Adam Mundorf : Philosophical and Financial : Thoughts and Musings

  Love is a Helping Hand By Adam Mundorf Love is a scary thing until you realize that vulnerability and communication is the key to a successful long term relationship.  Many people view their significant others as weights that hold them down instead of a helping hand lifting them up. I like to view a long term relationship as a series of peaks and tall walls that can only be overcome through teamwork/communication.  You boost me up, I reach back and lift you up.  I boost you up, you reach back and lift me up.  Together we traverse the mountain of life and no matter how tall the rock wall, we overcome together.  Never leaving each other behind and always being the hand that reaches from the darkness of life. Helping each other is the way we ultimately help ourselves. The above of course comes with a couple of caveats.  Being vulnerable with a toxic person can become a weapon in future communications.  Some people just cannot be communicated with or will use the above as a bargaining ta

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. 1 Timothy 6:10 The Ecstasy of Gold The Pursuit of Wealth at the Expense of Health What a world we live in, where wealth comes at the expense of the physical or spiritual body.  The ecstasy of gold and having more.  You crawl, you dig, you climb, you run, you fight only to never truly reach the finish line.  You sacrifice a lot along the way.  Sometimes your family, love, friends, health and worst of all your soul.  You always want more and are never satisfied.  So before you take that new job, before you take that promotion, before you lose sleep over acquiring more, ask yourself :  Am I sacrificing something I will never get back? Do I truly need more? Instead of the ecstasy of gold, I prefer the ecstasy of virtue/purity.  Ask yourself if this pining for more and more is making you a virtuous person?

Violence is ugly.  Violence isn't fun.  Violence isn't to be glorified. Oftentimes, when people hear my opinion about violence or self defense they think I'm sort of a bitch.  Especially because my first line of self defense is running away or deescalating.  I have no ego and nothing to prove.  Only those who don't know the true reality of violence are the ones who seek it out or even view it as a viable option.  What if your attacker pulls a knife?  What if he has a gun and you begin to gain the upper hand leaving him no other option?  You're fucked because you didn't try to flee and/or let your ego get in the way.  Let's pretend for a second, you wipe the floor with the assailant.  What if you accidentally murdered this guy?  What if he fell and smacked his head on the concrete?  You will be in silver cuffs and headed off to jail, if your life wasn't in immediate quantifiable danger.  I hope it was worth it...  In my years as a martial artist, rubbing

  You're Never in the Dark Friends for Life By Adam Mundorf For many people relationships and friendships are fleeting.  Not to me, I take them very seriously.  Many people live in fear of the future, with me you should have no fear.  If I have a home, so do you.  If I have food, you will too.  If I have warmth, you will too.  Rest assured that you will always have the genuine me, no matter how long or how distant we may grow apart.  This leads me to one of my favorite songs called : "Think" by Kaleida.  Part of the lyrics go as follows : Think of me, I'll never break your heart. Think of me, you're always in the dark. I am your light, your light, your light. Think of me, you're never in the dark. With me you're never in the dark as I will be your light through life.

Growing Up, Lack of Play and Lack of Imagination Due to Obligations I'll Never Be Like You By Adam Mundorf It's funny how life after childhood becomes so sheltered and boring.  No, I'm not talking about going to the club, parties, the bar or smoking weed.  I'm talking about the ability to enjoy life regardless of circumstance or situation.  As people age they begin to care about what other people think and how they are perceived.  It's funny how after a certain age people just stop 'playing'.  Having catch in the park, skipping rope, playing ultimate frisbee and tag.  They stop just going outside and enjoying the beautiful days without obligation.  I prefer days where you're so exhausted from having fun that you just collapse into bed at the end of it. This leads me to my next topic of imagination.  We have a whole world in our head, a whole world that is often lost to those who age.  I'm not sure what happens but people begin to lose their sense of

The Power of Kinhin (Walking Meditation) By Adam Mundorf Back when I experimented with early retirement, trying to figure out where my life was headed, I found myself going to parks/estates and doing a practice called Kinhin. Kinhin is an ancient Buddhist form of meditation where you walk in a clockwise pattern while doing slow and methodical breathing.  Sometimes you can even walk in a figure eight pattern.  Sometimes I would do it silently or even while listening to some uplifting music.  Many powerful figures in history would always precede each large decision with a long relaxing walk.  Walking is powerful medicine. This is a great way to reduce cortisol (stress hormone), meditate and get some activity in throughout the day.  Allot of people think : "What will other people think if they see me?"  Who really cares?  Just put on your favorite music, get out in the Sun and just walk in a pattern.  Not a care in the world and a chance to be alone with your thoughts....  

