Don't Ever Underestimate What You Bring to the Table

My intention is to encourage you, my precious readers. It has come to my attention once again, thatthe "world" is full of folks who are full of.......themselves. This condition of pride and arrogance causes so much harm and is a quite serious threat to the self esteem and goal setting of many many really good people all across our beautiful globe.

All it takes is for someone to roll their eyes at something you do or something you have just created and bam, your self esteem and goal setting process are at risk. Sometimes it doesn't take more than one negative comment from a nosy neighbor to throw someone off their stated plan of achievement.

That is why it is soooooo very extremely important to be your own best cheerleader. It is vital that you protect that motivation that keeps you rolling steadily towards accomplishing your own set of written goals.

In case you are a new reader of my blog, permit me just to explain that I am a HUGE fan of empowering people to succeed by insisting that ALL of us WRITE down our own short list of life goals. It has been proven time and time again, that written goals are much much much more likely to reach achievement than those that simply remain in our imagination. So..... please do write down at least one of your most important goals and keep that goal in a place that you will remember. .....perhaps in your wallet, in your email
files, or written on your mirror in lip liner....whatever works. Just don't hide your list of goals in some obscure file in a forgotten drawer. You need to be able to find and read it out loud regularly. There are always going to arrive times in our lives when we need to remind ourselves what our goals are.                                   Keep your written goals handy for regular reminders.

Your determination to DO that which you have written on your list is a precious process. It is so precious that one actually has to protect that "goal setting " process. The reason for this, is that there are going to be many humans who won't align themselves into agreeing with your written goals. You need to avoid those humans like the plague.

FOCUS FOCUS FOCUS on your written goals. As stated in a previous post..... .............................FOCUS is the PERFECT HEDGE. ...................................................................Permitting yourself to stay focused on your written goals is going to be one of the absolute BEST gifts that you can give to yourself. Focus takes time and energy. It takes support.

It is my prayer that you will find the support that you need in order to accomplish the goals that please God on your list of written goals. And by saying "the goals that please God" I am not in any way suggesting that these goals need to be religious in nature. I am simply saying that if you want God's blessing on your goals, you are going to want to choose goals that are in alignment with the basic "good will towards mankind"(Luke 2:14b kjv) as the bible describes.

So as you carry on and perform the duties required to set your goals and plans into place, may the love of Jesus keep you calm and serene. Ignore the naysayers and negative thinkers. Walk slowly and confidently into the perfect will of God for your life.

Peacefully productive,
Carla

Vertical Farms

Perhaps you're all are getting used to my random thoughts on a huge variety of non-related ideas. That is kinda how I roll....
On that note, the idea I was mind rolling today was due to a documentary film I watched the other day about
modern food production in the USA entitled "Ingredients--the local food movement takes root".

Basically the film was lamenting about how prime agricultural land is not valued as much as it should be and how some folks believe that human beings should build "up" and live in very tall sky-scraping apartment buildings and that would ensure that the areas that have been labeled as prime "farm land" would be protected from suburban sprawl.

But I find it strange and somewhat discomforting to consider the idea that humans "should" curb their ambitions for lifestyle to adapt to apartment style living.
  Why should the corn stalks get better real estate than we do???

And so on that thought....I was hypohesizing about how it would make more senste to me to figure out how to farm "up" with vertical farms than to force human beings to cram their lives into apartment buildings for the next millenium

Sooo....what then is a vertical farm....
Well, in my imagination it would be a manner in which crops can be grown in layers using the same square footage that would under "traditional" farm methods would only grown one crop per season....but under this new "vertical farm" idea would be able to produce up to 10 crops or more using the same square footage.

So what would it look like? Well, it might involve sharing sunlight by using mirrors to reflect sunlight from the upper layers of crops to the lower layers. Or it would involve hanging types of steel grids in layers
in order to rotate each crop's exposure to the necessary amounts of sunlight and rain/irrigation.

