Living In A World Without Money

We don't need money, we just need each other.

If all the money in the world disappeared, what would happen to us? Would we all cease to exist? Not at all. It's possible to live in a world without money, but we have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others/Nature).

So then how would we live?

• Volunteer: We'd all volunteer our services. Instead of working for money, we'd work to benefit others and Nature. When we contribute to society in a positive and constructive way, society would in turn take care of us. If you look around you, there are people with a wide variety of skills, talents, abilities and traits. If everyone volunteered their services to society, together, we have what it takes to create a great society without money.
• Basic Needs: We need to simply our lives. We need to focus only on meeting our basic needs - food, water, clothing, shelter etc. If our basic needs are met, what else do we need? We don't need anything else to live. Imagine living in a world where food, water, clothing, shelter is all free. It would simplify our lives tremendously. We could have community kitchens/dining rooms, clothing facilities, simple dwellings etc. It's possible.
• Education: We need to learn about bestowal, how to benefit others and Nature. There are so many ways that we can benefit each other and Nature. Education will be a big part of the transformation.
• Motivated By Love: How can we ensure fairness in such a system, to ensure some people don't take advantage of others? We'd be motivated by love. When you love others, you give everything of yourself to them without any calculations and without expecting anything in return. If we all did this, it would work.
• Bestowal is the key. Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others/Nature. If we all lived to benefit others/Nature, we'd become connected in mutual bestowal. Our focus would be on our connection, and connection makes us happy.

It is possible to live in a world without money. All we need is each other. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others/Nature instead of ourselves.

Don't be afraid. God is with us.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Mixed Messages In Society About How To Make Money

Society sends mixed messages about how it's okay and not okay to make money, even though they're all selfish:

1. What's Okay:
• It's okay to sell overpriced products to make as much money as possible.
• It's okay to lower product quality to reduce costs to make as much money as possible.
• It's okay to engage in aggressive and manipulative marketing practices to make as much money as possible.
• Justification: It's legal, it's called competition, capitalism, business, strategy, trade, commerce etc.
• Consequences: You're a winner, a star, a hero etc.
• The Truth: It's harmful selfishness cloaked in excuses.
2. What's Not Okay:
• It's not okay to steal money from others.
• Justification: It's illegal, it's called theft, punishable by the law.
• Consequences: Jail.
• The Truth: It's harmful selfishness that's transparent.

We have to change from selfishness to bestowal. Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Poor Are The Most Vulnerable In Society

The poor, who have very little, feel left out and vulnerable, especially compared to the rich, who have all the means and resources to take care of themselves. Here's a comparison:

1. The Rich:
• If the rich get into trouble, they can afford expensive lawyers to defend them.
• If the rich are oppressed, they have the means to fight back.
• The rich have friends in high places and important contacts in society.
• The rich have the ability to influence others through their 'high' status in society.
• The rich feel secure and confident because they have the means and resources to take care of themselves.
2. The Poor:
• If the poor get into trouble, they can't afford expensive lawyers to defend them.
• If the poor are oppressed, they don't have the means to fight back.
• The poor often don't have friends in high places or important contacts in society.
• The poor don't have the ability to influence others because of their 'low' status in society.
• The poor feel left out and vulnerable because they don't have the means and resources to take care of themselves.
• Yet God Himself is the protector of the poor and weak. God protects everyone, but especially the poor and weak because they are the most vulnerable in society. With God (The God Of Israel), you have everything you need. Ask Him to help you and He will.
• If you're poor, weak and/or vulnerable, don't feel left out. You belong and are very much a part of God's plan.

We all have to change from selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to bestowal (seeking to benefit others and all of Nature.) 

We have to build a new society that's based on bestowal. If we connect in mutual bestowal, we'll transform society for the better. All we need is each other.

The true measure of a society isn't how it treats its rich, but how it treats its most vulnerable members.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Stealing From Others, Society And Nature

Edited: Feb 12, 2015

We're all born with specific talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., which are meant to be used to benefit others and all of Nature.

