NordenBladet – Those of you that have a history of following this blog may already know that my mood is often swinging from one extreme to the opposite – on the one hand I may be praising the pleasant rural life and dreaming about absolute solitude, minimal expenditure and the simplicity of everything (a related post HERE), on the other hand I may find the world’s most luxurious resorts laudable and may praise exorbitant real estate and luxury hotels (a related post about my investment-into-real-estate plans HERE). So it happens – in life one needs both – the glamour as well as the simplicity and contemplation. I do love the nature an like solitude, but that doesn’t equal to poverty. In life not everything is sharply black and white.

Generally I am rather happy when it comes to finances and wealth, because money is the shortcut. Apparently many would respond to this idea in their mind with a comment that goes something like this: why does there have to be a shortcut, the shortcut is boring, etc. But in this blogpost I have in mind the “one worry less” aspect, and perhaps all of you would find it easy to agree that everybody usually tends to have too many worries in life – and even greater worries than that of money.

Excessive luxury may begin to bother you and it surely will, yet a lot of financial stress, too, would be intolerable. And poor people most typically are bitter, envious and melancholic – as has been posted HERE. True, happiness in not merely in money, but without resources unhappiness is soon at hand. I have experienced with several alternatives and now I seem to know what I like. I like change. I like when there are options. OPPORTUNITY AND LIBERTY – this is the most beautiful aspect of money! I may lead a simple life – if this has been my decision, if it is not inevitable pressure to limit myself. I do not mean swimming in money, but perhaps it reflects and conveys what I think about money and its impact on people.

Ah, yes, and the expression: “Money ruins people” – typically only said by someone who would actually not refuse more money. Lets be honest – POVERTY ruins people – and pay attention how thoroughly it does so! The lovely folks, completely out of money, are driven towards turmoil, their dreams fade, their motivation runs low. Isn’t it so? Poverty takes one’s edge off – many may even have deserved that but there are also those who mustn’t be poor although they sadly are. Yet the discussion, why some are poor and some are well off – is the content of another blog post.

Tell us, someone, who exactly has been spoiled by money? For instance name three people, who have been poor and nice and are now rich and nasty? Are you sure that it was actually money that changed these people? Are you sure that they weren’t nasty people in the first place or are you sure that they really are that nasty? Perhaps it has been the mud shower, negative energy and personal unmet greed of people that are in the financial scale several steps beneath these ones – causing the idea of change in the heads of the opinionated? Or maybe those people are not actually spoiled by money? Or perhaps now finally they can be frank with the unsympathetic folks? Where is the truth here? Who is right?

Who cares… my truth is that money is a necessity – or more precisely it is independence from others. And this border is different for everyone – the line limiting one’s independence, limiting the expectations one has for independence. Would it mean purchasing a yacht, a villa, a private island, investing in unicorn enterprises or just being happy about not letting others determine how to invest the few thousands and what plans to make for Friday night. For example I like to dream big and live big. As I have said in an earlier blog (Helena-Reet: MY JOURNEY TOWARDS BECOMING A BILLIONAIRE or how to become a member of the world’s very elite group of people?), my dreams are currently rather high up above. We have accomplished so much with the Scandinavian media group NordenBladet and the entertainment sites OHMYGOSSIP, also Ohmygossip Couture has been a great success – now and then I even have to pinch myself to realize that all of this is real. I am highly motivated and am very fond of what I do! Every new day is an adventure and I am sure that one fine day I will be in the lead of a unicorn enterprise.

What is your stand – does money ruin people or is it rather poverty that does so?

NordenBladet – Summer is in full colour and the children invent new games and activities every day – they bathe in the infatable swimming pool in our home garden, they play in their toy house, they run about, they play with the neighbours children and they cook. Estella also plays the violin every day and reads the obligatory literature assigned for the summer holiday. The toy house has for many long years been staying empty but now suddenly they got the idea that it should be fixed up so they could move in. They tidied the place all day, they carried stuff from their rooms to the toy house and of course they intended to stay overnight in the toy house.

Well then, let them stay if they so wish. It is no good prohibiting everything. But as I guessed, so it went – around midnight both girls were neatly back in the house in their rooms – as they claimed there had been a nasty gnat in the toy house that would let them sleep. I think to myself that it was plainly uncomfortable there and perhaps even a bit scary. Yet now the impression is there and the mood elevated as a result. Below you can find a few photos taken from the pool, the toy house and the delightful dishes that Estella Elisheva prepared.

One of our summer-favourites is a dessert made of non-flavoured yoghurt. For the dessert you need non-flavoured youghurt, as said (or Greek yoghurt), honey, fresh berries and muesli. Mix the ingredients and the tasty and healthy dessert is ready! Yummi! We found from Rimi a suitable cup (cost 5 euros) where this type of yoghurt dessert can be stored to be taken to school, to training, or even to a trip. Very convenient and practical. The cap closes well and you can store muesli in a separate small container in the cap. Oh, yeah, and beside that also berry ice cream – for children the joy of preparations in a big part of the fun, only sadly getting the ice cream successfully out of the container is currently work in progress. Perhaps someone has good hints and tips to share how home made ice cream can be nicely taken out from the container?