Many say things are as bad now as they’ve been any time since the Great Depression. Bad times change people.
On my Facebook page, I’ve been posting economic benchmarks and leading indicators. Many are obscure things you won’t see in the mainstream press. Most, sadly, predict an extended economic struggle. In response, one of my Facebook friends commented that all the bad news made her feel like giving up.
It’s true that there may be more bad times ahead. We cannot keep our environment today from changing us. But giving up is not the answer. I want to go on record, clearly and forcibly that this is the time when we must take the challenges we face prayfully and purposefully into our own hands.
It’s time to return to the long-standing American concept of self-reliance.
Last week in the Wall Street Journal, there was an article called “Boss Nation†about how Americans are leaving the corporate world and starting their own business. The article says that possibly one in 10 people in America has their own company (more than at any time in recent history). Why? If you can start on a shoestring and are willing to work hard, the Wall Street Journal says, “…it’s never been easier to lay the foundation for a business and to be ready to soar when the market picks up.â€
What’s the biggest factor in this movement? Americans are not the kind of people who let others control their destiny. We don’t cower. We change the world.
For years, my Dad has joked that he started Lehman’s in 1955 “because no one would hire him.†In today’s economy, that hits pretty close to home, doesn’t it? But, it’s not the whole truth. I think I know him well enough to know that his main motivation was a desire to control his own destiny. He wanted to be ready.
At Lehman’s, we’ve always stood for being ready. We want you to be as self-reliant and as prepared as possible. We want folks to know that you don’t have to be dependent on others. You can be self-sufficient.
To help you be ready for anything, we’ve gathered together all our readiness and preparedness products and posted them on a new website, http://lehmans.com/thebasics. At that site, you will find everything you need for heat, food, light and water. These are the products that we have always viewed as being our reason to exist. They are central to our mission.
Everything you need that is, with a twist.
The twist is that virtually everything we offer there makes you more self-reliant. You don’t have to have utilities. Most of our “Basics†are human powered. You don’t have to rely on others. Nearly all of our “Basics†are made of durable materials (like cast iron and steel) that will stand up to hard use. These are the tools you need to survive. No matter what happens, you can be ready.
There is no better time than now to remember this: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Be tough!
