Exploring the Benefits and Responsibilities of Self Service
The following is a transcript of the Episode 8 of theChoiceFM podcast. Which can be listened to for free via Youtube here.
Hello and welcome to theChoiceFM podcast.
I’m FD Gifford and today is January 8th, 2018. I will be your host for the next 15 or so minutes
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Those of you new to the community, this show is intended to be distributed at least once a week, more than likely more often, and I plan to cover the important topics of our time and how they impact our daily life, and lifestyle, from a health & wealth perspective. TheChoiceFM content is a combination of reporting news & information as found & determined by the show’s editors, along with their review and commentary.
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Now let’s kick off the show…
Today, I wanted to share with you my thoughts on topic of self service.
This all started with a story by SAMANTHA RAPHELSON, titled, “Oregonians Aren’t Pumped About New Law Allowing Self-Service Gas Stations” in the NPR.
The story opens with, “Many Oregonians were outraged this week when a new law took effect allowing motorists in rural counties to pump their own gas, representing a shift in the state’s decades-long history of requiring an attendant to pump gas for drivers.”
You see that, “gas stations in counties with a population of less than 40,000 are permitted to offer self-service. While the change in the law is expected to affect a small number of people, Oregonians took to social media to express their discontent – and were subsequently mocked by residents of the other 48 states that allow self-service. New Jersey is the only other state that prohibits drivers from pumping their own gas.”
The author goes on to make a case where rural communities, with a low number of drivers, especially at night, will be better served by a self-service gas station. One has to wonder if the author has ever lived in a small town rural community based on this article. Sure, it may be less expensive for a busy station to have one attendant working the pump machines, while multiple customers pump the gas. But small town, low volume stations that are open, may easily be able to service their customers as they see best with out a new law mandating any specific type of service. The fact is, Oregon has already, interfered with the gas station service model. “Since 1951, Oregon law has required all gas stations to have attendants; but for the past two years, stations in certain rural counties have been permitted to offer self-service from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.”
The article continues with a number stories about individuals who claim the don’t know how to pump gas, or just don’t like to for some reason or another. The reported even reported that she has “filmed a video to help her Fellow Oregonians learn how to pump gas…”
In keeping with today’s sarcastic social media style, some of the individuals posting responses implied they were joking, but in total, this story highlights several critically important issues all communities are facing.
Is the answer to every issue, as simple as a new rule?
When is replacing a human service agent better than a machine?
Who profits from this imposed change?
And given this example, who does this change serve? The owners, the attendants, the consumer, the regulators?
Self service when maintained, could be looked at as selfish, since it will eliminate the gas attendant’s job. Is the government just imposing a rule to service themselves by serving the gas station owners bottom line?
Let me know what you think about this topic in the comments below.
In addition to this story, I recently listened to a podcast the over the new year’s holiday that triggered an inspirational thought that I want to share with those who follow and listen to my media broadcasts.
The podcast I was listening too was a geopolitical show and the host and guest were discussing the significance of the transitional time we are living in, specifically here in the US, and how we as Americans need to not just expect our leaders to “fix everything”. We need to once again, take an active role in service to our country.
Now show’s guest was not saying we needed to all enlist in the army, or run for public office. Or even volunteer in our community, as some “social warrior”. He was suggesting that American greatness was founded on the individual, who understand and work together in community to achieve great things. Not just for profit, or fame, but in service to self, family and community. When we become too passive and expect others to do the work, we could, or must do for ourselves, or we are abdicating our responsibility.
Sometimes we humans accept changes to technology because it serves our needs, but sometimes with hurts us too. It is all in where you stand on that particular issue. What’s the old saying, “It all depends on your Lot in Life”, or something like that.
The show’s guess gave an example, instead of looking to government, or it’s partner – larger corporations – to win the war on drugs, or cancer, or diabetes, heart disease, etc. We as a nation of doers, not followers, must take an “active role” in preventing these events, epidemics really.
This definitely hit a cord with me. As I see it, we are not saying that drug addicts, or cancer patients should not be helped by our collective efforts. Of course not. What would say is we need to actively work on the prevention of these events in our own personal lives. Life is not some health lottery, where a few win, and the rest lose. Your health comes in most cases from living a disciplined lifestyle, learned thru education and practiced by individuals, families and societies. Come on people. Wake up to the reality that unhealthy diets, lead to unhealthy conditions, (illnesses).
Everyone benefits under this self-service model, unlike the gas station story.
Sure, it seems easier for some people compared to others. As humans, we all should understand that our DNA is passed from generation to generation. But that is only 50% of the story.
Speaking of a story…maybe this one will help you understand the challenge well face in the U.S. Here is the link https://betterlifecoachingblog.com/2016/04/11/the-kid-in-a-candy-store-a-story-about-making-decisions/
“A kid walked into a candy store with his dad and was bedazzled by the array of treats on offer.
“What should I choose? What should I choose? What should I choose?” He asked himself.
“Come on son, we don’t have all day,” his dad said.
“These are my favorites. No wait, these are my favorites.”
He walked along the aisles, picking up bags and putting them back.
He just couldn’t make up his mind. “Quick son, make up your mind, we have to go,” His impatient dad said.
