Love is not a victory march, its a cold and its a broken hallelujah. Leonard Cohen ...at least as far as most of us know so far... This Christmas morning I am grateful for so much and completely aware of how immeasurably blessed I am. But, I am also very conscious and aware of the families who are afraid, hungry, grieving and would rather get through this day faster than the privileged children they hear of opening present after present casting each aside like rag dolls in absolute euphoric confusion. Sorry for the harsh reality but try being Jesus sitting in Heaven choosing to go to earth knowing youll have to die a horrible death. Thats reality. Fully man/fully God, right? I was born with a big heart for others but a lust for selfish indulgence. When Id had enough of pleasing myself to no avail, I started on a healing journey that led me to discovering my why or as some call...my purpose. Having personally had 10s of thousands of dollars in unpaid commissions to me in sales over my career and having witnessed employers use their position and power to literally steal to increase their profits through everything from fuzzy math accounting to loopholes in legal language known only to attorneys and still left open to 18 months of deliberation and interpretation in an an already overwhelmed court system, I started nearly two years ago with a passion and burning fire to fight corruption in business and help the exploited and less powerful. I dug in and almost tirelessly worked on creating a fair and equitable platform for ensuring that workers provide the work requested by their employer to the standards expected and then in turn receive the money they expect when they expect it. Through blood, sweat, tears, and countless sleepless nights the new platform is designed and ready for capital infusion, automation, and onto scale/growth/ reach. I stand back and look at it in awe and complete humility in knowing that I was only the vessel through which it was channeled. It is beautiful. It has brought me to tears on countless occasions as I grasp the significance of it and what it will mean to collectively improve our quality of life...not just the workers who are exploited and taken advantage of. Imagine being able to clearly define and clarify all the terms of an agreement, document them publically, track the progress of performance to the terms and then transfer payment all in one place. And thats just the beginning. I was also tired of not paying my bills on time regardless of whether I had the money or not. I did it for my good friend Mark who invested countless hours of expertise with a belief in the idea and in me who has waited far longer than expected for his compensation. I did it for Lee, Scott, Brian, Justin, Ryan, Crystal, Fred, Bill, Lori, Beth, Tolu, and many others who poured in their time believing in the vision. It is for all those who I told them I could pay them in a certain amount of time and missed the date. It is for every small business owner who makes a promise to pay but fails to be able to do so because their check from their client didnt arrive on time and the client claimed that the check is in the mail. So this Christmas morning as I lie in bed with the flu with my body having broken down from the fight, I celebrate with a limp the victory I experienced on Christmas Eve where I personally drove a $6,000.00 cashiers check to the wife of a sub-subcontractor and his men who had been exploited and not paid after having been coerced into signing a waiver of lien that stated they were entitled to no additional payments on the projects but were told, in order for me to get your money you have to sign this. Two weeks later she received her money...just in time for Christmas,but by that time she was so beat down and scared she didnt know who to trust. I think that was much more than Santa Clause and likely due to a divinely appointed occurrence, but nonetheless a cold and broken hallelujah. There are 10s of thousands just like her that did not get paid and who have no gifts to bring home to their families. It is the epidemic called Wage Theft. Even in this one case, not everyone won. People were fired despite most of it being as a result of their unwillingness to comply and follow through with their requirements to receive payment. And maybe thats a reality we all must face...people make their own choices and we are all responsible for our own actions and cant blame anyone but ourselves if things dont work out as planned. But, I just want to level the playing field. I have found that the reason these instances occur more often than not is because we dont know how to communicate anymore and do not clearly define what each person wants out of the deal. This ambiguity leads to just cause in one parties mind to not deliver to the other what the other expects. Kind of sounds like most relationships and marriages today as well, right? But there is hope coming and I will not stop until the dream becomes a reality and is made available to everyone. I have learned over time, that I cannot fight this battle alone. If this message resonates with you please let me know. There is too much corruption and the weight is to much for me to bear alone. My will is like iron and though my body may today be worn down my spirit is more alive than ever and ready to continue on until the dream is fulfilled. I am ready for the year of 2015 to come swiftly like the birth of a divine child in a humble stable manger, to bring forth new life and support for a cause that is founded on the words of my nations forefathers which I believe weve in many ways lost but can regain again; We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So no matter where you are this morning, be grateful and remember those who have neither, presents, food or even shelter. Remember those who have lost loved ones all too soon. We truly are one human race and I believe we were made in the image of the Creator giving us ALL immeasurable value and worth. May gratitude infuse our veins and every cell in our body to the point our hearts cant help but burst with the desire to love and serve. Regardless of whether you agree with Leonard Cohen or Jeff Buckleys words, I belief this artistic and truly heartfelt performance sums up the yearning of us all. May you and your family be blessed this day. youtu.be/1mBjkYIs8VY
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 17:13:19 +0000
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