Or....we could get old school and think of an idea that has already gained some traction in the last few years and that is the modern invention of "pocket gardens" such as those
feature by the company "Woolly Pockets"....check out some of their inspiring videos of their products at
http://canada.woollypocket.com/videos  .


So just to sum up my rambling....let's just say that we don't have to consider
traditional horizontal farming as the way of the future. We can be much more creative and inventive in figuring out how to maximize food production by growing crops vertically instead of taking up yet even more acreage. We can "grow up" not "out".
I'd love to hear your thoughts on these ideas.
Perhaps some of you have already tried to grow some veggies in a "Woolly Pocket" or other vertical growing apparatus.  Blurt some alphabets friends, ....this blog's for you.

Peacefully productive,
Carla.

When Socialism Doesn't Work

When a socialist sees an employee that lives in poverty.....he shrieks and cries that the government should
 contribute dollars towards the betterment of the employee's lifestyle. But effectively he then locks that worker into a dysfunctional and unprofitable business.

One of the errors I see in Socialism, is that they don't apply quality assessments towards the businesses, jobs and workplaces that they want the "government" to support. It appears to me that socialists do not care to address the reasons for the inherent poverty that a certain business or industry produces.

Some businesses should have gone completely out of business many years ago.....but the governments of the world threw money at them and sponsored their poor business model and impractical business practices.

Capitalists at least have the courage of heart to look at a business at face value, without being manipulated by emotional sentiment. They assess the financials and if the business can effectively and efficiently produce a monetary profit, they are interested in promoting and maintaining the business.
Capitalists feel no compulsion to rescue dying or dysfunctional businesses.

Some businesses should not continue to exist in their current forms. Some businesses need to be completely torn down and rebuilt from the ground up. It is not in our long term best interests to prop up businesses that can not stand up under financial scrutiny.

Some subsidies, when dolled out willy nilly, wind up endorsing and supporting the perpetuation of failing business models.....and in the long run, undermine the economy that they are supposed to be stimulating and safeguarding. We want to build a society and a culture of financially sound, logical, rational businesses that will proudly employee our citizens within the quality of their business structure, supplying quality products to the world.

Are STocks keeping up with Inflation?

Jus' thinkin' aloud again....
I must say that I have always been more interested in equities than in owning chunks of debt instruments, such as bonds.

But there is a looming threat called "inflation" which is something for which we may just not be prepared.
It's all well and good if our stocks are increasing in "numeric value" representing real capital gains. But if
the average loaf of bread is going to rise to $8 a loaf then, the REAL TIME VALUE of our portfolios must be re-assessed to reflect and hedge against this type of threat of inflation. Large numbers of dollars don't really mean much if it is going to cost a lot more just to get around town, buy your food and support the roof over your head. REAL increase must reflect an increase in REAL buying power....not just the dizzying knowledge of growing numbers on your investment statements.

One of the things I love about stocks, is the proverbial "drip" plans in which one can re-invest any dividends payable and they magically produce more shares to own....without any pesky commission fees.

But how is it going to affect long term investors, if the underlying stock prices do not rise with inflation and the cost of living? Is it possible that a drip will lose "real time value" simply because the share prices do not keep up with the cost of living? I am wondering if even many blue chip companies might be affected by this predicament. For a blue chip company can have a steady positive cash flow and  pay out reliable dividends and still their share price may not be rising as fast as inflation.

It's all well and good to invest long term in equities with the added cushion of DRIPS helping you to accumulate a larger portfolio, but if in the long term those equities do not represent real "BUYING POWER" in which you can tap into into your retirement years....what is the point?

Stocks have to carry clout, and the only way they will continue to carry weight in the eyes of investors, is whether they can be sold at an undetermined point in the future for real dollars,.....real dollars that buy real food, pay for real real estate, and support a decent lifestyle.

I'd be more than eager to hear your thoughts on this matter, my most intelligent readers.
God bless.

Carla

Why Living GLuten FREE still STINKS

It's not that the "gluten free" movement isn't gaining momentum.....it is. It's not that manufacturers are not listening....they are.....at least more than they used to.


