Ria Money Transfer’s Post

Anything you experience regularly is easily marginalized and taken for granted. If I never get sick, I just assume health is the status quo. Ask my wife (who has Celiac disease) how thankful she is for days she's not in pain and you get a different perspective. If generational wealth is your background, money is likely not of concern. Ask someone born into poverty and struggling to get by what an extra $100 would mean to them. (I've been here and know what my answer would be) If you've always had a reliable mode of transportation, getting from point A to point B has never been much of a thought. Ask someone without and you'll see how grateful they are to get to work on time this week. If you were born into a place of privilege in life, it's easy to not realize the advantages inherent to your day to day. Ask anyone from a minority, disadvantaged group and you'll likely hear how hard they had to work and the extra challenges they've overcome to just get to a level playing field (which doesn't really exist). If you've always lived in a country where freedom and general safety has been all you've known, it's easy to take that for granted. Ask some of my friends, like Alma Ohene-Opare, MBA or Nikola Mijic, what the blessing of living in the USA means to them. This weekend, I hope those living here in the United States take time out of the festivities (which I'm going to participate in with my family as well) to consider the sacrifices that have been made over many generations to provide this freedom and safety. Our country isn't perfect, and there is much work still to do to bring equity and opportunity to all, but I can promise you there is no other place in the world like it to live. https://lnkd.in/ggUgm-jD

Every year, we honor the lives lost on this day—a moment that forever changed our world. For my generation it is the “I remember exactly where I was that day” -moment. As we remember, it’s easy to focus on the tragedy and the fear, but what if we also leaned into the lessons? What if we chose to shift from an interpretation that has in many ways, lead to division and fear and instead to one of connection, resilience, appreciation and understanding? 9/11 showed us how fragile life is, but also how strong we can be when we come together. So, while we mourn, let’s ask ourselves—what are we doing *today* to foster the kind of unity that followed? Are we living in a way that honors those who lost their lives by creating stronger communities, by showing up with empathy, by building bridges instead of walls? This isn’t about ignoring the pain. It’s about transforming it into purpose. Let’s not just remember—let’s choose to act, to connect, and to make sure that, in our day-to-day lives, we’re honoring and living with the values that emerged on that day: compassion, resilience, and humanity. #NeverForget #ChooseConnection #ResilienceInAction

👋 Quick Question: Have you ever considered whether the concept of “legacy” applies to you? 🤔 If not, you should! Legacy isn’t about money, it’s about what’s important to you, and it applies to everyone. Discover how to love, inspire and connect the generations by reading our latest blog post. ▶️ https://lnkd.in/gSXFdMys #wills #trusts #estateplanningattorney #estateplanninglawyer #friscoestateplanningattorney #friscoestateplanninglawyer #friscoestateplanning #texasestateplanning #texasestateplanningattorney #texasestateplanninglawyer #friscomom #texasmom #legacybuilding #texaslegacybuilding #friscolegacybuilding #planyourlegacytexas #planyourlegacyfrisco #familylegacy #avoidprobate #assetprotection #guardiannomination #chooseyourguardian #intentionalestateplanning #elderlaw #elderestateplanning #elderlawattorney #elderlawtexas #specialneedstrust #specialneedsplanning

Values are the key to happiness

🌞 New Short Story: "The Children of Ra" 🌞 I’m excited to share my latest piece, inspired by the journey of self-discovery, freedom, and the resilience of the human spirit. The Children of Ra follows an eccentric group of African American individualists—dreamers, creators, and seekers—who have turned away from society in pursuit of a utopia. Though misunderstood and labeled as "radical," they continue to push forward, reclaiming their identity and building a new way of living, even as the FBI and CIA try to break them down. This story delves into themes of freedom, resistance, and the strength found in community. It reflects on what it means to truly live unapologetically in a world that doesn't always understand you. Check it out and let me know your thoughts! Let’s keep the conversation about identity, creativity, and resilience going. ✊🏾 #Storytelling #SelfDiscovery #Individualism #CreativeWriting #BlackExcellence #Resilience #FreedomToDream 4o

I recently came across this piece on Missionary Kids, which references a range of research in the TCK space, including my own book Misunderstood. It is a well written piece that balances the objective/research perspective with the lived experiences of Missionary Kids - the stories so many of us have heard. If you work with or are interested in the lives of missionary kids in any respect, this one is worth a read! "Crossman notes that the best way to help is to let MKs process their frustrations and feelings about these issues instead of letting them fester. In short, giving MKs the space and permission to speak about their frustrations will help to alleviate many common problems. I’ll talk more about this in a later piece. While other sub-groups of TCKs moved because of their parents’ jobs (business kids) or as political representatives (embassy kids), MKs moved because God called our parents elsewhere. This distinction can have both positive and negative effects on our lives. For instance, MKs will sometimes downplay real, personal struggles because they think, “Who am I to argue with the will of God?” They might be hesitant to speak up out of misplaced guilt — or they might fear that if they speak up, others will downplay our concerns by pointing to positive circumstances. Of course, trusting in God’s sovereignty comforts us during trials. But as a kid, I struggled to square God’s sovereignty with my circumstances. Some MKs feel free to speak up, so this kind of hesitance isn’t universal. But I’ve seen it a lot, and I know from experience that it can cause some of that resentment Crossman found in her interviews." Read the whole article here: https://lnkd.in/gdypPfsx .

