking. His basic premise is that while most individuals and companies focus on and advertise WHAT and HOW they do something, there exists a few truly revolutionary leaders that start with and advertise WHY they do what they do. Sinek argues that by going deeper and discovering why we do something first, we as individuals or companies are setting ourselves up for the type of success that delivers loyalty from many others. It also allows for a possible movement for changing the status quo, in the case of Apple, or how we travel, in the case of the Wright Brothers. Or, even how we see our fellow man, in the case of Martin Luther King Jr. All of those examples had very strong reasons for doing what they did. While there were others equally or more qualified to do what they did, because these people and companies started with WHY, they were able to enact real change in the world. All of this has led me to examine why I do what I do. The answers, “make money”, “provide for family”, “get more customers” come to mind. Yet as I go deeper, I realize that is not why I do what I do.

My reasons, and I believe all our reasons for why we do what we do are the major determining factor in whether we succeed or not. My WHY is that I want people to realize that their biggest problems, their biggest adversities in life can be their greatest allies. My WHY is that I want to change the way people think about the world in relation to themselves. My WHY is that I want everyone to be able to transform their health, philosophy and well being at their will. I believe that if you have strong enough reasons for WHY you are doing something, you will do whatever it takes to follow through. So what happens if we take and apply this logic to other areas in life?

If we begin with WHY, it’s easy to see why so many people fail in their diets or training. “I want a flat stomach” is not a strong reason. A better reason: “I want an abundance of energy and vitality so I can play with my kids, love my partner and deliver value for those around me.” A flat stomach is a by-product of the work. Starting with WHY, it’s easy to see why so many Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs and their marriages. “I’m going to be with this person because I’m comfortable with them” is not a strong enough reason to stay with someone. The same goes for a job. Humans understand when something doesn’t “feel” right. Our gut tells us that we are capable of more and that we should be aspiring to get it and inspiring others along the way. Yet most don’t start with WHY and as a result end up very unhappy and unsatisfied. We go through our days meeting some of our needs for certainty and connection, but are not getting what we desire because we are not starting with WHY (purpose and reasons).

What is your WHY? What are your reasons for wanting what you want or doing what you do? For results with your physical body and health, your reasons must go beyond looks. Looks fade and the pursuit to maintain them is done in vain. Strength is a better reason. If you train for strength, the look you want will more likely appear. The reverse is not true. For lasting success start with WHY. Sinek’s book is really a must read if you want to further understand how some leaders inspire others to take action and some fail. If you want to better understand yourself and how your brain works, pick up a copy of Start With Why. Don’t forget the highlighter as well. You’re 50% more likely to retain knowledge if you are physically involved in the material, not just reading or watching passively. In fact, don’t be passive about anything in life. Be active. Everyday.

Let’s Talk About Sex

On By seancovellIn Health and Wellness, PoliticsLeave a comment

Sex. Every species’ biological imperative. We don’t talk about it as a society like we really should. Governments ban sexual images, companies perpetuate them, we try to keep our kids away from them and there’s an abundance of sex related movies, TV shows and Internet material. Depending on your point of view, we either live in a highly sexual culture or one that is highly suppressive towards the subject of sex. Most adults want sex, men believe they don’t get enough. Women want it as well, although a higher percentage of women claim not to need it as often to be happy. There is a direct link between sex and happiness. Here are some interesting statistics to consider:

From a 2011 study on sex in Personality and Social Psychology Review:

“Over half the men in their national sample reported thinking about sex every day, whereas only one fifth of the women reported thinking about sex that often.”

“… found that “husbands continued to prefer intercourse more frequently than wives”. In fact, wives consistently reported that they were quite satisfied with the amount of sex they had in their marriages, but men on average wished for about a 50% increase.”

From the Paris Review (2014):

“Forty million Americans describe themselves as sex-starved. According to Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist at Rutgers and chief scientific consultant to the dating site chemistry.com, it is often a question of mismatched libidos—an adventurer paired with a traditionalist, for example.”

“Studies show single Americans are having sex especially rarely. Some have blamed Internet porn; the American sex therapist Ian Kerner theorized that everyone was too tired.”

“In a survey of five thousand Americans, 70 percent said they experienced sexual boredom in their relationship, but eighty percent of married couples said they would remarry the same person.

Women get bored sexually with the same partner much sooner than men. According to one study, women experience “a catastrophic decline of interest” after three years whereas men show a much more gradual erosion.”