Frantically, the boy ran around the store, his eyes moving from one shelf to another, but all of the options looked so good and he couldn’t make a decision.
Eventually, the dad had enough, grabbed his son by the hand and they walked out of the store empty-handed. The young boy had tears in his eyes. He wanted them all, but ended up with nothing because he couldn’t choose just one.
We’re all that boy. The world is that candy store.”
So many “choices” we must make every day!
So many bad choices facing us everyday. We should consider ourselves so fortunate to have any choice in the first place, but most don’t even understand the full implications of this choice.
Going old testament, let’s see if your lot in life is just an unlucky event, or opportunity missed.
“Since choices often result in eternally significant consequences, we must choose in line with God’s principles.‘
“The herdsmen of Lot and of Abram were quarreling because there wasn’t adequate land to support all their flocks. So Abram gave Lot his choice of where to settle. Lot surveyed the land and decided to move down into the lush Jordan valley. That choice was the beginning of Lot’s gradual but steady spiritual decline. “
“offspring of those disgraceful nights were the Moabites and the Ammonites, two of Israel’s perennial enemies. It all began with Lot’s choice to live near Sodom.’
‘First, both Lot and Abram have increased wealth”
“Genesis 13 is the first mention of wealth in the Bible. Wealth can be a blessing, but we need to recognize something that isn’t said very often in our prosperous culture: Wealth is a dangerous blessing! Increased wealth always results in increased potential either for evil or for good. To whom much is given, much shall be required (Luke 12:48). When your income increases, so does your accountability to God.”
Here is the link this is from – https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-28-choices-consequences-genesis-135-18
The Choice is yours, Choose Wisely!
Choosing a healthy lifestyle, requires the individual to make the choice of healthy eating, over unhealthy eating.
First of, lets define – Healthy Eating – Per the Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthy_diet
“Healthy eating is simple, according to Marion Nestle, who expresses the mainstream view among scientists who study nutrition:
The basic principles of good diets are so simple that I can summarize them in just ten words: eat less, move more, eat lots of fruits and vegetables.”
They also cite a definition from a leading yale doctor, who head the Nutrition Department.
“David L. Katz, who reviewed the most prevalent popular diets in 2014, noted:
“The weight of evidence strongly supports a theme of healthful eating while allowing for variations on that theme. A diet of minimally processed foods close to nature, predominantly plants, is decisively associated with health promotion and disease prevention and is consistent with the salient components of seemingly distinct dietary approaches. Efforts to improve public health through diet are forestalled not for want of knowledge about the optimal feeding of Homo sapiens but for distractions associated with exaggerated claims, and our failure to convert what we reliably know into what we routinely do. Knowledge in this case is not, as of yet, power; would that it were so.”
Now healthy eating is only part of a healthy lifestyle. And…
‘Healthy lifestyle choices can prevent or control many of the nation’s leading causes of death. Nearly 40% of deaths in America are linked to smoking, physical inactivity, poor diet, or alcohol abuse.“
“Are you one of the many people who continue to make some of these or other unhealthy life choices?‘ -Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. (https://www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/home-and-community-services/make-healthy-choices-your-lifestyle)
After all my searching of self service I found it packed by the following discussion. And if you take some time to research this topic of Self Service, I am sure you will find the term – Service to Self (“STS”) verse Service to Others (“STO”). Of course, this leads to many religious and philosophic discussions. Most follow a pathway of thinking around right and wrong, wicked and blessed, and much chatter on who benefits from the service. I see lots of judgement in these posts, and feel that the issue, judgement, is better left to you, on yourself, unless, what you do, clearly negatively impacts, threatens, harasses, hurts others. I guess I am a libertarian. But I judge labels as negative and don’t like being put in any box -just because may feel this way today, does not mean I may feel differently tomorrow. But I guess the “social media judges” would have a label for that too.
Although I am questioning the great mind of Albert Einstein, I will say this is a great image and this site has other thoughts on service. It can be found at http://bigpicturequestions.com/what-does-service-to-self-or-others-mean/
Finally, this topic would not be complete without at least a mention of one of the top all time read books -Atlas Shrugged, which I believe is a very good book to help anyone find their way to service to self as not selfish. It least it was for me.
I believe that if you can truly take responsibility for one’s state or condition, whatever the matter, financial or health, you can do more to improve your situation than almost anyone else. It may take more time than you have patience, but life is more about the journey than the destination. Why not focus on what is good in your life, along the way, than what still is not how you desire it. Remember, when your “lot” in life, looks too good too fast, you may be on the wrong path before you even realize it.
And together, we may be able to help each other more than we realize.
That’s a wrap… I hope you got some value and will visit my website at ywnhmedia.com, or the soon to be launched theChoiceFM.net site.
I would be very interested in your opinion on the subject. You can do that by way of posting your comments below. If you found this presentation valuable, please like and or share it with your friends & family. Have you subscribed to this channel? Just click the button below to turn on Youtube notifications, or join my mailing list via www.ywnhmedia.com.
That’s a wrap… I hope you got some value and will visit my website at ywnhmedia.com, or the soon to be launched theChoiceFM.net site.
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