Donald Trump may run for President...

That's why I say those who run the country are too far removed from reality to govern. I always remember the advice to those traveling to India "just shut off your mind to the poverty and only allow yourself to see the beauty."

Shelagh's remarks sparked a memory of a story I read some years ago about some Asian immigrants to New York.
They came to America expecting success. Some opened laundry businesses and the entire family worked together. Others opened restuarants with all the family participating, and they became successful. Those born in New York were resentful that these immigrants became wealthy according to the standards of those complaining.
I think the mindset had much to do with the success. Believing that they could succeed and then working to make it happen.

Invironment plays an important role.
There are always opportunities if one is looking for them, however the will to risk and work to make it happen is important. People born into wealth already have a wealth mindset and expect prosperity. Those born into poverty often have a negative mindset, expecting to remain in poverty, and so they do.

Where's the motivation? What is the source of inspiration? Intelligence does not guarantee wealth nor does being less intelligent guarantee failure. As stated by many, Attitude is more important than Aptitude. Persistence and determination are key factors. Poverty is a state of mind just as welath is.

Believing in yourself is the first step. People need encouragement. Role models are a big help.

We have all heard the cliches, i.e., You need money to make money. You need credit to get credit.

Motivational courses/seminars have inspired many to achieve. Investment in people is a worthy pursuit. This I believe.

Abe, that reminds me of the Vietnamese refugee shrimpers who settled along the Gulf coast during the 70's. Similar stories to yours about New York.

Ann

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I went to visit my sweet stepmother and looked in her cupboards to fix something for lunch - and they were bare. I found out the church had a food drive and she gave them all her food and was subsisting on slim fast, her fall back food when her medicine left insufficient funds for groceries.

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We would have a holiday food drive every year in the school district where I taught. Our night high school always won. These were kids whose families needed the food donations themselves. ...Our kids would get together in groups and go around to the store managers and talk them into donating several of their bags, free of charge. They knew where to go and how to go about getting donations from other stores and services.

DK, is your stepmother senile? Why would she give all her food away in a food drive? Is her church aware of this? If she's not senile, and it's ok with them, it's ok with me, so I'm not sure what your point is. Clearly subsiding on Slimfast doesn't bother her. Looks like it bothers you more.

As for the second, Ann, I bet the managers of those stores just cringed each time they saw the school beggars arriving to shake them down ("talk them into it"). Seriously. I personally really dislike when people ask OTHER people (or businesses) to do their donating for them. Sending students around to beg for donations teaches them little. Asking them to work for, or buy the goods themselves, shows more character.

My stepmother was a kind, sweet person who believed if what little she had was more than someone else in need, then even she could do with less. I realize in today's world, that kind of total selflessness would be considered senile. She had a sharp mind until the day she died and she carried that love and consideration with her everywhere in spite of a life of hardship and pain.

The point is a matter of character. The same for Ann's winning school.

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My stepmother was a kind, sweet person who believed if what little she had was more than someone else in need, then even she could do with less. I realize in today's world, that kind of total selflessness would be considered senile.

When you fly, you're told to put your air mask on (if needed) before putting it on your kids. Point being that you can't help others until you're in shape yourself. Do you think everyone should give away all their food to help others and subside on Slimfast? I asked if she was senile because I got the impression you were bothered by her empty cupboards. If you think her act was so great, a better way to tell the story would be, "My stepmother enjoyed giving to others so much she'd live on Slimfast for a week to do it."

And Ann's winning school isn't analogous because they asked OTHER people to donate for them. They should have cleared out their own cupboards and live in Slimfast if helping the needy was so important to them. I consider your stepmother to be miles ahead of them in that department.

An incident happens the way it does. I don't know what my stepmother thought; I only know that her gift was one from her heart, the only way she knew to live her life. I doubt she thought about living a week on slim fast. She just knew she had enough to still be able to help someone else, however she measured it.

I do believe that a sign of good character is a person's generosity to his fellow human beings, whether in time, talents, or monetary. That's my belief. I also believe that people who have much have a higher responsibility to return much. That's my belief. I do not believe that excessive material gluttony and wasting the world's resources on hedonistic pleasures to excess is a sign of good character. That's my belief.

