Money money everywhere, but not a drop to drink!

Have you ever sat around your house and thought "The rich get richer, and I am definitely not one of them"! Has that ever bothered you? Has that ever driven you to the point of anger where all you wanted to do is throw on some olive drab, raise a red flag and start propagandising about the rights of the worker? No? Good, cause communist are evil. Really though, do you ever wonder why it just seems by pure luck or birth-right that some people wallow in cash whilst you can only enjoy the sound of two nickles jingling in your pocket? Yes? Good, cause that lack might start spurring on some intelligence.

You see it always seemed to me that their are certain people that are afraid of money. Literally afraid of the greenback. They don't like to talk about it, they don't like to dream about it, they don't like their own dreams cause usually for their dreams to come true it would require money, even a few bucks for the lottery. So they avoid it all together. I would suggest very strongly against that line of thinking. Being in the lack is actually a nice place to be, cause at least at that point you have a reference, a place you like to avoid. "But Matt, what do I do if I'm poor, doesn't it take money to make money? Don't you remember that I'm poor? I don't got it, so I can't get it. You must hate me." No my dear friend, I love you dearly. The honest truth is that you might not think too highly of yourself.

We live in a blessed nation, a place where your own opportunity is only blocked by your own ambition. I actually think that is what the American dream is all about. Not some cynical idea that you got to have a 2.5 kids with a white picket fence and a golden retriever in the yard. That's a nice dream though, but not the American dream. The best thing that you can do for yourself, and your future, and your family, is to educate yourself as much as possible on the matter of economics. Start understanding how money works, how investments work, how to make the little money that you have work for you. Make yourself aware of the markets. Do stocks scare you? Well get to know stock, and educate yourself on it. Does the idea of owning investment property make you a little queasy? Well get a book that tells you how to buy investment real estate. Or start hanging around people that already have this stuff down. "But Matt, it sure is a boring subject". Yeah, but apples are better for you than fun dip. I mean fun dip is great and all, just the name alone lets you in on what to expect. Yet you are going to be in a nutritionally better place if you have a daily dose of an apple. Heck, maybe after awhile you just might start to like it. You might even think fun dip doesn't live up to it's name anymore.

The political and economic situation in this country is a bit tenuous. I would suggest getting yourself edu-macated as quickly as possible. Not just for that, but for your own well being. Let me pass a list on to you:

P.T. Barnum
David Buick (founder, Buick Motors)
Walt Disney
James Folger (founder, Folgers Coffee)
Henry Ford
Conrad Hilton
J.C. Penny
Sam Walton
William Fox (founder, 20th Century Fox Film Corp.)
H.J. Heinz
Frank Lloyd Wright

Now what do all these dudes with some impressive names have in common? At one point, sometimes two, they were all like you. Broke as a joke up in smoke. These guys had no fear of failure, they actually saw the benefit in it. When they were down, the educated themselves, put the right people around them, and kept the learning going.

So don't wither in your ignorance of the so called clam, bone, or cold hard cash. Understand your own understanding, and then increase. I remember some good advice. Turn a profit, and do so regularly. It just depends on your definition of profit.

Let's undertand each other a bit more, you hateful beast!

It has come to my attention that the world has a real issue. An issue that actually has been around pretty much as long as there has been people. An issue that has yet to see a clear, decisive, and permanent solution. Although many have tried and succeeded, we have yet to see the end to this particular problem.

What is it you ask? The problem lies with you. Yes you. It is all your fault and you have not done much to solve it. You keep on and on with it just like a type A imbecile on a snipe hunt. You make no head room, even though you go into it and come out of it feeling like you will be the victor. Have you figured it out yet?

The problem is really, not understanding each other. Yes my dear daft comrade it all comes down to communication. The one thing that has propelled us to great success in technology and engineering, still baffles and stupefies us when it comes to relationships. Communication may be the single greatest achievement to man kind. How else could we share ideas that lead us to greatness. Yet it kills us when emotion and "EGO" (to which I pointed to in my last blog, its all circular) decide to join in on the conversation.

