Marching Toward Prosperity: Manathis Rich's Tactical Financial Wisdom Episode. 5

When the camaraderie of military service meets the acumen of financial mastery, you find individuals like Manathis Rich, an Hawaiian native and financial entrepreneur, who transformed his disciplined background into a beacon of fiscal guidance. We were first introduced by chance in Dallas, and in this episode, he unveils the narrative arc from his father's Vietnam War service to his own Air Force journey through Europe, and how these experiences have shaped his approach in the civilian world. Tapping into military virtues, Manathis illuminates the path for others seeking to navigate the financial landscape with the same precision and camaraderie that defined his service years.

Embark on a mission through the realms of financial literacy, discovering how the right knowledge can arm you for a prosperous future. We delve into various savings and investment strategies, highlighting a particularly advantageous tool offering tax-free benefits, and dissect the implications of employer-matched contributions in retirement plans. Then, brace yourself as we confront the silent adversary of inflation, understanding how it eats away at our purchasing power and the essential tactics for managing cash flow to keep your finances advancing. In a world where traditional wisdom often goes unchallenged, Manathis joins us to advocate for a tactical reevaluation of your financial strategies, ensuring you're well-equipped to march towards wealth and a fulfilling lifestyle.

Transcript

Charlie Shaw: 0:02

Hello all, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Charlie Shaw, the host of the Little Mel Unfiltered Podcast Show, and today's guest is Manathis Rich. Manathas Rich is an entrepreneur in the financial field. He has his own business, which is Mana Rich Global, and he works with Finfit Life, where their mission statement is health, wealth and lifestyle to enjoy. Welcome, how are you today, sir?

Manathis Rich: 0:32

Doing well. Thank you for having me.

Charlie Shaw: 0:34

Alright, I also want to tell you folks this brother is from Hawaii. What island, which island, sir?

Manathis Rich: 0:44

From the island of Oahu. Oahu, yeah.

Charlie Shaw: 0:50

Now, you're born and raised there.

Manathis Rich: 0:53

I actually was raised there, got there at the age of two and so had the privilege and pleasure of spending most of my childhood there.

Charlie Shaw: 1:05

There you go there you go and then you went on from there. Well, let me tell you, folks, I met Mr Rich. I went out to Dallas and he was there for a convention and I was there for the Green Bay Packers win against the Dallas Cowboys and just kind of gravitated towards one another. He's gonna tell you one story, I'm gonna tell you another. I just said hello. He's gonna tell you I woke up the whole airport with my voice. Anyway, I'm glad that we are able to make our acquaintances with one another. So tell me a little bit about yourself.

Manathis Rich: 1:46

Well, first of all, it was truly a pleasure meeting you out in Dallas. That was so kind of hilarious. Well, I was. You know my father was military, my mother was a nurse and you know I don't have the typical military childhood growing up. You know where people had to move all the time. I've moved only basically three times with my father. So I was born in Topeka, kansas.

Manathis Rich: 2:14

At the age of two Dad got stationed in Hawaii, schofield Barracks, and so we went to Hawaii and what was so interesting, as you know, in the early 60s of the Vietnam War was going on. So dad got tapped to go to Vietnam in 1966 with the Wolfhounds out of the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks. So, needless to say, we couldn't go with him there. So we bought a home. Dad bought a home in in 65 in Wahiwa, hawaii, right in the middle of the island, and while he went to Vietnam, mom and dad because mom was a nurse and had shift work we had a longtime family friend. Their daughter was sent to stay with us so that my sister and I could have somebody to watch us after school while mom went to work. So she came out. She was actually a eighth grade. She was in the eighth grade at the time, so she was old enough to make sure we were taken care of, but yet young enough to not affect you know, her high school years, if you will.

Charlie Shaw: 3:29

So basically, she was a big sister to you and your brother, right.

Manathis Rich: 3:34

Me and my sister. Your sister, I'm sorry. I thought you told me one time you had a brother, but it was a friend that you that was close to you when you were growing up.

