Hi..
I just finished reading a book called "Yesterday, I cried" by Iyanla Vanzant.
It is not a business book. It is the true story of an amazing woman that went from being a beaten and abused little girl to a best selling author. If anything, it is a story of personal triumph and personal growth.
I can't count how many times I cried reading it. I stayed in the bath for HOURS reading it, refilling the water because it was too good to get out and stop reading.
She talks about how she was struggling, never being able to pay the rent, always having at least one utility shut off and crying because she was a single mother and couldn't provide for her kids.
In one part, she talks about going for an interview and wondering what the interviewer would think if they knew her clothing was home made and her daughter bought her pantyhose with her check from McDonalds. Having been a single mother for a long time, that part made me cry.
There was one part that touched me. She said that one day, she realized that she was doing things for the wrong reasons. For the money. To pay her rent. Out of desperation. And, she realized, that the *right* reason to do things is that they contribute to the greater good of all, but that it's hard to think of the greater good of all when the rent isn't paid.
And, in that tiny paragraph, I think is a gem for everyone online.
Because, when we tell people to sign up for things that have not paid our own bills, are we thinking of the greater good of the others? Or are we ruled by desperation? When we join programs that say we don't have to learn anything, are we thinking of others, or ruled by our fears? After all, aren't we here on Earth to learn? Does God want us to stay the same, never learning?
There are all types of people online, just like in the real world. The ones that are successful because they did good. The ones that have temporary success because they cheated and lied. (It does catch up with them one day) The ones that are struggling, but holding tight to their senses and the ones that are desperate enough to become gullible and fall for scams and shams.
But, if we were all to ask ourselves the question, "Am I contributing to the greater good of people" - I think we would make better decisions. And, I think, when we become clear on that, our eyes open and we see the right path for us.
: )
Linda
P.S. The book is regularly $22, but I picked it up for $5 at bookcloseouts.com - gosh I like that site. Public libraries might have a copy, too. It's a great read.