Is Money Good

Is Money Good

My father never made more than $9,000 in one year. We had the basics, but not much more. Would it have been better to have more money - you bet-um. 

I left my first wife with $3000, a beat-up old Oldsmobile, spousal support and two child support payments.  Would it have been better to have more money - you bet-um. I divorced my second wife and gave her all my money and a house while paying her spousal support in addition to the spousal and child support from my first wife. My net worth was minus $25,000. Would it have been better to have more money - you bet-um.

Sooo, Is Money Good? In my opinion (IMO), it has all to do with how you use it. Below are good money uses and the bad money uses (IMO).

Good Money Uses

* Taking care of the family. We didn't have much money, but my father took care of the family.

* Taking care of yourself. I've always said: "you have to love yourself just a little bit more than anything and anyone else." If YOU don't put yourself in first position who will? Making sure your money is used to make yourself a happier life is Good Money uses. However - see Bad Money Uses

* Making health issues and insurance a priority. Life sucks if you have poor health. Life sucks if you can't afford to pay for making sure you have the best health possible.

* Put as much money away as possible. Life is shorter than you think - especially when you're young. You want to have something left when the earned money runs out. Take it from me, retirement is a wonderful thing, but only if you have enough money to enjoy it.

* Using money to enrich others is a good thing. Using profits to hire more people and paying them a decent wage is good. Using profits to protect employee's health is good. Using money to change a bad culture to a good culture is good. Using money change the world is a very good thing.

* After you've done all of the above and have a little left, give that to charity.

Bad Money Uses

* Spending money for the sole purpose of making more money - rich people never seem have enough.

* Using money to enhance your image. Spending money on a $60,000 to $80,000 car with a high-end nameplate will not get you there any faster or have any more safety features. If what you need is to look good to others or if you think you are defined by a Mercedes emblem, you just don't get it. BTW, the same is true for the other things you buy - bling is for the insecure.

* Using money for power over others is - UGH! Rulers never rule for long.

* Using money on things that could be better used on other things is bad. Just one example, spending billions to go to Mars instead of curing Cancer or getting rid of hunger is very, very bad.


Sooo, is it good to be rich it depends? I personally would rather be richer than poorer. However, I'd rather be happier than less happy. 

I've given you my opinion - what about you.

Don't Play The Blame Game

Don't Play The Blame Game

We all wish we had done something different. We all have said at one time or another: "if I only had done this" or "maybe I should have done it this way instead of the other way." 

Don't Play The Blame Game

Blaming yourself for anything you've done in the past is putting negative energy into your body. Doing so, will never make you feel better. Doing so will never make a potential wrong right.

The reality is that nobody has lived a perfect life. Unless you're just mean or just an asshole or just don't give a shit, the decisions you made are decisions of the past. The goal is to accept those decisions and learn from them.

Maybe you were immature when you made those decisions. Maybe you were uneducated when you made those decisions. Maybe you were influenced by others when you made those decisions. Maybe you just fucked up. What the hell has that to do with who you are now?

Don't Play The Blame Game

Life is short. Living a positive life is hard, but doable. Sooo, if you want to be happy for the rest of your life;

Don't Play The Blame Game

Play The Hand You're Dealt With

Play The Hand You're Dealt With

On Wednesday I got some very bad news. Some of you know that I've had a condition called Sciatica since I was twenty-five. Sciatica is a bulging disk that's pressing on the Sciatica nerve between level four and level five of the lower spine. The symptoms are a throbbing pain going down the leg. In my case it's my right leg.

I've been able to live with this condition my whole adult life without taking pain pills. I looked at it in two ways. First, I got my father's brain, my father's sense of humor, but also his bad spine. To me this was a good trade off. Second, I've always looked upon my condition as the fact that I have bad bumpers, however, my engine and transmission are in great shape.  

Well, a month ago, I started to have some pain down my left leg. I was able to manage it with ibuprofen. Sunday, three weeks later, at the breakfast table, I sneezed. That made the pain down my left leg so bad that I couldn't walk and had to get around in a wheelchair. On Tuesday, I went to my pain doctor and he immediately got me in to have an MRI. 

On Wednesday, my doctor reviewed the results of the MRI and it wasn't a pretty picture. I had blown out two disks between levels one thru three on my lower spine. Both of which are pressing on the nerves down there.

Obviously, Wednesday was a very bad day for me. Late that night I realized I was very scared, but I didn't know why. I wanted to talk it through with somebody so I called the smartest person I know. We talked for two hours. I was a mess. My beautiful wife, Ellen, saw that I was distraught and asked me why. Crying, I told her that I was so scared that I wouldn't be Kenny anymore.

I love Kenny. Kenny is a great person. Kenny loves to laugh. Kenny is an honest and respectful person. Kenny loves people. Most of all, Kenny loves LIFE!

