From Victim of Extreme Poverty and Abuse to Note Investor and Zen Practitioner with Luis Miranda

Speaker 2

00:00

 On this episode of the form adversity, to abundance podcast. I interviewed someone I have been working with over the last few months in the mortgage note investing space. And also just general kind of personal finance stuff. But Louis Miranda. Looses story is extremely moving and involved and talk about adversity. He grew up in extreme poverty. In Peru, that faced some related challenges, I mean, you're talking no electricity, no running water abuse, then he bounced around in different foster homes and, you know, I just can't even relate. Personally, he actually shows if you get the chance to watch on YouTube, I will watch the video elsewhere, he shares his screen and shows the house that he grew up in, which apparently is now even bigger than it was. But I mean, looks like a war zone to be honest. And I spent a year in Iraq and I mentioned that on the, on the episode, that the conditions he grew up in remind me of Iraq during the war. And so Lewis has faced some real adversity eventually got to the US and is now living a much more Abundant Life for sure in many ways. And so there's so many nuggets of wisdom throughout this episode. I can't do it. Any justice in a couple of minutes here, but I think you know if you're ever having a bad day, fire up this episode and listen to some of the things that Louis has gone through. One of the key points. I want to highlight for this episode, is that You know, he did kind of heat arrived at one point. Several years ago where he was making good money. His life was from a financial standpoint and material standpoint much, much better than it was many years ago, but he still wasn't satisfied. So, the path from adversity to abundance is not a direct one, and it's not, you know, an overnight change, there are many ups and downs. And it's an All rollercoaster. I think many people will be able to relate to Different elements of this show this episode, and I just want to thank Louis for being vulnerable, because it's not easy to come on, and share personal things like this. He's now instituted Zen practice, and he's very much into spirituality and, you know, that element of sitting and creating space. And so, you know, it's not just about chasing the dollar. It's more about sir. Serving others, being a part of something bigger than yourself, and the whole human part of his element of things versus just, you know, work, work, trying to chase the dollar. It's really, really an interesting episode and I hope you enjoy it. Thanks inspiring stories.

Speaker 1

03:23

 Of real people. Overcoming incredible odds to live life to the fullest. We are all guaranteed to face, hardships, how will we handle the Varsity join us to be moved by everyday people who have turned poverty into prosperity and weakness into wealth Be Inspired as these relatable Heroes, get vulnerable and former counterintelligence investigator?

Speaker 2

03:45

 Jamie Bateman puts his interviewing skills to the test, restore your.

Speaker 1

03:50

 Faith in humanity as you experience. True Cinderella stories of average people turning surreal struggle and deep.

Speaker 2

03:56

 Despair into booming, businesses and financial.

Speaker 1

03:59

 Fortune. Take ownership of the life. You are destined to live and turn your adversity into.

Speaker 2

04:05

 Abundance. Welcome everybody. To another episode of the form adversity to abundance podcast. I am your host Jamie Bateman. I almost said Good Deeds there, let us be honest. And I am excited today to I am joined by Louis Miranda. Louis is a fellow note investor and somebody I have been working with a little bit. We have been working together over the last few months. I am really excited to talk to Lewis and dive into his background in Of the adversity, abundance and maybe more adversity, and maybe more abundance that he's been through. So Lewis, how are you doing today?

Speaker 1

04:53

 I am doing well, since the guy went walking this morning, so I am kinda refreshed I did my sitting so nice. Yeah, so I am doing good. I need to get that lion, my set out of the way. That's something from power of wind that I Chris mentioned.

Speaker 2

05:09

 Okay? Yes. I will .

Speaker 1

05:11

 Wake up at 5:30 some kind of energetic and trying to find a way. A to.

Speaker 2

05:15

 Settle down, you know for okay. Well I wish I was energetic at 5:30. No, but you're right, everybody's wired differently. So yeah, this is, this is awesome. I really am excited to get into your story. I know you shared a good bit of it with me last week and it's you have been through a lot, and we're going to get into that. But for the listeners out there who are unfamiliar with, who you are, can you give us just kind of overview of kind of Yes, snapshot of who you are? Today? What you have going on?

Speaker 1

05:48

 Yeah, sure. I am a software developer part-time. Now, I have switched over last year, and I am growing now. My notes portfolio. I have been doing that since last year this year, we're targeting to, to go to 100,000 in assets. And then next year, I would like to hit at 200,000, so just starting out. Yes. And, and that's when the business side. And then, on my, on my personal side, Amazon practitioner, I have been practicing sin for four years at a center down closer to Philadelphia. So yeah, that's been, that's been a game-changer for me, in terms of thinking of others and unity and, and you know, that spiritual.

Speaker 2

06:37

 Practice. Okay? Okay. Yeah, we're definitely going to get into that. And so you're outside of the Philadelphia area set. How long have you been there for?

Speaker 1

06:48

 I have been here now for spent six years living outside of here. Yeah, I was living in Jersey when I first came to the state's jumped around, we will get into that later but then move them to a tired of Philly after I graduated from school and yeah.

