Do You Know If You Are Institutionalized?

Zero to One Million Podcast

Episode Title: 

Are You Economically Institutionalized?

Length: Approximately 20 Minutes

Opening

Welcome back to the Zero to One Million Podcast, where we challenge conventional thinking about money, success, entrepreneurship, and freedom.

Today’s question is simple but powerful:

Are you economically institutionalized?

Most people understand institutionalization when it comes to prisons, mental long-term care facilities or government welfare systems. After enough time inside of any system, people begin to think, act, and make decisions based on the rules of that system. Eventually, they become uncomfortable operating outside of it.  That is institutionalized.

What if I told you the same thing happens in economic systems?  Part of Economic Empowerment is to understand the system called the Rat Race.

What if many people have been conditioned from childhood to believe there is only one acceptable path to survival and success? My wife has spent 39 years with the government and every time she talks about retirement people say you can’t do it, what will you do with your time, you are giving up your position and status you can’t do it.  That’s Institutionalized thinking. 

Today, we’re going to explore the difference between economic security and economic freedom, why some people are comfortable in structured systems, why others struggle within them, and what it takes to break free from economic dependency.

Welcome back to the Zero to One Million Podcast, where we challenge conventional thinking about money, success, entrepreneurship, and economic freedom.  I am your host Vendarryl Jenkins, I am the author of the books Zero to One Million and Coaching Keith the AMASI and the Facebook page Zero to One Million.  We are a whole economic empowerment vibe.