It's just that the "frustration factor" is still there.....in full swing.

Gluten free items are not clearly displayed on most menu's. The gluten free products are still awkwardly displayed and located in weird "hard to find" spots in some grocery stores.
 Walmart is the only store I've found with an OBVIOUS and easy to locate "gluten free section".

When you eat out......You still have to make a point to ask your wait staff or server which items are officially gluten free. Some servers still don't know if the gravy that their restaurant serves up contains wheat flour or if it has been thickened with corn starch. These kinda things really matter to someone who is attempting to live "gluten free".

For some, the choice to live gluten free, was not really a choice, but a rather stern and intimidating instruction obtained directly from their doctor.  But whether you're choosing to eat gluten free by your own free will, or by doctor's orders, it still is REALLY HARD.

It's been several years now since I was advised that I was "gluten intolerant"....and I have still not met anyone who has confidently stated that it is an EASY lifestyle....because it just isn't.
Gluten is lurking in SOOOO many foods and snack foods. The detailed labeling of ingredients is really helpful....but hey we are HUMAN too, and we really don't want to spend long and precious hours every day of the week reading teeny tiny lists of ingredients just to ensure that we don't ingest any gluten.

It's gotta get easier. Perhaps they will start making GLUTEN FREE EMPORIUMS where folks have to leave their gluten at the door and they enter a gluten free commercial paradise.
To top it all off......all the products in this GLUTEN FREE HEAVEN, would not only be gluten free, but also priced under $5 per item. Wouldn't that rock????

NOT peacefully gluten free,
Carla


Ok, I'm pretty much done my rant now. But tommorrow's another day.
P.S. Perhaps I'm still ticked off that Tim Horton's cancelled their one gluten free doughy concoction called the "coconut macaroon"...   :(

Thanks for buying my new book Life in the Gluten Free Zone on Amazon today!


Disclaimer: This blog post is intended for conversational purposes only. The blog's author and publisher does not accept any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post on this blog. Always obtain medical advice from a licensed medical practitioner.

The Lure of Consumerism

No this isn't going to be a diatribe about how terrible shopping is....or how we should just stop spending money.

No, today I just wanted to discuss briefly how consumerism can be stealing your focus without you even realizing it.

What does consumerism do? Consumerism is an obsession with "all things bought".
Those who are lured into consumerism inherently despise anything that wasn't purhased with money and hate anything that was crafted or invented at home.

It's not that I'm necessarily advocating that we all become home bodies and spend all our time making home made gifts out of dried macaroni..... I'm simply saying that if you are one of those people who
wants your creativity and inventiveness to flourish, you might just have to resist that "spirit of consumerism" that has beguiled the masses.
Consumers don't create anything....they simply shop for what already has been created by someone else.
Consumers don't invent anything new, because their time is spent trying to please some external and commercialized idea of what is beautiful, effective or intelligent. They will buy what the media tells them to buy, even if it is in direct contradiction to their written goals. Perhaps they don't even have one single written goal at all. They merely live to consume, to purchase....and give all their time and adoration to what others have established.

But I know that there are many "Indie" publishers, writers, crafters, musicians, makers, and inventors and investors who are chock full of new and brilliant ideas. But their ideas are still in hiding because they have not been released through that very precious gift of "focus".

Are you going to give your written goal/goals the gift of focus?

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Focus is the Perfect Hedge

I've noticed that there's something so ultimately powerful about staying "focused".......a bonus attribute of "focus" that is not often advertised nor understood.

Alright, enough....so what, Carla, is all the hoopla about focus?

Well, let's just say this, focus....... REAL FOCUS is the ultimate HEDGE around your life.

When you know what you want and you have committed all your eggs and all your energies to your chosen goal, there are many irritating folks who will simply give up on trying to distract or draw you down.

Your focus is like a wonderfully high strong wrought iron fence around your life.