I believe if more people behaved with the spirit of love and kindness that was natural to my stepmother, the world would be a better place for everyone. I am grateful that she was in my life so I know the true meaning of unconditional love and caring. No building has her name on it; yet, she changed lives by example without thinking about it.

Only thing is, those night school kids were the needy. Their cupboards were already bare, and they would have considered Slimfast a luxury. That was my point. The students in the district who had the least were the ones figuring out a way to get the job done. The others didn't care enough to pull a few cans out of their own well-stocked pantries.

Ann

I understand your point. I just really dislike the concept of hitting up other people to donate to one's own pet charities. Asking businesses to do what you can't do yourself is not a valid way to provide for those charities, and it doesn't earn warm fuzzies, backslaps, etc., from me. If you don't have anything in your cupboard, you clearly are in no position to donate to that charity and you need to fix your own situation up before trying to give to them.

On a tangent, I used to get teens knocking on my door soliciting funds to send them to some expensive overseas camp. The camp's purpose was to "bring kids of all nationalities together for understanding" or some such shit, and soliciting donations was a valid, in their opinion, way to fundraise. I told these beggars that I don't give my own kids money to go to exotic, overseas camps, they do chores for it and work jobs for it. I recall one guy yelling loudly, "Thanks a lot!" after I shut the door in his argumentative face. Clearly someone -his own parents, I suppose -supported this "fundraising" effort because they thought the camp served a good, higher purpose.

Several years ago there was a big expose on teens solicited by unscrupulous people who then held them captive without a way to get home and forced them to make door to door solicitations that only enriched the unscrupulous ones. If they didn't make their quota, they were punished. I don't remember all the details, but it was a national scam. They solicited funds for causes similar to what you mentioned.

In Florida, all the "upper end" communities have gates to keep out the riff raff.

DK, I know what you're talking about. This camp wasn't part of that scam. It's its own scam, lol. My own daughters received mailings from it. It's some sort of camp that pretends it's exclusive and only invites kids with good grades and who have "distinguished" themselves at their schools. I'm sure it is a good experience. But it costs about five grand. Teens from the neighborhood were soliciting funds to attend it.. I didn't know them personally, but they said they were from the neighborhood and referenced the same camp we got mailings about.

I am beginning to wonder about the Breast Cancer Foundation. They called and thanked me for last years donation, then wanted the same amount this year.
I declined because there are several kinds of cancer. They called me back two more times.

I am getting frustrated with them. Maybe it is a scam bunch. I always make them mail me something and they did, but wanted to put it on my credit card. I sent a check.

I remember the old days when we had large sums of money for donations. We lived in the Los Angeles area. We had friends in medical research, etc. We would inquire about who was doing something cutting edge and needed a grant. Then, we would donate a grant to that institution, specifying that funds would be accountable for the expenditure by xyz researcher on xyz project.

It's the only way I know to keep out the middle person. It takes some looking and investigating but is still possible.

Another way is to know a specific person who is tight with the charity and can assure you of its total legitimacy, including rational salaries for limited administrative personnel.

Right now, I give to my church. My church is small and I know what it takes to keep the lights on. The minister lives modestly. Volunteers do just about everything. A portion of what's donated to the church goes to local charities that serve local needs and mostly are run by talented volunteers. One is Cafe of Life, a non-qualifying daily meal provided at a local park that includes a small bag of necessary groceries. The church contributes funds for the groceries and members cook and serve meals. My little pennies are stretched quite a ways.

I believe that giving is personal. To give when one feels pressured is not free will giving.
Fund raising has become an Art form. The methods that have proved successful are studied. Similar methods are used with Scams where greed is a prime ingredient. Sympathy is a prime ingredient for donations.

I like to give directly to a worthy cause that I believe exists. I'm skeptical whenever middlemen are involved. Pressure tactics or emotional appeals are suspect.
To specify how much I should give is a turn off especially when they offer incentives for the more you give.

I don't know what all this has to do with Donald Trump funning for President. Does he plan to make a large donation to the needy?

3/5/2011


I believe in St. Judes Hospital , I do believe they do
a great job with children who have cancer.......


Cheers..Joe

They must have a great advertising budget - as they have a lot of television exposure and mail campaigns. I have met Marlo Thomas, a charming and lovely person with good intentions.

I like St Jude's too.