When we don't use our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., to benefit others and Nature, but instead, to benefit ourselves, we exploit others and Nature in two ways:

1. Stealing:
• First, we steal from others and all of Nature because our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., are a resource, and all resources in the world belong to everyone equally and are meant to be shared. Meaning, our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., don't belong to us, they belong to others and all of Nature.  (This is one of the ways we're interconnected and interdependent.) When we use them selfishly, to benefit ourselves, we deprive others and Nature of the benefit they would have otherwise gotten, had we used them benevolently. We steal, by not contributing benevolently to society and Nature.
2. Selling Stolen Property:
• Not only that, to add insult to injury, we sell our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., to others for a fee. Basically, we ask them to buy their own stolen property. (Like a thief who steals your own property, then asks you to buy it back.) Extremely unfair.

We have to change the way we interact with others and all of Nature. Instead of using our talents, skills, abilities, traits, attributes etc., for our own selfish purposes, profit and gain, we should use them to benefit others and all of Nature.

This doesn't mean that we impose our benevolence on others, not at all. We shouldn't force our good deeds on others. Rather, we should receive permission before we engage in acts of bestowal, or know that our benevolence will be well received.

We have to give ourselves to others and Nature.
We have to share ourselves with others and Nature.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Stealing From Nature To Make Money

The resources of the earth belong to everyone equally.

When individuals, families, groups, businesses, organizations and/or countries take resources from Nature and sell them as their own (for their own personal profit and gain), they exploit others in two ways:

1. Stealing:
• First, they steal from others because the resources of the world belong to everyone equally. Even though people spend time, energy, effort and money to get the resources, doesn't mean the resources belong to them. They appropriate the resources and claim them as their own, even though the resources are not theirs to take.
• Just because the resources are in a specific country, doesn't mean they belong to that country. The world doesn't have geographic boundaries, we created them.
• Imagine that the world is a house, with different rooms that serve different purposes, a kitchen, a bathroom, bedrooms etc. Through no action of our own (call it divine providence), we find ourselves living in one of the rooms. Instead of cooperating with others in the house, we charged a fee for them to use our room - a fee for the kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms etc. It's inefficient and absurd.
• The resources of the world belong to everyone equally, and even though different places of the world have different resources, doesn't mean those resources belong to those places. All the resources belong to everyone equally. 
2. Selling Stolen Property:
• After the resources have been wrongfully appropriated, they're sold to others for money. Basically, people are forced to buy their own stolen property. (Like a thief who comes into your home, steals your property, then asks you to buy it back. Or more specifically, like a family member who takes family property, then asks other family members to buy it back.) Extremely unfair.

All resources of the earth belong to everyone equally, which means:

1. We need permission from the whole world to use the resources of the earth, and
2. They resources of the earth must be used to benefit the whole world.

We have to change the way we interact with each other. Instead of pursuing selfish individual business ventures, we should realize that we're all one family living in one house. We should establish a global, cooperative and collaborative living arrangement, where family decisions are made to benefit others and all of Nature.

We have to change our internal qualities from personal selfishness (for me) to bestowal (for others). Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Selfish Nature Of 'the money gods'

I heard of the realm of the gods, where gods selfishly seek to secure their own power and influence, thinking only of themselves with no regard for others. They continually exploit others to secure their own position. And I thought to myself, how can such a thing be possible?

Then I looked at this world and saw 'the money gods', people who have a tremendous amount of wealth, power and influence, and even though they have the means, resources and money to help others, they don't. They continually exploit others to secure their own position. They think only of themselves with no regard for others. Then I realized that such a thing is possible.

We have to change from selfishness (for me) to bestowal (for others). Instead of seeking to benefit ourselves, we should seek to benefit others and all of Nature.

Copyright © 2015, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Unfair Healthcare Industry Of The World

Edited Nov 15, 2014.

