When routine sets in, particularly in relationships, we can’t always see impact it has until we throw a new ingredient into mix. This week, I ventured outside of my regular routine, and performed a very unexpected act of kindness. The results were terrific!

Picture it, Cicely, 1945 … oops, wait, wrong story ...

Picture it, Northern Ontario, Winter 2004. It’s Friday morning, snow is falling, there is a nip in air and neither my husband nor I want to get out of our toasty warm bed to get ready for work.

We go through same exercise every morning. We both wait for other one to get up first to turn up furnace, then he heads to his washroom to get ready and I go into my office to meditate for half an hour.

This morning, however, neither of us would budge. He didn’t want to get up, shower, make breakfast and prepare lunches, and I didn’t want to meditate, go through my agenda for day and start prioritizing my long list of outstanding tasks. We were stuck.

I must have been desperate or temporarily insane because I suddenly blurted out, “Hey! You get up and get ready and I’ll make you breakfast today!” He was stunned at first and didn’t say a word, then started laughing, “Yeah right. What about your meditation?” For anyone who knows me, there are two things I don’t do … cook (unless I’m in a real bind) and deviate from my routine.

According to a study by US Dept. of Health & Human Services, 96% of Americans never achieve financial independence. They end up depending on charity, welfare, family, or are forced to keep working past their retirement age.

According to IRS, 85% of people reaching age 65 years don't have even $200 in their bank accounts! US Census Bureau says that 97% of Americans never realize their dreams and desires in life, and are forced to retire on annual income of $10,000 or less!

The average American is $15,000 in debt, not including their homes and car payments.

Parents will have to spend over $150,000+ to raise their kids to age of 18 years, and will spend another $77,000 to send them to college.

Every day, about 2,200 Americans lose their jobs, while more than 20,000 families lose their homes to foreclosure every year, and another 500,000 file for personal bankruptcy. Some of largest US corporations have been continuously downsizing their work force and laying off thousands of people during past ten years.

America is weakening and sinking deeper into a debt nation. The paradox is that America is richest and greatest nation on earth, and yet millions of people live below poverty level.

This is condition in almost all states, in New York, New Jersey, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, New Mexico, Indiana, Kansas, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Alaska.

And largest US cities and metropolitan areas overflow with crimes, poor educational system, moral depravity, joblessness, broken families, children born out of wedlock, in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Diego, Seattle, Detroit, Jersey City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Nashville, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Norfolk, Dallas, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Birmingham, Memphis, Kansas City, Des Moines, Omaha, Sioux Falls, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Denver, Louisville, Jackson, Little Rock, St Louis, Las Vegas, Tucson, San Francisco, Hollywood, San Jose, Fresno, Sacramento, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Boise, Eugene.

Why is it that 1% of Americans control 37% of all wealth, 60% of all corporations, and 10% of all real estate? One of reasons is that most people do not know SECRETS of RICH and POWERFUL and are ignorant of dynamics of wealth creation, preservation and perpetuation.

The majority of people have been misled to believe that to achieve financial security, success and happiness, all they have to do is to go to college, obtain a degree and get a job.

Nothing can be further from Truth! To make both ends meet, both husbands and wives have to go to work.

In some cases, some people have two or more jobs: day job, evening job, and weekend job.

They spend every minute of their lives running from one job to next and have no time to enjoy money they make or company and love of their families.

Both husband and wife hardly have time for each other or their children.

The children have no role models and are devoid of proper parenting. Some start missing classes, hanging out with wrong gang, using drugs and committing crimes.

This leads to moral decay, lack of discipline, dropping out of school and life in and out of prison, teenage pregnancy and dependency on welfare.

It is pathetic! Even when both parents are working, they still have mountains of bills to pay: mortgage, car, credit card bills and personal loans.

When they lose their jobs, they are unable to continue with payments, so they lose their car, then their homes and credit line and probably end up on skid rows.

This leads to marital strife, discontent, divorce and depression.