Let's make an example. Let's say you have a relative who, for years and for some mysterious reason, seems to relish the act of verbally cutting you down to size, and criticizing much of what you do and even who you are. Well, if you become truly focused on your written goal, there is nothing that that relative can say to you that will ever steal your confidence. He or she will never again be able to steal your joy.

Knowing what you want is so ultimately personally empowering that little can be done to squash the incredible passion and confidence that follows your focus. Focus is everything.
The "gnats" in your life will quickly disappear because they will sense that you can not be touched behind your very high wall of focus. They will choose to pick on someone else more vulnerable and indecisive.

Is any of this ringing true? I challenge you to explore this idea in your personal life....and test it out. I am all ears as to your feedback....the comment section is always open.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Raw Ginger..for Day...Raw Garlic.... for Night

As  you meander through life, you may come across certain items that you have discovered to be helpful in keeping you energized and your body revitalized. Two such items, for me, are raw ginger and raw garlic.

Both items though, are very different in nature and can be used at different times throughout your week.

Garlic has a heavy, almost meaty quality to it. It revitalizes and purifies the blood, and cleanses the digestive system, killing bacteria. But it is also very pungent and is better suited to be taken raw before bedtime.
A single garlic clove can be peeled and then chopped or crushes into "swallow-able" size and downed with water or tea. Be sure to drink enough water when you take raw garlic as raw garlic can also give a burning sensation and the water dilutes any harshness the rawness of the garlic brings with it. Water is also helpful for the quickening of the digestive system which always occurs after one has ingested raw garlic.

Some folks encourage the habit of taking one raw garlic clove every night, but not all. Raw garlic, fresh from the clove is a feisty substance and one needs to get to know how their particular body may react to it's active ingredients. Be prepared for any kind of effect which may or may not include a loosening of the stools and urgency to use the bathroom. Note that these effects may not always occur, once your body has become more accustomed to the presence of raw garlic.

========================================================================
And now for Ginger, yes it can also be taken raw. Raw ginger, after you have just peeled it, has a rather odd stringy juicy texture. Ginger has a more gentle and pleasant taste and aroma when compared to raw garlic, but it is no less feisty in terms of it's effects on the body. Ginger is a sweet success. You can peel it from it's knubby brown state, and then mash or chop it into bits, and swallow just about half of a teaspoon of some of the smaller sized pieces with water. Or you can just add some to boiling water and make a tea out of it.
Ginger has been known for centuries as a digestive aid. That's why our grandmas always endorsed the use of "ginger ale" to help calm down an upset stomach.

Well, that's about all for now. My blurt is done.

Peaceful Productivity,
Carla

Disclaimer: Note that this blog is not intended as medical advice. The ideas in this post and the entire blog are intended for conversational purposes only. Medical advice should be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner. The author and publisher of this blog does not accept any liability for the ideas presented or discussed.

When the Log Becomes Earth

Tip toeing through the forest with my little one, we came across this camouflaged treasure. To walk quickly through this area without paying close attention, one could easily miss it.

Right before our eyes was nature's exquisite example of how it naturally replenishes itself....the circle of life, through the symbol of a tree melting slowing into the earth from which it grew.

Can you see the faint outline of a fallen log?  The mystical and scientific process known as 

decomposition, or "composting" in more suburban terms.... had begun to break down the mighty fallen tree

into a luscious  brown earthy soil.  See the chocolaty shade of the dirt?

I love composting, but i love it even more when nature provides a real life example of what it has done by God's design for thousands of years. This is how the forests and swamps and wetlands continue to create nutritiously rich soils from which to grow more vibrant foliage and trees to house wildlife.

Without this cycle of growth, death and renewal, the soils would quickly become sandy like the desert and there would be little flora and fauna to boast about. And so it was a lovely classroom in which to teach my young one about this precious truth of how God made the earth to replenish itself, without any interference or "help" from mankind.

Peaceful  Day,

Carla

Knowing What Makes You Happy

The more obscure and kooky, the better, as long as I myself have arranged, designed, knit, glued, or drawn or painted it,.....or written it....ultimately it is the act of being creative that gives me immense joy.

