Written by Chris Stockdale
“Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~Thomas Alva Edison~
Everywhere you look you see teens and young adults sporting all kinds of different styles. Always looking to be accepted by a group; always looking to be “sexy”. Recently Ashton Kutcher gave a speech at the “Teens Choice Awards” in California. A speech that has shocked those on both the left and the right. In his speech he covered three key points. The first, opporutnity. Secondly, being “sexy”. Finally, living life.
On opportunity Mr. Kutcher said; “I believe that opportunity looks a lot like hard work. When I was 13, I had my first job with my dad carrying shingles up to the roof, and then I got a job washing dishes at a restaurant, and then I got a job in a grocery store deli, and then I got a job at a factory sweeping Cheerio dust off the ground. I’ve never had a job in my life that I was better than. I was always just lucky to have a job. And every job I had was a steppingstone to my next job, and I never quit my job until I had my next job. And so opportunities look a lot like work.”. Coming from a Hollywood actor, this raised more than a few eyebrows; especially from Libertarian commentators. This is obviously something that the newest generation is missing. Not only is laziness and “just not caring” popular, it’s become the acceptable thing to do. It’s not hard to hear the youth talking about simply going on welfare instead of getting a job.
Kutcher goes on to talk about society’s view of “being sexy” and how people are okay with it. He says; “The sexiest thing in the entire world is being really smart and being thoughtful, and being generous. Everything else is crap, I promise you. It’s just crap that people try to sell to you to make you feel like less. So don’t buy it. Be smart, be thoughtful, and be generous.”. In his last statement he says; “Steve Jobs said when you grow up you tend to get told that world is the way that it is, and that your life is to live your life inside the world and try not to get into too much trouble. Maybe get an education, get a job, make some money, and have a family. But life can be a lot broader than that when you realize one simple thing: everything around us that we call life was made up of people that are no smarter than you. And you can build your own things and you can build your own life that other people can live in. So build a life, don’t live one, find your opportunities and always be sexy.”
Today kids are told that hard work is “unnecessary”. That being “sexy” is showing off your body and having low standards and even lower morals. And that life is about doing what you’re told. Yet those that have and have always lead us tend to be those with the highest morals. Leaders are those that have worked the hardest and have cared and given the most. It’s not just refreshing, but inspiring to hear this from someone that lives in the Hollywood world; where being trashy and lazy is totally okay! If one can gather anything from Ashton Kutcher’s speech it is that America is finally starting to wake up. That the people living there are fed up with the hypocrisy and double-standards presented by the degraded society. Hopefully, this shows that America does have a future.
For more info I’ve included a link to the video itself below.
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuBSRC1zpHw#at=236