Letter to my son Antonio

Antonio, I like the way you think.

Based on my own experience and observing how other people think and act, I see that the average person believes the harder they work, the more money they will gainfully produce.  In my opinion this is phanicly absurd because their linear thinking equates toil and sweat with financial success; and those concepts have no relationship with each other whatsoever.  None.  If this accepted wisdom was true, all slaves and workaholics would be stinky rich.  This stenopaeic thinking practice of the unable brains is why most people never become rich; and they will never be.  This is an outdated Middle Age trade and industry model used from the 5^th Century to the 15^th Century that worked somewhat successfully for some; but the thing was that "financial success" was an unclear and vague result after people reached their middle age, with little wealth to show for twenty years or more of hard work and sacrifices.  This outmoded and obsolete brain wave still valid today for most humans and all ants.  Ants are very industrious, assiduous, and diligent, but that's all they are.

Antonio, I like the way you think.  The intelligent and consequential minds know that creative, original thinking is the highest and most clever paid skill in the planet.  Independent, imaginative thinking is the most valuable asset and positive feature anyone can acquire, or develop.  So while the unconscious chusma is struggling to figure out how to pay for their houses, to put their kids through college, and retire on a better-than-nothing of what they are barely surviving on today; the entrepreneurial minds are building fabulous realms, breathing in great and lavish profusion, and contributing right and left to the inert, plumbless and incompetent society groups as they saviors and benefactors.  This evolving attitude detonates into a progressive feverish upshot, because once a person thinks, tastes, and lives at this high echelon of wealth within their own plutarchy, they then start to reach for even superior levels of achievement.  Why? because they know that is possible to aim and accomplish higher objectives by using the incredible and endless power of creative and inventive emancipated thinking.

Antonio, be positive.  A positive person can, most of the times; anticipate happiness, can generate health, and unbound success, and strongly believes he or she can overcome any obstacle, solve any problem, jump through hindrances, and overcome difficulty.  The concept of Positive Thinking is big and great, so it will not fit in everyone mind.  Some morons consider it as nonsense, claptrap; and ignorantly scoff at people like me who follow it and believe in it, but there are a growing number of more intelligent and enlightened people who recognize and accept Positive Thinking as a solid fact, and believe in its demonstrated effectiveness.

Antonio, be positive.  To use positivism in your life you need more substance than just to be aware of its existence, you need to adopt the attitude of Positive Thinking in everything you do, and you need to become the positive thought itself.  You can complain because the mulberry tree has thorns, or you can rejoice because the thorny mulberry tree gives you sweet blackberries.  The only difference is Positive Thinking.  On this matter I will remind you the words of your little sister: "Well, your best friend's a vegetable now, blah, blah, blah.  Well, you know what they say: when life gives you potatoes, make potato salad.  And I've got just the recipe.  Hit it!".  These words were perfect to adopt after my heart attack.  Perhaps those words are not entirely original, but coming from a 13 years old girl, they speak volumes of her.

Antonio, I like the way you think.  Unfortunately almost all of us were told as kids that if we do well in school, got good grades, went to a respectable college, university, or a trade school; our (financial) success was virtually guaranteed, and that we surely will get a "well paid job".  Our society through ignorant and badly informed parents still put in the minds of today's little kids this incredible junk, which is hardly just a step above shit.  What kids are told is that they need to be the best they can so they can work the rest of their lives as a thrall for someone else, for someone with more brains than them.  This is modern intellectual slavery.  We have traded the whip and the chains for a paycheck and the Social Security's pity.  Reality dictates that very few people who follow this formula ever get rich, instead; they forever struggle to survive.  Schools and Universities teach a submissive trade, not to think creatively for you.  When you start thinking that you have a "good job", you turn into a slave and a victim of your own thinking, and sadly; there is not turnaround from that deleterious state of mind.  

Antonio, I like the way you think.  Following the popular model of mental slavery named above, some people manage to survive and some individuals even turn out to be the most flourishing individuals, individuals in their families.  This is good (sort of), but superlative prosperity and affluence is almost never pulled off by people who follow this model galloping on a forlorn salary.  Success does not equate monetary richness either.  Success is a lot broader that just money, but the people who reach wealth by innovative thinking eventually figure out that schooling your mind to find solutions for difficult problems, and to wrestle with seemingly impossible situations are the real secret to making money; and they get really efficient at it!  The good news for everybody is that this is perfectly possible and attainable to reach, and also doable for anyone who can condition their mind to think in a positive and originally way, to then transform positive and original thought into productive action.  It is not easy, but doable.

Antonio, I like the way you think.  You always wanted to be your own man by having your own, unique business.  We have talked about this many times, and your ideas are original and daring, two important ingredients in the knotty and noninterventionist formula of success.  That is the way I think (and act) too; and that is exactly why I like the way you think.  This is not a quick solution scheme.  It is time consuming, demands hard work, and countless sacrifices; but it is certainly much more rewarding that working your entire life to end up being maintained by your kids.  Living under a bridge is always an option.  Also being stuck at this stage of affairs in anyone's life, anyone will probably be bitter, demoralized, depressed, and without the power and will to succeed.  And they will make their family and friends to hate them because they will end up being nothing else, but an annoying bane of their own existence.  Sad, so sad...

Antonio, never give up on your dreams.  You will soon learn, and as you get older, that rules are made to be broken constantly and persistently bent in all directions because they are just a guide, not the road.  Always be bold and daring enough to live your life on your terms, and never; ever apologize for it.  Go against the grain, pee against the wind, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled, or make your own path on virgin territory instead of the well-beaten path where all herds walk blind.  Forever laugh in the face of adversity because she is a hard-wearing bitch, and leap high towards your goals.  Dance despite the fact that other useless human beings are watching you with an idiotic smile on their, otherwise; emotionless faces.  The rhythm and tempo of your life is yours alone and not of anyone else.  And as you do now, keep stubbornly refusing to fit in a society tied up and drowned in its own ineffectiveness. 

Antonio, never give up on your dreams.  Dreams are the most essential food of positive and original thinking.  I always said: "A man without imagination is furniture".  Never listen to what people want to tell you about success.  Most of them don't know shit about it.  Some friends will perhaps give you advice if they are good friends of yours; all the other idiots will just criticize you because they are incapable of being original, and envious of your potential.  My grandfather Víctor use to tell me often: "Always follow your dreams.  Dreams run fast, and if you want to catch a dream; you have run faster than them".  And that is unerringly what I do.  Beware of the word "potential".  Potential is nothing, is like being all dressed up and nowhere to go.  In order for "potential" to become something palpable, you must knead it with the amazing tools of your imagination, and with a solid purpose.  I know you have one.  Be daring and get rid of the fears.  Do not fear nor the countless gods or the Universe.  The useless gods are an absurd flight of the imagination, a sick vision of sick minds; and the Universe is just potential.  Only you are the real thing.

Antonio, never; ever give up on your dreams.  I will support you with all the power of my existence.  I know it will be times I disagree with you, and I will criticize you, and even I will renege of the things you pursue at times, but it's just me, this old fart, annoying, and significantly imperfect father of yours.  Don't pay too much attention to these things, your dreams are far more important that my opinions, or the ones of anyone else.  There will be nothing more great and important in my life than seeing you triumphant.  And I posses the most powerful an immensurable weapon to give you my unconditional and total support: my bottomless love for you.

Antonio, never; ever give up on your dreams. 

Your father.

I was always a dreamer, and I still am.