Speaker 2

07:04

 For gotcha. Okay, so I mean from the surface and again we obviously are going to gloss over a ton of important details from your life. If we only have a limited amount of time and that's true with every guest. But from the surface, on the surface, from the high-level view point, I would say that, you know, for our listeners out there, You strike me as right, you know, as who you are today, kind of everyday person that people can relate to, right? You're not Grant Cardone or you know, you're not worth 50 billion dollars, you're not like crushing it. So I think this episode I am really hoping our listeners can really relate to you as a human. So I know you want to share your screen. So why don't you go ahead and do that? And we're going to jump into your backstory and go from there. So go ahead and share your screen and then let us know what is this here? For those on watching on YouTube.

Speaker 1

08:07

 Yeah, this here is, this is the, the home I was, I was born and raised in Peru, South America and this was the home that I was raised there was only two. So only two rooms in that whole house, they did an extension I guess after I left to the States but there were only two rooms growing up the bedroom. And the other room was like everything else they were. So this is.

Speaker 2

08:30

 This is bigger than what you grew up.

Speaker 1

08:32

 In. Yeah. Absolutely was only the backside that was. That was there and then growing up, I in this home we didn't have electricity. So what my step that would do you see these two still electricity from this White pose here? So we will have electricity when the light bulb came on, maybe less. Yeah. And then it will be closed electricity in the morning, 6:00 in the morning and then whenever he gets caught by the, I guess, municipality, they cut it off, and then we will just have to have the candle on, for dinner time, you know. Well, then.

Speaker 2

09:03

 We get upset. When we lose power for an hour.

Speaker 1

09:07

 Yeah, you see that now, you know. Yeah.

Speaker 2

09:11

 It's all relative I guess. But okay. So yeah, tell us more about what it was like to grow up here.

Speaker 1

09:16

 Yeah, yeah. So there was here, this used to be our Neighbor Next Door. He's to have water. Well so we don't have running water or Seward's either. So we used to have pay him to like Every month to get us some water from his well, and we should just keep it in told buckets. And, you know if you need to flush the toilet, you have to just dump water down to the toilet to get it to flash because we don't have, you know, water.

Speaker 2

09:42

 So that is I mean it's and I don't mean to keep jumping in but I told you before we hit record when you show this to me years to this. My first reaction was this reminds me of Iraq just certain parts of and not the honestly not the nicer. Sir Parts, you know, to be fair, you know, I spent a year in Iraq and this actually really does bring back some memories. So yeah, not I wouldn't say from a financial standpoint you were living in abundance. Is that fair to say?

Speaker 1

10:13

 Yeah, definitely know. We would sometimes my stepfather, he was an alcoholic and you know so keyboard we sometimes didn't have money coming into the house will go out there without food. Maybe today's, you know, and So I do at that early age, I would go visit my aunt, she lives down, we were at my house. Is where up on that, on the mount Side of the Mountain, this is a valley and so downtown is where like you have, then the running water electricity and so forth, but Noah where we act. So I will go down to down downtown that will go to layers and just help her, and I was probably less than 10 years old. I was helping her up like clock. Like chickens because she's itself up for front the front of her house and I remember I was doing that for a bet. She would give me the blood, the chicken blood and in a bag, obviously take it home, my mom figured out how to make something out of it. Like rice fried rice and the chicken the blood coagulates. So kind of you can like it tastes like liver the texture. So one, so I was kind of helping out where I kind of stopped point you know because like I said my stepdad he would jump from job to job doing construction. So it was instead.

Speaker 2

11:27

 Income coming into the house, right? Right, yeah I had a my brother is in Taiwan, and he made me try Pig's blood when I was over there but which was different. So yeah, why I know like I said you shared some real serious, you know difficult University challenges that you went through as a child, and we're not going to get into you know, obviously all the details and certainly feel whatever. Ever share, whatever you feel comfortable sharing? I appreciate you being vulnerable on the show, and I am sure there are a few listeners out there that are going to be able to relate to some of what you say at least. So yeah, if you don't mind dive into some of the kind of, you know, relationship. I mean the poverty is, is just a parent and it's like, I don't, you know, I don't know what that's like on a day-to-day basis, right? Yeah. But I know you went through some additional Hardware. Chips. So please share about that if you would.

Speaker 1

12:30

 Yeah, yeah, so I think so growing up for me it was about looking for stability. I think that's a normal thing, right? And so living in this home with my stepdad and so forth. There was, you know, like the reason he was my step that is that my mom, he walked away from an arranged marriage with him, to be with my father, and they when they had me, he left to the states. And then, you know, she had seen your help like supporting me. So she back with my stepdad. So, you know, growing up in the house, he rarely, I feel like, you know, like he will come get up on my mom drunk in the middle of the night or people come. And, you know, also hit me like, you know, for sometimes like I feel like it's no reason like get anything that I can justify as a kid. So you know, that was what that was one aspect of it, and then he Was this home here. So, looking for stability, my Grandmom's house, my father's mother. I will go visit her once in a while, you know, and then that kind of, felt cozy out of the violence. And I kind of, she kind of she tried to take, you know, custody of me, and she said, you know, there was a lot of fly back and forth and then I ended up with her and I told, you know, I thought this was, you know, this is more stable.

Speaker 2

13:55

 Table. And I mean, just I can chime in. I mean it seems like not just stable, but off also safe and secure, I would guess, right? Yes.

