Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly, nor deliberately bribe authorities in order to devour a portion of others’ property, knowing that it is a sin.
- Quran 2 : 188
— Capitalism —
Capitalism is an economic system in which private individuals or businesses own capital goods. At the same time, business owners (capitalists) employ workers (labor) who receive only wages; labor doesn't own the means of production but instead uses them on behalf of the owners of capital.
The production of goods and services under capitalism is based on supply and demand in the general market—known as a market economy—rather than through central planning—which is known as a planned economy or command economy.
The purest form of capitalism is free-market or laissez-faire capitalism. Here, private individuals are unrestrained. They may determine where to invest, what to produce or sell, and at which prices to exchange goods and services. The laissez-faire marketplace operates without checks or controls. Today, most countries practice a mixed capitalist system that includes some degree of government regulation of business and ownership of select industries.
— Quiet Luxury —
“Quiet luxury” refers to understated clothing made with very high-quality materials.
Google searches for “quiet luxury,” “stealth wealth” and “old money style” skyrocketed by 684, 990 and 874 percent, respectively, after the first “Succession” episode aired.
— By What Standard —
“And no one rose to ask the question: Good?
By what standard?”
- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
19. #LifeIntoExistence : Quiet Luxury and Being Unbothered (OSHO)
January 8th, 2023
5 : 20 PM
Last year, I went to a girls volleyball game
To support my 9th grade students
While there, one of my former students,
Turns to me and asks :
”Is that Gary Rome? The car dealership guy?”
”I am not sure.
But go and ask him.
If I do it, it will seem weird and invasive.
But you’ll be able to get away with it
Because you’re still a kid.”
Lo and behold
It was Gary Rome
— Worth around 25 million —
Without security
Quietly enjoying
A high school volleyball game
Hidden stealthy within the audience …
Wealth and peace of mind …
Is there a greater luxury?
To me, that’s the greatest gift
To be wealthy and unbothered
To walk anywhere, blend in quietly
Return home comfortably
And fall fast asleep …
— It’s All Stuff —
Some may read this and conclude :
”It’s all just stuff. Why does it matter?”
The truth is :
It doesn’t matter. I just want it.
And it took a long time
For me to be excruciatingly honest
About that reality.
Coming to this country
As a refugee
I noticed my family’s
Conflicting relationship with money …
Money was considered evil …
But they often complained about not having any?
Does that make sense to you?
Are these aligned beliefs?
I’ll allow you to come to your own conclusion.
I want to amass a great deal of wealth
That rests comfortably on a foundation of peace.
I have every intention to live every day
As if it could end
And take every risk
To one day carelessly spend …
— To Be Blessed —
There is something revelationary
About holding a baby …
To hold life in one’s hands
And to understand how life is a blessing …
Whichever spiritual path you’ve chosen
I pray you feel blessed every morning
To value every breath you’ve been given
I pray that you have taken
Time to listen to the soft rhythm of your heart beating …
— Beggars Cannot Come To Me —
Rewatch the first video I posted
Where Osho describes himself
As the “Rich Man’s Guru”
He explicitly states :
”Beggars cannot come to me.
Poor people cannot come to me.
The gap is too big.
They can hear me but they cannot understand me.”
I want to elaborate on this perspective
From a different angle
And in the next section titled :
”Gun To Your Head”
You’ll see exactly what I mean …
Watch this short clip below
Where Conor McGregor is asked
About how people respond to
His flaunting his wealth :
Reread : 9. #LifeIntoExistence : Oklahoma
In this poem
I described how my mentor
Had once given me
A card to spend however I wished
— And I barely touched it —
I was a beggar.
When I listen to the words of
Osho and Conor McGregor
I hear them saying the same thing …
It is not necessarily about financial wealth
— Rather, do I have the spiritual wealth to receive God’s abundance —
When I look at how petrified I was to use that card
How undeserving I felt
How insecure I was
How low I set my standards …
I was begging for scraps at the dinner table
When I was in a position to purchase
The entire restaurant …
Shelled up …
Just as a turtle enters its shell
Once it encounters a predator
I had seen my dreams
— Felt undeserving —
And ran in the other direction …
I had believed …
That the gap was too big.
