This is the time when we all meet ourselves. We are all coming face to face with whatever in us needs a little correcting. One area is in how well do we see obstacles on the road we are traveling. This is crucial now for everything is being revealed to us. And quickly. There is not much time to ponder. We must react quickly. Yet calmly.

      One way we are being helped in this is there are a lot of people creating fake opportunities to get rich. It is a fun thing to do. Many like to gamble. Ones who create these illusions get to be creative. And ones who buy into these illusions learn valuable lessons.

      How does it work?

      An individual may play the stock market. There are plenty of gambling opportunities here. People commonly look to buy low and sell high. They look to buy before others are aware of the value of a certain company or product. People see the price of a company start to rise and the rush is soon on to jump on the train. Then a piece of bad news may be released, a selloff begins and the train crashes. Certain ones may buy the stock when it hits a target low. Then news may be released that the negative report was false, the price now rises and the cycle begins again.

      This pattern can be copied in other areas and may be modified to fit other situations. The people who do this are like magicians, practicing slight of hand.

      How do we recognize such activity?

      When presented with an opportunity to make money, spend time in understanding how it works. It’s not worth letting anyone rush you. Certain clues indicate whether income is possible. Is there any math which shows a gain?

      If one buys apples @ 8 cents each, sells them @ 12 cents/, at a handling expense of 2 cents/, one may expect a 2 cents/ or 25% profit. One could expect a $250 profit from a $1,000 investment. One would not expect a $2,500 profit under these conditions.

      However, there are exceptional situations, such as derivative markets where this possibility exists. Is it real? Is it ethical?

      There are some basic considerations if one wishes to gamble.

      One is "What can I afford to lose?"

      One should not gamble with funds one cannot afford to do without. Once one has identified this limit, one needs to not exceed it.

      One should know something about how the activity normally works.

      There is a form of investing where one is offered a quick turnaround. Invest $1,000, get a $500 return, e.g., in a few hours. Is this real? Could be with derivative trading or "mining". Possible in the stock market. Not with many other things.

      Ask: "How does it work?" If you know nothing about the operation, do you know the one who is advising you to invest? How well? Do they keep their word? Even if they do, it is still a gamble. There are opportunities being offered that may not appear to be a gamble. Someone tells you that you have won $10,000. You only have to pay a processing fee. Red flag. The fee may be below your limit. You may decide to take a chance. They come back and tell you the processing broke down. "You need to pay more.” Walk away. Best to know all the expenses up front. Ask Questions: “What can go wrong? What do I get?” Do not assume others will safeguard your interests.

      There seems to be heavy emphasis on acquiring money now, even by ones who allegedly know better. The only resources we absolutely need now are supplies of food, clean water, and necessary medicines for the next month or 3, in case there is some kind of emergency where distribution chains are disrupted. This focus on acquiring a physical resource may have other hidden costs.

      Costs are not just currency. They may include our life, our family, our loved ones, our friends and neighbors, our world, our health, our reputation, our integrity. Loss of this last can be the most dear. It could set us back lifetimes.

      We are currently in a shift in the global monetary system [Oct. 1], transitioning from a debt based economy to an asset backed currency, world wide. [If doubting this, wait a month or 2.] It is advisable to hold at least 10% of money in real [physical, not digital or paper] gold, silver or other precious metals, jewels, real estate, vehicles, and/or equipment. Hold large amounts of currency in ISO20022 format. Do not rush to exchange currency. We have until Dec. 31, 2025. Whatever is held in a recorded manner is recoverable. What is under the mattress may not be as of Jan. 1, 2026.You may find it useful to prepay some regular bills. Efforts have been made to make this transition as smooth as possible

      Our choice.