ArlenJ.com
July 21, 2020
It took the coronavirus pandemic a while to sink in for many men. The first wake-up calls came in March when the NBA postponed its season indefinitely. The NCAA cancelled March Madness entirely, sending shock waves through the sports and gambling industries. Individual lives and well-beings started feeling the effects too in March. Virtually every state imposed lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders. Many felt, for whatever reasons, that COVID-19 would pass and life would “get back to normal.” Unfortunately normal is fast becoming synonymous with precarious and uncertain.
A Kaiser Family Foundation survey from March found that only 12% of Americans were buying and wearing protective masks at the time. As of publishing today, 28 states and Washington D.C. have mask mandates for everyone in public spaces. The Big-10 and Pac-12 football conferences have already announced that they will play “conference only” schedules, effectively wiping out some of the biggest regular season games of 2020. A group of Pac-12 players is also threatening to boycott the 2020 season if the league doesn’t meet several demands by said players.
The “American Dream” is being snatched away from many hardworking men who’ve done the right things their whole lives. The Washington Post, citing a report by the National Bureau of Economic Research, estimated that 100,000 U.S. small businesses closed permanently from March to May this year. A June survey by MetLife found that 82% of small business are concerned about the economic impact of the pandemic, with 43% saying they are very concerned. Meanwhile almost 50 million American workers have filed for first-time unemployment benefits in the last 16 weeks, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This comes after more than 10 consecutive years of continual job gains. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that United Airlines is cutting 36,000 jobs. HSBC Holdings is cutting 35,000 jobs.
The 21st century bought with it major events that threatened to change normal life forever. 9/11 and the 2008 recession come to mind immediately. But coronavirus and society’s response is different. There’s no way of knowing what life may look like in the years to come. Many men are completely unprepared for this reality. The cosmos and prophecies are presenting signs of discomfort, adversity and major challenges for everyone. Business as usual is over. Conscious command and our primal warrior mentalities will ultimately determine success and failure in this new world.
Monetary and financial shifts
The U.S. dollar is a fiat currency that has value for two reasons: it’s the “petrodollar” and U.S. government says so. The Organization for the Petroleum Exporting (OPEC) agreements in 1974 mandated that all member countries trade their oil in dollars (thus the term “petrodollar”). The Federal Reserve has had exclusive printing and valuation powers over the dollar since 1913. Fed notes (“dollars”) are also only legal tender in the United States.
Keynesian economists, particularly Federal Reserve bankers, have advocated for a cashless society for years. Mises Institute Senior Fellow Thomas DiLorenzo said in a 2016 interview that the main reasons for cashless is to discourage savings and encourage consumption (spending). He predicted a cashless society in the near future unless the public “wakes up.” Several cities and states are making cashless difficult, however. Massachusetts has banned cashless stores since 1978. San Francisco and Philadelphia banned cashless stores in 2019, as did the state of New Jersey.
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies (e.g. bitcoin) are quickly changing what constitutes “money.” Precious metals (gold and silver) have always been money throughout human history, and always will. But now is a good time to get acquainted with blockchain technology. You don’t need to become an expert immediately. Just skip Netflix binge-watching nights and fill that time with mindset training, particularly around money and economics.
Beginner’s Mind and ALPHA training
Shoshin (初心) is a concept of Zen Buddhism that means “beginner’s mind.” Zen Monk Shunryu Suzuki expanded on this concept:
“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.”
Whether its finances, business, education, or relationships, few men are experts anymore. Times have permanently changed and autopilot thinking must be eliminated. The ability to manipulate conscious frequencies on command is our most precious commodity in 2020.
The ALPHA by Prodigy Mindset Gym™ has the blueprint. Men must let go of resistance to what is happening and fuel forward. This pivot will align you with the “Beginner’s Mind,” a warrior mind on the journey towards conscious command. The new normal is perpetual uncertainty. The time is now to achieve conscious command and ensure high performance in everything since “normal” has been redefined.
Learn more about the ALPHA by Prodigy Mindset Gym™ today.