Sitting on an overcrowded slow running train on my way to work, I open the paper only to close it in frustration. The headline “… Review angers senior MPs” captured my attention and reading further, the content angered me. The summary of the text was that MPs were angry that they might face a battle for their seats at the next election.  Did I miss something? Just the night before I read that the bank of America will be cutting 30000 jobs in the next 2-3 years. Yet the fact that MPs will have to convince their constituents that they are the best for the job and earn their seat causes havoc? Ridiculous!

I have no sympathy at all. These same people do nothing (in my humble opinion) for the very constituents they are supposed to represent. I have written my local MP many times for different things. The last letter I received was worded along the lines of ‘thanks for contacting me with an issue that the whole community has complained about. However to save myself I will be doing nothing. Thanks again – do please let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you’. Useless. We had a petition signed by nearly the whole population in our borough about something that affected us all locally. Yet the defendant (one major property developer) won simply because our MP didn’t give us a voice. That might be on a local level but they are all to be tainted with the same brush. I say the reform is welcome. I’ve been rather basic in my opinion but this isn’t a political article debating the intricacies. Rather I’m frustrated at the fact that everything from train fares to electricity costs are rising with no changes being made to the facilities I’m paying so heavily for. The reform in parliament is the least of our worries. Do some work I say and spare a thought for those you are supposed to be representing rather than the current ’save yourself’ mentality. The re shuffling of constituencies is the least on any ones mind. If you are doing what you’re supposed to, you will have no issues keeping your seat or gaining a new one.

In the current climate of uncertainty, it is very difficult to empathise with politicians who have spent too much time talking and not enough time figuring a way out of the mess. instead of rewarding the very institutions that got us into this mess and taxing the everyday man at every turn, a realistic plan of action is needed. One that doesn’t just benefit those it has always favoured.

A man once defined insanity as ‘doing the same thing and expecting a different result’. Applying this definition to the New Year euphoria, it seems that most of the world’s population is insane! Every year most people enter into the New Year carrying the same baggage, the same financial woes and set unrealistic targets for eradicating these burdens. Its almost as though the expectation is that once the clock strikes midnight, you shed your old skin and become a new person without delving into your past hurts and working through the healing process needed to thrive in this next level.

Take the American presidency for example. Unless you’re stuck in the Arctic mountains, you are probably aware that America has a new leader. His entire campaign and message was ‘Change you can believe in’. Change not just in America but also all over the world. A much needed message but for those who have been watching the news, it is evident that the change he is after isn’t going to happen in a year. Maybe not even in three to four years. Like any seed that is planted in the ground, there is a season when you can’t see any fruit produced till the right time to harvest it has come.

Unfortunately, it seems some people don’t subscribe to this logic when it comes to their own lives. I get the idea that a new year is meant to bring with it endless possibilities for a new start. This start cannot take root or be sustained however if the past is not dealt. A man or woman going into a new year having not dealt with hurts from the previous year is bound to be left frustrated and discouraged in the new one.

2009 was a very interesting year for me. I started off very excited about all the opportunities the year held. I spent the month of January in limbo as I always do trying to figure out what the year actually held. Then, having believed I had it covered, I started looking into how I could make my plans a reality. By April, I was burnt out. Not because my plans were not coming to fruition, but because I was carrying baggage I hadn’t checked out before embarking on the new journey.

I started feeling disconnected and empty. Before I knew it, another year had passed with nothing achieved. I hid behind my work and tried to justify my lack of efficiency in not having enough time. Relationally I became a dead zone. Hurts from the last year that were unresolved caused me to find fault in all around me. One person hurt me so I cut everyone else out. Its not surprising to find that I felt I was making zero progress in the things that mattered to me.

This might not be your story but I’m sure it’s similar. In any situation, if you leave things to fester while trying to cover it up with perfume, in time, it will cause an outbreak and the stink will be impossible to disguise. Running away from things that have caused you pain and not dealing with it doesn’t cause it to go away. Not checking yourself and your spending wont cause you to get rich. You need to find out what your faults and fears are and embrace them. In knowing what causes you pain or what your weaknesses are and then putting the right plans in place to sort through can you truly grow and thrive.