Manathis Rich: 3:42

Yes, actually he was. Yeah, he was like my brother, but I do happen to have two brothers. But anyway, back to in the 60s though, I have my sister and I, and I think my sister at the time was I think she was two and I believe I was six when dad went to Vietnam. So anyway, we had had the family friend come and stay with us. And then dad got back from Vietnam in 67 and I guess, for for having that hardship duty, he had a choice that if he took the next assignment he have a choice of where he went to after that. Okay, so he got sent to Alaska, which we had a great time. We were in Alaska, fort Richardson, right there in Anchorage area, and then 1970, of course the choice was to go back to Hawaii, to the home that they bought in 65, and never traveled again with that. So that was my, that was my military experience.

Charlie Shaw: 4:48

Well, when you became an adult you did a little bit of traveling, because you're over here in. Orlando now, but on your journey to Orlando? Where was where you land?

Manathis Rich: 5:00

Well, that's a different story. So when I went to Alaska, you know, I had started school with several friends in Hawaii. When we got back to Hawaii I caught up with all of them and we graduated together in 1978. And then in 1978, I raised my hand and volunteered and went in the United States Air Force where I spent the next nine years plus of my life and spent eight of those years over in Europe, specifically Germany and Italy.

Charlie Shaw: 5:31

So and you know the reason why I asked you that is because that's kind of like where we gravitate one another when we are having our having our conversation on in the airport terminal. I realized that you were a vet and I'm a vet and you know we just naturally gravitate towards each other. Absolutely. You know, because I actually was on station of station over in Italy with Navy back in the 90s and I was like it was pretty cool just to hear somebody else have that same experience.

Manathis Rich: 5:59

Yes, yes, I was up in Aviano Air Base in north northeast corner of Italy. Yeah.

Charlie Shaw: 6:08

Took a train up there from Naples. We did did some traveling family and I back then, but I was actually stationed over in LaMona, lena, sardinia.

Manathis Rich: 6:17

Oh yeah, yeah, we're familiar Right.

Charlie Shaw: 6:22

Small worlds man, it is. Oh, so what got you into the financial field?

Manathis Rich: 6:29

Oh man, I was. I was a floundering, young, young man coming out of the Air Force and a lot of times, you know, having coming out of the service and not necessarily knowing exactly what you want to do with life, I happened to be kind of trying to find my way, gotten to car sales and a few other things, and what ended up happening? There was a gentleman by the name of Roy Ogasawara who was a retired green beret from the Army Right, and he was a, he was a force to reckon with, working with New York Life and downtown Honolulu, okay. And so evidently I couldn't even begin to tell you exactly where he saw me, but we were. We ran into each other somewhere in downtown Honolulu and there was evidently something that sparked an interest of hey, maybe this might be something I might be interested in. So we talked back and forth, had a few interviews, took some personality tests and all of those wonderful things that they used to do back in the day to see if you could be a fit. They still do it.

Manathis Rich: 7:47

And yeah, yeah, and I have no idea to this day what that looked like, anyway. So, anyway, I went in and he tapped me and said, yeah, we'd like to go ahead and start you in our training program, and New York Life happens to have one of the finest insurance training programs in the industry. Right, and so I went ahead on. I was enrolled. I took a three day class on how to take the state exam for the state of Hawaii and pass the first time. I'm sitting next to people who had gone in and taken the test four, five and six times Go ahead and pass it.

Charlie Shaw: 8:28

Go ahead and teach your honor for them.

Manathis Rich: 8:30

Well, you know, just, I was fortunate I took that class versus because they were self studying and you know, with the, with the rules and regulations and things like that, it's a lot, it's a lot to know, but I was able to get through that. But then I quickly found out, probably after about six months or seven months or so, that this was, this was not going to be a cakewalk and, and, of course, mr Ogasawara being the respectful gentleman that he was, after about 12 months or so he goes. I don't think this is quite for you right now. So, and and it wasn't at the time because I just was not settled you know, you need to have some stability. It's commissioned pretty much, you get a stipend, but that's about it for a certain period of time. If you're not, you know, feeding the pipeline of prospects and clients, it could be a really, really tough road, right?

Charlie Shaw: 9:35

I've been told that. I've been told that sales is you got to respect folks that's in sales because they're grinding hard and that game.

