The Sanford Berenberg Experience: Message of the Day

Good Morning,

When I was growing up, playing in sports or in gym class (which I was pretty terrible in either) or just palling around in our neighborhood, when someone got hurt, the coach, parent or whomever was in charge would often give us the sharp words of wisdom: ‘Suck it Up’. Meaning, deal with the pain, the hurt and keep playing, or doing whatever we are doing.

In today’s world when that same hurt comes, the approach has changed dramatically. The world must come to a stop, and we must make sure everyone is okay, both physically and mentally. When someone gets hurt, its all stop, and add more padding, more protection, reduce risk to the point of absurdity. Heck I have seen cases where folks who were not directly involved had to be helped out because they witnessed something which ‘bothered them’.

It makes me wonder if the kids of today are going to be tough enough when real life hits them after their leave their parents house. I say this because even though I had been told to ‘Suck it Up’ as a kid, I was often reminded of how our parents and grandparents had it much worse than us. That what we endured, no matter how bad, was nothing compared to what our forefathers had to live with.

This all indicates that our younger generations are getting progressively ‘wimpier’ and unable to face the rigors of life with the same aplomb their predecessors have come to achieve.

And if this is the case, then it becomes even more important, then, to help change the cycle, to help toughen up our youth to help prepare them for the austerity times that some have said are just around the corner.

Our future are the youth, and if they cannot stand up to the face of tough times because we have lost the art of ‘Sucking It Up’, then we will have to stay in the game long enough to either help them, or step in for them when the going gets rough. And if you doubt me, think of our hero’s in days past compared to those of today. Is there a hero in today’s world like John Wayne anywhere today? Yeah, I haven’t seen one either.

What do we do?

One suggestion is to let our kids and our youth wallow in the pain and suffering in the situations they created and have fallen into. Even for just a little bit and not dive in to save them from the next unpleasant experience, which they caused and rightfully deserve. Not so much for our morbid amusement, but rather as a training tool so that they learn to toughen up and be able to take the blows in life which come to us all.

The apparent sheltered generation here today is on a collision course with upcoming economic and social crises is not a good recipe for our future.

Let’s help them toughen up. Call it’ Manning Up’, or ‘Cowboy Up’, or whatever, but it is imperative that we help our future generations by showing them it is okay to face difficulty and adversity, and how to learn from it.

Every so often, tell them to ‘Suck it up’. And move on.

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
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