“The world is changed with a checkbook”
– Paul Hartunian
The above is one of my favorite quotes. And, like it or lump it, it’s 100% true — the world really is changed with a checkbook.
Not hashtags.
Or handwritten signs on tumblr.
Or good thoughts.
Or positive thinking.
Or the law of attraction.
Or electing “your” politicians.
Or Facebook “likes.”
Or soaking the middle class and rich in more taxes.
Or social media images with the guy who played Willy Wonka espousing someone’s political or ideological propaganda.
Or Obama.
Or corrupt bureaucrats.
Or the United Nations.
Or… or… any of that nonsense.
No my little droogie, it comes from a checkbook.
And oftentimes, several checkbooks.
For example:
One of the organizations I support (with my checkbook, not by holding some dorky little sign up or simply retweeting them with a hashtag) is called “The Innocence Project”.
You know what they do?
They help get innocent people out of prison.
And, they do it with DNA testing, re-examining peoples’ cases, uncovering fraud and corruption in the legal process, etc.
They’ve helped exonerate over 300 people so far.
That’s 300 people who were (on average) in prison for 13 years (including 18 who were on death row) enduring all the usual fun times prison has to offer:
- Dodging rapists
- Corrupt & violent prison guards
- Wondering when (or if) they’ll see their spouse or kid again
- No freedom
- Constant fear & physical danger
- Food that’d make a rodent sick
- And the list goes on…
Well guess what?
When the Innocence Project takes a case on, it isn’t some fool waxing stupid on flakebook and trying to shame people into liking a post that pays for the work it takes to get the innocent man off.
It’s a checkbook.
Or, in this case, lots of checkbooks.
Lots of people putting their money where their mouths are.
Anyway, the point?
Nothing to do with marketing.
No business insights, either.
Not even (gasp!) anything about email.
No, the point is this:
As a business owner with financial independence (or someone working on being financially independent)… and who has the ability and opportunity to work for yourself… call your own shots… make your own paycheck… control your financial destiny… you have the chance to affect real change.
The kind of change that saves lives.
In his “System Club Letters” Ken McCarthy put it best:
“One of the best things you can do for your country is to become economically independent – and use your economic independence to take a stand against the forces that routinely undermine our communities and our country. If people like us don’t do it, who’s going to?”
Good point, Mr. McCarthy.
Anyway, something to chew on.
My vehicle of choice for financial independence is email.
It’s what I teach in “Email Players” each month and it’s something you can learn, too.
If you want to master using this vehicle, simply do this:
1. Log off facebook for a few minutes
2. Go to this link:
3. Apply the info each month
This last part is important.
If you don’t apply the info, it won’t do you a lick of good.
(And, you’ll be wasting your time.)
Alright.
That’s that.
Next time, baby…
Ben Settle