The global healthcare industry is estimated to be USD $6.5 trillion in 2014. [1] 

Healthcare is driven by money, not by patient well-being, which makes it extremely unfair in many ways:

1. Cost:
• In most countries, we have to pay for our healthcare, which means the rich have better access to healthcare than the poor.
• Sometimes people can't afford to see a doctor and sometimes they can't afford the medication. Pharmaceutical companies are notorious for overcharging for medication.
• About 1/3 of the world's population (about 2 billion people) don't have access to essential medicines. [2]
• Doctors are one of the highest paid professionals in the world, yet they don't guarantee that we'll be healed. In many cases we're healed, in others we're not, so we pay for treatments that don't work, like paying for a TV that doesn't work. The difference is that when we see a doctor, we can't get our money back. Should doctors be paid only after patients are healed? Or be paid a certain amount up front and then the rest after the patient is healed?
2. Lack Of Incentive To Heal:
• With money as a motivator, doctors, pharmaceutical companies and the entire healthcare industry have little incentive to heal people quickly and permanently because sick people generate money. For example, doctors may request unnecessary repeat visits in order to make more money.
3. Not Enough Doctors:
• There aren't enough doctors to go around, especially in rural communities, which means some people don't have a family doctor. Doctors are drawn to more lucrative markets, such as big cities where they're paid more and where they see a wider variety of cases.
• Sometimes, doctors who work long hours are tired, they may see patients quickly or aren't as thorough as they should be. As a result, the quality of patient care is less than optimal.
4. Long Waits:
• Family doctors tend to overbook their daily schedules to ensure they see enough patients to meet their monetary requirements, which means they're often running late. At the doctor's office, it's not uncommon to wait for over an hour past a scheduled appointment. Somehow the doctor's time is more important than the patient's time.
• If a person doesn't have a family doctor they have to go to emergency, where the waits can be hours long. Sometimes the waits are intentionally long to dissuade people from showing up at emergency with a cold. Emergency is for emergencies; however, without a family doctor, many patients have no choice. Again, the patient's time is disregarded.
5. Aggressive Marketing:
• Pharmaceutical companies are constantly advertising their medications on TV, in magazines, the internet etc. There appears to be a pill for almost everything. We're given the impression that medication will solve all our problems, but it doesn't. Sometimes the medication works, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes we suffer side-effects and/or become addicts.
• Pharmaceutical companies also seek to establish business relationships with doctors so doctors can prescribe their medications over that of their competitors. 
6. Mismanagement And Corruption:
• In some places of the world, mismanagement and corruption in the healthcare sector means money isn't spent as it should be. It's siphoned off into various pockets before it gets to its intended destination. As a result, patients suffer and even die.
• Due to mismanagement, lack of planning and/or foresight, which results in limited budgets, staff and/or space:
• Patients Aren't Admitted: Sometimes hospitals are full and there aren't enough beds. As a result, patients may not be admitted because there's no room. 
• Patient's Are Sent Home Prematurely: Some patients may be sent home prematurely in order to make room for other patients. As a result, they receive less than optimal care.
• No Dignity For Patients: Due to limited space, sometimes patients end up on the hospital floor or on beds in corridors. This affects their dignity and  their ability to recover quickly.
• Cramped Rooms / Dormitories: Patients often have to share space with other patients, which affects their ability to sleep (which is vital for their rest and recovery) and increases their likelihood of catching a contagious disease.
• Institutional Food: Hospital food can be on the lower end of the nutritious spectrum, which affects patients ability to recover quickly, since proper diet and nutrition is a big part of our health and well-being.
• Lack Of Medical Equipment And Supplies: Without the proper medical equipment and supplies, medical personnel can't do their jobs properly.

We have to change from personal selfishness (seeking to benefit ourselves) to mutual bestowal (seeking to benefit others).

Healthcare has to stop being a business. It has to become a benevolent service offered freely, openly and at the highest standard of quality to everyone in the world. We should be able to travel anywhere in the world without having to worry about health insurance or access to medical services.

Round tables need to be established to find a fair and equitable system that provides benevolent healthcare to everyone on earth.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.
_________
References:

1. Introduction To The Healthcare Industry. www.plunkettresearch.com. Retrieved Nov 3, 2014.
2. The World's Medicines Situation 2011: Access To Essential Medicines As Part of The Right To Health. World Health Organization. Retrieved Nov 3, 2014.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Lower Income Home Owners Pay More For Housing

Edited Feb 19, 2015

Lower income home owners pay more to purchase a home than higher income home owners. (This post focuses only on buying a home and excludes the option to rent.)