It sounds basic – foolish even. But think about it. We see it all the time all around us. Take a new relationship for an example. The man or woman entering the relationship having not dealt with the pain their ex-partner caused them will inevitably lead to a disaster. There has been no growth. No understanding of what went wrong. No healing for the pain felt. It is no wonder when such a relationship doesn’t work. It started off on the wrong foot! We all have our shortcomings and things that displease us. Admit it. Don’t suppress it. To do so will be to replicate the past hurts and mistakes – even into the New Year.

2010, I feel is different because I entered the year with a different perspective. Thankfully I have learnt from my mistakes and January has been a month where I’ve achieved more than I did in the latter end of 2009 and even the whole of 2008 and I’m satisfied and happy. My goals are realistic and I keep updating them so as to manage my own expectations. Its definitely a new dawn and I feel alive and up to the task. I am currently reflective because I know how easy it is to slip. This year will not be a repeat of my past but a showcase of my growth and an increase in my ability to do more with my gifts and talents. Make time to do some of the things you want to do. Put a plan in place to sort out your finances. Start saving towards a holiday or a course to better you. It’s a new dawn people – lets not waste it.

This year is different however.  The weeks leading up to the announcement of yet another fare increase, there were several debates on the conditions of the underground system as well as the new legislation being discussed to put automatic speed monitors into every new car being manufactured.  Being someone who both uses the public transportation system as well as owning a car, I’ve been dismayed by the information I’ve been receiving.

The current mayor of London is someone who enjoys cycling and believes that most Londoners should do the same.  He is a firm advocate for cyclists increasingly calling for new road measures to ensure their safety and comfort on the roads.  I have no problem with that.  What I do have an issue with is the fact that the Mayor seems to see the ordinary road user as the problem and so is working on imposing penalties on those who do not choose to cycle in and around London.

Cyclists do not have to pay road tax.  Cyclists do not have pay congestion charge. Motorists do.  Even with the already stringent fines imposed on us, there are more still in the works and no room to voice our concerns or disagreements.  Every opposing voice out there isn’t against climate change or working actively to reduce our carbon footprint. Congestion charge is increasing and MPs are discussing new monitors that would be fitted into a car to issue out fines if the driver goes over a certain limit.  For those who no longer drive, you are not safe neither from Big Brother.  You have to deal with inadequate train services, overcrowding and unacceptable running issues with fare increases added as a bonus.

I was reading an article written by the Mayor to justify the increases and I must say I was far from pacified at the end.  I completely understand that the current public transportation system that we have is far superior to most in other western countries.  The problem is that it is hard to enjoy when it is so broken and nothing works as it should.  The extortionate prices we have to pay would be bearable if this money was evidently going into projects where the effect is felt.  The current state of the underground for example means that I can’t go without a car.  Most lines are not operational over the weekends and those that are undergo ridiculous delays.  This is an on-going problem and my patience is beyond tested.  I keep hearing promises from politicians that things will get better but they just need a little more money.  Well I’ve been giving and the return on interest is beyond pathetic.

In a society as advanced as this, it is understandable that we would need to pay towards our cost of living but the price paid is now a constant yoke.  Where is the respite promised not so long ago? Regardless of the political party, the tune sung is the same.  I cant stop the fare increases coming in January but I wonder if there is anyone else out there who is wondering how far this is going to go before voices are raised in protest? I’ll pay more but the current infrastructure has got to change and if it isn’t, give me my money.  No more handouts Mr Mayor – lets see some action please!

Buying anything these days, whether it be a new car, a house or even a holiday ticket, seems to come with hassle.  That is to say that you start off feeling positive about the steps you’re about to take only to experience things differently to how you anticipated them to be.  There seems to be no such thing as a hassle-free transaction these days.

This realisation was fresh on my mind as I had just changed cars and although the results were gratifying, the process was not without its twists and turns.  That may be why I’m feeling so apprehensive about the decisions I would have to make in the following months.

