There are all kinds of things that go into living a prosperous life. Health is certainly one big factor . But there are also some hard core financial considerations to take into account.
Have you always wanted to be prosperous, but feel like you’re always falling behind? You’re working hard and being accountable, but you still aren’t as prosperous as you would like to be. It may not be your work ethic, background or anything obvious that’s at fault – it may be that you have the wrong equation for prosperity. So many people in this world do.
In very practical terms, the way you look at your money, your career and your life may be preventing you from achieving prosperity. I’m not talking about affirmations or spiritual beliefs, but literally a practical understanding of how money and prosperity actually function. Below is the first of a several part series on enlightened wealth and how network marketing is the perfect vehicle to achieve it. Even if you hate network marketing or are not the slightest bit interested in the business, if you want to find out more about practical concepts of prosperity, read on! These concepts will apply to anything you choose as a vehicle to prosperity.
Enlightened Wealth, Part I
Congratulations on taking the time to read this information – it CAN change your life! We all would love to be wealthy, but what is enlightened wealth? Wealth is the process of developing assets that produce enough income to pay all your bills and achieve your dreams, whether you work or not. Enlightenment is helping other people while you achieve wealth. So enlightened wealth is building wealth while helping others. Your current job or business may pay all your bills, but if you ever stop working, will it continue to pay all your bills? More importantly, does your current business or job help anyone else achieve their dreams? For most of us, the answer to these questions is no. That’s why this information is so important.
This information is especially important for you if:
- You are interested in having both money – and the time to enjoy it.
- You have a big dream but don’t know how to achieve it.
- You want financial security no matter what shape the economy is in.
- You would like to get paid whether or not you work.
- You want to help others while you help yourself.
Before I dive into the specifics, I’m going to offer you information that will change the way you look at your money, your career, and your life. It’s called the Cash Flow Quadrant. Popularized by Robert Kiyosaki, best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, the Cash Flow Quadrant describes the four ways people earn money in this economy. To understand the Cash Flow Quadrant, envision a square divided into four sections. We’re going to talk about the left side of the square first – the place where most people exist.
The upper left quadrant is the E quadrant, which stands for Employee. If you work for someone else, no matter how much income you make, you are an Employee. That means you trade your time for a salary or income. You probably value job security, good benefits and a steady income. If you ever stop working, so does your income. Most people are Employees.
The lower left quadrant is the S quadrant, which stands for Self-Employed. If you work in your own business, you are in the S quadrant. Most professionals such as doctors, lawyers, plumbers and consultants fall into the S quadrant. If you are in the S quadrant, you probably value freedom, independence and a hands-on approach. Many people in the E quadrant who want more freedom move to the S quadrant. Unfortunately, people in the S quadrant are often the lowest-paid people because they work so many hours for so few dollars. In fact, 95% of all S quadrant businesses fail within a few years.
In both the E and the S quadrants, your income is limited by the amount of time you can work. You must rely on your own efforts to advance in your career or increase your income. More importantly, even if you earn a good salary, you probably don’t have much time to enjoy it because you work long hours. And, if you ever stop working, so does your income.
On the right side of the square are the B and I quadrants. The upper right quadrant is the B or Business Owner quadrant. Business owners differ from self-employed people because they don’t have to work in their businesses to get paid. Bs build assets and get paid whether they work or not. They own their businesses (or assets) and hire other people to manage them.
The lower right quadrant is the I, or Investment quadrant. People in this quadrant invest in pre-existing assets such as businesses or real estate. They also get paid whether or not they work.
The people in the B and I quadrants invest in assets rather than trading their time for dollars. Assets such as real estate, franchise businesses or stock produce income all the time, even when these people sleep. More importantly, people in the B and I quadrants have both money AND the time to enjoy it, and their income stream is unlimited because they are not trading time for money.
The amazing thing is that even though most people exist in the E or S quadrants, most of the money is made in the B and I quadrants. This is why the rich keep getting richer – because they invest in assets rather than trading time for dollars.
To review,
- Es and Ss have their income limited by the amount of time they can work whereas Bs and Is have unlimited income potential.
- If Es or Ss ever stop working, their income stops whereas Bs and Is get paid whether they work or not.
- Es and Ss rely on their own efforts to produce income while Bs and Is use leverage and teams of people to produce income. Bs and Is multiply the effects of their work.
- Es and Ss may or may not have a high income, but they usually don’t have time to enjoy it, whereas Bs and Is have BOTH time and money.
If you’re reading this article, chances are that you exist in either the E or S quadrant, or the left side of the square. To become a person of enlightened wealth and achieve your dreams, your goal is to move to the B quadrant while helping others do the same. Once you’re in the B quadrant, you can also invest your income and move into the I quadrant.
Now, does this change the way you look at your money, career and life? If it doesn’t, go back to the top of this article and start over. Unless you understand the value of being in the B quadrant, the information in the next articles in this series will be meaningless for you. If you are interested in having unlimited income, getting paid whether you work or not, helping others while you achieve wealth, and having both money and the time to enjoy it, continue to the Enlightened Wealth: Part II article!