Speaker 1

14:04

 Yes. Till they lived in a better in a different city. And they had their own little store and so forth. So they had a way to maintain themselves as a point. You're right. I felt safe and there was food coming in, you know, breakfast lunch and dinner so forth. So yeah it felt more stable that way but than you know the now to me felt like all of a sudden as a child she started to Also mistreatment, we're going that like growing up now. I feel like it was more of my grandfather putting pressure on her and maybe that led to, you know, her changing the way she was treating me. That was one aspect of where the other aspect I mentioned to you before was also I was that, was, that was where I had a cousin of mine that it started that I started to molest me. So, I went through, I went through that also there, and he was, it was just, it wasn't just Me was older, you know, other cousins that I knew there too, and I was a kid, maybe like around 10 years old at that point. So, you know, so that didn't feel stable anymore and sure and then, and then from there, my grandma, you know, she my father got, you know, they were that was key to staying in touch with my dad in the states, and then he brought, you know, he was, he wanted to know if I wanted to live with them. I said, yeah, you know, that's something that I want to do, you know? And then So we worked on that and, you know, and I got my green card, came to the states, may be at the age of 12. Yeah.

Speaker 2

15:34

 So and again I mean, I am obviously not a therapist not that you're coming to me first for that. But you know, it's there's not much I can say other than I am really sorry. You went through all that and it's very easy to say that we're talking 12 years. It sounds like real, real pain and adversity, and This isn't 12 days or 12 months. I mean, this is a very, you know, I don't know how old you are now, but I imagine 12 years is. It's a good chunk of your life. Yeah, regardless of your age but now I, you know, that's just something. I can't fully relate to, but okay. So basically didn't have any Safety and Security, or stability. As you said. I mean, any of the anywhere you were Living in Peru, any of the family members you place trust in. Correct me if I am wrong. But it seems like there was just, that always went South. I mean, I just so you probably got some serious, trust issues and the semi playing therapist, but, and, you know, have never really felt safe and secure or and then the poverty, that means just all of it. Yeah. So there's a lot of going on there, so you Yeah. Okay. So 12 years old, approximately you make your father asks you if you want to come to the states and there was some work there, it sounds like to make that happen. Yeah. Yeah. And you come to the state's. Pick it up from there if you.

Speaker 1

17:12

 Would. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, with my father in the states and, you know, I probably lived with him for like a year and that's you know, 12 out of 12 years of my life that was the longest I lived with my father, he will come to this. Peru and that will see her maybe for like a week. Thank you. Leave. You know, and what not? So fine. So, came here, filled out what stable I was in a home. He was, this was a New Jersey, right outside of Northfield outside of Atlantic City. So they had their jobs in, Atlantic City working at the casinos. And, you know, if feels stable that was going starting to go to school, learning English and so forth. And then, you know, then things turned again, because I came to find out that he was molesting my step, my stepsister. And, you know, and I felt like I should do something because like I said, growing up, also, I was getting molested, but they know. So my cousin's water and I felt like I wasn't doing anything. Like I could have done something, I was so bad about that. So this time, I felt like I needed to do something. I went too much to my school teacher told him about it. It took me out of the home and I ended up in foster care. So again, you know, not stable, right? And then in this case, we, you know, this first home to foster home that I was staying at You know I felt like this was a place like I was there for like at least a year, so I am like maybe this is the place that you know, can grow up in and then and so there was another, another foster kids there that they left to live with their parents and then their parents. The story that I got after everything happened is that their parents tried to extort like money out of my foster parents like so the way they did it is they took them to court. Talking about like, you know, my foster dad was like, you know, don't like my lesson, I like that. The other, the first record I was there and, you know, and they took him to court because of that, but that never went through. They dropped it after they found that. There was no money really to be had there, right in a lawsuit. So at that point, everybody's right left at home, right? I was in another home.

Speaker 2

19:20

 That damage was done at that point.

Speaker 1

19:22

 Absolutely good image is done like they were like blacklisted from being fostered Foster. It's and some think I think at that point on maybe 14 or 15 and I kind of like gave up basically in terms of stability. So that's where I started to go to school and you know I mean like Middle School in the in growing up there you know kids like you see kids smoking in the bathroom just like that the wrong crowd kind of coming up like being a part of it. Right? So another point that was kind of like where I decided to go and Remember, that was a turning point where a teacher in Middle School, asked me, you know, you used to be such a nice child coming into the school here, you know what happened? And my feedback to our was that, you know, basically like being nice, doesn't get you anywhere, you know. And so point for me that was like I said, like, like around 14 or 15 and, you know, and so just from there, jumping from, from foster home, to foster home at that point until the aah, Of a team somewhere in the middle, running away from my foster home state in a shelter. Then I still stayed up. I went to Salem. I ended up in Salem somehow stayed in an abandoned house there. This is.

Speaker 2

20:39

 Salem. Massachusetts. New Jersey, New Jersey sale knows. Gotcha? Yeah, I think there's several Salems. Yeah, it's not a good time. Salem. New Jersey, okay? Yep.

Speaker 1

20:50

 Yeah. So that's always there, you know, for a few months for breaking into like a food stand. To get food for us, and we stand in this event and like this bored at home or whatever and then from their Detention Center, you know? So again, this was a part of my life until the age of 18 that I am like, I really don't care where I end up, right? And you know I don't know if I mentioned already, I dropped out of school at like, what's the point? Like I just want to start making money. I am good with just white people that I knew at that point. We're doing construction work. Maybe. Because of the whole real estate stuff happening around that time, it was like booming. A lot of works on bike.