Manathis Rich: 9:43

Yeah, and here's the thing we're in a very unique field when it comes down to finance, because it's we're not. You know, our system, our school system is not necessarily gear Toward the education of the youth of this country to be educated in finance and how to handle your personal money and things like that. And not that I've always done it well Right, I've done better sometimes than others but but some of the stuff that you could learn that could keep you out of major situations, we're not taught that stuff.

Charlie Shaw: 10:20

You know. To be honest with you, I really didn't know about. You know all the different ways of making. You know letting your money work for you. I was taught put money away for rainy day or put a little bit of your on your savings account or you got a loan, paid more on the loan. I never really was taught about the stocks or what I would. The retirement plan that I had was you know, I wasn't taught by that. I wasn't taught like that, and I wish I would have would have been great.

Charlie Shaw: 10:53

Oh, yeah, had that had that knowledge as a young man, I would have actually put more money away when I was 18.

Manathis Rich: 11:01

You know better financial understanding.

Charlie Shaw: 11:03

But you know, as you know, as you meet people and you listen to, you know, keep your ears open, you might learn something. And I just learned a little bit. Learn a little bit where I can retire now.

Manathis Rich: 11:12

But that was about it, yeah, and here's the thing we're we're not taught, we're not taught how to keep more of our money, where we're taught to put our money in places, to defer it, to pay it out later, right, Right, and we, yeah, and when you pay that money out later, it's not necessarily all to yourself, because you got a silent partner named Uncle Sam.

Charlie Shaw: 11:39

I was. I was going to let you, let me tell you, tell him who it was. Uncle Sam. He is our silent partner. Well, we like partners, but we don't like partners. It's going to take 20, 25% from you.

Manathis Rich: 11:53

Well, we would like to know that we have a partner Right.

Charlie Shaw: 11:57

Well, you know what? And Uncle Sam's defense? I like the roles that we ride on and the infrastructure.

Manathis Rich: 12:04

Yeah.

Charlie Shaw: 12:05

But I want some of it back.

Manathis Rich: 12:07

Yeah Well, it would be nice if some of that money that you paid Uncle Sam did pay for the roads. But that's all appropriated stuff and so therefore it has nothing to do with what's taken from you.

Charlie Shaw: 12:17

Right. So, segueing into that, do you have any ideals, or that? You well, I know that you're going to have you're going to have some financial planning that we're going to discuss later on. Okay, and you, basically, this show is the buildup for those shows that I would like to partner with you on.

Manathis Rich: 12:36

Oh, okay.

Charlie Shaw: 12:37

Well, that's a month and how you feel about that. Okay, great.

Manathis Rich: 12:39

You know, yes, I feel good about that. I think it would be great because, once again, simply stated but can be complicated in implication, you know, in implementation.

Charlie Shaw: 12:54

So you hold seminars and workshops and this feel too right.

Manathis Rich: 13:00

I do, I actually have. I have a weekly zoom that I do. That's by by invitation and must register to to participate, and that's only so that we can know who has showed up and who we could follow up with and things like that. But I do do that once a week and and then I also if people require, If people request, right, they would like to have some more information, I can schedule that as well or put them on my calendar and I can do one on one at their, at their leisure, Okay.

Charlie Shaw: 13:40

Let's go back to what we were discussing before. Where do you, where we discuss that we're not teaching our the youth about financial responsibility? But that was a youth you were talking about. What about folks in there just just getting started in their careers?

Manathis Rich: 13:58

Yes, yeah, that's a big deal, because I mean, you think about it. Let's say you graduated from high school. You got your first second job, maybe, or you're, you're going, you know, you're getting finally getting that. You've graduated from college, maybe, or you found a profession that you really like, um you, it's so important to be able to know where you can park your money. That's going to be in your best interest, and there's so many misconceptions of what it's possible. So I went to a high school recently here in Orlando, florida, where I'm currently residing, and had an audience of about 35 students, from freshmen to seniors and and nothing but positive reviews after we were done, just teaching them a few concepts of how money works.

Charlie Shaw: 14:52

Are you on Liberty's?

