While reading through my journal this afternoon I came across some thoughts I had a couple of years ago that I thought may be of interest to my readers. This conversation with myself took place in September 2007, shortly before I would learn that my father had stage 3 lung cancer. It deals with my desire to shake the money monkey off my back, something I still have not done. But I have re-committed myself to doing so and I’ve made a copy of the following to add to my daily readings. I dedicate this post to all of you who are similarly primate-laden.
What is rich? I want to be it but I’m not sure I can envision it. And if I can’t envision it it’s unlikely I can be it. So herewith I do my best to describe what it means to progress from my current financial state to the one I call “rich”.
Stage 1
The first stage of rich is freedom from worry. In order to accomplish this I need only to meet my financial obligation(s), which is currently a $2300 mortgage payment. In order to do that I need to be consistently good at my job. To do that I need to 1) be ever vigilant about my attitude and 2) make a habit of striving for excellence in every task I perform, regardless of how minute it may seem at the time. I will be free from worry when I have 3 payments, or $7,000, in the bank.
Attitude is critical, the A-#1 building block in the foundation for the wealth I’m building. Positive attitude will be maintained by 1) reminding myself frequently of all the abundance with which I have been blessed and 2) keeping the long-term goal of wealth at the forefront of my thoughts.
During this stage I will be preparing to receive my wealth. Developing a clear mental picture of what rich looks, tastes, feels, sounds and tastes like will also be accomplished during this phase. In other words, the Law of Attraction will be set in motion. I admit to not really knowing what rich feels, looks, etc. like, and I’m convinced that my inability to create mental pictures of it is why I am not.
Stage 2
During stage 2 I will begin rapidly eliminating debt. Part of my Stage 1 commitment is to live with the expectation that with my dedication to self improvement will come insights and opportunities that provide me with the means to drastically increase my income. I admit to not knowing what they are right now, but I live with Faith that they will present themselves to me. By the end of Stage 2 money will be rolling in faster than I ever imagined possible (which again is probably why it isn’t already!); this stage will be complete when I have no debt other than my mortgage. I might even take up golf!
Stage 3
At the end of Stage 3 I will be able to quit working. (I prefer not to use the term “retire” for that implies “old age” to me and I have no intention of waiting till I’m an old man to retire.) I’ll have enough money to cover daily expenses, a vacation or three every year, maybe some winter time in a warm climate. I estimate it will take $3-4 million to do this.
Stage 4
Luxury, elegance and exotic locales are now within reach if I choose to reach for them. More importantly, I will be able to give something back to the world that has been so generous to me. As before, I do not at this point know how my gratitude will be shown; but I await instructions from the Power that provided me with so much to glorify Him with my contributions.
“Wishin’, and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’…”
…isn’t enough to get me rich. Today’s reading takes me back to “burning desire” which sounds like work—and as I’ve made perfectly clear several times now, I’m not into work. I want to get rich like I quit smoking, the “EasyWay.”
Every action is preceded by a thought.
That thought is the expression of a desire for something to take place.
The stronger the desire the more intense will be the action.
The more intense the action the sooner the desire will be manifested.
If the action is such that it is enjoyable it will not be “work” and the attainment of the desire will be pleasurable. (Imagine that: getting everything you want and having fun doing it!)
Desire > Thought > Action > Manifestation
Assuming the accuracy of the above statements it becomes apparent that advancing a spark of desire into a blazing inferno would be beneficial to my desire to get rich. But before desire can advance beyond the spark phase, a “wish” if you will, I must believe that I actually can get rich. Rich is alien territory to me so I will have to build a case for my ability to achieve this end using inductive reasoning. Let me construct some questions that will bring forth the answers I need. *I am dismissing lotteries and inheritances, i.e. “good fortune” from this investigation.
Q. “Who can get rich?”
A. Anyone with the mental and physical facilities to provide a good or service for which an adequate number of people are willing to pay.
That settles it, I can get rich.
Q. “Do I deserve to get rich?”
A. Wealth does not require worthiness. So yes, I deserve it as much as anyone.
Q. “Is money evil? Will having it make me less of a good person?”
A. Money is inanimate; therefore it is neither evil nor good. A person with money can afford the finer things in life and live easier than a derelict homeless man. Consequently, the desire for wealth has caused many of the world’s foulest deeds. But the yan of that ying is that wealth has financed much, if not all, of man’s benevolence. It is money that allows the building of hospitals and schools, commissions great works of art and finds cures for disease.
The kind of person I become once I’ve accumulated wealth will be entirely up to me. I like to think that my core values will remain intact despite my ability to fly first class.
Q. “What do I believe would have to happen for me to get (stage 2) rich?”
A. Step 1: Build desire.
Step 2: Listen. Pay attention to inner voices, intuitions.
Step 3: Heed voices and intuitions; take action based on their inputs and have fun!
Step 4: Think right.
Step 5: Go to the bank.