Men and women approach the idea and subject of sex very differently as seen from the excerpts. There also exists a very strong correlation between physical fitness level and sexual activity and desirability. Study by Penhollow and Young (2004) found frequency of exercise and physical fitness enhanced attractiveness and increased energy levels. They write that those who exercise are more likely to experience a greater level of satisfaction and a positive perception of self, which may cause them to believe they are more desirable and may perform better sexually. Both male and females who are physically fit are also more likely to describe themselves as more sexually desirable—thus improving their self-image and the likelihood they engage in sex. Lesson: the more fit you are, the better and more often you have sex.

Sex, despite it’s negative association with STD’s and adultery, can offer a whole host of healthy benefits. The act of sex releases many hormones that contribute to overall well-being, such as oxytocin. Sex also releases endorphins, which can improve mood and block pain. Moreover, every time you reach orgasm, the hormone DHEA increases in response to sexual excitement and orgasm. DHEA can boost your immune system, improve cognition, keep skin healthy, and even work as an antidepressant. Therefore, the added health benefit is that you will feel—and look—younger, longer.

I’ve touched on the relationship between fitness and sex, but sex itself can be considered aerobic exercise, burning up to 200 calories per session. Among other benefits, women who engage in regular sexual activity with their partners have higher levels of estrogen, which protects against heart disease. Research has found that men who have sex two times per week have fewer heart attacks than those who do not. The hormones released during sex cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and it engages almost every muscle in the body. After sex, blood vessels dilate and blood pressure is then reduced. This change in blood vessel constriction may also help with tension headaches. NOTE—those with unhealthy or uncontrolled blood pressure issues should be wary. Consult your doctor often to see if you are healthy enough for sex.

So there you go. A little talk about sex. Did it make you uncomfortable? Did you maybe learn something? Do you want to go the club and lift weights to increase your desire and attraction level? Good. That’s the point of all this—to get you thinking about all aspects of your life and how health plays the ultimate role in your success in those areas. And, in case you needed another reason to stay fit, now you have it.

Stay strong,

Sean.

Thinking Clearly

On By seancovellIn Health and WellnessLeave a comment

How to Tell You’re Thinking Clearly

            A few days ago I asked on Facebook “How do you know if you are thinking clearly?” All of the answers were good. The best answer implied that being clear-headed has to do with drive and determination. I’m not sure that’s correct, but I like it anyway. The reason I asked the question is because despite my rituals and reading to get myself in state and ready for each day, my mood tends to swing from day to day. The thoughts I have one day towards my family, staff and business will be ones of gratitude and love, then suddenly change to anger on another day. I’m sure everyone reading this can relate. Just think about your partner. When you first started dating him or her, wouldn’t you do just about anything to make them happy? Fast forward to today… is that still the case, or do you find yourself annoyed, upset or even resentful? Were you thinking clearly back then or now? Why has your frame of mind changed? I think we would be better off clearly defining what the proper frame of mind is. With this definition I believe we can spot more easily if we are thinking clearly, or if our judgment or mindset is skewed negative.

The definition I would like to put forward for thinking clearly is the following: a frame of mind producing the type of thoughts that, if acted upon, will bring about positive results for you and others, especially those you care for. Using this definition, it’s easy to recognize whether you are thinking clearly or you are allowing negative thoughts to influence your thinking. Remember, many people identify with their thoughts, but you are not your thoughts. You are the one listening to them. A simple trick for dealing with negative thoughts or a poor frame of mind (those thoughts that, if acted upon, will produce a negative result for you and others) is when you recognize a bad thought, say out loud “Thanks for sharing.” Then discard the thought and move on to clear your mind. What about a string of bad thoughts? Do anything possible to change your physiology and remember a time when you felt proud, happy and energetic. Then ask yourself whether your current thoughts meet the definition laid out above.

Does this help? I hope it does. I know that it has helped me recognize if I’m in a great state of mind, or I need to work on getting there before I act. Here’s the lesson–think before you act, but make sure you’re in the right frame of mind and thinking clearly before you do.

America: The Sick and Disabled Nation

On By seancovellIn Health and Wellness, PoliticsLeave a comment

THE STATISTICS:

About 40 Americans die each day from overdosing on prescription painkillers, according to the CDC. In 2013, an estimated 1.9 million people abused or were dependent on prescription opiates. In 2014, the CDC found that doctors wrote 259 million prescriptions for painkillers in a single year, which is enough for every U.S. adult to have a bottle of pills. Americans consume 80% of the entire world’s painkillers. What the hell is going on in this country? Are we in that much pain that we need a prescription for every adult? Here’s another shocking statistic:

According to the Social Security Administration, in 2013 disability payments were made to 10,228,364 people, up 139,625 claims from 2012 when there were 10,088,739 disabled beneficiaries. Disabled beneficiaries have increased 49.7 percent from a decade ago when there were 6,830,714 beneficiaries. From 2009 when President Obama took office until now, that number has jumped 14.3 percent up from 8,945,376 beneficiaries.