Speaker 2

21:28

 But around what time was this? What year.

Speaker 1

21:30

 This was in? The I would say in the late 1990s or a thousand. Shh.

Speaker 2

21:39

 But at this point you're it's, I mean, it's day-to-day your future is not what you're really focused on. Yeah, you're trying to make ends meet and kindness is not getting you anywhere. So it's just, you know, your product of your, of your environment at this point. I mean, yeah. Which is not a healthy one.

Speaker 1

21:59

 Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you cook, no, just for context growing up. In during that time, like I said, it was wrong crowd. But you know, rap was that, I think there was a part of the culture that I grew up in a lot of, you know, Tupac Biggie. Jay Z, like they didn't speak about going to school and be educated. They talk about drugs and, you know, I am money and guns and things like that. And so around that time meeting, I met someone who was older than me, kind of so, So him I like my older brother, and he was into Scarface and I don't know if you have ever wasn't are faced by Scarface, it's about you. Those cells making a big bite selling drugs, right? And so he kind of introduced me to two Cokes in the Ecstasy and I remember when we kind of parted ways, like he offer me like doing to do heroin together before he left, and that was that. Now they're the ones because thankfully Jamie for me Coke, and ecstasy and heroin. I wasn't like addicted to thankfully like first you know, thankfully that was something that I try, and I was easy for me to draw because Coke for example, like was gave me like a lock Joe went in the next day. And I was like not of, not a lot of fun, you know. I am like so anyway, so all these things and then so, you know, I ended up in technical school at the age of 18 because foster care was like, hey, we can do you like your own. You're an adult now, right? You gotta go somewhere. So I ended up in Upstate New York in the technical school. Funded by the federal government and kids from like New York City will end up there to get her life together like the judge will send them there. For example, so a lot of.

Speaker 2

23:37

 so that there's a foster home have something to do with that. Placing you there. How was that transition? How did you end up there? Just yeah, yes, it.

Speaker 1

23:45

 Was, it was my social, the social worker, so your son, you're assigned a social worker in diverse, is that the name of the deity agency that deals with, you know, so you're always assigned a social worker even if you live in this Foster homes. So and the social worker, she was like, Louis you can do, you can do better than this like you have the potential to do better. And I am like at that time, like just construction JD. I am like, I am good. Like I really wasn't doing asking for much more, but she was like, you really have more potential. So she kind of she pushed me not to me to get into like something like I used to, like, computer that's something that I used to enjoy. She was like, once you go into the store technical school, learn how to do it, work, you know, I think you have the brain for it, so like cheap. Watch me to.

Speaker 2

24:27

 The sea. She believed in you, I mean, yeah, it's like.

Speaker 1

24:31

 Yes, somebody that she did and when I was in the detention center, right? For every month, she's the one that came there, and she was like, look, you do something wrong again, you're going back to Peru. So like you need to like get it together, but I still went and did. It went the wrong way, but she was always there, like you said, for support, kind of reminded me. Believing in me, right? Yeah. So.

Speaker 2

24:51

 Now, we are going to have to speed up a little bit here. So, from now, what was your mindset That point was there a shift there mentally? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, so technical.

Speaker 1

25:02

 School. I was there. I, you know, I didn't have anyone that to support me. So I started to sell weed there and, you know, bring it into that to the ascent, to the, to the Vo-Tech, right? If you get caught with, that is a federal offense because you're in federal grounds. Not right. So, but, you know, like I said, at that point, like, I didn't care about you. I care right now. There's a turning point like this. Also, during In my time there, I would just had a lot of time to sit on my own and just kind of reflect. So I realized I have, I can go two ways down this path, right? I can either, you know, become like a drug dealer in the end, use kind of like, just, you know, my mind to be successful there. But then I felt that's a gamble because if something went wrong, that all of, that can be taken away pretty easily, right? So, that.

Speaker 2

25:55

 The risk is pretty severe. I mean, it's, you know, it's a, if you do get caught, that's it. The penalty and makes the consequence is very real and fairly permanent sounds like, so, at this point, you're not, you're not talking, you're not thinking about what's, I mean, you know, morally, right, or wrong, it's practically what's, what's best for me? Which I get it. I mean, I am not judging, I am just trying to understand where you were mentally. So, okay. So you have two ways that you realize, you have to Is to go and I think it's important to point out that you have this you created this or there were you were in element of space so you could actually take a step back and look at the big picture. So you were get a lot of time to sit and think. Yes, which is sounds like you're doing nowadays more intentionally but you had two ways you could go and so what did you choose?

Speaker 1

26:49

 So I decided, you know, this drug stop. I will stop. Let me finish getting my certificate here for it. Let me get out. Find a job. Which I did, when I went to look for a job, then, you know, again, you know, like the places I would have applied for they asked for someone that had experienced, you know. So I never ended up getting a job fixing computers like getting into it. So that time, you know, another, another person that up here, again, in my life was my foster mom on the first home that we got kicked out from right, even though she didn't have those tickets again. Like that's still a relationship. I wanted to keep, so I found a way to get in touch with her. And if she again she believed in me just and I think that's important to point out that yes, somebody else have believed in me. So she convinced me to go to college, go back to college and get a degree, right? And at that point, like I said, I was saying I wasn't no more getting into trouble illegally doing things, right? So and you know what? Let me do that. Let me go to college. Let me get a degree really focused. I don't care about football sports and whatever college has to offer in terms of parties. Like I just want them to agreed now, and get In not get to the next step in my life. So I wanted to DeVry University which it was like all about just classes. There were no Sports and things like that. So and that I was on their.

