100 years ago “the economy” didn’t exist. Yes, there was economic activity, but there was no one out there measuring how “the economy” performed this quarter. It just didn’t make sense to talk about it like that.
There were jobs here and jobs there. Growing seasons were good and bad. Stocks went up and down. But these were all just pieces of what we now call “the economy.”
There are valid reasons why “the economy” exists and why we measure it, but I think it’s a distraction. We should switch our focus away from the macro and back to the micro.
Focusing on the macro means watching the news to see if we added 200,000 jobs this month.
Focusing on the micro looks like helping your neighbor land her first job after college.
The macro picture sounds important, but the micro picture actually impacts us on a human level. There is plenty of room to focus on both pictures, but right now we’re too honed in on the macro. Thus, the micro has fallen by the wayside.
If we spent more time focusing on people, “the economy” would improve without our attention. We need you to be generous, and caring in your community.
Stop caring about “the economy” and start caring about your neighbor. All big changes start with a small action.