I look around and think through some of the things that I've made over the past year and whether it's some earthy homespun wall hanging or a kooky cheapskate blog post, or a way to up-cycle an old chair or iron flower trough....I love them all, because I myself "thunk" them up. Sometimes it's just about gathering
up some lovely enormous pine cones, still coated in sticky white pine tar, and arranging them in a bowl for a table top. All the while, staying thoughtful, peaceful and philosophical and sharing the tidbits of wisdom I discover in my journey.

Sometimes it's about getting back to basics and using what I have on hand or using something utilitarian such as "jute" twine and re-purposing it into something I can use .......like learning  how to knit rugged earthy looking place mats.

(By the way if you want to learn how to make them....it's really super easy: You can buy plain brown colored jute in most dollar stores or you can sometimes find it dyed into red or green.
You simply use a basic garter stitch and load up the desired width of place mat you are trying to create and thereby choose the right amount of stitches to load onto your knitting needles. I tend to use metal circular needles because I like how they work fast, and how the jute slips easily off the metal needles. Then you just keep going with your garter stitch until the place mat is the size you want it to be. 
Then cast off the stitches, and you can duplicate the process to produce a whole table setting's worth of earthy jute place mats.

Note that jute is a very rough material to knit with and it does feel rough on the hands and also does shed while you are working with it.  These kind of place mats are best used in a rugged setting such as for camping or cottaging....because the jute continues to shed and wouldn't match a fine china type of decor.)

Well that is just a snap shot of some of the stuff that makes my day.....the heart of which is simply the "opportunity to be creative with anything I fancy" 

May this day bring you another glimpse into what brings you true joy.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Tweet

Shoot From the Hip

     

I used to draw a lot, especially if someone

gave me something to sign or write a comment in....like a yearbook or somethin' like that.

It seems like when I am in a kooky mood, that my imagination gets the best of me....How 'bout you?

Do you doodle and just allow your imagination to erupt ?

I used a pencil, ,my fave blue Sharpie and a possle of old fashioned Laurentian pencil crayons on a plain white art pad to make this sketch. Voila.

`

Never Apologize for Wanting More

If this sounds like a feminist rant....don't be alarmed.it's really not and applies to all of us human mortals..

I have noticed in my neck of the woods that there is such a huge pressure in our local environment to "settle" for simply whatever you currently have and are. To be too ambitious or goal oriented is frowned upon . The idea is perpetuated by the business owners as well as by many volunteer organizations who glean a massive "free" work force from the locals who are "stuck" here. The business owners likewise glean a loyal work force who refuse to demand higher pay or decent benefits.

I have lived here for many years and the spirit and tone of this attitude still completely baffles me.

Why would any healthy society want to encourage people to accept much less than what they can potentially achieve and possess? Why would we want to "force" folks to live on less income than what they could be earning....either through active work or through passive investing?

Is it just the "devil" at work or just plain ole stupid human nature......or has the mind of the locals been kidnapped by aliens ?

I want to see people excel all around me. I want to see them become well read and fulfilled because they are meeting up with challenges and discovering the gift of "mastery" . (Yes, if you recognize that word "mastery" from Tony Robbins materials, then yes, you caught me....I am unashamedly a fan)

Some folks seem to live their lives with the sole purpose of "avoiding embarrassment". Is it really that important? Is it not more significant to be willing to fall flat on your face once in a while, so that in the long run, you might actually achieve something of value?

We have so much potential, both individually and corporately. My personal habit of reading the bible, has expanded my mind to great heights and depths. Despite the popular opinion that Christianity fosters a narrow minded attitude or mental frame work.....I have discovered the opposite to be true. The words of the bible have empowered me to become even more courageous and adventurous than I would ever have considered to become in the past. The words of Bible have shown me that at the end of the day, God has the final say, and therefore, we mere humans can actually chill out, relax a bit and learn to play in the awesome world that God gave to us as our own wonderful backyard.