Speaker 2

28:07

 Academics.

Speaker 1

28:08

 Yeah, make sure it's, so I went there for a to be a for computer, engineering and development. And so in there, you know, again, I think my G my, my GPA was like, 3.4 something. It was, it was up there because again just work. I sat in front of this, the classes, ask the questions, I didn't care. Care whether I look stupid or not. That wasn't a priority for me was like, I want to get a good grade to get a, get a job right after that. So.

Speaker 2

28:34

 That's a, that's a good note and bolt right there. So don't worry about looking stupid Sam. Yeah, absolutely. So yeah, that's yeah. I mean there's so much here that we could unpack. What might we might have to have you back on for a follow-up? It's so yeah, I just one takeaway for me so far out, you know, already is that? Yes, there you personally play a major You're rolling your own decision-making and actions that you take for sure. I mean, you could have chosen not to go past, you did choose, but it doesn't sound like it. I mean, those couple of people we already mentioned who had major who believed in you, it doesn't it seem like it was, you know, that much of an effort on their part, I could be wrong. But to speak that, you know, support and belief in to you and had a major impact on your decision-making and In your path going forward. So you know that's an important for the listeners to take away as well as just if someone you know. Don't be afraid to support people and it's amazing. You know how much influence? It sounds like those two individuals had in your life. So I just want to highlight.

Speaker 1

29:44

 That. Yeah. So that the next, the next step here is, you know, I went to kind that up graduating in part of the graduation. They kind of have relationships with companies around the area. So I ended up getting Hired by a company, doing the software engineering work where they had a, you know, they would do plants that they can install robots and plans and I will go travel to different parts. I will go to Singapore. I want to Canada. I will go across the country in the state and go into these plants and just through the program, in portion of the other robots that do just kind of like us like supporting assembly work, whether it's newspapers, but there're hospitals, to delivering, food to operation rooms. And how.

Speaker 2

30:24

 Did you get that job? Did you stop again? It.

Speaker 1

30:26

 Was through that. Graduation. Yeah of the school they had relationships with companies around. Yeah.

Speaker 2

30:31

 That's kind of placement program there too. Gotcha. Okay. And approximately. What year was this?

Speaker 1

30:39

 This was in 2007, I got higher. Yeah. In 2000 and separately for the intake.

Speaker 2

30:44

 So and then from 2007 until today, I know that's a long time but if you yeah, yeah, absolutely, the highlights that. Yeah.

Speaker 1

30:53

 So the Highlight is that, you know, just do the whole backdrop of Growing up. Just take that, take that as a reference because now I get to the point where I have a have this job doing software development work. I have a merry making six figures and that kind of was the line dream as a child where I wanted to get. Yeah, so I felt like you had made it you made it I made it.

Speaker 2

31:18

 Yeah a hundred thousand dollars or more compared to what you grew up in so long. I mean.

Speaker 1

31:22

 That's now you know and so forth. Right? So but again at this point, I am not happy. I am unhappy. Actually, I am frustrated, right? Should I, you know what, you know, I reach this goal but like I feel like I am still grinding, right? So you know what else can I do at this?

Speaker 2

31:41

 Point? So there was just it wasn't all it was cracked up to be and this is something we lose and I we talked about beforehand. We want to really highlight this point of your story Louis because, you know, This is one of the things I want to make sure I avoid on this. This show in general is it's not like life is 20 30 years of adversity, and then 20, 30 years of abundance or however you know, however many years you want to throw in there. It's you had some serious adversity. I mean that's an understatement for sure. And for many years and then you work your way toward a positive path and started to have Parity financially, really. And but then you weren't, you weren't satisfied? It sounds like it's even more than that, you. It's not just that you weren't satisfied, was there? What was your mindset at that?

Speaker 1

32:39

 Point? At that point? It was like, I reach this point and I don't feel like, happiness is nearby. I am having, you know, there're arguments at home, you know, my wife trying to be supportive, but me kind of pushing back because I am in the mindset of how can I make things happen on my own? You know, not yet, have learned left to leverage other times, right? And what kind of issue I was running into, like, I didn't have any kind of financial education, is the point, right? I was just old College stuff to what I needed to do. So, you know, and so I also at that point like should I even continue living like what's the value of going through life now? Like I made it I still feel like there's no happiness here you know. So all of that Started to turn at some point because maybe I thought hey maybe I can get into stocks and options Investments, right? And maybe that will kind of, you know, give me the life that I need, where I don't have to work, but that was also time-intensive, you know, make up in the weekends and kind of read through financial statements, and kind of make decisions of what investments to makes things like that. Then I thought, hey maybe I can open up an online store, but also that's time intense, the right inventory, keeping up with what to sell and things like that, right? So was your goal at.

Speaker 2

33:54

 This point to get to? I mean, hope. To quit your job or was it to you know what was your goal in? Searching down these paths?

