On Tuesday I had lunch outdoors and a friend came up and began conversation about the fight (you know the one/the Solange Knowles fight that wasn’t a fight?) I attempted to put things in proper perspective for him and said
“no matter how much money we have, that will not stop the fuckery.”
I expounded and said “the big trick” in life is that we feed into the idea that its possible to make more of your 24 hours. Somehow, if you have more money, you have purchased time, if only in your mind. My friend’s contention was that if he had $1 million he would be happy. I had to first let him finish talking (making his points) before I “went in” to dissect the way he thinks and his “old school” belief systems, to the point that he began to agree with me. I used an analogy of him with his (let’s say) lottery winnings, traveling the world and physically experiencing this, that, and the other… Versus me, on a small farm with a little House on the Prairie. I had to detail for him how much I could make of such a simple life, how rich and engaging the experiences would be, as opposed to running all over the world to wet my stick, running after younger women, or any other such tension-relieving activity to fulfill my curiosity. I had to explain all of the various activities that I could engage in on a farm; activities that were entirely enriching and relevant to human existence. I could do something as simple as watching ants on a farm. And I could learn from that. I could identify the various animals in my so-called wilderness, from the birds to the worms… all of them feeding the ecosystem that we all (rich or poor) must drink, eat and breathe within. I remember my older friend rationalizing his position, saying: “well, if you put it that way… ” But it’s not me putting it a certain way; it’s just the reality we liven in.
But family, isn’t this a problem? People thinking, believing and imagining that theres a “better life” or “more to life” or that you’re living an “amazing life” where there is excess? Where there is glitz & glamour, limos and Evian. Aren’t so many of us struggling and panicking and losing our patience with the way things are, if only to acquire or achieve what has been presented before us on TV in movies and magazines? These various media entities make it so appetizing to own more and possess more and hoard more. But are we truly “living” “doing” or “being” more?
More more more, how do you like it, how do you like it?
So ask yourself, have you ever experienced true peace in your life, true love in your life, and abundant healthy living habits? In your hustle and your daily grind, do you even know what that feels like? Can’t I get that peace of mind and balance on a farm? Do you think Solange Knowles has that carefree, peaceful balance in her life? Clearly not, if she could it necessary to inflict violence on someone else. I mean, I could see if she was a professional fighter, or even if she were looking for attention. These are areas that “balance” wouldn’t be in the conversation. But it is clear to us that Solange has a young mind, influenced by power, fame and money (or lack thereof) and that balance is INDEED the issue.
But say I did have an extra million dollars lying around, do you not think there would be certain maintenance of that million dollars; the house, the car, the expensive lifestyle? And what if you ran into snafus where coming up with the finances to pay such expenses lead to stress, frustration or hostility… If you own a house is there not taxes to pay and upkeep to see to? If you don’t do your massive lawn then chances are you’ll need to pay someone to keep it for you. And if you’re not tending to your massive pool or waxing your massive car collection, or polishing your 10 bathrooms with your 10 golden toilet stools, then chances are you will need a staff of individuals to maintain that for you. And you’ll need to pay them. So then you’ve spent an awful lot of money on life’s extravagant features, only to realize that you need to pay weekly salaries or monthly service fees to maintain all of the above. What that means is that you better have some residual income. At least, you’d better have a certain amount of money in the bank, earning you interest enough to cover all expenses. That’s the only way you will be able to enjoy what you’ve bought into. Oh… one more thing…
you’d better have a balanced, healthy ritual going on too. Because tension and stress comes with the program.
What’s that you say? All that money has bought you more girlfriends? Well my friend, if you thought there was maintenance for your cars your houses and your land, then you had better go back to the drawing board because the math gets extra wicked when you start dealing with multiple women and multiple relationships. Everyday, we are watching relationships falter on the boob tube. Right before our very eyes we are watching one millionaire after another succumb and fall apart, subjected to the temptations of life. They have bought into this abundant lifestyle whether by their limited talents or their pot luck winnings. If they already had in a relationship, that relationship will be tested by the newfound fame coming into their lives. With your newfound fame will come the other crabs behind you, all of them trying to get out of the barrel. Yes, that can be women, that can be friends, and that will especially be your family. All of those people will feel entitled to live off of your winnings and your earnings. and if you deny them that access, the drama has only just begun. Take a look at Ted Williams, who gained instant worldwide notoriety for having the “Golden Voice.” Ted was found to be homeless, collecting change in the street, and thanks to social media the world got to recognize his talents. He earned instant fame, and the family soon came a’knockin. His offsprings, at least one of them, created an altercation that became “domestic.” Look at The racist Donald Sterling. he thought he could purchase multiple relationships with his billions of dollars. He thought his money could also buy an atmosphere that supports his opinion. He thought that his money could buy him credibility amongst other races, most likely to offset his extreme racist views. Look at the performers that have experienced physical breakdowns, because their popularity calls for them to try and be at more than one event in a particular day. It gets worse if those events are in neighboring states or at a distance from one another, because an entertainer will immediately take advantage of a quick flight but for to make it to another event, just to pick up more money from the precious weekend gigs, making more out of there 24 hours. Or so it seems. So, that entertainer has now satisfied two audiences. The questions that we don’t ask are: is your health keeping with the demands on your physical presence? More importantly, is your mental health able to keep with the fast-paced world that you have been imported into? And this goes to everyone from sports stars to rap stars to business moguls.
Note, I’m not saying that it can’t be done, but you had better be making some nice coin to maintain that team you’ll need; one that manages your life as well as their own. Second note, if any of your team members are not being compensated for their time they will not be happy and they will not achieve maximum results on your behalf. In fact, they might steal time, money or resources from you, just to make sense of being with you. Yes, these are the things we don’t think about when we want for larger resources and earnings. But with proper planning, good reference and mentorship from verified professional busy-bodies… with the proper training, you too can maintain a healthy, abundant lifestyle. But heres my lil secret… you don’t need a whole lot of money to achieve those results in your life right now. 1) keep an exercise regimen in your daily routine. 2) maintain a healthy diet whether it’s food to nourish your body or books to nourish your brain. 3) Be extra sure that the people you connect with on a daily basis are those that contribute to your growth. I’m done this morning. I hope you’ve taken away something valuable from my words #RelentlessAaron #blackinstagram #conyersgeorgia #publishedauthor #thegormetauthor #urbanlitking #urbanlit #blacktwitter #inspiring #entrepreneur #writer #inspiring #lifecoach #mountvernonnewyork