For comparison purposes, given the same type of property, a lower income home owner will pay $151,940 for a home; whereas a higher income home owner will pay only $106,544, which is extremely unfair. Also, a lower income home owner will likely sell their property for less than a higher income home owner. Here's why:

1. Lower Income Home Owners:
• Smaller Down Payments:
• With less money, they often opt for the minimum required down payment. The smaller the down payment, the greater the mortgage loan. The greater the loan, the greater the interest on the life of the mortgage and the greater the monthly payments.
• Longer Amortization Periods:
• They often prefer longer amortization periods because this lowers the monthly payments; however, longer amortization periods results in higher interest on the life of the mortgage.
• No Additional Payments:
• With less money, they often can't afford additional payments, which means they can't afford to pay off their loan sooner.
• Limited Renovations And Repairs/Maintenance:
• With less money, they often can't afford home renovations or home repairs/maintenance, which decreases the resale value of the home.
• Undesirable Locations:
• With a limited price range, they're often restricted to less desirable locations and neighbourhoods, because generally speaking, the homes are cheaper. This affects their quality of life and the resale value of the home.
• Calculations:
• Here's an example. (For simplicity's sake, Realtor fees, condo fees, taxes, inflation, insurance and other expenses have been excluded. Additional payments has also been excluded. Also, the interest rate remains constant over the life of the mortgage.)
• Home Price:  $100,000
• Down Payment: $10,000  (A lower down payment)
• Mortgage: $90,000  (A higher mortgage)
• Amortization: 20 Years  (A longer amortization period)
• Interest: 5%
• Monthly Payments: $591.41  (Lower monthly payments)
• Interest Over The Life Of The Mortgage: $51,940 [1]
• Total Cost of Home: $10,000+$90,000+$51,940=$151,940
• Lack Of Diversification:
• With less money, they often can't afford other investments. Their home becomes their primary and only investment, resulting in higher risk due to lack of diversification. [2] God forbid, if the housing market collapses, they'll be greatly affected.
2. Higher Income Home Owners:
• Higher Down Payments:
• With  more money, they can afford a greater down payment. The greater the down payment, the lower the mortgage loan. The lower the loan, the lower the interest on the life of the mortgage and the lower the monthly payments.
• Shorter Amortization Periods:
• They can afford higher monthly payments and therefore shorter amortization periods, which results in lower interest on the life of the mortgage.
• Additional Payments:
• With more money, they can afford to make additional payments and pay off their loan sooner. The sooner a loan is paid off, the more money they have to invest in other things.
• Renovations And Repairs/Maintenance:
• With more money, they can afford home renovations and home repairs/maintenance, which increases the resale value of the home. Some strategically plan to flip [3] their homes in order to make a profit.
• Desirable Locations:
• With a greater price range, they can afford to buy in more desirable neighbourhoods, potentially increasing their quality of life and the resale value of the home.
• Lucrative Clients:
• Higher income home owners are lucrative clients and banks may be eager to secure their business, hoping for future additional loans and other investments. As such, banks may be willing to negotiate better mortgage terms (lower interest rates etc.) in order to secure their business.
• Calculations:
• For comparison purposes, let's assume the higher income home owner is buying the same type of home as the lower income home owner. We're not taking into account that the higher income home owner can afford a more expensive home or, as a lucrative client, may be able to negotiate better mortgage terms. (For simplicity's sake, Realtor fees, condo fees, taxes, inflation, insurance and other expenses have been excluded. Additional payments has also been excluded. Also, the interest rate remains constant over the life of the mortgage.)
• Home Price:  $100,000
• Down Payment: $50,000  (A higher down payment)
• Mortgage: $50,000  (A lower mortgage)
• Amortization: 5 Years  (A shorter amortization period)
• Interest: 5%
• Monthly Payments: $942.39  (Higher monthly payments)
• Interest Over The Life Of The Mortgage: $6,544 [1]
• Total Cost of Home: $50,000+$50,000+$6,544=$106,544
• Diversified Portfolio:
• Higher income home owners have other options as well, for example, they can offset their debt with other investments, diversifying their portfolio to decrease risk.
• Instead of putting $50,000 on the down payment, let's assume the higher income home owner chooses to diversify her investments by putting $10,000 on the down payment and investing the other $40,000 elsewhere. For comparison purposes, let's assume all variables are equal to the lower income home owner: 
• Home Investment:
• Home Price:  $100,000
• Down Payment: $10,000 
• Mortgage: $90,000
• Amortization: 20 Years
• Interest: 5%
• Monthly Payments: $591.41
• Interest Over The Life Of The Mortgage: $51,940 [1]
• Total Cost of Home: $10,000+$90,000+51,940=$151,940
• Other Investment: (Assuming no pay outs or dividends. Inflation has been excluded.)
• Initial Investment: $40,000
• Number of Years Invested: 20 Years
• Annual Rate Of Return: 2%
• Interest Earned Over The Life Of The Investment: $19,438 [4]
• Total Future Value of Investment: $40,000+$19,438=$59,438
• Total cost of the home is $151,940, minus the income from the investment $59,438 = $92,502 paid out over 20 years, which is considerably lower than the $151,940 paid out by the lower income home owner over the same period of time.