Speaker 1

34:03

 Yeah it was to quit my job, right? And not yet but not yet, brought up, not yet. Have a spiritual practice hasn't commented into this point, right? I am thinking how can I make it outside of having to put up you know, work time and still maybe bring money in, right? And then finally, this kind of I listen to this Robert kiyosaki's podcast original and that kind of Reduced me to, you know, like the financial education for, right? Most importantly though was like, you know, how to work in a team, you know, and leverage each other's wives. Do you know, to, you know, to have an actual?

Speaker 2

34:41

 I mean, you had ample reason for not trusting others. Yeah. Yeah. To rely on other people before your whole life, and it's backfired for the most part. Yeah. So I don't, I don't blame you for having Trust issues. I am all about teamwork. And, you know, but it's easy to say when I didn't grow up and in your environment. So, you see, you know, as we speed it up to the current day, you have Incorporated spiritual practice, teamwork. And I know you told me before just focusing on others as opposed to, you know, just yourself. So, can you speak to that a little bit?

Speaker 1

35:25

 Absolutely. Yeah. So from that, Financial education. Portion of one thing that was introduced, was the seven habits of successful people, and I got happy and I got into the book and spiritual practice and, you know sharpening, but something that kind of stood up to me, but I am like, you said, trust issues. So like how do I make this work? So that's where I felt like. I need to find a spare to practice. That's right. For me. I grew up as a Catholic home. I went through, like, like different other religions, you know, most Islamic Muslim. Like I was a Muslim that I was raised and as a foster child for a few months, and then we're pretty intensive but it wasn't like none of those things resonators. So then like yeah. So sin practice was the practice that I picked up three years ago and, you know, and now that's helped me. See things in a different way. In the front place of unity, you know where we're not separate, we're more like a left and a right hand to one entity, right? And so like that mindset shift has helped me, you know, at work. Work full-time. You know I guess switch to part-time because they don't want to lose me. They said they'd rather have me as a part-time. The most me period because they value having me there. And I felt like part of it is that I am happy to help others in the company, not just in my team. There're other teams, we all kind of have to maintain, you know, that this company that we have different applications. So, yeah. So in that kind of mindset of, you know, unity and you know, bringing value to others, right? And kind of investment. Very I feel And of course, in hand, in hand, with spiritual practice. Because when investing going into this Ria, you know, courses and meetings, it was about bringing value to other people, you know, that's something that kind of resonated with me as well. So, how do you know? So now those are the two things that are also, you know, that are important to me as well. Right? Is like how to bring value to others and, and then spiritual practice, you know, keeping up with it and there's so much responsibility once you realize that, you know that There is that we are all kind of one entity breathing organism, right? Yeah, even though we're separating bodies were kind of right now, you know, they're all kind of relative.

Speaker 2

37:38

 That's the part. I mean, you know, when my kids here responsibility, that's like, that's a bad word, they don't want responsibility, right? But really what you're getting to is you're a part of something bigger than yourself and your you're adding value like you said, so your company needed you and so, they didn't want you to walk away. A percent. So that feels good to you if you need it, right? So I think we all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves as much as we like to, you know, run our own day-to-day, not be told what to do, and be our own boss. Which sounds cool. But ultimately community, and being a part of a bigger, not just a group that does nothing, but a bigger purpose, you know, that where you're moving forward. So when I heard you say responsibility that sounds like it gave you Direction and meaning to your life versus when you had made it. Yes. Now, what, right, because you were all about yourself. I mean, not again, not that I get it right and not judging. I am just saying it's you have changed your, your perspective to serving others and being a part of something bigger. So, anything to add there before I fire off, some questions?

Speaker 1

38:51

 No, that's, that's it. I am good.

Speaker 2

38:53

 Okay, that's quiet. I mean, that's quite a journey. It is, there's nothing I can say that's, you know, that as just a wild story. And, but again, I would it's and not just a story. It's very real, but it's a lot of ups and downs. And not just, you know, straight trajectory of from desperation to, from, from adversity, to abundance. It's roller coaster. You know, it sounds like, but your sounds like you're in a much better place. He's mentally spiritually financially, you know, then you were 20, 30 years ago Absolut so and now you're into mortgage note investing and you know you do you started down the path of the infinite banking to share, share some information about you whether you like it or?

Speaker 1

39:45

 Not.

Speaker 2

39:47

 Yeah, but, so I mean you're constantly learning about, you know, finance and investing and which, you know, we Our. I mean I am as well. It's never, it's not like yeah.

Speaker 1

40:00

 I will tell you one thing that does come up for me is that you know, I think you mentioned this earlier is that, you know, even though I made it and I kind of I am still working through things, like there is no end to wear to the path that I am going through because I like, I like I said responsibilities one thing, right? So like what that means is when you go through situations, whether it's at work or you know, in outside of work, you cannot run. Into people that are going through something, you know, and sometimes you know that the mind that I used to have been fix how can I you know, once you try this once you try the but sometimes what's needed is a space just giving the person the space to reflect right versus another voice that kind of clouds their path, whether trying to go through, maybe you know, and sometimes you have something of value that you may want to share. So kind of, you have to be Conscious from Mindful of the situation you're in so that you can help others whether it's giving them, space giving them advice or what, you know. So you so Japan.

Speaker 2

41:06

 My wife tell you to say that. Yeah.

