from tntdinar

Hi TNT family -

I wanted to share my thoughts with you and the mods about the explosion of today and my thoughts.  I sent this to Angelic and I wanted you to consider something.

I was one of the ones who became excited, irritated, upset, and although I didn't say anything really negative, I realize I let the Mt. Goat post get to me.  I left quickly as I knew I would be of no good in the discussion and my wife and I had a commitment to attend a friend's birthday party at our church.  I am a professor at a college here in the San Francisco Bay Area teaching psychology and I realized something that was both unsettling and very settling because of the stir that Mt. Goat's post caused.  If you would let me know your thoughts on this and if you feel it would help, share it.

I realized I was angry because through our history we have had the privilege rule. They got more land than us, better food, more opportunity, more information.  This behavior can be traced back probably thousands of years - those that have and those that don't.  We call the insiders, politicians, and privileged "whales" because they are big, lumbering, and seem to lack in consciousness.  We on the other hand see ourselves as the righteous.  We talk of paying it forward and doing wonderful things in the world.  Some of us struggle and we fight to keep our homes, jobs, and food on the table.  We end up hating and detesting those hoarders/whales who continually fatten their wallets while appearing to give nothing back.

What I realized today as I contemplated the reaction in the chat room was that we are whales.  

We are all whales.

We are basing our explosive reaction to the whales on something that we are also engaging in. 

We have heard that we will be getting a high rate.  

We will be stepping in front of the masses and collecting a high rate - maybe a very high rate compared to others.

We will be cashing out our currency when most of the people don't even know the difference between a dinar and a dong.

We are also the privileged.  We are the elite.  We are also the whales.

Because someone goes before us does not make them evil or us unworthy.

I realized that the best thing I could do was to truly open my heart and accept the miraculous opportunity and feel privileged to be a part of it.  I realize I should not be angry or hate my fellow man/whale because they got to play in the game before me.  I will have my turn to play as you will.  I do myself NO good by upsetting myself, others, and bringing anger, hatred, and stress when I am just as guilty as others.  

Some may not agree that we are all whales and they will argue their point of being different.  

I realize I am a whale.  

I am a whale with a mission. 

My mission is to gather wealth.  

My mission is to spread wealth.  

My mission is to love those I come in contact with.

My mission is to pay it forward in every opportunity I can.

My mission is to love this gift called life and try not to upset others but rather empower and love others.

My mission is to be a model to my kids and everyone around me.

These feelings settled me...  Maybe they can help you.

I'm sorry for anything I could have said or posted that could have been construed or upsetting to anyone on the forum.

I am grateful and that is the mindset I believe we best serve ourselves and each other from.

Thanks for the great work you, the mods, and Tony do.  From the deepest place in my heart, I thank you with every fiber of my being.