WHY?

Are we getting sicker and more disabled as a nation? The numbers certainly would support that theory. It’s shocking that in 2016, with a world of information and research at our fingertips about how to get healthier, happier and improve yourself physically and mentally that more people than ever are turning to prescription painkillers. Is there really a physical pain problem in the country or is it a mindset problem? Manufacturing jobs and other manual labor jobs are at the lowest percentage of the total jobs in this country’s history according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The shift has been steadily away from manual labor jobs into service worker jobs for many decades. Perhaps it’s the interaction with other humans and technology in the service worker industry that’s causing so many to turn to opiates. Whatever the cause, it’s clear that millions of people need to chemically alter their state to get though work, or they just drop out of the labor force and collect disability. Either way, it appears there are thousands of doctors willing to provide some pain pills.

Personally, since being diagnosed with a severe autoimmune disease I’ve had prescriptions for painkillers, NSAIDS and other drugs. None of which have benefitted me in any way other than a very temporary distraction from the pain. I never renewed the prescriptions because they didn’t stop the pain. And, frankly, I was afraid I would get so used to the feeling while on them that I would become addicted. I almost did. I thought I needed them, but after I ran out, I realize that I didn’t. Why? Painkillers don’t really eliminate all pain. They block receptors in your body that signal the body to feel pain. Pain is an indicator of possible damage to the body. Despite blocking the sensation of pain, there is still damage being done while on painkillers. Stated differently, pain pills are rarely a long-term solution. They are designed for immediate relief from trauma and for temporary use. Painkillers can have severe side effects on every organ in your body, especially the liver and kidneys. They can kill you. They kill 40 people a day in this country from people abusing them.

A DIFFERENT VIEW OF PAIN

“Life is pain. Anyone telling you different is selling something.” — Wesley in The Princess Bride.

I love the above quote. It’s meant to provoke laughter, but there is a bit of truth to it as well. See, pain is in fact a part of life. Life is full of sensations and feelings and pain is but one of them. It’s a normal part of life and always will be. Someone who believes this will be less likely to dope themselves up with pills, unless they are used for a specific purpose with an end date for their use. An individual on painkillers, especially those with a chemical addiction, (which happens very frequently with prescription drugs) must move away from the belief that pain, any amount of pain, is something to be avoided at all costs. The focus must move from masking the pain to developing strength to defeat the pain. We must focus as a country on addressing the reasons why millions believe they need pills to get through life. We must address why we have moved from a “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” society to a vicodin and Paxil society.

Author’s Note: I’m not speaking about the people who have had severe physical trauma and rely on painkillers because of the tragedy. That number of people represents a small fraction of total narcotics users. I’m speaking about drug use at epidemic rates among a cross section of the United States.

CONCLUSION: The opiate addiction in the United States is a serious problem that we cannot take lightly. I would venture to say anyone reading this know someone who has a reliance on painkillers. I’ve been on them myself. This is a major problem that has moved millions of the workforce to drop out altogether and millions of others going through their workday in a drug-induced haze. This is a health crisis and I believe the solution is that individuals must focus on improving their health and talk with doctors about how to do that before resorting to narcotics and potentially toxic drugs. Millions are now chemically addicted to these drugs. They cannot function without them. Does that sound right to you? Is that how we should treat dealing with pain?

P.S. The best advice I ever got about dealing with pain was from my father Marlon. He told me to do what I could to fix my body and if I still had pain, to ignore it. He said, “Son, nothing lasts forever. Especially pain.” I remember that everyday. I focus everyday on improving my body and preventing pain from coming. When it does come, I remember that pain doesn’t last unless you focus on it. Whatever you focus on gets amplified in your mind. I’m not saying to ignore the fact you have pain. I’m simply saying that you should do what you can to prevent it and strengthen yourself while remembering that pain is a part of life. It usually doesn’t require a prescription to deal with. Certainly not 259 million of them. Something must change soon.