Another issue is that banks aren't interested in helping home owners, they're only interested in making money:

1. Mortgage Penalties:
• Banks penalize home owners for overpaying on mortgages or for breaking mortgages and the penalties can be surprisingly expensive, potentially running into the tens of thousands of dollars.
2. Complicated Contractual Documents:
• Mortgage documents are written in legalese that the average home owner doesn't easily understand, which is how banks are able to incorporate penalty charges without explicitly disclosing the costs.
3. Banks Own The Home:
• A home belongs to the bank until the mortgage is fully paid off. If the home goes into foreclosure, the home owner may lose everything, regardless of how much equity they've already invested in the property.
4. False Sense Of Home Security:
• Using predatory banking practices, banks sometimes issue mortgages to people who can barely afford to buy a home. If the home owner's financial situation changes, or if interest rates rise, they wouldn't be able to make their mortgage payments and the home would enter foreclosure. This can be a devastating experience for people who were excited to own a home.
5. Empty Houses:
• When the economy is bad, foreclosures tend to be high and many people lose their homes. The houses may remain empty because people can't afford to buy houses. It's sad to think that there are so many empty houses when so many people don't have a place to live.

Round tables need to be established to find a fair, equitable and ethical way of providing affordable and dignified housing for everyone on earth.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

________
References:

1. Mortgage Payment Calculator. www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Retrieved Oct 18, 2014.
2. Diversification (finance). www.en.wikipedia.org. Retrieved Oct 18, 2014.
3. Flipping. www.investopedia.com. Retrieved Oct 22, 2014.
4. Investment Calculator. www.bankofcanada.ca. Retrieved Oct 18, 2014.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Without Money You Will Be Redeemed

"You were sold for nothing,
      and without money you will be redeemed."
                                           (Isaiah 52:3, NIV)

A Lonely Star

What use is money when there's a lonely star on the other side of the universe? Money can't buy universal love. Money can't buy love for all of creation.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Work-Watch-Spend Treadmill

In 2012, about USD $500 billion (that's billion with a 'b') was spent on advertising worldwide, and by 2016, advertisers are expected to spend about USD $630 billion [1]. This includes media such as TV, internet, print, radio, outdoor etc.

Money spent on ads could be better used elsewhere. For instance, instead of spending money on ads, companies could spend money on helping people, by providing food, water, clothing, shelter etc. A lot of the world's problems could be solved and people's lives could be changed for the better.

Not only is money wasted on ads, but also, many ads make us feel bad. They tell us that our lives are incomplete without the products. The following YouTube video [2] capture the work-watch-spend treadmill that many of us are on:

In addition, the cost of advertising drives up the cost of products. Consumers pay for ads because the cost of advertising is built into the cost of products.

So not only are we being subjected to manipulative ads, but we're also paying for the ads, and as a result, we're paying more for goods and services.