Happiness Comes from the Mind   By Adam Mundorf The reliance on drugs and alcohol for simple happiness or life satisfaction is laughable. The true source of happiness is within us, the mind.  We are the most complex machines on this Earth.  More than the most powerful computer.  We have the ability to rebuild, re-path and recycle nearly every part of our body on the cellular level.  So, next time you're feeling down just remember that Heaven is within all of us.  It all starts with gratitude for every thing no matter how small or insignificant.  It could be running water, a soft towel or even the fact you woke up that morning. It's the quality of our thoughts which dictate the quality of our life.

  Having 'Fuck You' Money By Adam Mundorf Personal Finance and investing isn't just about making it from paycheck to paycheck and putting a little bit away.  It's about accumulating enough money where you have near unlimited options for how to spend your time and life.  Having enough money where you can afford to just simply walk away and be okay.  A 'boss' tells you to do something you think is over the line, you can walk.  A job takes advantage of you, you can leave at any time and be okay.  I've told people and jobs in the past to politely "Go Fuck Yourself."  I have options and I rule my own life. Having money gives you options and allows you to spend your time EXACTLY how you want to.  Time is the one thing we never get back. Having 'Stealth Wealth' I am a huge proponent of stealth wealth.  True wealth whispers while fake wealth screams.  The chains, the cars, the new phone, the stark white shoes and the massive homes.  They are oftent

  Nature's Sanctuary A No Kill Farm with Farm Animals as Pets And Stress Activated Products By Adam Mundorf For many years now I've had a dream to own a farm where animals aren't killed, produce is grown how nature intended and is a sanctuary for animals.  I've talked at length with Ori Hofmekler about this idea and I hope to someday bring it to fruition.  Imagine a place where animals and people live in harmony.  The cows are milked but pasture raised and treated like family.  Pigs are pets and treated like dogs.  Cute little goats that you can pet and play with. All the chickens are pasture raised and used exclusively for eggs, being out in the sun at will.  All of the animals graze how nature intended enjoying the elements but also having shelter to seek refuge. The animals die of old age and are honored.  A small body of water has wild fish whether that be from a stream or a lake.   Imagine a place where everything is grown how nature intended it, wild and in the el

I get questions from people often about personal finance, early retirement and financial independence.  This is my answer in its most distilled form. Enjoy! The original Windsor Castle was build in 16 years and was constructed entirely of timber.  Timber is easily destroyed and burnt.  Henry the 2nd upgraded the castle to stone and that took 60 years.  View your finances as a castle and your job is to fortify it and change from timber to stone.  It will take a long time and effort but when your finished, your legacy will stand for generations just as Windsor Castle has.  It isn't always about yourself, it's about those who come after.   It isn't always about yourself, it's about those who come after.  I want to send people to school, build wells, feed the hungry and provide those less fortunate with opportunity. Simplicity Is King As with many things in life, the simplest answer is often the best answer.  When it comes to finances this is especially true.  Finance, in m

First of all Jesus Ain't White!  He most likely looked African or Arab.  I'm sick of seeing these blonde hair and blue eyed Jesus's! Prayer is the Best Connection to God :  I Guess the Kids in Africa just have a Bad Reception Having grown up in the church my whole entire life and growing up in a relatively wealthy but frugal household, I have a interesting perspective on Christianity and America.  Never wanting for anything makes being a Christian a cake walk.  Praise the Lord I have a new Mercedes.  Praise the Lord I got a raise at work.  Praise the Lord I got an inheritance.  It's easy to be a Christian when your prayers are for things you want and not things you "need".  When you have extra rooms in your house that are empty, are you 'truly' a Christian. Walk Beside my Not Behind Me Going to churches that are in pretty affluent areas, I see plenty of fancy cars parked in the parking lot.  Sometimes even the pastors are driving fancy cars.  Many of t