New York, I love you. This pic of me was taken aboard the Staten Island Ferry sometime in late '93 or early '94. The city was my home away from home for many years (I lived up the road in CT), and the place where I lived, loved, worked, celebrated, lost, and loved some more for a long spell during my 20s, 30s and 40s. Pieces of my heart are scattered here and there across the globe, but the biggest piece I've ever left behind resides in NYC. Today we remember the tragedy that befell thousands on 9/11/01, as well as the heroes - civilians and public servants alike - who risked and gave everything to save the lives of others; most of them perfect strangers to one another, but fellow human beings to us all. People invoke the phrase "never forget" on this day, year after year, but I fear we have lost the full meaning of this proverb. If you scratch the surface of it, the saying reveals people's desire to remember the carnage and shock of the day. Dig a bit deeper and it becomes a communal epitaph for those departed souls. But there is another dimension to "never forget," something that speaks to our shared experiences, our common causes, and yes, our flaws and prejudices. 9/11 is a time for remembrance, but it should also become - in some small measure - a cause for celebration; a celebration of the good things and causes that bind humankind. A celebration of the fact that, without fail, our bonds are stronger than what divides us, regardless of what you see on TV. Nothing brings people together like the common memory of a tragic event. But inevitably, our base instincts return and we go back to shouting at each other. We lose the plot. We forget ourselves. Today, and tomorrow and so on, let us celebrate New York City, as I do, for being a microcosm of true resilience, but also for being a microcosm of the optimism and acceptance and love that we as Americans love to claim as points of pride, but don't always live up to. Let this day - this solemn anniversary - become a call to action to live up to those ideals we claim for ourselves. #911 #neverforget #NewYorkCity #resiliency #lovewins

SLAVERY IS A DISASTER FOR NATIONS. Slavery was a terrible thing that hurt a lot of people. Even though it's not allowed anymore, it still affects us today through unfair beliefs and differences in opportunity. When whole groups are treated badly as less than human for a long time, it damages the way society works together. Stereotypes become the normal way of thinking while victims start to believe the bad things their oppressors said about them. This makes it hard to get past the past and heal. No one is born thinking someone else is worse just because of how they look or other things they can't control. These kinds of harmful beliefs are learned from the world around us, even without realizing it. When kids are surrounded by books, laws and the everyday examples of some lives being worth less, they start to think it's okay too. This kind of subtle brainwashing is dangerous because it makes unequal treatment feel normal and fair. Prejudice spreads quietly from person to person as future generations adopt the same skewed perspectives as before. For real fixes and reforms to take root, educating society as a whole is key. Rules alone can't undo centuries of damage. People need to understand how their views got shaped by bias and open their eyes to this. Unlearning conditioning takes humility, effort and caring about others. Public talks that bring uncomfortable truths to light can help. So too leaders who lead by example with inclusive, respectful behavior and highlight our shared humanity above all else. Progress ultimately comes from each individual recognizing the God-given worth in every soul, no matter what they look like or where they're from. When this empathy grows in hearts and minds, previously oppressed communities can start believing in their equal value too. Together with open and honest sharing, as a united people we can pool our strengths rather than let differences divide us. Past wrongs will lose power as prejudice and the old ignorance it came from fade away. Future generations will look back and be amazed that humans ever saw separating ourselves from each other as okay. With continued dedication to understanding difference and similarity alike, hopefully one day all societies will hold equal respect for the basic dignity of every person. There's always hope if we each do our small part to spread caring. #articlewriting #slavery #nations #articleoftheday #articlewriter

Men are leaving the church and the church is losing men. The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female and 39% male. Join us for this FREE and empowering webinar presented by IMPACT Players and hosted by Warren Mainard, National Director of IMPACT Players. Together, we'll tackle the challenge of connecting with men who have disengaged from church and equip you with practical strategies for effective outreach and discipleship. https://lnkd.in/gqv4rM_e

Men are leaving the church and the church is losing men. The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female and 39% male. Join us for this FREE and empowering webinar presented by IMPACT Players and hosted by Warren Mainard, National Director of IMPACT Players. Together, we'll tackle the challenge of connecting with men who have disengaged from church and equip you with practical strategies for effective outreach and discipleship. https://lnkd.in/gqv4rM_e