We need to change the way we live. In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

____________

References:

1. Worldwide Ad Spending Forecast. www.slideshare.net. Retrieved May 28, 2014.

2. The Work-Watch-Spend Treadmill | Crossroadsfilm.com. www.youtube.com. Retrieved May 28, 2014.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

There's Only So Much Money

There's only so much money in the world, it's not an infinite supply. Meaning, there's not enough money in the world to make billionaires of us all.

Which means every time you hoard money, there's less of it to go around. When you gain, someone else loses. Should money flow TO you or should it flow THROUGH you?

Should you hoard it for your own personal selfishness, or should you use it to benefit others?

Once you've taken care of your basic needs - food, water, clothing, shelter, healthcare, education etc., what else do you really need?

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

The Fashion Industry: A House Of Cards

The fashion industry is a trillion dollar industry, employing millions of people worldwide. Yet while it sells glamour, luxury, decadence, wealth and beauty, this image is far from most people's reality. Let's take a look at the value chain:

1. Designers: Fashion designers enjoy creativity and artistic expression, yet sometimes their work is more art than practical clothing. Should they be designing fashion for people or displaying their work in an art gallery? Are they preoccupied with creativity? Do they comply too easily with destructive industry standards? Are they obsessed with making money? They're under pressure to perform, but are they seeking to benefit the average person or are they seeking to benefit themselves?
2. The People Who Make Fashion Products: Most fashion products (clothes, shoes, sunglasses etc.) are made in underdeveloped or developing countries, where workers are subjected to substandard working conditions, earning meager wages for a long day's work. Far from glamorous.
3. Models: A handful of models reach supermodel status and enjoy fame and wealth, but most models don't become supermodels, and the modeling business is notorious for the way it mistreats its models:
• There's the unhealthy and unrealistic standard to be thin, forcing models to harm themselves, becoming bulimic or anorexic etc.
• Modeling firms can charge up to thousands of dollars for classes and other related expenses, which often don't pay off.
• Sometimes vulnerable models are exploited for sex, where work is promised in exchange for sexual favours.
• Then there's the constant rejection and criticism that models face when they audition for work. They're expected to have thick skins, but it must be a tough thing to go through.
• For the average model, modeling is far from glamorous.
4. Marketing: TV ads, magazine ads, billboards, catalogs etc., use aggressive marketing practices that influence us in a negative and destructive way. They tell us that if we buy their products, we'll be better than others, more important than others. Not only that, they set unhealthy and unrealistic standards for impressionable young people to aspire to: To be thin, rich, pretentious and materialistic. Far from wholesome.
5. Retailers: People who work in retail stores may earn minimum wage, sometimes they get commissions, sometimes they get employee discounts. They work long hours, on their feet, folding, stacking and sorting clothes all day long. Far from glamorous.
6. Consumers: Each step along the supply chain, prices go up because everybody wants to make money. By the time goods and services reach consumers, the prices are over-inflated. Yet most of us live paycheck to paycheck, with little disposable cash.
• While a few people can afford luxury goods, it's almost a crime to spend $10,000 on a handbag. A handbag! While down the street, a homeless person begs for change. It doesn't make any sense. I spent about $3 on a handbag at a second hand store and it works perfectly.
• Then of course there's the pressure to keep up with fashion trends and new season offerings. The pressure to keep current and fashionable is expensive and exhausting.
• Under the influence of aggressive marketing practices, we buy things we don't need, expensive brand names that don't improve our lives. Yet we continue to buy, which is why debt, including credit card debt has become a huge problem because people are spending beyond their means. We're left feeling empty and broke. Far from glamorous.

So where exactly is the glamour and decadence in the fashion industry? While only a few enjoy the spoils, most of us realize that it's all an illusion, it's all smoke and mirrors, a web of lies and deception, there's nothing there. It's a house of cards built on empty promises, fleeting pleasures and expectations that are never fulfilled. For most of us, the truth is far from glamorous.

The fashion industry isn't known for its charity, it's known for its elitist attitude where being better than others is the goal. It's not. We're all equal.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

A Warning To Money Lenders

This is a stern warning from The One True God, The Infinite God, The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to money lenders including banks, credit card companies, businesses that issue company cards, foreign exchange currency converters, loan sharks etc.