Buying your first home is an exciting albeit terrifying experience – or so I’ve come to find.  I’m at the stage in my adult life when I’m seriously considering making the move from being a tenant to being a homeowner and the choices are overwhelming.  Firstly, I’ve had to re-evaluate my expenditures in relation to my income and this seems to have only served to leave me discontent with the amount of pay I’m taking home each month.

Next I’ve had to consider how much I’m able to borrow without neglecting to consider how much I’m actually able to afford in terms of repayments.  Then of course I had to decide if I wanted a repayment only mortgage or an interest only mortgage.  It was at this stage I believe that I realised how little I actually knew about the very thing I was trying to obtain.

The greatest challenge, apart from the realisation that I knew practically nothing about mortgages and would have to spend time studying and learning about them, is trying to put everything concerning my finances in place in order to be able to get the property of my choice.  I’ve had my bubble busted several times as I came into the whole home buying thing quite ignorant of the weighty decision I was making.

My idea of a first home was a lovely cottage style house with a minimum of two bedrooms and maybe even a garden thrown in.  After realising that to get this I would have to be earning more and have less expenditures, I reshaped my dreams to suit my budget.  I then began looking at one bedroom flats with no garden and off street parking!

Many people across the border who are thinking of buying their first home or maybe even already have one might be able to empathise.  This is by far one of the biggest decisions I have had to make till date.  The financial strain and emotional turmoil is almost enough to dissuade me from proceeding.  And that’s all before I start attempting to find a place that is within my budget!  It feels like there is no end to the torture.

As great as it is that anyone would make a move to buy their own place, some might ask ‘Why bother?’ in the light of all the stress and hassle involved.  I can’t say why anyone would want to make such a move, but I know that for me, it wasn’t a hard decision to make.  I weighed the pros and cons and saw that the benefits of owning a house far outweighed any stress that might be involved in obtaining one or even continuing life as a tenant.  I also thought of the fact that owning a house is an investment move that can, if chosen wisely, provide more money and security for me that any pension plan can.

The bit that is discouraging is finding out that there are so many wrong ways of doing it.  It means that I might have to compromise in order to get a good deal.  That is to say that in order to get a deal that works for me for now, I might have to compromise my integrity, my morals and my principles.  I’ve been told so many ways of ‘beating the system’ and making it look as though I was earning more than I actually was just to get a lender to loan me more money than they ordinarily would.

This reeks to me of foul play; the kind that if I engage in, would only serve to cripple rather than help me.  For all first time buyers out there, I understand the temptation.  I struggled with it also.  My point though is why do anything this weighty if you’re not going to do it right?  Why make such a big decision if for the rest of the time you are living in that house, your heart would be in your mouth every time the phone rings or a letter is posted through your door?  Why stretch yourself any further than you can afford to?

Every thing has a time and a season when it is supposed to be done in.  I’ve decided that with something this big, I would do things right.  Now that that has been decided, I guess I just have to chore along and try to do things the right and best way I can to get the best deal possible for me.  My only hope and prayer is that my experience wouldn’t be a negative one but rather, with my determination to move on up, I would remain unbruised and uninjured learning a life lesson that has a happy ending.

My perception of marriage as being a sacred and God ordained institution has been subjected to an increasingly cynical scrutiny due to my sudden comprehension as to its trivialization in the jet age.  The latest trends in the world of celebrity marriages and break-ups, two minute Las Vegas ceremonies decided under the influence of alcohol, and the spiralling rate of divorce has created a world where marriage vows spoken in the presence of a religious minister or the law courts now carry very little or no weight.

Historically, divorce was viewed with disdain and stigmatized the family that dared to venture into it.  However, the last three decades have seen the rate of divorce rise steadily, whilst the past decade has seen it escalate alarmingly.

Whilst the subject of the reasons for the breakdown of relationships is relevant, the crux of the matter remains that people are no longer held bound by their vows and do not hesitate to completely sever the union when faced with challenges.  More exasperating is the life span of marriages as some do not exceed the first two years before making it to the divorce courts.  The fact that they are so short lived has culminated in the contention by majority of mediators that individuals are no longer willing or able to endure minor challenges, or to work hard at their marriages to make them work.