Manathis Rich: 14:54

Tell me which high school that was, because I'm yeah, there was Evans High School right here in Pine Hills Florida and you know what I like that, evans is?

Charlie Shaw: 15:04

they're not. They're popular with their, with their Sports, and you're over there teaching and financial literacy man. I that's awesome, I like that.

Manathis Rich: 15:14

Yes, I'd like to go back to because I've been there. I Actually was invited once, was invited back. It didn't come to fruition for whatever reason, but but yeah, I just would love to be able and you know, it doesn't even have to be in that setting, it can be, somebody can, if there's anybody out there that like to throw a group together and maybe meet at a library, in a side room or whatever. We don't have to wait. It doesn't have to be formal. It could be very informal, but no matter what is, as long as it's being done, and it could be of all ages, right? Well, I mean I say all ages.

Charlie Shaw: 15:50

I'll say age of understanding to you know, to 60, 70, 80 years old right, and you mentioned that is zoom, because my audience is pretty much all over the country, but so that that's available to anyone you know you can travel to them, you can also do zoom with them. Yeah, one consultations, okay, okay.

Manathis Rich: 16:14

Yes, absolutely.

Charlie Shaw: 16:16

Oh, what different programs would you be talking about?

Manathis Rich: 16:21

Um, well, I mean like we can talk about basics, but you know, we could talk about a number of things, but one of the things that there's a couple of platforms that a lot of people are familiar with this 401k, 457 plans, 403 B's, TSP's, iris we can talk about all those things, but I do not. I actually do not implement those things because of the requirements. Like I don't get into the investment side of things. I use a Very, very specific platform that is like a Swiss army knife that can cover a whole lot of things and and and. Once you know that, then it's, it's. At least you can make an informed decision of hey, do I want to park money in that, especially when I can access an income tax free lawfully. You know things like that right.

Charlie Shaw: 17:23

You want to make a make money, work for you and make it available to you when you want it, not waiting to liquidity. Yeah, I wait until you're 59 and a half.

Manathis Rich: 17:33

That's right Would it, play with it. That's exactly right, and that's that's some of the limitations that you find with qualified plans, because you got to remember who makes the rules of the qualified plans. The government does, yeah, yes, you know. So I ask a very simple question to most people what is that? And? And that question is this would you rather be taxed on the seed or the harvest?

Charlie Shaw: 18:01

I remember this, when we were talking Sorry, and you would you rather yes. Well, you tell me what, what, what. What is the better? What is what's better for you? If you, if someone asks you that question, where, in which direction would you go?

Manathis Rich: 18:16

Well, how many seeds do I have? No, just.

Charlie Shaw: 18:22

That's not what you said last time.

Manathis Rich: 18:26

No, well, if you were, if someone handed you ten apple seeds and you paid the tax on that, we have no idea how many apples can be be harvested from those 10 trees over time, right, right? So obviously the, the the lesser of the tax is going to be the seeds, because the, because the harvest could be so bountiful that, obviously, whatever taxes would be taken from that harvest are going to way, way out, way, the 10 seeds that you pay tax on.

Charlie Shaw: 19:00

So the way I understand this is pay it on the front end, not the back, so that you can.

Manathis Rich: 19:05

That's another way of saying it.

Charlie Shaw: 19:07

Yeah, you can reap what you sow without a right out of your head.

Manathis Rich: 19:12

That's exactly right and that's actually that's a very well, that's a very put very well is this, you know? Because here's the thing when you're in a qualified plan, so let's just say, for kicks and grins, you're, you're your state, and you are putting a 5% of your paycheck into the qualified plan that they have set up for you, and let's just say that the company matches it and that's wonderful because that's 5% free money to you, right? Yes, sir. And so let's say you do that for 40 years and you get down the road and you're getting ready to now retire. Okay, now remember, half of that money was given to you freely by the company, right?

Charlie Shaw: 20:01

Yeah.

Manathis Rich: 20:02

But at the end of the day, when you say you have a $50,000 a year lifestyle and you have to pull funds from that qualified plan, well, you're gonna have to pull out Probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 65 to $70,000 To be able to keep the 50 that you live on. Okay, so basically, the free money that was given to you by that company really wasn't free is basically cut. Yeah, what's this covering the tax? Right, it wasn't free. Yeah, okay, and and that and so therefore, but but it helped the company Contributing on your behalf, because the company gets certain, you know, certain benefits from Contributing right there their tax rate off?