Speaker 1

41:09

 Sorry.

Speaker 2

41:12

 That is that's a challenge I face. Because look, I mean, for the most part, if I come to you with the problem, I want a solution. And yeah, you know, that's not always the case with everyone. It depended on certainly depends on what they're going through like you said, so need to be able to read the situation and be flexible on what how to approach it. It's not just, here's your Solution by, right? So that's good. But, so I am going to fire off some questions and when they were going to wrap up here, we will see where it goes. Will try to keep these answers brief. What do, what do people misunderstand about you?

Speaker 1

41:46

 About me? I think I am very, I am shy. I am very shy and I feel like because I am shy people may think that I do. Want to relate or mean, sure, or B, or bee friendly. May be annoying. So that and so that's changed recently, where I am kind of more a go out of my way to say hi or to just start a conversation, right? It's not. My nature is based out of habit, so it's kind of bringing this new habit, and I am working on. Yeah.

Speaker 2

42:18

 What's one of your biggest?

Speaker 1

42:19

 Failures? The Biggest failures for me was I had a bunch man is.

Speaker 2

42:26

 Right? It doesn't have to be your biggest but one of your one that pops into your head.

Speaker 1

42:31

 Yeah, you know, and I for me I wish I would have started down the path of infinite banking. A lot sooner Financial have not obviously something that I found, you know, unintentionally I guess right but I wish I had a that to me I would have started that 10 years ago, man, I am wearing.

Speaker 2

42:50

 From place up, so that's good. If you could have coffee with a historical figure, who would.

Speaker 1

42:56

 Choose for me. We're going through this book in our Zen practice and the six Grand Master loves and who in, then he was in the 700 on the 700s. He was alive. And that he's someone that I would like to, if you probably won't want to have lunch, you're probably wanted to sit and meditate or anything. That's someone, I would like to admit that it.

Speaker 2

43:21

 If you were given ten million dollars tomorrow, what would you do with it?

Speaker 1

43:25

 For me, it would be I was, I think I will still continue to note investing building. I would like to build our own place because this place kind of is nice to be at but it's not, you know, it's there still things that were missing here at work on in Phi. And this nonprofit work is more to do with my zen practice that I am on that path. You know. I tell Maria you know Maria's like we should win the lottery right and I tell her, but we don't even know what to do with fifty thousand dollars like what working on that right? So that we know what to do with.

Speaker 2

43:56

 A million dollars in. All right here, right? Yeah, that's good. And what's the nonprofit work? You're doing.

Speaker 1

44:03

 Nonprofit. I right now, right now, there isn't anything, but okay, I am profit. But I think to the Zen practice, like, Zen, like our Center, they're tight, they're tied to, you know, get the sitting up presence.

Speaker 2

44:16

 Right? I gotcha. So the what your part of is a non profit Center got it. Let us see. What is a book or two? That you'd recommend?

Speaker 1

44:32

 It's going to be the 7 habits of success. Got it? That was a game changer for me, you know.

Speaker 2

44:38

 Yeah, that was a good one. I read both the book. You know you meant well I guess you said the podcast but you know, I certainly read Rich. Dad. Poor Dad back in the day and this is going to be controversial according to on you know for Real Estate Investors but it actually didn't that book didn't actually do a lot for me. It just didn't it was good for mine. My mindset, you know, shift I guess. But it kind of left me like, okay, yeah, but now what you know, but he does Cashflow quadrant was really good. I read that more recently, but the point, I am getting to Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is that's the book you're talking about. I mean that did, that was a great book. That was fantastic, that I have read that a long time ago as well. How about a movie that you recommend to watch movies?

Speaker 1

45:29

 Yes, I do not as much now. So I think I will have to because I am going to mention Korean movies, which I don't think is of any value to me because my wife is into Korean shows so that's why that comes up. Yeah. Yeah. Anything like anything. Other options besides movies I can't think.

Speaker 2

45:46

 Of one TV show anything, you know?

Speaker 1

45:50

 Yeah, I think I like documentaries in general. Gotcha. That's like, you know, biographies for example, kind of like there was one about Charles Chaplin I was I was listening to all the other day. Yeah.

Speaker 2

46:04

 What's one question? You wish I would ask you but I haven't, I haven't asked.

Speaker 1

46:09

 I think, I think you don't pretty good at it. You cannot Direct in the understory. You know. There was you know, there's so many directions. We could have gone through with this. Yeah. Oh Jamie. Yeah, you know. So I don't think I think these are these points that we here, we're pretty important.

Speaker 2

46:26

 What will you say? Do you want the listeners to take away? From this episode. If you had to, you know, drill it down, or boil it down rather, to distill it down to maybe two takeaways, something like that. What would, what can the listener? Learn from your story and your situation?

Speaker 1

46:46

 Yeah, I think one takeaway is that, you know, sometimes you meet people that don't know what they want in their life, right? And sometimes you're like oh won't you try this? Try that right? But there is no. I feel like people Well, don't have an anchor that kind of direct them in their path. Right. For me like I had a few that I had to go through. I feel like spiritual practice, this is a take away that there needs to be like some kind of spiritual practice that you are in tune with so that you realize that to help you realize like your part of something bigger, right? Then just yourself. I think it's important, you know.

