The Weekly Vitamin with S.A. Thomas: Wall Street Wisdom & Staten Island Stories

From the Desk of a Wall Street Moron

Quote of the Week: "If something can corrupt you, you're corrupted already." - Bob Marley

Haiku of the Moment:  

Jump off the ledge dear,

One of a kind and still trips,

Where did you go fear?

Song of the Week: "Rosa Parks" –Outkast

Trading Up Your Life: A Moron's Meditation

Well, since I'm a writer, I figured I would write. Right? What could go wrong? This is the first attempt at a weekly data dump of Organic Intelligence, the type we all possess. Unscrambling the eggs of anxiety is a lot of work these days. It's a bit more involved than scrolling up, down, left, and right. Write? Yes, that's what I said. But what did she say? The supercomputer likes things to be streamlined and easy, so reading this may bother that microchip on your shoulders. Maybe that is the point. Pushing through limits helps gain control back of your life.

Just one year ago, I was out of work, blackballed by an industry, a baby on the way (that's why we sip Tanqueray), and broke as a joke. Don't believe me? I've got the bank statements to prove it. My negatively hit U4 is a public record for anyone who wants to go dumpster diving. This was the reward I received for 18 years of loyalty with one company. I'm not reliving that trauma any longer thanks to the ability to write. Right? Wrong. Even though I have grown and pushed past the past, does that mean that the past has passed? Yes and no. Wisdom comes from experience, and experience comes from making choices, and yeah, some of those aren't going to be the right ones. That's part of the game, my friends.

Pro Tips from a Wall Street Survivor

Anyway, where was I? On the wrong side of the tracks, but I avoided the oncoming train in the nick of time. Plenty of nicks though — has anyone seen my nicotine? I enjoy playing with words and my still-developing belief around their ability to be self-medicinal. The Self-Help world is full of Erudites and Charlatans. It's a menagerie of beasts and burdens, and I've realized we're all just Rolling Stones trying to avoid the Jagged edge. (Sidenote: Having three kids gives me the right to be as punny as I wish. #dadjokes4eva)

Real Talk About Real Success

Agency, my friends, is not just how I trade convertible bonds for a living — it's how I choose to live. With the agency to make decisions, to actively engage with my perspectives and realize that most of the thoughts I have have been given to me. By the world, by my genes, and maybe that smell is coming from my jeans. (Hun, can you wash this for me?)

And joking or not, we could all use a good washing. So I'm here. Not to wash your dirty-ass car, bro — that's your job. But I will show you some steps and moves I've undertaken to clean my own. And hun, my shit is just as grimy as yours. There is NO holier-than-thou shit here. I'm not a motivational speaker; I'm a speaker of motivation because I need it. When I stammer on about Gratitude as medicine for the mind, it's because I needed that stuff. That was the junk to get me off of the junk.

Look around, see how much junk you have in your life. Or just keep scrolling and pretend it ain't there. If you're of the latter, then take your ladder and climb another building. This one is for those who like to take the stairs. Ever notice that it's the ones who take the stairs that live the longest? Have fun on the elevator, my friends — I'll surely see you at the top. Got a LOT of calories to burn here.

Stevey Ponders...

People will die when you least expect it. Get used to it, and still realize you'll never get used to it.

Kids are Medicine. Why don't we bring kindergarten classes to the nursing homes? But I'm the Moron.

If you want to create tomorrow, you should have started yesterday.

Sky's the limit and death is the doorstep. The choice only helps so much.

Life ain't fair, but it sure is fun. If you're reading this, you're doing something right.

So pumped for Doechii to win Rap Album of the year. That girl is special, and I think the next stage in hip-hop history may be written by the females. Hot Take Alert. BUT, those spots have to be earned, and that is yet to be seen. NostraThomas predicts.

Let's not let "I remember A Guy" be replaced with "My A.I. Says"....

H2: The Truth About Wall Street Lies

Taught to Lie — Big Thought alert: We are taught to lie from an early age. No?! Have you ever told your kid to be polite because company was coming over? You basically told them to withhold their honest emotions because someone else is in the space and that's the customary thing to do. I get it. It's still lying.

Why do we lie to ourselves so often? Oh, I'm sure you're different, but I'd like to be more honest, if I'm being honest. Maybe that politeness has to go?

Stevey Ponders is a cool-ass name if I don't say so myself. (You did, jackass.)

Trading Up Your Mental Health

Being your best when things are at their worst — that's the key. Tragedy cannot turn to triumph without us coming together with love and compassion during moments of crisis. This is where the time becomes the moment and we get to find out who we are. Pay attention to those moments, without judgment, and with an open mind. Small tweaks can lead to the highest peaks. Being accountable is among the strongest habits one can develop.

It's a bit like walking on the beach: You may see this wonderfully gigantic rock that has interesting crevices, or you may stab your foot on a cracked seashell. This is my promise to you.

A Wall Street Survivor's Gratitude

They say if you love what you're doing, you never work a day in your life. For most of my W2 life then, I haven't been in love. I've been in like, and I've definitely been in lust, but love? Nah. I love the dough, but love is more than just looks. It's not just the T+A that turns a wonderful weekend into a lifetime commitment. That's something else entirely, and that takes patience and commitment.

I find time and solace in the art of word, and now with the ability and effort to share that art of word, I am not working. I do not expect to be understood because I myself am not totally understood. I am cool being imperfectly trying. I am really grateful for the awareness of the power of words, as they have been around me for so long that, like wallpaper, I forgot they were there. But they are. Hey bud! I'm gonna be playing more with these words, and like an old pal, I expect we are going to get on just fine. Trouble? Nah, what could possibly cause any trouble?

With Gratitude,

S.A. Thomas

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