We live in a world where celebrities are idolized so it is trite to say that they are the role models in terms of lifestyle, and trends.  The rate of divorce amongst celebrities is even more alarming, although it has become commonplace to read about even the most glamorous and loved up couple divorcing at the drop of a hat.  The Royal family has also had its fair share of scandalous divorces from Prince Charles and late Princess Diana to Prince Andrew and the Duchess Fergie.  With the royal family setting such an example coupled with the somewhat glamorous divorce of celebrities, it is not surprising that divorce rates are spiralling at an alarming rate.

No doubt, it is ignorance to assert that marriages were devoid of challenges in the 20th century, it is however the case that the challenges posed by the trends of modern living surpasses those in existence four decades ago.

Looking at the fusion of roles between men and women which has been birthed by the propagation of the dogma of the emancipation of women and the continuing growth of the “independent woman”, it is becoming increasingly difficult to assign roles in the relationship.  The confusion arises from somewhat trivial matters as allocation of income and spending, where the woman works as hard, and brings home as much income as the man and is expected to take the back seat when it comes to decision making as to how the money is spent.

In addition to working in full time employment, she is also expected to discharge her “Susie home maker” obligations as the wife and mother.  The New Age Man, rather than relish the assistance, accepts it as the norm and eventually relinquishes more of his obligations in the home, with the woman taking on more each day until she wakes up to the realisation that she is not being cared for as much as she would like to be.  She then starts to feel that she is being taken for granted.

A vast number of men attribute the failure of their marriages to the inability of their wives to respect them, and argue that the struggle for emancipation of the modern woman interferes with her biblical obligation to submit to her husband.  On the other hand, the woman asserts that the relationship is a partnership, and nonetheless, her efforts to submit to her husband are usually thwarted by the fact that he feels intimidated by her which causes him to act up.

The projection of sex by the media as a glamorous and uninhibited activity has made its mark on the marriage institution as the effect of this is that individuals find it increasingly difficult to remain in monogamous relationships.  The influence exerted by the media is so severe that women are no longer accorded respect for their chastity, but for their physical beauty and sexuality.  Where previously the product of an extra marital relationship was tagged “illegitimate child”, this term has now completely fizzled out of use.

Ironically, divorce rates are higher in Christianity inclined western countries than in third world and Islamic communities in spite of the biblical sacrilege attached to it.  Most Muslim communities are governed by Sharia law which prohibits women from initiating divorce, whilst also permitting polygamous marriages.  This trend buttresses the aforementioned argument that the increasing divorce rate may be an effect of liberalization of women.  As women in Muslim and third world communities are oftentimes unable to assert their independence, they remain married albeit unhappily.

No doubt the bitter ending of a marriage is sad and traumatic, however one cannot out rule the thought that given the opportunity, a lot of women in third world and Muslim communities would gladly trade their marriages for an opportunity to exert some control over their lives.  The enactment of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 which came into force on 5 December 2005 shows evidence that Parliament and the Judiciary now recognise same sex couples as being on a par with married couples on a wide range of legal issues.

I am constrained to ponder at the potential effects on the marriage institution.  The question arises as to whether the future of the institution will be strengthened or weakened by the new law.  The veil will no doubt be uplifted with the passage of time.

Something very interesting has been happening in the global community these last few weeks it seems.  Newspapers, Radio stations, TV, even the music and movie content being generated all seem to have one theme.  Whether expressed by showing the breakdown in the moral values of the society as a whole or highlighting the incompetence in government, the theme is centred on the downhill turn of our environment.  Spending money you don’t have, restlessness in our youth expressed in crime, systemic corruption in all levels of our government, the uncontrollable spread of disease and even the ruthless manner in the way we deal with one another; the global economic crisis has been a great spotlight on the decays within our individual societies.  Whether you live in a developed nation or an under-developed one, the reality remains the same across the board.