Speaker 2

47:20

 So what's your don't want to cut you off? What's your take on kind of wealth and money in general? I know that's an impossible because that's a loaded question, but you grew up in what I would. Consider extreme poverty and now you're doing well, it's all relative, but you know, as money, good evil. How do you view kind of the pursuit of money? What's your, what's your take on that?

Speaker 1

47:49

 I will be a solid. So money, I will give you the story. I think that was just--, was Robert Kiyosaki that the kind of That resonated with me, right? It was that there was a, I think there was a doctor that graduated he wanted to help other people, right? So he had his, some practice, right? And he was going day in and day out going into this practice, you know, and he made some good money out of it, right? But he realized that he was pretty limited by his two hands, right? And so then he went to the path of financial education how to run a business. And then he ended up, you know, building a hospital and had a higher teams to work in the hospital, right? And to run the business that way. Right? So that many more people that way. Yeah. Scale, you know, so sure me wealth is kind of to help scale dreams, right? Right.

Speaker 2

48:35

 Yeah. No. I like that. It's and it can really expand your impact, you know? Don't get me wrong, we have plenty of greedy capitalists in the u.s. Here, right? And it's easy to get too focused on chasing that dollar but it really gets to. Why are you chasing the dollar and So because I think the other, you know, extreme isn't good either, where you view money as bad or something, you know, it's it can enable you to really have a greater impact in them in the world, I think.

Speaker 1

49:11

 So. I generally just the second thing that kind of points. Second thing is like, a lot of people, people think, in terms of absolute either? Yes, or no. This way. Like, how can I like and going?

Speaker 2

49:24

 What's it? Easier, it's easier to.

Speaker 1

49:26

 Leave these here. When you get out of school, they teach you Theory. They don't teach you experience, right? So the point is you're told these theories and this absolute, right? So and when you go and when, so when somebody new into my team comes in, they kind of want that expecting that like this absolute? What is the way to do it, you know, and some time? But what I realize is through experience, you learn to be comfortable in Gray areas, right? How does how to make this dish? Yeah, relative to your situation, you know. Yeah I think That's a, that's a that's really.

Speaker 2

49:56

 Good, that's what I we're short on time here. But when I was doing Jiu-Jitsu for a few years, Brazilian jiu-jitsu I need to get back to it although the guess the covid numbers are going back up. I don't know. But one of the main takeaways for me from that practice was, you know, just getting comfortable being uncomfortable, and it sounds like an oxymoron or just That's impossible to get you. But you're constantly especially if you're you know, rolling with if you're going against someone who's better than you, you're going to be uncomfortable. You're not going to be able to dictate the circumstances. And so you if you try to fight against that constantly, you're never going to, you're just going to wear yourself out and you're going to lose. So you have to be able to kind of pick your battles and time things appropriately. But through that to get to that point, you have to be able to be comfortable, being uncomfortable, and that doesn't mean severe pain. It just means be patient and just let you know, be okay with for now, not being where you want to be because an opportunity is going to present itself. And that's definitely something I took from Jiu-Jitsu and there's a lot that can be applied from different sports to life. But that's a different podcast episode. So now I think we like you said we have covered it Of ground. I mean we could have gone and seven or eight directions. Hear your story is, I had no idea. I mean, I think few months ago, you chimed in on Facebook about because you tend to, from my observation, you don't comment a lot in our Facebook group that notes and bolts group. But when you do it's very valuable and there's a lot of content there. It's quality over quantity so but one of the things you mentioned a few months back was you know, about the Foster homes, and but then, when we have been getting to know each other more over the last couple of months, your story is, I mean, it's amazing, it's painful, it's you have been through a lot. I joke about this show that does, this does this potential guests meet the adversity and the abundance threshold? Yeah, you know, and you definitely met the adversity. Check that box a few times for sure, but and I think you have met the abundance. I mean, it's again, I am not judging it's just you have come a long way and it's just thankful that you were willing to get vulnerable and, and share on the show for the listeners because that's really who it's all about. So Lewis, as we wrap up here anything to add, no, I.

Speaker 1

52:48

 Think we're good man. Thank you, awesome.

Speaker 2

52:50

 All right. Well thank you very much. Where can our listeners reach out to you if they want to? To.

Speaker 1

52:56

 Connect with. Yeah, like you said, I lurk, I lurk in the nuts and bolts for.

Speaker 2

52:59

 Me. It's a Nuts and Bolts from The Good Deeds. Note investing group that may change the name may change here shortly? I don't know. But any is there an email address or anything? You want to give out or you don't have to subdue you?

Speaker 1

53:11

 Yeah, I mean, I will give you my personal 1l L EMS 111 at gmail.com.

Speaker 2

53:18

 Okay. Perfect great awesome. Well thank you so much Luis. Really appreciate it. And The listeners out there. We very much appreciate you spending your most valuable resource with us, which is your time. Thanks, everyone. Take care. Thanks.

Speaker 1

53:35

 So much for tuning in to this episode of the form adversity to abundance podcast. If you're enjoying the show, please feel free to rate, subscribe and leave a review wherever you.

Speaker 2

53:45

 Listen to your podcasts, that helps others find the.

Speaker 1

53:47

 Show and we greatly appreciate.

Speaker 2

53:49

 It. Thanks again for.

Speaker 1

53:50

 Listening and we will catch you in the next episode.