Although, I can fix this with a simple phrase if you are actually willing to listen. Now you have to promise me one thing. When you read this, you have to accept it. You cannot question it, you cannot second guess it, you cannot make excuses as to why its not the truth. You must and I mean must take it, digest it, and use it when you feel the rage a brewing. Are you ready? The phrase is "You are better than me". Got it? Let me say it again so that you really understand it "You are better than me".

The use of this will save you a whole heck of a lot of frustration. Now this doesn't mean you can't defend yourself or someone else. It is just meant to put you in the state of mind of humility. When you have two people speaking in love and humility to each other, only progress can be made. Even when it is only one person who is bringing humility to the table, it will eventually show you to be one who wants understanding.

I express that you not use this lightly. Definitely use it everyday. Yet if you are not ready for the benefits of this phrase, I say still use it. Maybe in time and enough repetition, you will get it through your thick skull, you hateful beast!

Business and love, and the love of business

A man is his work, and his work makes him a man. Today we live in a world of work and addiction. Simplified terms that are broad stroked with a wide brush, but our society does glorify the man who stays a little late.

Now in our heart of hearts, and most likely on the way home from the office, a man will wish he spent more time at home. People everywhere talk about spending more time at home. In reality that is what we all want at the end of the day. I once heard someone say that "on your death bed, your not going to say I wish I would have spent more time at the office". But is it really what we want?

Here is another phrase for you, "A man is his ego, and his ego makes him a man". I would have to say this is where the Buddhists have it a bit more right on. What keeps us from achieving our "true humanity" is the struggle against the ego. A person will naturally gravitate to what makes him feel good. No one wants their whole life to be an up hill battle. So a man will go to where his ego gets stroked to which makes him feel more like a man. People, specifically men, are natural conquerors, and a good victory will make him feel all the more a man. If you have not figured it out yet, a man is always looking to validate his identity.

Now this is not necessarily a bad thing, no a clear direction for a man to which he is naturally inclined is what a man was made for. Don't stifle what a man already has in his DNA, direct it to a productive life. Even in sacrifice he feels good about himself because he knows that what he is doing only benefits those around him. Just let him know that what is more desired is his presence, not his presents.

All of us, men and women, usually give the best of our days to our work. I am not sure how to solve this other than to be aware of it, just so that I can store some of myself away for those that really care about me. The ones who really love me, not the ones who only love what I can do for them.

A truth of life is that young men rarely need encouragement for passion, yet are desperately in need of direction. So love the people in your life a little more today. Make sure and go out of your way to let them know that you love them. Faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love. You will be hearing that a lot from me.

It's bloggering time!

Well what the smell, everyone else is doing it, right? That is what I will tell myself when it comes to blogging.

I realize that to be a fully functional cyber humanoid, one must divulge his thoughts into an empty spot of cyber space. Even though cyber space does not exist, but more on that later. No I shall say that it has been a long time coming that this blog should take form. Through the bits of envy that I felt as I would read a friends' blog, I have now come to realize the importance of this new form of media.

You see it was once said that "the pen is mightier than the sword". A figure of speech that I whole heartedly agree with, figuritivly, not litterally. I don't care how skilled you are with a pen. If you are in a fight with someone who has a 4 foot long sword, your going to die, it is just simple physics. No, this new medium provides more of the masses a way to publish themselves. It is a way to let their thoughts be known. This is in fact one of the most important essences of being human. The ability to express ourselves is what makes us human.

So whether it be on paper, parchment, or text on a screen, this medium will allow me to open the window of Matthew Bellis's mind and let you see in. Only so far though.

I shall write about Jesus, politics, theory, science, and what it means to be human. So stay tuned and allow your brain to be tickled, IT'S BLOGGERING TIME!!!!