Not sure why this is.  We’ve recently gone past the halfway mark of the year and world leaders are meeting to reassess goals and set new ones.  All nations across the globe all seem to be dealing with their own challenges and leaders everywhere are attempting to come up with short term solutions to placate the growing unrest in the public arena.  With high profile celebrity deaths, low-budget summer holidays and no real solution to the sick state of the world economy, it is very easy to focus on nothing but the gloom portrayed.

It is at the centre of all this that I’ve been re-examining my worldview in an effort to get to grips with my reality.  My confidence in those in leadership and their ability to provide real-time solutions to the immediate worries plaguing us has taken a battering of late. The confidence that was there in the ‘boom’ has been replaced by the reality of an inept government.  The moral decay of the community, both local and global, has been a reality check that makes me so uncomfortable of how the world would look in the next few decades.  All of this while trying to figure how to pay my increasing bills.  It’s a vicious reality.

I was reading several weeks ago about a part of the Human brain called the Reticular Activating System (RAS).  It is the part of the brain that filters all the information we take in both consciously and subconsciously.  It limits the things what we are aware of by removing the redundant things that you do not need based on your thought process or your beliefs or what you are focused on.  A great example I read of is the way you don’t really notice a car till you make the decision to buy that particular type of car.  All of sudden, you start seeing it everywhere.  That’s your RAS in action.  The cars have always been there but you didn’t notice it because your RAS was in its element.

This got me thinking.  Maybe its my RAS in action which would explain why I’ve been paying a lot more attention to the issues around me but that doesn’t change the fact that its always been there.  The crisis the nations finds themselves facing didn’t miraculously appear overnight.  They have been festering in the shadows for sometime now and it has only been unveiled due to a problem that could not stay hidden elsewhere.  Now I know its easy to sit back and point the finger at our corrupt leadership but contrary to all the gloom I see, there are some flashes of light also.  People who are not cowered and are actively pursuing change.  Leaders who refuse to make do but use this opportunity to promote an agenda of unification, progress and change.  This is the model for the next generation to highlight their need to aspire for more than they have or are. But it is not the work for one group of people alone.

So where does that leave us?  Do we, you and me, sit in our houses as we struggle to pay the mortgage and play the blame game?  Or do we finally rise to the challenge ahead of us letting go of the legacy thinking that has got us here?  We all have a unique gift that when developed and utilised, would not only create wealth and other treasures for us, but would fix a need somewhere.  That could be locally within your family or community or on a global plane.  Either way, our individual potential needs to be a focal point in the latter part of the year.

For me, I believe in the power of education.  Not just the accumulation of qualifications but the development of a world perspective that comes from a thirst for knowledge.  In every person, as long as you are human, your paradigms would shape your perceptions which in turn shape your reality.  Believing you have nothing of worth will colour your attitude to life and work and discipline and in turn will affect your reality – your day-to-day.  The battle starts with our attitudes to our selves.  Life will always have its set of knock-backs to throw at you but this life is also a choice.  Your potential to achieve more would come from your attitude and approach to life.  To how quickly you get back up when you get knocked down yet again and everything looks bleak around you.  No one said it would be easy but constantly making excuses gets me nowhere but in bed with a migraine.  So I’m learning not to make any.  I’m learning to deal with the next 24 hours only and not worry beyond that.  I’m learning to spend time learning from smart people who disagree with me in an effort to further improve and get more rounded. I’m still learning. That for me is what differentiates me from the next man or woman and ensure that the doors of opportunity stays open to me and that I don’t spend too long looking at closed doors thus missing newly opened ones.  After all, we are what we think and as a leader once said “With our thoughts we make our world”.  Life, as with booms and busts, works in cycles.  The most important factor is the person riding the storm.  Your greatest asset is and always will remain you.  Isn’t it about time we change our focus and start finding the treasures in us?  Developing that sends a message that’s trans-generational.  That is the starting step.

Never thought I’d learn so much about finances playing a mafia style game. Here I am attempting to play a game on my phone and getting frustrated. The best part is that in my frustration I’m learning a life lesson.

Let me tell you a little about my highly addictive game. The goal is to gather as many weapons as you can in order to protect yourself as well as in order to be able to attack others taking their money when you win. The thing is your weapons come at a cost. You have to pay upkeep. Not all weapons require this but the ones that have a high defense and attack ratio do. Those are your RPGs or in the case of a vehicle, your Lamborghinis. So the higher the value, the higher the upkeep.

