Enough?

I guess it was the thought of Labor Day that sparked this blog. The economy is still not in balance. Banks who helped create the recession are now making more than ever. The stock market is back higher than it was before the big fall from real estate derivatives. But unemployment still remains too high. Why?

There are certain principles of the truth that are common to the human species and its relationship to the eternal. Folk lore, myth and religions incorporate these principles and cloak them in parable and metaphor to help us understand the universality of the idea.

Common to all is the idea of prosperity and supply. These ideas are the same to everyone everywhere and have always been true.  Although the parables are told in different ways the message is the same. Whether it is a tribe hoping to find the buffalo herds or a car salesman looking for customers,  we are looking for a supply of something that will translate into our prosperity.  

In more primitive times prosperity was more closely related to the food supply.  Today it is a salary or income that provides money which we exchange for food.  But either way it is the principle of having "enough".

Indian stories talk about a buffalo calf that was enchanted. If you cut off its leg or flank a new one would grow back.  They found in times of famine they could eat part of the calf to survive and the calf would regenerate itself, thus providing a continuous supply of food... prosperity. The only rule was this... only take what you need from the calf, because if you took too much the calf would die, ending your supply and prosperity. 

The Israelites were faced with the same principle in the desert. Manna came from heaven to keep them alive. The only rule was... only take what you need for that day.  Any time they tried to hoard a supply it would spoil and could not be eaten. 

Orange growers do not chop their trees down to gather the oranges.  That seems pretty straight forward.  So it is that this flow of supply leading to prosperity has universal rules even in this currency driven world. 

To relate this to yesterday's headlines.. the employees of fast food chains went on strike demanding higher wages.  The only resolution will be the balance of everyone taking enough. Either side, management or employees, will stop the flow of supply if they try to take too much.  Prosperity is a river that continues to flow, you can dip the water you need from the moving supply.  If you dam up the river to keep the water for yourself... the flow stops.

More is not better if it is more than enough.

That's the way I see it...  you may see it differently.

Have a great Labor Day weekend.

As you were,

Jay