Be healthy,
Sean

An Open Letter to Democrats & the Supporters of the $15 Minimum Wage

On By seancovellIn Politics, Uncategorized1 Comment

By Sean Covell

CEO Fitness System

Bachelor Degree UC San Diego

As an employer and resident in California, I have had to hold my nose for the past decade as it becomes increasingly difficult to do business in the Golden State. While California has many things going for it–beaches, Hollywood, Silicon Valley–it does not have a friendly business climate. This state ranks 32nd on Forbes’ Best States For Business in 2015. The $15 dollar an hour minimum wage law, recently passed by the California Legislature (a gang of people dedicated to fundamentally altering the role government has with its citizens and non-citizens lives) and Governor Jerry Brown, will cause California to be ranked dead last.

My goal is to have as many politicians read this as possible and knowing that most politicians have an aversion to reading (especially their own legislation), I’m going to keep this brief. What follows are eight reasons why the new minimum wage law is damaging to the freedoms and pocketbooks of all citizens.

             The minimum wage artificially increases the price of labor. That’s right, labor has a price and the higher that price becomes, the result will be less overall labor participation. This is basic supply and demand. Most economics professors would agree. The tragedy is that workforce participation is already at a 32-year-low! What will it become after the $15 minimum wage? It will be even lower. Some economists may dispute this, but the honest ones will admit that, all things being equal, there would be more labor participation without a minimum wage. This cannot be refuted. It’s a simple truth. If the price of labor is lower, more people can be hired. The other real irony is that government loves to artificially increase the price of things it doesn’t like through fees, fines and taxes as to reduce their use– cigarettes, alcohol, big screen TVs and heavy vehicles are all subject. I guess the government doesn’t much like laborers either.

            The cost of living will necessarily be higher. A big argument from proponents of this law is that while the cost of food, tuition, rents and other consumable goods has increased, wages have not. Leaving aside all the other reasons why this could be–tax policy, subsidies for tuition and rents, people dropping out of the workforce and electing to receive welfare, inflated stock and real estate prices, inflation of the money supply– this is a classic example of the seen versus the unseen. What is seen is that prices have gone up. What is unseen is that government policy has contributed to this. What is also unseen is that forcing employers to pay more for labor will result in them having to raise prices to cover the costs. This will adversely affect the consumer. Ironically, it will mostly affect the very people this law aims to help, the minimum wage employee. They will not be able to absorb the inflated prices as well as other income groups. So while they may get a pay bump, they will not come out ahead.

            The minimum wage unfairly targets low-skilled and entry-level employees. The minimum wage on its face is really an unemployment law. It states that an employer like myself cannot hire anyone under the price the government sets. Therefore, anyone who could have been hired for $14 dollars an hour or less cannot be legally hired. Thus, unless they are deemed to be at least producing more than $15 an hour in revenue, they cannot be hired. The reality is that not all entry-level jobs produce the same amount of revenue. As a result, those who would have been hired for, say $12 or $10 or even less will have no job. Unemployment will rise among the groups that currently make minimum wage.

            It violates private and mutually beneficial contracts. If I want to wash windows for $5 an hour and an employer agrees to pay that $5 an hour in return for services rendered, why does the government get to tell me that’s not legal? In this instance, the government is violating basic agreements that allow the free market to function. The state is now a hindrance to free market exchanges and productivity. So what am I to do? If I cannot produce at least $15 an hour in value I must go to the state to receive welfare. This places the burden on the taxpayers across all income groups.

            The minimum wage unfairly targets smaller businesses. While politicians love to express their love for small business the truth is they much prefer large businesses to contribute to their campaigns. And while people think some chain restaurants and other businesses are large, in reality many are franchisees (small businesses that pay a fee for the Taco Bell or McDonalds name). These businesses, like my own, offer flexible hours and the opportunity to gain skills in the marketplace for entry-level workers and people who would simply like another part-time job. The net revenues of these business is not such that they can afford large salaries, high hourly wages or other perks afforded to state employees and employees of larger businesses. The employees and employers who will suffer are the local mom-and-pop-shop and the kid next door. They will be the ones to be out of business or out of a job.

            Price controls do not work. Look throughout history to regimes that have tried to impose price controls. They have always failed with many unintended consequences. Only entrepreneurs in the marketplace, with market indicators, can properly price goods and services. They are also the only ones who can truly determine how much someone should be paid in the enterprise that they built. Every time price controls show up, a black market pops up. This is the real economy.

