Hello America, There are some things I want to talk to you about today, and some things I really, really don’t want to talk to you about today. I don’t want to talk about politics. I don’t want to talk about the President. I don’t really even want to talk about Washington. What matters most right now is what you are doing with your life in your own community. Over the past few years, I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to travel all over the country and halfway around the world. I’ve met amazing people and seen some of the most beautiful places on earth. But in recent months, I’ve chosen to spend my free time with my family at our ranch in the Mountain West. Why? Because I know now, as a man and as a dad, how important it is to teach my kids the value of hard work; to teach them about the values that our parents and our grandparents grew up with - it didn’t have anything to do with video games or smart phones. Just a few weeks ago, TheBlaze published its biggest story of all time with 4.3 million views. It wasn’t about a national scandal, a terrorist attack, or an election. It was Ashton Kutcher, of all people, standing in front of a bunch of teenagers at the Teen Choice Awards talking about the importance of hard work: “When I was 13, I had my first job with my dad carrying shingles up to the roof, and then I got a job washing dishes at a restaurant, and then I got a job in a grocery store deli, and then I got a job at a factory sweeping Cheerio dust off the ground,” Kutcher said. “And I’ve never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a stepping stone to my next job, and I never quit my job until I had my next job. And so opportunities look a lot like work.” I’ve thought a lot about why this message resonated so much with our audience, and here’s what I’ve concluded: Human beings are wired to understand the value of hard work, but millions of Americans have been seduced by a ‘free stuff’ society. People are desperate for someone, anyone, to speak the truth – especially to our youngsters. The ‘leaders’ in Washington, D.C. have grown accustomed to merely offering more free candy than the other guy. For example, does anyone think two years of unemployment benefits is a good idea? Will opportunity really find you after 99 weeks on the couch? Of course not. But not many people are willing to say it. That’s why Ashton’s message went viral – it was truth. A truth society desperately needs. Continues inside...
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 17:56:04 +0000
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