Venezuela Rising...or Falling?

You didn't even need sound on the video, "Venezuela Rising", to be able to decipher just how terrible it must be to live in Venezuela. Henrique Capriles stated that "approximately 25,000 Venezuelans were murdered [in 2013]." The conditions in Venezuela shown in the video clearly are barely livable; Venezuela is clearly in dire need of help.

Tear gas, rubber bullets, and even riot shields were used on civilians by the Venezuelan government. "Colectivos" ran the streets, instilling fear into every member of society encountered. The video depicted the conflicts of Man v. Self, Man v. Society, and Man v. Man.

Man v. Self:
Having to wake up and decide whether or not leaving the house to protest because of physical dangers that await must be a tough decision. Some might even have to ask themselves, "is it even worth fighting for?" "It" being freedom from the reign of a dictator-like leader who clearly only cares about himself.

Man v. Society:
In "Venezuela Rising", the one year anniversary of their ex-leader's, Hugo Chavez's, death was shown. "This is the majority of Venezuela. These are the people who love Chavez..." This majority of the country in ruin is clearly blinded by the information that has been fed to them, not enlightened by what is really happening in their country. Each day, men and women of Venezuela fight to provide those ignorant to what is really happening in Venezuela with the information necessary to seek a change for the better (democracy).

Man v. Man:
The Colectivos and members of the Venezuelan police are only the beginning of the problem. From what is shown in the video, yes, they are the physical problem in Venezuela, however, the problems do not cease there. It was said in the video that Venezuela is home to the world's largest oil reserves. In addition, the world is experiencing record breaking oil prices. With that, the country of Venezuela and its people should be among the richest in the world (Venezuela Rising, 9:13-9:22). Venezuelans not only have to actually fight against those physically harming them, but they also have to demand that the government handles the country's business in a manner that benefits everyone.

The majority is isolated from what is happening in Venezuela. Everyday, families lose loved ones to the extreme acts of violence committed by Colectivos and their associates. The guilt? The guilt lies within the government officials allowing this barbaric behavior to provide "order" in a country going under.

Think and Grow Rich- Blog Post 3

As I have mentioned in my first blog, MY BOOK IS NOT ABOUT BECOMING RICH...well it is, but that's not how it should be interpreted in order to get the most out of it! Personally, I've taken more away from this book than any other crappy book that has ever been assigned to me (sorry Siddhartha). It's helped me pinpoint my weaknesses and turn them into strengths, and one of those strengths is being able to "Clear the Brain for Riches" (Hill 261).

Every single person has had to overcome adversity at some point in their life. Some people struggle with this each and every day. A step in the right direction to prepare your mind for success is to prepare to receive success. What I mean by this is that there are "three enemies you shall have to clear out...indecision, doubt, and fear!" (Hill 261) Being able to move past these three concepts will truly propel you towards success. Looking a little closer, "fear" is such a broad term; my book has broken it down into "The Six Basic Fears":

1) The fear of poverty
2) The fear of criticism
3) The fear of ill health
4) The fear of loss of love of someone
5) The fear of old age
6) The fear of death (Hill 262)

Now what do all of these fears have in common? They all boil down to letting our thoughts get the best of us.

"Nature has endowed us with absolute control over but one thing, and that is thought." (Hill 264)

The common misconception in our troubled society is that money equates to power, meaning the more money that you have, the more powerful you must be. It is because of this thought that "the fear of poverty" is even a fear at all. The sooner you realize that money is only an object, the sooner you can start to see how life really should be lived: carefree (within limits), of service to others, and of service to your own health, both mental and physical.

Another fear that I would like to draw your attention to is the fear of death. No matter what happens in anyone's life, whether it be good, bad, happy, or sad, everyone dies. That's just science. The sooner that you can accept that, the better off you'll be. However, if that thought really just doesn't sit well with you, look at it like this: no matter what you believe happens after death, you must be content with what exactly happens once you kick the bucket. Whether it be heaven, reincarnation, a giant, endless celebration with multiple Morgan Freeman clones, whatever, you need to accept at least that thought of afterlife, strive to make your time on Earth as enjoyable as possible (but not at the expense of others), and prepare yourself for your time.