I was in Montana last week talking to the school superintendents and community leaders.   These school leaders believe that the message of No is a critical issue.   Montana is excited to organize to bring the Say Yes to No campaign to their parents, teachers and communities.

After my talk a business leader made an interesting connection.  He related that as I was talking, it occurred to him that the financial meltdown on Wall Street is the end result of a “More, Easy, Fast and Fun” culture and the lack of the ability to say no.  Over the last decade we’ve watched executives walk off with millions of dollars while their companies went down the drain.  Easy money was dangled in front of thousands of home owners and buyers.  Easy money flowed into the pockets of those in the financial markets.  Our more conservative banking counterparts in Europe and elsewhere, and our own smaller main street banks only looked on in disbelief as the More, Easy, Fast and Fun culture spread into the finance arena.  On a large scale this is an example of how the lack of self-discipline and the ability to say no, the “gotta have it and gotta have it now” culture can lead to disaster.  

How are we helping our kids learn the character traits they’ll need to be successful in school and in life and avoid the More, Easy, Fast and Fun disasters?

Dr. Dave