Therefore, if perhaps a bit of Spring Fever has hit you, and you find yourself feeling restless......don't panic. You are not a rebel. You simply are feeling like you just might want more........

Go for it folks. Want more from life. Want more from God. Want more from yourself. Want more from the earth. When you seek "more" you will find "more". But if you stop seeking and simply settle with what you already have .....that is all you will ever have and ever be.

So, in a nutshell, I just want to say that I will never apologize for wanting more. I also would like to encourage you to give yourself permission to want more too. It's not greedy and it's not self-centered.....its about embracing with zest, this incredible life that God has given to us.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla.

Please Mr. Twitter....Don't Let Google Buy You

Perhaps it is a little bit risky....well maybe a lot risky to speak so boldly....it is Google after all, who
gives me this beautiful little blogging platform ....and all for free no less....

However, what fun would blogging be if you just couldn't speak your mind?

So today, I just wanted to say.... I really really really really really don't want Google to buy Twitter.

Why you may ask? Because Google already owns so much information about all of us.....Twitter would just give Google yet another access point into our lives and minds and everything that we really value.

If any of you have read "The Numerati" by Stephen Baker (if you haven't.....it is a MUST READ....in my humble opinion)   ...... you will admit that we are literally getting virtually sliced and diced and our data sold to the highest bidder whenever we use any internet platform that Google controls/owns. All that juicy info about our lives is very uber valuable to those who want to figure out how to sell us more stuff. Google makes billions of dollars out of chopping and packaging and then reselling data about our lives to massive corporations who just want to get an edge to figure out how to get us to buy their products. Not only do corporations want us to buy the products they already are selling to the public....they want to have a "pre-emptive" strike in anticipating what we will want to purchase next week, next month and next year and yes, five or ten years from now.

The internet just gives corporate marketers soooooo much data about how we live and what we value.

Well, I feel like I'm talking in a circle, so I'll stop my rant. But for those of you who might have an influence over the possibility of Google buying up Twitter.....please make it stop. Google has more than enough data about all of us already....they really don't need to buy up our tweets.....

And yes, you may re-tweet this post ")

Carla

2. Experimental Facts of Life

Tweet





If you are in the market for some brain stretching....take a chance and listen to a free class

offered by M.I.T  via their free course sharing venue called "Onlinecourseware"....

I am merely suggesting that sometimes it's wonderfully liberating and inspiring to listen to something that is completely outside of your usual frame of reference....

Take a giant step out of your comfort zone....you just might discover something very cool.

Peaceful productivity,

Carla

Synopsis Of Tony Robbins: Money Master the Game

I've kept listening to various CD's and youtube recordings of the audio book ofTony Robbins' new personal finance book entitled "Money..Master the Game". Tony's new book is hot in demand at all of the local libraries.

As I review what I've gleaned so far I keep trying to pinpoint what precisely it is that I have learned.

So, permit me to jot down a few ideas that Tony seems to promoting in this book:

1. Mutual Funds are hurting a lot of Americans by charging tons of extra fees many of which their buyers are not even aware of. One point seems to be that Tony is advocating Vanguard "Low Cost" Index Funds as an "ideal" investment vehicle. Why Vanguard? Tony's perspective is that Vanguard seems to be taking the "low fee" moral high ground versus a plethora of other mutual fund dealers who are robbing their clients through outrageously high fees.

2/ Financial advice, is often not very objective in the  USA with many investment advisors having obvious and not so obvious conflicts of interest because they often receive monetary incentives for convincing their clients to purchase certain investments versus others. Therefore, Tony advises folks to use "fiduciary" advisors, which are supposed to cling to a higher standard and act more altruistically in the best interests of their clients. Tony also advocates using "fee only" advisors instead of those who charge ongoing management fees that take significant chunks out of folk's investment nest eggs.

