There are phrases in our lexicon that should have more meaning than they do... "making money," or "an honest dollar." Making money is what happens when you work any job. Making money means keeping your promise to give your very best effort. An honest dollar means exactly the same thing. Some of you will be entering the workforce right away. Make as much money as you can. Some of you will be going to college in order to get a better job than you would otherwise. Make as much money as you can. Some of you (God bless those who do) will be entering into public or military service. Make as much money as you can. Make that money honestly, with your best effort every day you work.

Once you have as much money as you can make, what are you going to do with it? You're going to spend it, of course. But if you have honest dollars to spend, you would then have an instrument of great power. You would be able to demand - not expect, but demand - honest value in return.

If you're giving your best effort everyday, you have the right to demand the same in return. If you see something of shoddy workmanship, born of anything less than someone else's best effort, don't buy it. You have the right to get your money's worth. Do not buy anything less than the best efforts of anyone, anything of lesser value than the work you yourself produced. Also, if you're working honestly and are not getting paid fairly in return, our capitalist society gives you the right to find someone who will properly remunerate your effort.

Stop. Pause. Think for a moment. Reflect on this. If you give your very best effort, it gives you the right to demand the same of anyone else. It echoes of something once posted on a classroom wall... "Never lower your standards."