The next day, I woke up feeling great. I realized that I would never let me lose Kenny. That afternoon, Ellen asked me what she should make me for dinner. I told her I want to go out to our favorite happy hour place. She said: "are you up to that" and I said: "more than you can imagine."

Happy hour was great. I used my cane to get onto a bar stool, had a few scotches and dinner. I even went down stairs to the slot machines and played for a few hours in my wheelchair. The next day was a fabulous Passover dinner at a friend's house that on Wednesday we had cancelled going. I told Ellen I wanted to go and we had a fantastic time - I WAS KENNY AGAIN.

Sooo, I'm going to have to have surgery. Ellen's uncle always said: "always make something good out of something bad." What I believe now is that after surgery and a long recovery period, I'll be out of pain for the first time in my life - WOW, that's something I've always dreamed about.

Play The Hand You're Dealt With

Passion

Passion

What are you passionate about? Are you passionate about anything? I know all of my readers like many, many things in their lives. I know my readers love some things in their lives. However, Passion is a whole different animal.

Passion is a strong and barely controllable emotion. When you're passionate about something you could hardly get enough of it. 

I very much like my writing. I very much love my wife. However, I am passionate about football. Even when the season is over, I watch all the football news and older games. My wife knows that I am not to be interrupted for the three days of the NFL draft. She thinks I'm nuts, but I just can't get enough football.

Passion is positive energy. Passion can make you feel great and it can make you feel horrible. As the saying goes: "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." Having no passions in your life is half a life. 

It doesn't matter what you're passionate about. To each their own. What is important is to either find something or create something that you can be passionate about. Having Passion(s) in your life will make you feel more alive.

However: 

Passion is an emotion to be acted upon. Without action, passion yields no worthwhile results. Passion is the fuel in the fire of action. When you have passion for something, you love it even when you hate it.

Sooo, if you want to be happy for the rest of your life: 

Find Something Or Somebody To Be Passionate About 

Why Do I Keep Seeing Eleven Eleven 1111

Why Do I Keep Seeing Eleven Eleven  1111

As long as I can remember, I've been seeing Eleven Eleven 1111. Twice a day I see Eleven Eleven 1111 on the clock or my watch. Sometimes I only see One Eleven 111, but most of the time it's Eleven Eleven 1111.

Since I have no idea what that means I went to the internet:

"Some believe that the actual meaning of 11:11 is a number sign that angelic beings are close by. They come with love and protection, and they want to bring you clarity and guidance. So when you see 11:11, trust that it's an angel message for you to decode.

Significantly, 11:11 is the number of masters who impacted humanity and shifted the vibrations of our earth throughout history. The ascended masters, like Buddha (Siddartha Gautama), Jesus Christ, and Quan Yin, are sending you the message that you are a divine aspect of the Creator, a master at being yourself in human form. You're being reminded that you came here to make earth a better place for future generations. Remember, you can make a positive difference in the lives of many or change the world for just one person. Seeing 11:11 is the trigger to set you on your path to make your mark in this existence. The world is grateful to have you!"

Well that seems like a lot of religion stuff. Since I'm not a religious person, I wanted another meaning:

"Numbers have a way of taking a man by the hand and leading him down the path of reason. – Pythagoras"

"It was the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras who first popularized the idea that all numbers have different vibrational properties. Since then, modern science and mathematics have proven that the world conforms to precise geometric mathematical principles. These principles govern everything from gravity to the movements of animals and the habits of humanity.

It was from Pythagoras’ discoveries about the world that the ancient system of Numerology was developed. Some scholars even believe that Numerology pre-dates Pythagoras and derives from the ancient mystical Hebrew Kabbalah which is thousands of years old.

According to numerology, the number 11 is a “master number” which signifies intuition, insight, and enlightenment. When paired together, 11 11 is a clear message from the universe to become conscious and aware. 

One of the meanings of 11:11 is that the Universe has sampled your thought sequence and whatever you were intensely thinking about will manifest almost instantly in your physical reality. So if you are feeling really good about the thoughts you are focused on, rest assured that the thoughts you are sending to the Universe will soon manifest in your life. However, if you're having a thought that triggers an unpleasant feeling, you understand that you can shift your thought to a more positive one in order to attract a positive experience into your reality.

Sooo, since I'm a very logical person, the above reason for seeing Eleven Eleven 111 seems logical to me. It also is in tune with my believing: "If you give energy out to the Universe, you will get positive energy back. I preach in my blogs that, "Positive energy begets Positive energy - Negative energy begets Negative energy."

For those of you who have read my novel "The Year Of My Death" (you can get it on Amazon - couldn't help it - I had to put in a plug), you know that I'm going to live until the year 2038. I have always wondered what month and day that would be. Now I know:

November 11 - Eleven Eleven 1111