Foreword
“Wealth is not his that has it, but his that enjoys it. – Benjamin Franklin
We live in a world where the true meaning of wealth has been lost.
In years past, a dream of riches was synonymous to Charlie Sheen’s character in Wall Street. Today’s world is one that no longer fits that dream. Greasy-haired stock brokers who grind their way to the top is not the idea of rich anyone believes in anymore. There is a problem, however, in that we lack any other definition of wealth.
We need to change how we think about wealth. We need to redefine what it means to be “rich.” Wealth, defined in this modern age, is a true ownership of your emotions, time, location, and ability to give back. When you follow this definition of wealth, and focus on maximizing each area, the monetary riches follow, 100% of the time, every time.
Don’t believe me? Fair, but I challenge you to keep an open mind.
Coming from the investment finance realm, I spent a great deal of time surrounded by people who fell into the same trap we all do: chasing the almighty dollar, with a lack of focus on anything else. Trust me, I was the same.
But over time I started to notice that my coworkers and clients, with their monetary understanding of wealth, weren’t increasing their happiness, but were actually decreasing it. Weird, I thought. I had been conditioned my whole life to measure my happiness by the amount of money I had. It must be an aberration of the Investment Finance industry, I decided.
So, after being bit by the tech bug in Silicon Valley, I decided to try my hand as the Director of Finance for a VC-funded technology startup. Surly the tech industry, with their Google-like office slides, catered lunches, and Nerf gun wars, would understand the true meaning of wealth. Not so!
What I found was shocking. Those in the technology sector, with their industry-wide focus on exits and liquidation events, faced the same problem as those in the investment finance industry: a misidentification of what it means to be wealthy.
So I took it upon myself to find the true definition of “wealth,” what it really means to be “rich”, and how they work together to increase your happiness.
By reading this book, you will:
Still don’t believe me? Can’t understand how shifting your focus away from money actually increases your wealth?
Well, when I think of the happiest person in the world, I also think of her as the wealthiest:
Take Lauren Cant, for example, a friend of mine who, two years ago, was based out of the Midwest. At first glance, she would seem to have nothing: a few outfits, some basic toiletries, a laptop, and an apartment that she would regularly sublet. Her job was respectable; she wasn’t going to become a millionaire, but it gave her the ability to travel.
Lauren, like many of us, loves to explore. She gains the most value out of traveling. Using frugal living techniques to stretch her budget, many of her friends refer to her as “cheap.” She drives a ten-year-old car that runs well, and uses the additional cash saved from a new car payment to put toward even more travel.
Through the experiences gained in exploring the world, Lauren feels truly alive. She loves every day, and every day gets increasingly better and more interesting. Her happiness is directly related to new experiences, and through new experiences, Lauren maximizes the value of her life.
What’s more, through her travels over the past two years, Lauren discovered a passion for cooking. Coinciding with her desire for new experiences, she experimented with a lot of interesting food, and began to create her own fusion dishes.
Every time she would return to the Midwest from her travels, she would add to her recipe collection to further expand her passion. Her happiness increased with each recipe, but she wasn’t done pursing her happiness.
Fast-forward to today, and Lauren successfully runs her own fusion restaurant. She’s her own boss, does what she loves, still travels (for research, of course), and makes more money than she ever thought possible.
Not a bad strategy to obtain wealth, am I right?
By reading this book and taking action on the advice, you will get the same results as my friend Lauren. Your happiness will increase, your satisfaction and self worth will sky rocket, and, oh yeah, your bank account will reach levels you never thought possible.
Every second you delay from turning the page delays your pursuit of ultimate happiness and satisfaction with life. Understand the true meaning of wealth and how it will make you truly rich, in every sense of the word.