Thing is in order to afford the upkeep, as it’s not exactly cheap, you must buy adequate real estate to generate income.  So the more real estate or income you have, the more weaponry you can buy and the better protected you and your money are and lets not forget the more money you can make.

So here I am on the train on my way home from work attempting to unwind by playing a game. Instead what I find is that I’m being taken to school. The first lesson of the day – patience. I’m trying to play a game that requires Internet access on a train that seems to go through all the dead zones in London.  Second lesson – you can try all you want to accumulate wealth but if you don’t bargain for the unexpected you could well lose it all when a dead zone arises. Third lesson – plan your approach before embarking on that ‘get rich quick scheme’.

It’s rather bizarre how a game could teach me about my current financial status. You see I’m one of the millions of people all over the world who own at least one credit card. Alongside this I also have a mortgage as well as insurance and several other commitments. This means that the current financial crisis has hit me on a personal level in terms of repayment charges and just simply not having enough in comparison to what’s coming in. My salary or source of income is still the same but my outgoings somehow seem to have become unmanageable. How that happened is beyond me.

So back to my game. My reality is that I’m barely getting by. I’m squeezed from all angles and desperately hoping for a miracle everyday. In my game it seems the reality is just the same. Here I know I need to buy more weapons in order to survive in my game. But I also need real estate to pay for my weapons. While the charge for the weapons and armor are the same, once you buy a piece of real estate whether a shack or a luxury hotel, the price goes up. So what you paid 3000 for a second ago is now 3300 now. If only current property prices were like that! But what it also means is that though I could afford that price yesterday, today it’s out of my reach.

That’s where my lessons have come in.  I’m definitely learning patience in preparation. That just because I can’t afford it right now doesn’t mean I’ll never be able to afford it. It just means I need to conserve now, maybe pay off the debts first before worrying about savings.  Another lesson was related to external circumstances. Most people did not see the crisis approaching. Most were caught unawares. Bargaining for this in the time of excess is the best way in. For those like myself that didn’t learn this valuable lesson on time, it’s never too late to start. Stop taking those interest free credit cards. More credit won’t get you out of debt. The short-term gain is to the detriment of the longer-term security and is what got us into this mess in the first place.

This game is surely taking me to school.  Im well on my way to getting a bachelors degree in Economics.  But for now, my Internet access is back for the time being and I must take full advantage of it. Back to my game it is. Till next time folks.

Have you ever sat down to think of why you just want more and more of it?  Well it can all be summed up into one or two words or both: security and/or greed.  Taking the first word, with money you feel (not are, you feel) secure, even if there was an industry down turn, you are not too bothered – after all you have money.

A lot of us think that money is the answer to all our problems.  The parents think that if they had more money they will be able to raise their kids better; the couple believe that if they had more money their marriage will be better, the most interesting are the guys who believe that with more money they will be able to get the woman of their choice.

A quick word of advice – if you need money to get your wife you are making a big mistake.  Don’t get me wrong you could be well off and get married, but if being well off is a key criterion in the equation, please save yourself the hassle.  Well if all these notions are correct then tell me why millionaires wake up one morning and decide that day would be a good day to jump out the window of their pent-house apartment.

Don’t get me wrong, its not just millionaires that have issues.  Public school boy Joe is in a rehab centre and the fact that both Joe and the millionaire are facing issues shows that money has little to do with happiness.  From the above, you can see that money neither protects you from taking your own life, nor give you life, for there is no guarantee you will be alive tomorrow, even if you own the world…

Likewise when you are earning 25K a year (and assuming your responsibilities don’t change) you often say to yourself if I could be on 35K I will be OK and it goes up and up.  So the same person with the same responsibilities all of a sudden needs at least 100K to finance responsibilities that have not changed – GREED.