Ask and you shall receive …
— Gun To Your Head —
One of my favorite scenes
Is from the film, “Fight Club”
Where Tyler Durden grabs
Raymond, an innocent cashier,
From the convenience store
And places a gun to his head …
He makes him confess his dreams
And forces him to chase it …
"Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel's life.
His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I have ever tasted."
Dear reader …
Allow me to place a metaphorical gun
To the back of your head …
What dreams are you petrified of chasing?
What have you settled for?
Who are you afraid of becoming?
What are you allowing to hold you back?
And answer this silently.
Only Allah needs to know
As only Allah can fulfill your dreams …
Lovely reader …
I would never tell you to do something
That I am not in the process of
Working on myself …
I just bought my ticket to Vegas …
Remember, I’d written the poem :
17. #LifeIntoExistence : I Am In Las Vegas
After a conversation with my mentor
And a review of my dreams
I noticed that they do not scare me …
They felt too easy
I do not feel stretched
Or challenged at any difficulty …
Reread : 2. #GeorgiaPeaches : Harnessing Fire
My greatest fear is not failure
— It is complacency —
So, I am in the process of writing
Scarier dreams where there’s more uncertainty
To see how I am transformed
In Allah’s journey …
— Unbothered —
”For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
Below is a short video
Where I find the man’s response
To be honorable …
His ex-girlfriend
And mother of his two children
Leaves him
And falls for his best friend
And former bandmate …
Pictures of their romance
Circulate over social media
And below is his response to it …
”Winners focus on winning …”
Grace …
Patience …
Forbearance …
The qualities needed
To sail through all
Of life’s nuisances …
— But it does not mean to be inhuman —
Look very closely at the video.
At the start of the video
We notice a quick twitch
Of his left upper lip …
This is a micro-expression.
It masks his frustration
Conceals his irritation
And gives him enough time
To realign his emotions
And respond with a calm compassion …
Grace …
Patience …
Forbearance …
Is it possible to find peace anywhere I am?
I was gifted a prayer mat
And this present
Taught me an important lesson …
God can be found anywhere.
Peace can be found anywhere.
Why should I be bothered?
God is always at hand.
Peace always within reach.
— Moral of the Story —
Dear reader …
What you’ve witnessed
Are my internal struggles
And unlearning
Concepts of wealth and dreams …
It is not my fault how I was conditioned …
But it is ultimately my responsibility.
These thoughts are applicable solely
To the path Allah has crafted for me …
Your relationship with money
Your commitment to your dreams
Will bring blessedness or misery …
You are fully responsible.
Are you crafting a life worth living?
Better question, am I crafting a life worth living?
Many will say that wealth is selfish
And I completely agree
— It requires an enlightened self-interest
To be fully aware of one’s needs —
Yet, money also offers different opportunities
Such as consoling a mourning heart
And sending a present to bring a bit of ease …
Yet, these words are never meant to convince you
— I am not a politician —
So, I have no interest
In your vote of confidence
Rather, these words are my way of wrestling
With thoughts in my subconscious …
In this journey, as the path widens,
And opportunities are being offered …
Do I truly believe I am ready?
These words are meant for me
To untangle the past and present
— That have been insecurely intertwined —
So, when a gun is placed
Behind my head
And the shooter has aimed …
”Shoot …”
I’ll say.
” … I expected to be here.
And know exactly where I’m aimed.”
It’s destined.
Our seats are already reserved.
BANG !
— K.S. Fort
————————
The goal this year is to document as many memories as possible.
This is the series to the next book, “#LifeIntoExistence : Tabula Rasa”. This book will be available towards the end of October.
For those interested in books written in the past, feel free to read the Google Documents at this link.
Lastly, for those who want to support my journey financially (please remember, I do have a fur baby), purchase the Kindle books at this link.
Enjoy the journey and live with intention …