Manathis Rich: 20:57

Yeah, exactly and you, you Believing that, wow, this is great. And if you, let's say, you end up in, just for easy numbers, $100,000 in set account and now let's say you're 65, that's fine. That money in that account is now you know, your money to be able to use for your retirement, but, once again, just depending on what kind of lifestyle you've established, because I know most people when they retire, they retire on less money while they're not working than they do when they're working.

Charlie Shaw: 21:39

Yes, that's a fact. That's a fact.

Manathis Rich: 21:42

You know. So if you were making $80,000 a year while you were working and then, all of a sudden, now you find yourself retired, well, there's a pay cut there.

Charlie Shaw: 21:52

Living off 45% of what you were earning yesterday.

Manathis Rich: 21:57

That's right, 45% to 50% of that, and that's why the retirement, you have the retirement there. But that's why they say, well, you know, your empty nest, your kids are gone and your house should be paid off. I mean, but that's all of that is if everything worked out perfectly.

Charlie Shaw: 22:15

Absolutely. That's perfect storm, you know, yeah, my kids are.

Manathis Rich: 22:18

I don't know if anybody's got a perfect storm. No, no.

Charlie Shaw: 22:23

I had to drive those cash cars. Watch what I bought. You know I didn't want my daughters, you know, worrying about school and all that. You know things. Hey, man, that's life, everybody. I was able to put a little bit away, but you're right, they're going to take whatever you have in there. They're going to take 20, 25% when you're ready to cash out.

Manathis Rich: 22:43

At least and think about it. If you're a high net earner, if you're a high net worth earner, oh, man. Man, you think they're doing great right Doctors, lawyers and all that stuff. Man, if they're not careful they get eat up.

Charlie Shaw: 23:00

That's 35% if you fall in those in that high, high tax break. High, that's exactly right, and I don't know numbers, I'm just throwing it out there, but you know, oh no, yeah, it could be anywhere from 26 to 30, 36%, just depends.

Manathis Rich: 23:15

And then we got to take a look at OK, is that just federal? Yeah, then we start taking a look at what about states? What about the states that have interesting tax brackets?

Charlie Shaw: 23:25

You know, I think that's why a lot of people land in Florida, Texas, Tennessee. Let me see the other ones. Maybe Washington state is that.

Manathis Rich: 23:33

The Washington state, Nevada, Arizona, Nevada and AC and, I believe I think, Montana. Montana is the government yeah, I think that's another one, so I don't know all of those. But what I would say, though, is, between the Fed, the state, the sales and any other fees and things that you might be paying, every single bit of that counts and takes away from your network.

Charlie Shaw: 24:00

Yeah, you really do have the plan. I've always had conversations with my guys when I said, hey, listen, man you guys need to go to retirement seminar 10th year fifth year and then every other year until you decide that you're leaving because things change and I live by that.

Charlie Shaw: 24:21

And I'm not going to say I was perfect with my money. I'm not going to say that I was always listening and paying attention or I was always physically responsible with my funds, because things come up and I'm not saying that I just blew any Things come up where you can't put away. Early on I didn't put away a lot of money, but as my responsibilities decrease meaning raise in the family I was able to sock away a little bit more. Was it hard at first? Yes, because it was all disciplined. It was disciplined Right. It's a habit. Right, it was a habit that you had to create and you know as well as I do habits are created over time. That's correct. That's exactly right. And even now, as retired, I'm still watching my ends, making sure that I'm not overspending, because I don't have that 100% coming in anymore.

Manathis Rich: 25:14

That's right. That's right, and that's why a lot of people have a hard time. That's why you find a lot of our older population is having to work, because you have to. Also, the other thing that we got to take a look at, and this is the silent tax, which is the inflation tax. Yes, I mean the cost of goods and services. Those dollars that you used to be able to do 10 years ago do not do the same thing today.

Charlie Shaw: 25:39

Well, as Fed Joe said and this is a guy, a rapper he said those are yesterday prices, these are today prices.