Greed becomes part of you without you even knowing it and soon you will go to any length to feed your greed.  Please note there is a fine line between being ambitious and greedy or both.  Whether you are ambitious or greedy depends on the actions you are willing to take to achieve your goals.  Whether your quest for money is led by greed and/or security, ultimately with more money you believe you will have a more fulfilling life or you believe your life will complete.

It is almost like you are trying to fill some sort of void in your life; something is missing but you can’t place your hands on it so in desperation you begin to fill this void the best way you know how – in search of money which you believe is the answer.  Like I said earlier, money is by no means bad; all that is needed is some priority reshuffling.

In fact, as you can see, in most cases money is not what you are after.  You just want some sense of completeness, achievement and purpose which you believe money will bring.  But is that really the case?  Do you really feel complete?  Do you wonder why despite all the money and pay increase you can not honestly say that you are happy and feel complete?

Maybe a better word to use is peace.  Although you can convince yourself that all is well and that you are happy with life, you can’t fake true peace. You may claim you have peace and even believe it but somewhere in you, you know it is not so.

Are you worried about what the future holds; how your kids are going to turn out?  Are you driven by what people think about you?  Are you worried about your health (even though you are a fitness freak!) and so on.  In all these cases, though you may be the richest person in the world, you can not say you have true peace.

The picture I am trying to paint is that more often than not we seek money and earthly possessions thinking we are really after money but in reality, we are after other things and possibly looking for ways to alleviate various worries all while believing money is the answer.  Some of you truly believe you are happy and are full of peace.  If you are such a person, please take a minute to examine why you think so and if its probably because everything is going OK.

You have a good job, good relationship/marriage, investments secure and so on.  That is that your happiness and peaceful state is as a result of your circumstances.  This again is not my idea of true peace and happiness because if one thing goes wrong, your whole world crumbles hence why you have millionaires jumping out of their apartments, upstanding citizens taking to drugs, violence, excessive drinking (they claim to be social drinking) stealing and so on.

I am talking about being at peace with yourself no matter what the situation you’re in or what life throws at you.  Not worrying at all about the future for you know its all going to work out – you are not wishful or hopeful about the future but you know – you are sure - the future is all good.  Even if you lost it all tomorrow – the job, house, everything.

If I take a census, I am sure I will find quite a number of people willing to find out more about how they can get true peace, fill that void and get true happiness.  Most of you will be willing to pay me money for it – again already thinking that money is the answer.  Fortunately it is free.

How, I hear you ask?  Let me explain why I have true peace.  It is not because I have a well paying job or live in a nice apartment (these show that I am rich) but rather because no matter my situation/circumstance I am at peace.  I am complete.  I have and know my purpose (why I am here).  I don’t fret or worry about the future because I know it is bright and secure and not because of my job, education and so on.

So the real questions you should be asking yourself is – are my claims above attainable, is it all about money, if not what?  What good is this quest for money (and even having so much of it) if my seeing tomorrow is not guaranteed and if you can plough through all this questions please ask yourself – what next when I die seeing as money doesn’t guarantee you life?

By the way if you are reading this l can assume you have a certain level of education and as a result a developed brain so please don’t tell me you don’t believe nothing happens when you die…

I will continue this next time so stay tuned but I hope I have left you with enough to ponder on.  Do leave your comments and I will be sure to address any issues raised next time.  Take it easy people!  Over and out!

40 odd years on and Martin Luther King Jr’s speech still carries so much weight.  In the past few weeks, I have heard it used in several differing ways.  My company has replayed clips of this famous speech in an attempt to inspire its staff members to give more of themselves in their everyday activities.  News outlets and opinion columinsts have used it to highlight in some ways, progress (and lack there is of) that has been made in our society since this speech was given.  It seems to be everywhere and yet it dawned on me that I actually do not know the full content of this speech and neither have I, regardless of the amount of times I have heard it in part, ever heard it in full.  So I decided to look it up and read it in its full glory as well as share it with those who like me, have never fully digested all Martin Luther King Jr was trying to put across that fateful day. Hopefully, like me, it would stir something in you (whatever that is)- even if it is the unexpected and start up an honest discussion in light of your every day situations.

Here goes…

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating “For Whites Only”. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.