What do you hope to gain by achieving wealth and prosperity?For many people the immediate goal is to "have more money.
"But why do you want to acquire more money?What would more money give you? "Security.
" "Freedom.
" "More time.
" "Peace of mind.
" These are all common responses.
Notice that these responses are not material acquisitions.
They are values.
I describe values as "the fuel that drives and inspires us.
"Values motivate us into action.
They are what give us the energy and commitment to follow through on our goals in spite of impossible odds.
They are our internal guideposts and road map to creating a unique and meaningful life.
There's a story that illustrates this point beautifully: Two good friends are fishing together on the edge of a riverbank.
One man, we'll call Tom, is a rich and successful, hardworking businessman.
The other man, Bob, is what you might call"middle class.
"Tom turns to his friend Bob and says, "Hey, I bet I could help you make enough money so you could buy your own fishing boat.
" "Why would I want to do that?" says Bob.
Tom answers, "So you could make a lot of money by catching fish.
" "Why would I want to do that?" asks Bob again.
"So you could eventually buy your own fleet of fishing vessels," answers Tom.
"And why would I want to do that?" asks Bob.
Tom replies, "Well, so you could run your own business.
" "And why would I want to do that?" asks Bob.
"So you could hire lots of employees to work for you," says Tom.
"And why would I want to do that?" Bob asks again.
"So you could have more time to sit on the side of the river and fish," says Tom.
We may have a burning desire to make more money so we can have more time to live the lifestyle we desire.
But like Bob, the fisherman in the story, we can choose to live our ideal lifestyle right now.
Usually all that's required on our part is taking some reflective time to get clear on our values, and making the time in our daily lives to create a lifestyle that reflects these values.
We can take action to live the kind of life we want now, instead of waiting for some future date when we've "finally made it" to take the time to enjoy fishing on the side of the river.
If our main goal is to simply make more money, we'll wake up one day only to realize that we've been focusing on a tiny piece of the pie.
Or, as Steven Covey says, "We'll find that we've been climbing a ladder that was leaning up against the wrong wall.
" Making time to live richly Our lives begin to take on a greater richness and meaning when we focus on living richly instead of just getting rich.
For starters, you don't need money to have the things you value-like security, freedom, peace of mind, joy, creativity, a rich and connecting marriage, health, and meaningful relationships.
Money is not a prerequisite to living a value-filled life.
I've seen this first hand, in working with my clients.
In my private coaching practice I help my clients achieve success by taking both internal and external action.
I help them start living their lives in meaningful ways that give them energy, so that they feel wealthy on the inside.
Are you the type of person who gets so busy with your work and taking care of the family, that you don't make time for yourself?If you spend the majority of your energy and time focusing on your work and others, how much energy do you have available to create from?Many of us have none.
That leaves us flat out depleted with very little fresh creativity, energy and enthusiasm available for ourselves.
What You Can Do Ask yourself the following questions: 1.
What do I like to do for fun? 2.
What are some simple things I did as a child that I loved to do? 3.
If I were to give myself "a break today," what would I do? 4.
When was the last time I did something JUST for me? 5.
When was the last time I did absolutely nothing? Think about your responses to these questions.
Make an effort to do one of the activities you listed above in the next week.
I call this "taking inspired action.
"The more you do this, the more energy you'll have available.
You will feel refreshed and enlivened.
When you're feeling enlivened and energized, really savor this feeling.
This is the kind of energy and feeling you want to get in touch with when you are focused on achieving a goal.
Remember, values are free.
And while wealth may be some future event waiting to happen, you can choose to live your values right now.
You don't have to wait until you have enough money to purchase them.
They are in your heart, waiting to be lived and brought to life today.