Redemption, Ltr. 26

If it wasn't for people selling-out 4 money in the world today, we would probably be living in a better place, because money has only the power we give it, and we have given it tremendous power, because people have done & will do terrible & dishonest things in the name of money, in order to achieve what they after, because people have killed for it, enslaved other people for it, an' enslaved themselves to joyless lives in pursuit of it, as humankind has done tremendous damage to the Earth, in overdoing it for resources, forcing the poor into housing projects, exploiting whole nations to get cheaper labor, and witnessing the fall of thousands & millions of people, many of them young, caught up in selling drugs for money, hurting others, an' wasting they life's purpose, in doing a life of crime... You got people who have taken advantage of people or engaged in other actions we're not proud of, in order to get or keep money for the power we believe it can buy... Our behavior around money has damaged relationships when money has been used as an instrument of control or punishment, emotional escape or manipulation, or as a replacement for love, and among people of great wealth, many have been poisoned by greed, mistrust, and a desire to control others... We are born & raised into a culture defined by money, where everybody wants to love & be loved, and make a difference with they lives, but have no experience in knowing how to manage money, because people will want to do everything everybody else is doing, in wanting to fit in with the popular crowd, buying all the expensive things you don't need, by wanting to race in achieving something nobody has for bragging rights, people often grow selfish, greedy, petty, fearful, or controlling, & being driven to behave in ways inconsistent with our core values, and unable to act differently. It's when people start to believe the "all about the money" motto & cultural messages that suggest money can buy happiness, that we begin to look outside of ourselves to feel fulfilled, because we have a choice about whether or not to buy into the bullshit, an' whether or not to let it rule our lives, since people judge others based on the material items people have & how much they have, is when people start to feel negative feelings rather than positive feelings for a person who is successful, or the other way around, as wealthy people look down on people stuck in the mud, so that people can feel better about themselves, in not being poor like others...