But we tell kids the path to financial freedom and fufullment is through by way of .
“Many will turn their noses up to the idea of a blue collar career path.
But here’s a fact:
In an evolving world where people don’t know how and/or refuse to work with their hands..
Dirty hands are only getting more valuable & will continue to produce an abundance of clean money.”
-Ray Zingler on X
It’s so sad that we’ve conditioned and further continue condition our kids to think there is something “second class” about blue collar careers.
Especially in today’s world where their value is skyrocketing to never before seen proportions.
Do you know how simple it is to afford a house (yes even in an inflated market) on ‘that side of town’ being a tradesman?
I mean you can have every bit of the lifestyle ‘those people’ have over there, being a hard-working landscape contractor.
Bust your ass 60-80 hours a week from 18-25, live below your means, save your face off, start out with a single truck and trailer, build up your accounts, and by the time you’re 30, you’re living in the same neighborhoods as the uppity folks.
The main difference is that you aren’t worried about impressing your neighbors with your paid off F-250, you leave the ‘keepin’ up with the Joneses’ game to those making $1,000/mo payments at 11% on their Mercedes and BMWs that have no functional purpose.
Welders, Heavy equipment operators, plumbers, mechanics, HVAC techs..
The list of high quality, honest career paths with FANTASTIC pay outs is endless.
But no, we condition our kids to think “those people” with oil-stained hands are somehow “less”.
When in reality “those people” are some of the most financially stable, fiscally responsible, fulfilled people you will ever come across.
I’m 33 years old and my most successful, fulfilled friends, aren’t the one who graduated suma duma puma cum lade in HS.
They are real estate agents and investors, heavy equipment operator, mechanics shop owners, HVAC techs, plumbing & roofing company owners, deer shop owners.
The list goes on and on.
And surely you can call my evidence anecdotal, it is.
But look at the statistics. The facts.
Not what you’ve been conditioned to believe by static thinkers who we’re conditioned to think the way they think.
Get out of the box. Look at the data.
It’s a rapidly evolving world and we are still teaching our kids to play the old game.
All for them to look up a few years later, miserable, and believe the world is just “unfair”?
Our pride and egos as adults are what is failing our kids in droves.
For more information check out the books:
1) Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt.
2) Blue Collar Cash by Ken Rusk
3) Battle for the American Mind by Pete Hegseth
