Most people believe they are in need. And to be clear—yes, many of us have financial pressure. Bills, responsibilities, uncertainty. That part is real. But here is the uncomfortable truth most people avoid: That belief is often used against us. There are people who exploit desperation. They recognize hope mixed with fear and turn it into a business model. They promise relief, abundance, rescue—if you just pay a small fee first. “Just for the transfer.” “Just to unlock the wallet.” “Just one more confirmation.” And then another fee. And another. And then silence. I know this because I almost lost the last money I had. The story was familiar: Someone presenting themselves as a millionaire. Someone claiming they wanted to help. Someone promising 30,000 if I only paid a small amount upfront. It sounds absurd when written down. It didn’t feel absurd in the moment. That is how scams work—not through logic, but through emotional leverage. The Hardest Lesson: The Scammer Is a Mirror This is where most people stop the reflection. They blame the scammer and move on. I didn’t. What I saw was uncomfortable but necessary: The scammer mirrored something in me— a part that believed they needed the money more than I did, a part that wanted a shortcut, a part that hoped someone else would solve my situation. “As within, so without” is not a poetic sentence. It is a law of perception. What you believe internally, you recognize externally. If you expect manipulation, you will see manipulators. If you carry fear, you will notice threats. If you think in lack, you will encounter people selling salvation. This does not mean you deserve to be scammed. It means there is something to understand—without shame. For that, I am grateful for the mirror. Even though it hurt. Real Growth Is Slow—and That Is Not a Failure I don’t have millions. I didn’t receive a miracle transfer. Nothing dramatic happened. What did happen was more important: I learned that all solid things grow in time.

Listen. We are gathered here today to celebrate the things that should NOT bring this much joy… and yet DO. I’m talking about: 🍟 Finding extra fries at the bottom of the bag 🧦 Matching socks on the FIRST try 🚗 Hitting a perfect green-light streak like you’re in Fast & Furious: Cottage Grove Drift 🐾 Your pet doing that weird little head tilt like they’re judging your life choices 💃 That one song coming on at the EXACT right moment 📦 Opening a package even though you ordered it yourself and know exactly what it is Your assignment: Share the silliest tiny delight that made you smile today - the one that made you think: “…wow, this should NOT have hit that hard.” Go. Make us laugh. Make us wheeze. Make us feel SEEN in our chaos. 🤣💛