3/ Tony unashamedly promoted two financial/investment companies namely STronghhold Financial as well as High Tower. Without going into much detail...one or more of these companies can be accessed through links that Tony mentions in the book, and provide "no cost" analysis of your current investment portfolio. I have not accessed any of these online tools that Tony promotes, but I am wary....because in the long run, they will for sure be promoting the use of these companies as paid financial "handlers" or "advisors". Businesses are in business to make money...and this book is not a food bank type of social service. Tony wants to promote the financial services of those who have treated him and/or his company well over the years. Can you blame him?

4/ There was a significant amount of time spend "name dropping" supposedly to inspire us to believe that if these finance/investment success stories figured out how to make it big....then maybe we can too. However, it was difficult for many of us to relate to the "larger the life" investment "icons" such as Ray Dalio or
Carl Ichan. However, I have yet to read through all his "real life" testimonials...so perhaps there will be a few that I can relate to.....

5. Tony advocates a simplistic ideology when it comes to how we plan our finances. He calls it his "bucket" method. He says our "security" bucket should included those investments that have a low level of risk and a high level of "guaranteed or "can't lose" type of investments. He also mentions another bucket...which Tony labels as a "risk/growth" bucket.  This kind of simple ideology is actually quite effective in helping regular folks to get a grip on their own risk tolerance and to help them implement good financial planning techniques.

6. There are some specific investment vehicles which Tony mentions, perhaps more for inspiration, not because he is qualified to compare one vehicle over against another investment vehicle. For example Tony talks about a product called "T.I.P.S" which are actually called "Treasury Inflation Protected Securities".
I could not find a verifiable source of these in Canada....so either perhaps they don't exist in Canada or maybe I just don't know the right place to look. What I found attractive in this type of investment vehicle is that it protects the investor from the formidable threat of inflation, which is a worrisome force for any long term investor.


Well that's it for now....I still have not made my way through the entirety of the whole audio book.....I've been what you might call literary "grazing".

One youtube commenter made the bold comment asking "What precisely can  you actually learn from this huge book?" Well, although the answer is not too obvious, I would say that there is merit in this book, but it meanders about and isn't set out in a straight forward manner. The ideas are not hiding in plain sight. Tony uses this book to air his thoughts....both his rants and raves and financial aspirations and actual portions of his financial history for us to pick through and rejoice in what nuggets we can glean. He allows us, quite candidly to learn from some of his mistakes and take inspiration from some of his victories. But that being said.... Tony doesn't act like he's "arrived"....financially. He comes across quite humbly as a student of many of these titans of personal finance like Carl Ichan and Ray Dalio, among others. Tony's attitude is something many of us can learn from in and of itself, even without any factual tidbits to sink our teeth into. Why do I say that? Because coming from a perspective of respectful "studiousness" and being willing to learn quietly from the big wigs is a remarkable skill that can catapult many of us from obscurity to prosperity faster than we think.
Having a great attitude puts us in tune with like minded individuals who possess what we may be lacking in our ladder to success. We all need mentors...and we attract more helpful interactions with our mentors when we have a great "confident, friendly and still humble and teachable" attitude.

Bottom line.....I'm still not done the entire audio or hardcover format of his book yet. So I will refrain from commenting too freely until I feel that I have given the book it's full due diligence.
Frankly, I still find that there are not enough personal finance books on the market...to which the common man/woman can relate. So I do appreciate that Tony has even attempted the feat...albeit with some mixed
results.

Tony's gift is his personal charisma....and you can hear it come shining through in how he wants to help empower us to feel like we can tame this dragon called "financial planning" with confidence, vigor and a fearlessness that puts a wee bit more bounce and joy in our steps. I am grateful to Tony for the courage and friendliness that comes across loud and clear in this book "Money...Master the Game". Even if the book is blatantly promoting some finance/investment firms over others....it is still done in a professional and pleasant manner. Thank you Tony, your efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Peaceful productivity,
Carla

Pizza For the Neighbors

Hb No2 Pencil with Fave Red Sharpie, pencil crayons on paper,
Photo Negative effect.

Let's call it "Pizza for the Neighbors"