Manathis Rich: 25:48

That's exactly right, right. A dollar, a dollar you know just even four years ago, does not do today what it did four years ago.

Charlie Shaw: 25:57

Yeah, I was looking at the price of my GMC pickup truck, for example. Right, that thing rolls up almost eight grand in four years.

Manathis Rich: 26:07

I was like get out of here. That's the same truck.

Charlie Shaw: 26:09

I sat in it and I was like this is the same truck, Are you kidding?

Manathis Rich: 26:13

me.

Charlie Shaw: 26:13

Yeah, absolutely, you got the nerd to put almost 10,000 more on it and then tell me that's a good deal. I'll keep this until the wheels fall off.

Manathis Rich: 26:24

Yeah, you'll keep it until the wheels fall off, oh, keep it until the wheels fall off. But you know, isn't it interesting? Right now you can go with Chevy trucks back, you know, way back in the day. You know four $5,000, $5,000, $6,000 for a truck. Right Now you get a GMC or a Chevy pickup or something like that and you're spending $60,000, $70,000, $80,000, $100,000.

Charlie Shaw: 26:54

You know how many grandfathers are rolling over in a grave man? We're spending that kind of money, oh man, yeah.

Manathis Rich: 27:00

But you know, what's so interesting about it is that it takes more of those dollars to get that vehicle because of that thing called inflation. Now I'm going to share a little secret with you in your audience. So one of the things that really interesting about this thing called the dollar right, right, the last person holding the dollar is the biggest loser.

Charlie Shaw: 27:31

Tell me about that.

Manathis Rich: 27:34

Well, if you don't do something with the dollar?

Charlie Shaw: 27:38

then it's worthless. So you got to move that thing around in commerce.

Manathis Rich: 27:43

You have to move it in order for you to feel like, in order for you to have any any worth. Because here's the thing dollars just sitting around do very little to nothing.

Charlie Shaw: 27:56

You're going against the grain, but you're going against the grain.

Manathis Rich: 27:59

Well, just a minute ago we were talking about saving money. Now you're telling me you want me to spend it.

Charlie Shaw: 28:04

Come on now. Don't confuse me in the audience. What do?

Manathis Rich: 28:07

we got to do so. So what that tells you is maybe, just maybe, it might be more about cash flow than cash holding.

Charlie Shaw: 28:17

Okay, okay. I don't mind flowing stuff, and of course there's way.

Manathis Rich: 28:21

Yeah, so that so, but the last person holding us. So what I mean by that is, let's say, obviously, if you're sitting in your house and you want it to have some, some milk and cereal, if you don't have the dollars to buy the milk and cereal or trade for the milk and cereal, you may or may not have milk and cereal. It might, you might, need to be a gift from somebody. However, somebody's paying for it, yeah, yeah, so now? So if you're holding the dollars just to have the dollars and you're not flowing them into things that you need to change, exchange for what you need in your life, then you holding the dollars does nothing for you. Now, now it does sound contrarian doesn't it?

Manathis Rich: 29:12

It's like oh save money, yeah, but there is a. There's a purpose for having the availability of money to have more value of the money in which you're holding. And remember the tax, the taxes for the money you're holding. That means that the that hundred thousand you were holding obviously cannot go and do more of the things that you would need it to do while you're paying tax on that money.

Manathis Rich: 29:41

That's right, that's right. So just trying to keep that clear that, yes, there is a there's a time that you want to be able to have access to funds that are not, that are, that are little to little to no tax on it. Yes, that's what you want to have. You want to have access and basically cash flowing in the right places allows you to do that.

Charlie Shaw: 30:05

And you plan on teaching us that?

Manathis Rich: 30:07

Well, yes, that is what, that's what it is, well advising us. It is the plan. Yeah, that's the plan, because my my thing is is I can share and share, and share, but you have to really wrap your head around it and remember. We've been indoctrinated so long to not look at things differently.

