Desire versus debt

“We are called to be the architects of the future, not its victims.” - R. Buckminster Fuller

We have come to a place as a species where we are no longer the true architects of our own lives.

Through experience and observation, I have come to realize that there are traps that happen when we’re young that affect the rest of our lives. Something as common as credit cards often entrap us into having to give up our dreams and aspirations. I know I have fallen down this rabbit hole, and it took sheer determination to dig myself out from under debt’s crushing weight. I never realized how something so innocent as a little card in my pocket could rob me of my ability to ensure the future I always wanted.

How exactly? We decide to “establish” credit (especially when they start offering cards to us in our early twenties) and we choose to purchase something on credit. Then we see something else that we need or want and figure why not just get it, to pay over time until we pay it off. We repeat that and the next thing we know, we find ourselves under a mountain of debt. Now we find ourselves in the position of not being able to afford to quit nowhere jobs that we grabbed to convenience our school schedules or as any other situation we find ourselves in. We don’t expect it to be our careers, just a job to pay the bills so we can get on our way to the future we always wanted. And those jobs never quite let us get caught up. And unfortunately, even though we may realize the position we put ourselves in, we still keep those credit cards in our pocket and still use them. And now we’re stuck.

The problem is this is something the schools won't teach us. We are never taught how money or interest works beforehand, not really. We always seem to find out when we are already trapped and are forced to experience the consequences. All because of an innocent youthful mistake.

The third phase of The Fulton Method can directly help kids experience a lot of these real-life concepts that are not addressed in any school. Specific things like personal finance, how interest works, taxes, loans, keeping records and more general, necessary lessons like time management, stress reduction, listening, communicating, negotiating, leadership and so on. It is our responsibility to make sure we prepare our kids as best we can for everything that lies ahead and that’s essentially the point of The Fulton Method, especially Phase Three.

The third phase takes their basic improv and character work, both individually and groups, and pushes them to use what they’ve learned by placing them (their characters) in situations they need to deal with and/or find solutions. In the Phase Three work, they have agendas, goals and they need to deal with real issues, all while working with other players. Even though it’s pretend, the skills and brain and neural networks they need to use start to adapt as if it is real life and they take in and learn the skill. That’s how The Fulton Method is like a real-life rehearsal. Quite simply, it helps them prepare and gives them more of a chance to get a leg up by acquiring more of the tools they need for whatever heads their way.

How many times have you heard or said, “If I knew then what I know now?”

Students of The Fulton Method won’t have to.