Well on one hand, I’m sure most of the 10 percent unemployed would refute the statement.  For those of us fortunate enough to be in full employment, maybe we should look a little deeper.

It seems like only yesterday we were gripped in the World Series.  In the New Year, we’ve been fanatically following the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and any other bowl that was thrown our way and now we are right in the middle of the NFL Playoffs in the build up to the Super Bowl.  Hundreds of thousands of people every weekend motivated to put all of their energies into supporting their team.  All of this is on a professional level and motivates ordinary people like you and me to get emotionally charged to spur on our team.  It also generates huge debate among us as to who will succeed and who will fail in next week’s contest.  On an individual level it is just as big a deal.  The U.S. is second to none globally in its sports and recreational facilities across the whole of the patch.  Evenings and weekends it is common to see folks engaging in their favorite sports and past times at all of those locations with boundless energy, enthusiasm and motivation.  In some respects this is all great.  It makes for a fitter and healthier population.

I guess the question to ask Mr. Shakespeare would be, “Do we have the balance right?”  I mean with the amount of coverage and engagement of ordinary people on the professional sports industry what would be the affect on the economy and the current downturn if all of these energies could be directed towards getting us back on track economically?  How often do we hear people debating the ins and outs of the recession and what can we all contribute to winning that game?  Not very often.  Imagine the combined efforts of the millions of people engaged on a weekly or daily basis playing football, soccer, hockey, tennis, etc., all being channeled into working harder, spending smarter, living a life at the level that we can all afford, increasing our productivity, going the extra yard, turning up for work when we don’t really feel like it.  That enthusiasm, that amount of discussion and debate, that amount of tenacity, that amount of support is what we put into the “sport” part of our lives.

Maybe it’s time to stand back and ask ourselves if we have the right balance between work and “sport.”  It’s true as the decades go by there is a growing trend towards more leisure time.  With computerization and automation, there is probably a trade-off, but the real issue is the mind set.

For this country and the people in it to enjoy the sport, the work part of our lives has to be approached with equal tenacity and importance.  The problems that we face at the moment are all of our problems.  We all have a role to play in winning the game.  We need to approach the work part of our lives with equal vigor as we do the Super Bowl.

Shakespeare said, “If every day were a holiday to sport would be as tedious as to work.”  We really don’t want to find out if he was right, do we?  Ask the 10 percent.