Charlie Shaw: 30:25

And you know that's a whole another discussion for another show because we, you and I we talked for about an hour on on that subject and I got off the phone with you and I was like and we did it, yeah, we, we did a little show on thinking outside the box. That was basically thinking outside the box. And that's something that we don't force ourselves to do because we're so used to the norm. This is the way it goes. You wake up, you do this, you do that, you do that and then you retire back to your bed.

Manathis Rich: 30:55

Yeah, yeah, that's right Part of our conversation, if I'm not mistaken was about thinking right, free will, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, we're not thinking when we get out of bed, that's. This is an unnatural movement, right? That's not thinking Right. Yeah, right, walk one foot in front of the other?

Charlie Shaw: 31:15

That's not thinking, that's not thinking, that's just doing it. There's no complexity there, you know. You just doing it, it's right. But like I said, I I thought about what you said and you know I couldn't argue it at the point, because it's it's something that we're just normally, that we're just doing and we need to Right Think outside, sometimes Right, there's a great book called the the science of getting rich by Wallace D Waddles. Wallace D.

Manathis Rich: 31:46

Waddles, waddles, waddles, waddles. Yeah, and that that book was written back in like 1915 sometime. And one of the things he talks about in the book is it says, is that thinking is the hardest work you will ever do.

Charlie Shaw: 32:03

You remember when we were sitting there and somebody thought somebody was being lazy at the airport, when actually that man was probably just thinking about what he's going to be doing next.

Manathis Rich: 32:20

He was like leave that man alone. He's thinking, give him time to collect his thoughts. That's exactly right. So I want to share. I want to share a little quote from a Dr Ray Hagan. Okay, ray Hagan, dr Ray Hagan.

Charlie Shaw: 32:42

Yes.

Manathis Rich: 32:43

And, and one of the things that Dr Ray Hagan used to do before he would teach any any idea if he'd have. He'd have his audience, have his audience repeat this message and here's what it says the space inside this circle, you'd have you put your hands up and put your hands kind of in a circle, okay. And he says the space inside this circle represents my realm of knowledge. All that I think I know, about whatever I think I know, is depicted right here within the circle. I must keep in mind that there is more to know than what is within the circumference of my awareness.

Charlie Shaw: 33:36

There's so much more outside of circle that we need to let in.

Manathis Rich: 33:42

Yeah, Dr Ray Hagan. He was the chief elder of the African village in St Louis, Missouri, and I used to love that and I used it with the kids at the high school and what that does is prepare the mind to receive information and not get complacent thinking you know it all.

Charlie Shaw: 34:04

Yeah, that's where so many of us fail is when we think we know it all.

Manathis Rich: 34:08

That's correct. I've been accused of it.

Charlie Shaw: 34:16

You're in good company.

Manathis Rich: 34:19

That's all I have for you.

Charlie Shaw: 34:21

I'm in good company. But you know, when you stop thinking like that, you realize that you have a great mind that can absorb so much more, so much more than what you had yesterday, so much more information, and I appreciate you sharing that quote with us and I hope that the listeners heard you and held up that circle, because I had an usual, also of it.

Manathis Rich: 34:50

Yes, and it's really cool because once I got that it was like oh, wait a minute. Yeah, I do know a lot of stuff, but now the question becomes is what you have, are you using it? Or like what they say you have common sense.

Charlie Shaw: 35:08

Are you using it? Yeah, yeah.

Manathis Rich: 35:11

And what's so interesting is understanding that everyone and this is a hard one to wrap people's heads around, but I'll try it right now and that is this, and, from their perspective, is correct.

Charlie Shaw: 35:27

Yeah, I can't argue everyone.

Manathis Rich: 35:29

Yeah, everyone is correct from their perspective.

Charlie Shaw: 35:33

It's sort of like what they. What I've heard before is we're all in the same building, but we got different. We're looking out different windows, we've got different views of things, so you're never wrong. You know what you're looking at may not be, may not fit the scenario that you, that you're trying to, you know, resolve or solve, but you're never wrong and what you, you know what, how you view things, is just maybe a different way of looking at that.

Manathis Rich: 35:59

So if that is true, why do we have so many arguments? Yeah, and it's because of the lack of acceptance that everybody can be right from their perspective.