            The cost to employers will be higher across the board. Few remember that what an employee is paid in their paycheck and what the employer must pay to employ that person are very different. The employer cost is much higher. In fact, the burden for almost everything from taxes to child support falls to the employer. When the minimum wage goes up, the employer cost for taxes, unemployment insurance and disability will increase as well. Moreover, workers compensation insurance is billed by the total dollar amount of wages worked by all employees in a tax year. This is yet another cost increase for the employer. Furthermore, and perhaps the biggest problem with this law, is that employees who now make $15 per hour or above will demand more money because they have a more refined skill set. How is it fair for an unskilled worker to make $15 when someone who has worked at a business for years makes the same? It’s not. And employers will be forced to increase wages across the board. Some businesses, because of market forces, cannot just go raise prices to cover the increased costs. The result? Less employers. Less employers=less employees=more people on government assistance. Simple.

            There is no requirement for increased productivity. Money is not wealth and it’s not what makes the economy run. If money was wealth, the government could just print us all money and we would be very wealthy. The problem here is obvious. More money in circulation will not result in more production. Increased wealth comes from an increase of productivity (output) and value in the marketplace. From an early age we are told to go to school and graduate so that we can learn more skills and produce more in the marketplace. Want a raise? Become more valuable to the marketplace! Refine your skills. Learn something new and apply it. The government and supporters of the $15 minimum wage do not believe this. They think workers deserve to make more by fiat. So they petition to government to make it so. Does the employer receive more value for the additional wages paid? No. Does the customer receive any more for the higher prices paid? No.

And there you have it. Eight examples of the “tyranny of good intentions.” This is what government does best. It only focuses on what it sees instead of the consequences of action. Let me be very clear: I believe that everyone should be paid more in every country across the world. I believe this can only come through adding value to the marketplace and increasing productivity. I do not know for sure how this will all play out long term. I do know that as an employer and entrepreneur, other states are looking much more “golden” than California.

The Most Important Thing

On By seancovellIn Health and WellnessLeave a comment

I’ve just finished reading a book called The One Thing. My thoughts? In a word: fantastic. It’s basic premise is that you must narrow down you focus, your priorities to just ONE important thing. The authors suggest in planning your day, week, month, year, ask yourself, “What’s the one thing, such that by doing would make my life easier and make all else unnecessary?” What a fantastic question. I would venture to say that most never ask it. I know that I haven’t. I wish I had earlier in my life. Regardless, it got me thinking, “If you could only have one trait, what the most important one to have.” This is another way of asking, what the most important “thing” in life. After careful consideration, I know the answer. Courage.

Courage is the most important thing in life to have. Without it, nothing would happen. Without courage we humans would live in constant fear of everything–fear of death, fear of embarrassment, fear of losing loved ones, fear of financial ruin, fear that we are not enough. It’s in our nature to be fearful. We are not the biggest or strongest creatures to have roamed the Earth. We are constantly faced with things that could kill us, ruin us, embarrass us or make us quite uncomfortable. Fear is what drives us if we act on instinct alone–unless you have Courage.

Courage is not the lack of fear, it is acting in spite of fear. The two attributes are not mutually exclusive. They balance each other like good and evil, light and dark, yin and yang. Fear is what holds us back. Courage is what drives us forward. Courage is what drives all of humanity forward. Life without courage is no life at all. Another word for courage is faith. A life without faith is no life at all.

From The One Thing: “One evening an elder Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on in all people. He said, “My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us. One is Fear. It carries anxiety, concern, uncertainty, hesitancy, indecision and irritation. The other is faith (courage). It brings calm, conviction, confidence, enthusiasm, decisiveness, excitement and action.” The grandson thought about it for a moment then meekly asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?” The old Cherokee replied, “The one you feed.”

FEED YOUR COURAGE. STARVE YOUR FEARS.
-Sean

I Need A Hobby

On By seancovellIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

My wife says I need a hobby other than business. Something that makes me happy other than money and family. She’s probably right. Most of what I write about relates to business and philosophy. I write it with business on my mind. I’m a voracious reader. Mostly of business books. I love movies, but watching screens is not what I consider a healthy hobby. Most of what I like to do,(bodybuilding and counseling on fitness and nutrition) is directly related to my business. I love sex, so I asked if that could be my hobby. She says that’s not a hobby. I know some may disagree. So I ask all of you, what do you do for a hobby? What keeps your mind occupied with things not related to work or family?

I used to be an avid aquarist and shooter. Both of those hobbies are difficult with very young children. They end up being more of a chore to prepare and keep going than a hobby. I still love both, but they play a much smaller role in my life. I used to enjoy singing and choir. I still love them, but I’d rather spend those nights closer to home with family. I’ve collected things- luxury watches, coins, firearms, collectibles. But I’ve come to the realization that acquiring things is not a hobby, it’s an expense that could end up owning you. “The things you own end up owning you.” Tyler Durden in Fight Club. So what should I do? What do you do?