By: Kristy Nardini

Kristy Nardini — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:09:19 +0000

I think this is a great topic. When I was fresh out of college – which I had a little help with, but worked at least 20 hours a week all through and graduated with some hefty student loans – I volunteered for Jr. Achievement. I was assigned to a junior high in Pacific Beach. The class was half local students, and half bussed in from the depths of San Diego’s poorest neighborhoods. Many of them came and went through the year, as their parents found odd jobs picking produce. They were all very sweet kids. I set up a program where they earned ‘money’ for participating in whatever lesson I gave them each week. I remember two boys sat at the back of the class, arms crossed, rolling their eyes at me and making odd noises as our activities went on. About 4 weeks in, I held an auction for the students to buy prizes, such as little $1 store things, snacks, cans of soda (this was the 80s), etc. The two boys kept saying, “AWWWW man! You mean we could have earned money to buy stuff???” They were two of the top participants from that point forward!
I am raising my children (6 year old boy/girl twins) to know that we are among the world’s top 1% wealthiest (and we certainly are not ‘wealthy’, but we have two nice homes, two cars, good food, great clothes, we get to do lots of fun things, we have insurance, etc.). They know that most people have much less than us. My husband and I travelled for 6 months through Europe and Indonesia before having kids, and we share those our stories and photo albums with them. We are very close to my grandparents, whose caregiver drives up from Tijuana every day to work with them (even though she is a US citizen). She tells us of the families who paid $1000s to be transported here to try to have a new life, only to be deported and now they have NOTHING except the clothes on their backs. We regularly go through our ‘things’ and anything that does not serve a purpose (or that we LOVE) we give to those who have less at this time. We put pennies in the peace jar in my son’s class to go to building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. My daughter regularly brings me things she has found, or made, to donate to those who have less than us.
We donate our time, as well, because time is – to me – as precious a commodity as anything else.
We know that situations can change at any time, and we are grateful every day for all that we have, and all that we can give.

By: Zannah Hackett Ph.D.

Zannah Hackett Ph.D. — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:02:24 +0000

I love this topic “Poverty” as it simply serves to remind us of the ebb and flow of life. Thus, realizing the laws of nature as they apply to our finances is no different than their influence on our health or perfect self-expression. Like Angie Swartz, I always looked to the solution. My parents both worked full time in the early 70’s and earned, collectively, $18,000 a year. The ebb was clearly out for any college funding and I was ready to get going. Unfortunately, I graduated from a senior class of 1800 students, was not a minority and, in brief, fell between every funding eligibility crack that existed. It felt like it was raining golf balls and I lived in Arizona and didn’t own an umbrella. On the upside, I was 18 years old and also very naïve (to my advantage). I quite NATURALLY walked into The Arizona Bank where I had a small savings account safely guarding all of the babysitting money I had managed to put away over the last few years (approximately $150 derived from a going wage of 50 cents an hour). The bank manager for some reason gave me a loan of $4000. Something about my physicality and natural sincerity won her over. I was on my way! After that I left no rock unturned, even when it was hailing golf balls in a town where the sun never sets. The moral of the story, “ Maximize YOU and if it’s raining, grab the umbrella that has been sitting in the bank (local or piggy) for the last six months drawing interest. If you don’t have an umbrella, it might be wise to get one. Some people actually fall prey to pneumonia more easily than others and don’t survive bad weather as easily as some.
When the recent stock market dilemma presented itself, a huge panic response blasted throughout the media. People were addressing it as if it was a surprise. The reality is “what goes up MUST come down”. It has reportedly happened NATURALLY many times in the last 140 years. It is often referred to as the Year Seven Phenomenon addressing the influence that natural law has over the seventh year of every decade. Given that the laws of nature (3 and 7) are pretty clearly defined scientifically, mathematically and even spiritually, it appears we are likely to experience the tide going in and out quite regularly. Sometimes it just goes further out but IT ALWAYS COMES BACK IN. Give your attention to creating solutions during that time. The answer is always with Y.O.U. and understanding how this game of life works. It’s simply the “Natural Mathematics of Man”, and mastering Y.O.U. morning, noon and night seven days a week will save a tremendous amount of personal energy.
Everything in Nature, right down to finances and behaviors subscribes to the same formula. Learn the Math and how to use Y.O.U. and there will be no surprises. You may think you have it all figured out from a popularized opinionated perspective but the reality is “You can’t fool Mother Nature.” Moms are so important…listen to The Mother. She has Laws that serve and protect YOU. The Six Figure Mom’s Club has a philosophy that supports and understands the importance motherhood plays in the Nature of manifesting an intelligent intuitive society versus an ignorant one. Thank you, Angie, for creating a place for the MOTHER to be understood and respected. This is wisdom at its finest.

Comments on: Poverty is Not Just in Africa. Sometimes It’s Right Next Door.

By: Kristy Nardini

By: Zannah Hackett Ph.D.