Usury [1] is strictly forbidden, yet you have found every possible way to extort as much money from as many people as possible. 

You exploit, manipulate, oppress, use, abuse and steal from people, engaging in fraudulent and predatory practices, putting profit above the well-being of others.

"Whoever increases wealth by taking interest or profit from the poor amasses it for another, who will be kind to the poor. (Proverbs 28:8, NIV)

"And [for] their taking of usury while they had been forbidden from it, and their consuming of the people's wealth unjustly." (Quran 4:161, Sahih)

Repent and return to God.
In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.
_______________

1. Usury. www.wikipedia.org. Retrieved April 6, 2014.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

One Million Dollars And The Loss Of Wealth

Is one million dollars a lot of money? It depends:

• If you have $1 billion and end up with $1 million, then no, it's not a lot of money.
• If you have $2 million and end up with $1 million, then no, it's not a lot of money.
• If you have $10,000 and end up with $1 million, then yes, it's a lot of money.

When it comes to the loss of wealth, who suffers the most, who's the most affected? The rich. Even though they end up with $1 million, they experienced a greater sense of loss.

This sense of loss happens because we define ourselves by our money and material possessions. The more we have, the greater we think we are.

Also, we're emotionally attached to our money and material possessions, so when we lose them, we feel hurt, upset and distraught.

Yet we're not our money or material possessions and our emotional attachment to them is misplaced. Money and material possessions should not define who we are.

The loss of wealth can be a hard thing to accept. When it happens, stay calm and focus on meeting your basic needs - food, water, clothing, shelter and healthcare.

The loss of wealth is not the end of the world. It's only money, so don't worry about it. Let it go. Suicide is never an option. Don't ever kill yourself. Never! Don't ever kill yourself over the loss of wealth. Never! 

With respect to wealth, ask yourself, what's the worst thing that can happen? You lose all your wealth. So what? Does that mean you lose yourself? No. It means you find a new simple way to live.

Remember, we're all in this together. Do not be afraid. God is with us.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Both The Rich And The Poor Have To Change

Both the rich and the poor have to change their attitude towards money and focus on connection instead. The expectation is not just for the rich to change, but everyone has to change.

In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

It's Good To Be Bald

Being bald tends to be seen as a negative thing, and people spend lots of money trying not to be bald. There's nothing wrong with being bald. In fact, being bald is a good thing.

"A man who has lost his hair and is bald is clean." (Leviticus 13:40, NIV) Meaning he's in bestowal.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Children Share But Adults Don't

We encourage children to share. If little Johnny was ambitious and hoarded all the toys, while little Annie had none, we'd ask little Johnny to share his toys with little Annie. We expect this behaviour of children.

But when it comes to adults, we praise ambition and money hoarding. If big John was ambitious and hoarded all the money, while big Anne had none, we'd tell big Anne to work harder and make her own way.

Why is there a discrepancy between what we expect of children and what we expect of adults? In everything we do, we should seek to benefit others instead of ourselves.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Your Body Is A Biological Machine

The human body is meant to operate at an optimal level. It's important to find the right balance to be happy and healthy.

Your body is a biological machine. It needs to be maintained regularly to operate effectively. Your body also has weight limits, too much weight and it will malfunction, too little weight and it will also malfunction. You have to find the right balance somewhere in the middle.

We understand that mechanical machines such as cars and planes need to be maintained regularly to operate effectively. They also have weight limits, too much weight and they also malfunction.

In the same way we look after mechanical machines is the same way we need to look after our biological machines. We need to prioritize the care of our bodies as much as we do any other machines.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.

Even The Rich Are Poor

A poor person who earns $10,000 a year, needs an extra $1,000 to pay the bills.
A rich person who earns $10,000,000 a year, needs an extra $1,000,000 to pay the bills.

Who needs more money? The rich person. Who feels more poor? The rich person, because their unnecessarily lavish lifestyle costs more to maintain.

Copyright © 2014, Carter Kagume. All Rights Reserved.