Charlie Shaw: 36:18

I think that's just. We're not perfect people. That's the only way I can say that we have to accept, we have to be accepting Right and see, here's the thing that's so interesting.

Manathis Rich: 36:32

but you need to be more receptive to mine than me of yours. That's where the argument comes in.

Charlie Shaw: 36:38

Yeah, take my 51%, we'll hold on before you Because that's the way I see it.

Manathis Rich: 36:46

Oh, you don't agree? Huh, oh, okay, I don't understand, I just don't get it.

Charlie Shaw: 36:55

You don't see it my way.

Manathis Rich: 36:57

Yeah, you know.

Charlie Shaw: 36:59

You know we disagree to agree on a few things. Like I said, that discussion we had that evening I was like wow, yeah, I got to go to bed, but I'm not done with him yet, and you were up for the challenge.

Manathis Rich: 37:13

Yeah, oh yeah. And here's the thing it's like we all are. We're all products of our experience right, I mean no matter what right I mean we hear people talk about all the time. You know my environment, my environment, you know Right and you know just to a certain degree I agree that yes, it's your environment, but then at some point, where does the environment end, and you take control of what you believe and that could be anything.

Charlie Shaw: 37:45

now I know some people that could be anything.

Manathis Rich: 37:48

That's exactly right.

Charlie Shaw: 37:50

Where you were raised, who you raised by yes, what you were exposed to, what you were exposed to, why? I have no idea. I was raised in Wisconsin, racing in Wisconsin. You don't know anything? Oh, I don't know. You've been to Wisconsin before.

Manathis Rich: 38:04

No, I can't say that I have. I think I flew through Milwaukee once, but all I know is all I know is it's it's it's very cold in the world.

Charlie Shaw: 38:18

It all depends on if you're dressing warm, you know. So people that dress warm, hey, it's not that cold to me, that's right.

Manathis Rich: 38:27

You know I do like your hair. But yeah, all things equal. It has some low temperatures.

Charlie Shaw: 38:34

Yeah, and Hawaii. Some people may think that that's too humid or, you know, that's just too hot for me, you know you never know, it's just how. What were you exposed to? And yeah, set set your frame line, so sometimes we got to give people a chance and just hear them out.

Manathis Rich: 38:53

Yes, absolutely, and and even even be able to have the ability to recognize where they're coming from, rather than making a judgment that they're there, you know. You know, because a lot of us jump to judgment that they're even there and totally dismissing why they could be there.

Charlie Shaw: 39:16

Yeah, Well, I'm going to wrap up the show on that note and we can pick back up on that. But in the meanwhile, could you come up with a few topics for us to discuss? I don't know if you want to go monthly. I'm more than happy to do that with you, if you want to go quarterly. I just want you to educate the. Educate my people as well as myself, and I'm not saying that they don't know about financial literacy, but I want to learn more.

Manathis Rich: 39:44

And if I'm all right more.

Charlie Shaw: 39:45

I'm sure that there's a few people that would also.

Manathis Rich: 39:48

That's awesome and I you know what I figure, the more the merrier versus you know, you know, because you just never know when, when people may be in that spot to where they need to know something that they might have been growing, they might have been grappling with. Right is like, hey, I'm, I'm just starting my career, was I want to start sooner than later, than there's those that are on their way to retirement and and confused by that whole process, right, what is that going to look like? And here's what I would say Obviously, time is is the commodity you never get back. Yes, so because you never get that back, the sooner and the more often that we can do that is going to be in our best interest. So I I look at it from the standpoint of more often is going to be better than less often. So I'd be more than happy to come back on a quarterly I mean, excuse me, on a monthly basis. Absolutely Appreciate that, appreciate that very much, larry.

Charlie Shaw: 40:54

Sir, I appreciate you and all you know. We're gonna have our you know our conversations offline and bring it back online. Believe me, folks, we do get along.

Manathis Rich: 41:04

Yes, we do very well.

Charlie Shaw: 41:06

And I like the fact that we can agree to disagree, because both of us are learning. That way, you're learning that way.

Manathis Rich: 41:12

Yeah, absolutely, I agree.

Charlie Shaw: 41:14

Alright, folks, until next time Take care and stay safe. Aloha everybody.