Transcript

0:10

Episode nineteen. Episode nineteen. Welcome back to the Zero to One Million Podcast. Today's question is simple but powerful. Simple but powerful. Are you economically institutionalized? Now wrap your you know, wrap your arms around that. Are you economically institutionalized? Most people understand institutionalization when it comes to prison, mental long term care facilities or government welfare systems. After enough time inside of any system, people begin to think, act, and make decisions based on the rules of that system. Eventually eventually they become uncomfortable operating outside of it. Now, that is institutionalize. What if I told you the same thing happens in economic systems? Part of the economic empowerment is to understand the system called the rat race and what keeps you in it and what really, really keeps you in it. Did you know that most people have been conditioned from childhood to believe there is only one acceptable path to survival and success? You know, I'm thinking about this with the situation with my wife. My wife has spent 39 years with the government, and every time she talks about retirement, people say, you can't do it, you won't do it. You're too young. What will you do with your time? You gotta stay in the system. You'll be giving up your position. You're giving up your status. For what? What would you be? Who would you be without your status? That's institutionalization. That's institutionalized thinking. Today we're going to explore the difference between economic security and economic freedom. Why some people are comfortable in structured systems, why others struggle within them, and what it takes to break free from economic dependency, where you are dependent on the system. Again, welcome back to the Zero to One Million Podcast, where we challenge conventional thinking about money, success, entrepreneurship, economic freedom. I'm your host, Vendero Jenkins. I am author of the book Zero to One Million and coaching Keith the Amasi and the Facebook page Zero to One Million. We are a whole economic empowerment vibe. Let's make money while we sleep. I see you, I have been you, and now I want to empower you. There's an old story or analogy about a wolf and a dog. Let's talk about the dog. The dog is well fed, he has shelter, he has protection from the weather. His meals they arrive every day like clockwork. Now the wolf, the wolf on the other hand, has none of those guarantees. If the wolf doesn't hunt, he doesn't eat. If the weather turns bad, he must adapt to find shelter. If danger appears, there's no owner coming to his rescue. He has to fend for himself. At first glance, most people would choose the dog's life. It's predictable. They learn to be available with a voice signal command. They learn to use the bathroom when they're walked. They adjust to the eating times. Everything is pretty predictable. It's safe. When the owner provides a safe, contained space for his dog, the dog can sleep without looking over his shoulder. The dog feels safe. The dog is comfortable, gets physical care like grooming, soothing touches, warm voice commands. That's a comfortable life. But the story changes when the wolf notices the collar around the dog's neck. The collar represents the trade off. The wolf notices and says, What is that around your neck? The dog says, It's my collar. You see I am not free to roam and explore like you. The dog said, Hey, I exchange freedom for security. That's what's important to me. Security. The wolf says, Man, you mean somebody physically owns you to do what they want you to do? The wolf said I might not have the same comforts, but I am free to be what I want to be and go wherever I want. I find it very gratifying to hunt to eat what I please. I hunt and eat as much as I please. I don't take what someone else gives me. The wolf exchanged security for freedom. Now neither choice is inherently right or wrong. The question is whether you consciously chose your path or simply accepted the one handed to you. You see, the American economic system appeals to human needs. Much of our economy is built around the concept explained by the psychologist Abraham Maslow. Maslow Loss proposed that human beings prioritized needs in layers in layers. First comes food, then shelter, then safety, then belonging, then esteem. And finally self actualization, which is the last. Only after all of the other things have been prioritized do we look for any type of fulfillment in our personal goals and our purpose in life. That could come at the end of your life when you think to yourself, what was I even what was my purpose for being here? Most economic systems are designed to solve the low levels first. Get a job, earn a paycheck, pay your bills, maintain stability in your life. Get some type of stability. There is a tremendous value in that. Society needs teachers, nurses, police officers, engineers, military personnel, accounts. All of those people that are in the middle class, but here's the challenge. Many people become so focused on maintaining safety and status that they never pursue their highest potential. The system rewards predictability. Freedom often requires uncertainty where you don't know how much money you're going to make, where you don't have an idea. You know, my dad lived under what he actually made for years because some weeks he made more than the other in his business. So he just said, took a dollar amount, said, Well, we're going to live on $900 a week. Now he might have made $300, $3,000 a week, but he always said, let's go with something I know I'm going to make, which is under. So there's a bit of uncertainty always when you are a wolf. You don't know exactly what you're going to make. Let's look at something I explained to people, the 10 worker theory. Let's imagine a world with 10 working adults. While every individual is unique, for the sake of discussion, let's divide them into three broad groups. Let's say two of them are just wolves. They just are really, really gonna get out and get it. Two workers are constantly looking beyond the paycheck. They're studying markets, they're learning sales, building businesses, creating, investing, developing skills that can generate income without asking permission from any employer. These people, most of them are pure entrepreneurs. There are a few that are hybrids. They maintain a W two job while simultaneously building something of their own. They understand that one paycheck can disappear, so they build multiple streams of income, multiple streams of opportunity. These individuals often make managers nervous because they think independently. They're not just workers for income, they're building leverage for their own benefit. I'm gonna spend a little more time talking about the two outsiders. These people just really don't fit into the system and they're not going to try. They struggle with traditional structure. Sometimes their talents don't align with standard education. Hey, unfortunately, some individuals create alternative economies that become illegal, that become illegal. Some people look at it as the black market. Black markets have existed throughout human history because people seek ways to create value and income outside of formal systems. This is not an endorsement of criminal behavior, it's simply an observation in my years of living. When people feel they cannot succeed within one system, they often seek another. That's when we are a better people. But right now, that does not exist. Now I have a master's degree in criminal justice, so I recognize this as what we call the strain theory, the strain theory. Particularly Robert K. Merton's strain theory and later developments such as the general strain theory by Robert Agnew. Merton argued our capitalistic society promotes certain goals such as wealth, success, and status, but does not provide equal access to the legitimate means of achieving them. When talented or ambitious individuals find legitimate opportunities blocked, they may experience strain and turn to alternative methods, including crime to achieve their goals, drug trafficking for wealth, fraud or embezzlement for financial success, organized crime as alternative path to status and income. When people believe their talents, ambitions or creativity cannot be fully expressed within the approved economic system, some become innovators, in Merton's sense pursuing society goals through unapproved means. This issue isn't always a rejection of success. It's sometimes a rejection of the availability of the pathways to success. Now let's talk about the other six. The other six comfortable middle class, which is the largest group. The remaining six represent the commonly called middle class. They work hard, they pay taxes, they raise families, they contribute to society. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this path, but many become deeply attached to the structure. They really hang on to that structure. The titles become status, who they are. One of my friends told me, if nobody calls me special agent anymore, who am I? I'm nothing. They have labels that become identity. I'm a supervisory special agent. I am a senior, I'm a partner. Those are not the identity of you. Promotions become like the purpose, like dangling something in front of you. If you want this promotion, you'll work more hours, you'll work harder, you'll do this, you'll do that, and you get caught up into that. Think about how organizations create layers. In the military, I remember we were E1s, E2s, E3s, E4s, E5s, and the officers were O1, O2, and O three. And in the government, you have like GS5, GS7, 11, 12, GS13, GS 14. In business, you have junior associates, senior associates, directors, vice presidents, partners. All of those kind of divide you up and make you work harder, harder, harder. And it takes years and years to get to a point where you actually feel like you are where you want to be. Now, none of these titles are inherently bad. Organizations need structure. The question the question the question becomes, have you become dependent on the title to define your worth? Have you become dependent on the title to define your worth? Or are you developing value independent of that organization? That is the question I want you to answer to yourself. And let's take a quick commercial break. This commercial is sponsored by www.oldgoldconsulting.com. Would you be interested in a cheat code for economic empowerment? In my new book, Coaching Keith, The Amasi Technique, you don't just read about money, you watch it get built in real time. It's a parallel narrative. As you learn the Amasi technique, you are also witnessing me coaching a young man named Keith through the same steps, turning principles into actionable moves you can copy immediately. You learn how to escape the rat rates, create several streams of income, and start investing with intention so you can design an extraordinary life instead of surviving a stressful one. If you're ready to stop guessing and start building, Coaching Keefe is your next move. Get your copy today. Now let's get back to the show. Let's talk about our education, our grooming, how we got here. You know, from childhood many people receive a similar message. Go to school, get good grades, stay out of trouble, maintain a clean record, build good credit, be responsible, work hard, and eventually someone will hire you. That's what I got, and that's what a lot of people in the middle class got. For many people, that's excellent advice. But notice the focus, the goal is often on employment, not ownership, not entrepreneurship, not creating jobs, not building systems, not generating independent wealth. Employment is a valuable option. The issue arises when it becomes the only option people can imagine in your thought process. The only thing that you can think of is being an employee and not owning something for yourself and having people to work for you. Always say that in some regards, an eight to five trading time for money is a dream killer. It's a dream killer. Many people have forgot about their dreams during this time when they were chasing those goals of being a supervisor, being a sergeant or whatever they lost themselves in that. Now, this is my goal. This is what I dream about. What if what if the goal was different? Imagine if most young people were taught, develop leadership skills so people will want to work for you. Learn sales so you can create opportunities. Study finance so you can build assets. Learn communications so you can influence and network and serve other people. Develop systems that create value without requiring your constant presence. That is so important. That is so important. I tell people you can only go as far as the systems that you build. Our educational system produces many excellent employees. But unfortunately, the entrepreneurial thinking often has to come. It has to be learned elsewhere outside of the education. Now if you decide you want greater economic freedom, the first step is to understand yourself. You see, not everyone is designed to be a full-time entrepreneur. I mean, that's a wolf. Some thrive in structures, others thrive in uncertainty. Many people are best suited to a hybrid model, and that's kind of what I talk about in my book, Coach and Keep the Mossy, a hybrid model. The important question is what kind of wolf do you want to become? A strong wolf possesses several characteristics. They have initiative. Nobody has to tell a wolf what to do. They identify a problem and pursue solutions because remember, if they don't hunt, they don't eat. Responsibility, they own the outcomes. Success belongs to them. Failure belongs to them. Excuses belong to nobody. But failure belongs to them. If they fail, they go to bed hungry. Not everybody is ready for that. Adaptability. Markets change, technology changes, economies change, they adapt. They have to adapt. Courage, courage. They act despite uncertainty. Not recklessly, but courageously with persistence. Most opportunities don't work immediately. The wolf keeps hunting. The wolf keeps hunting. The wolf understands that temporary failure is not a permanent defeat. Probably the hardest lesson of all is learning to become comfortable being uncomfortable. Let me say that again. Learning to become comfortable being uncomfortable. This may be the hardest lesson. See, freedom requires uncertainty. If you're building a business, there will be months when you don't know exactly where the next client is coming from. There will be seasons when everyone around you thinks you're crazy. There will be moments when security looks more attractive than opportunity. Now all of this doesn't mean you should be irresponsible. It means developing confidence in your ability to create value regardless of circumstances. Years ago I met a man in Haiti who made a statement I've never forgotten. He said many people say that they have faith. I have faith, I have faith. But they only have faith as long as the paycheck comes, long as the food is there. His point wasn't that wasn't that employment is wrong, his point was that many people trust the institutions more than they trust their own abilities, talents, and purposes. Again, this isn't an argument against jobs. It's an argument for discovering what you were created to do. Most people don't bet on themselves. The question isn't whether you work for someone else or work for yourself. The question is whether you're using the gifts you were given. Are you building something meaningful? Are you creating value? Are you serving others with your talents? And are you willing to trust God enough to pursue the opportunities placed before you? So I want to leave you with these three questions. Are you economically institutionalized? Have you accepted your current path because you chose it? Or is it because you been taught that this is what you should do? Number two, what kind of wolf are you becoming? A hunter? That's one hundred percent entrepreneur or a hybrid? A W two and you hunt for some of the food you eat as well? Or someone who has never explored their true potential. Number three, what would you do if fear wasn't making the decisions? Take fear out of the equation. What business would you start? What skills would you learn? What opportunities would you pursue? Economic freedom doesn't begin with money. It begins with you thinking differently. It begins with understanding that security and freedom exist on a spectrum. And every person must decide where they belong. Let's make money while we sleep. I see you, I have been you, and now I want to empower you. Thank you for joining me on the Zero to One Million Podcast. This is an episode while I was challenging you in your thinking and wanting you to deeply think about where you are on the spectrum.