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Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: cosmicforce who wrote (86557)	8/26/2000 7:30:35 PM
From: jbe	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Cosmo, did I say anything different? I thought that was exactly what I was saying: In fact, I would go further. In practical terms, it does not matter at all whether Bill Gates (is he still the richest man in the world?) funds all those great programs his foundation has launched (e.g., anti-malarial program in Africa) out of "disinterested altruism" or "self-interest." The important fact is that Gates is performing an immense service, and that is all to the good. Message 14280006 ???? Joan

To: cosmicforce who wrote (86557)	8/27/2000 1:25:21 PM
From: Frederick Smart	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Altruism: Risk And The Rise of Service..... >>Altruism is giving with love and care in your heart. Can Bill Gates be an altruist? Sure why not. I have no way of opening him up and inspecting his motivations. What if he had a dream and, like some Dickensian redemption, he is a renewed human being. Fine. There's a lot of work and he has money. Let's go do it. His acts will speak louder than us combined.>> Cosmic: Money has no inherent value unless it is risked for a return. Store away money in a safe in your basement and you are essentially taking energy/value out of the system. What mind would store away cash in a safe? Ask yourself. My guess is it's a mind that is fearful, lacks faith, conviction and belief in some higher vision. The way we perceive and value money says a lot for our personal values. If we are risk averse with money, then we are risk averse with other things in our lives. If money becomes a store/reflection of our personal value then we are hooked. Being "hooked" is a form of slavery. Hooked to drugs, drink, tobaccy, whatever. When you boil down money to is basic core, all it is is anonymous trust. There is no real value in money. The only value is the value of what others put in it. But what are people "valuing" when they invest their trust in money? They are valuing the ability of money to provide a meduim of exchange from a collective store of value. Beyond that there really isn't anything. How we use money to embrace risk to grow value in this world for others to benefit from is an entirely different matter. Giving unconditionally is an expression of pure risk. An example of unconditional giving is the act of me believing in someone/something/sometime/somewhere to either give my time, energy, ideas or support in the form of money, trust and references. If I give to expect something back then the real risk taken is negated for the gift is tainted with quid pro quo. This exposes "giving" as just another horizontal exchange - nothing more no less than me exchanging money for a product or a service. Giving and risking is fundamental to helping and serving. There's a lot of money being thrown around in the world, but it still takes a lotta heart, soul to turn these "exchanges" into real gifts that have the power and leveraged to transform, transcend and uplift others in ways that start a fission reaction of empowered risking, giving, for a continuous growing wave of blessings. The anonymity of money is one of the core problems in the world. It's too easy to pass around money and rationalize not taking personal risk to help and serve others in direct empowering ways. Money plays into the power of the collective "WE" at the expense and disempowerment of the individual's belief in their personal power to radiate and spread goodwill, hope, music, light and love to others. Once you take a job where you are relying on their money to "survive" you expose yourself to this collective power of "WE" which doesn't really appreciate and understand the individual power of "ME". It's up to each individual to be happy and share this joy and energy with others they come in contact with. The desire to "help and serve" is at the heart of this personal responsibility to be happy. There baldfaced truth is that there is no really no other way to "be happy" unless we take risks to give unconditionally to others because of our belief in the timeless value of personal service. The pyramid power of the collective "WE" does not want mankind to discover this baldfaced truth. Empowered individuals are a danger to "WE". Individuals have the power to pull the curtain on this Wizard of Oz. And I believe with each passing day more and more curtains are being pulled which expose the lie behind this "WE" - this collective which does not want individuals to embrace their personal power and truly be happy. The rise of real altruism will come from the personal empowerment of individuals who learn the value of risking and giving unconditionally of their time, trust, energy and love. I believe we are entering a New Age of Service which will transcend the collective. The word "business" will fade away and more governments will be exposed for the lack of risk resulting internal corruption. Those who proclaim to "serve us" have to first expose themselves to risk and humility to earn our time and trust. I say there's a higher plane that will trump what we regard as government "service." And Washington will be a museum before this massive service trend reaches it's peak. Peace. .