--- In [email protected], TurquoiseB <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In [email protected], "shempmcgurk" <shempmcgurk@> > wrote: > > > > In my adult life, I have been self-employed for most of that time (I > > guess about 25 years or so since I finished all my schooling). For > > at least 10 of those years I have officially been under the poverty > > line (a very common occurance for people in business and the self- > > employed who DO figure in the statistics because of this). > > > > During those years, I never missed a sushi meal if I wanted one. > > Shemp, I love ya guy, and strangely I actually > *identify* with what you say. I have also been > the most fortunate of froods in this life. The > very fact that I'm still ALIVE is a wonder, and > I have managed not only to survive but to do so > in some semblance of style for most of the > lifetime. > > However, I might suggest that one of the reasons > that you and I can pull this shit off is a certain > level of personal power left over from previous > incarnations in which we spent a lot of time > performing selfless service. It's easy, when > "things come easy for you," that it's the same > for everyone around you. It's not. Six years in > New Mexico -- a beautiful place but the second > poorest state in the US, where over half the > population has neither health insurance nor > auto insurance because they can't afford it -- > cured me of that naive belief. > > Just as something to ponder, if you are ever > given to pondering, consider where the *source* > of this miraculous string of luck that was your > life *came* from: > > My bet is that it didn't come from incarnations > in which you put your attention on trying to > make more money and do more things to benefit > yourself. It came from those incarnations in > which you put a lot of attention on helping > others. > > The happiest people I've ever met were the ones > who spent the least amount of time thinking about > themselves, and doing things for themselves. Most > of their attention was on what they could do for > others.
Think on this, my friend: sometimes the highest calling when "doing for others" is not to worry about being politically incorrect and receiving the scorn and shunning of your peers but to call it as you see it. I mean every word I said above. An incredible formula for removing poverty, improving the lives of the poorest of the poor and the most disenfranchised has been realized in this country. And it's been a result of the free enterprise system along with some governmental social programs that provide a safety net of basic necessities. There are many in this country that not only do not recognize this but reject it when the evidence is placed before them. If one truly wants to do good for others -- as I suggest that I want to -- then the best thing we can do is to make sure that the best formula to do this is recognized, acknowledged and perpetuated. Plus, those systems which have failed mankind should NOT be repeated. So just think how unpopular I make myself on this forum and other places when I make the brash claims I do. Do you think I want to incur the wrath and anger from the many on this forum who direct it my way when I say these things? Well, I'm not a masocist. I firmly believe what I say and I stand by it. > These people smiled a lot. > > Those who focused on doing things for themselves > didn't. > > Clinched it for me... > To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
