5 Tracks of Wealth

Principled Philosophy

Experiencing NOW

Your company wants a 100% from you, but so does your family. They both deserve it. But the only way to pull off such a feat off is to focus on the present moment. Give work all of your focus while you’re working, and home all of your focus, while you’re at home.

A recent Harvard study on happiness found that in cultures where people could give their undivided attention to one thing at a time, happiness and general life satisfaction was higher. Unfortunately, they found that the “hyper-drive” multitasking culture in the US, seems to make it more difficult for people to enjoy their work and their children, because we are perpetually in a state of distraction. For example, a person might be spending time with their child, but also thinking about other things they need to get done that day. Physically they’re with their family, but mentally they are not. In our minds, we’re always one step ahead of ourselves.

Not being able to focus on and enjoy one thing at a time, however, prevents us from living in the present. The irony is that you can actually accomplish more with less time if you limit your focus rather than spread it too thin.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider how this concept applies to your life.

• Do you regularly feel “behind” or “in a rush” to move on to the next thing?

• What would help you focus more on and better enjoy one thing at a time, rather than trying to do everything all at once?

“The only way to live is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle, which is exactly what it is: a miracle and unrepeatable.” ~Storm Jameson

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Principled Philosophy

Lead by Example

According to the American Heart Association, kids are now at risk for heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases more than ever before—predominantly due to lifestyle and eating habits. Studies show that kids tend to end up eating as healthy and exercising as often as their parents do, or do not. To help not only yourself, but your whole family live longer, healthier lives—be an example. If you’re not sure how, here are a few ideas.

1. Walk the talk. Your kids look up to you and learn from your actions. Why should they limit TV time or eat more veggies if you do the opposite? What’s good for your kids is also good for you, so change your habits together.

2. Get the whole family active together by going for walks or bike rides. Exercise and physical activity benefit everyone in your family–young, small (and furry!).

3. Limit TV, video game and computer time. Research shows that the more hours children and adults spend doing these activities, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese. Find physical activities that spark your child’s interests.

4. Customize physical activities. Not every child dreams of being the next Michael Jordan. Some kids aren’t well suited for traditional athletics, because sports don’t come naturally to them and/or they’re not competitive by nature. But there are many forms of exercise besides sports.

5. Be supportive. Celebrate the successes of your child, whether they helped their team win a game or rode their bike a mile. Focusing on the positive will help promote your child’s self-esteem and confidence.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider what kind of healthy role model you are (or are not) being for your loved ones, and for your own sake. Then decide on one “healthy habit” that you will commit to developing over the next couple of months. Write it down, and stick it where you’ll see it often. Consider talking to your family about healthy changes they’d like to make and perhaps set some family goals together.

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Principled Philosophy

The Value of Candor

Candor is the best way to make a business, a relationship, or a new idea, operate faster and better. Too many people are unwilling to say what they think. They keep their mouths shut in order to avoid conflict, or sugarcoat bad news to make people feel better, but in the end it only makes things worse. If you’re not straightforward in your communication then don’t expect straightforward answers, and at that point communication becomes a torturous guessing game. The other problem is that chronically ignoring issues isn’t usually the most effective way to solve them.

However, do not confuse candor with brashness, rudeness or a lack of tact. Speaking to others in a considerate, thoughtful tone is a given. The point is that you can be thoughtful, considerate AND straightforward. In fact, over time people tend to have more respect for those that “give it to them straight” than they do for those whose real thoughts don’t seem to match their words.

Capitalizing Potential

Ask yourself the following questions.

1. Am I upfront with people?
2. Do I “sugarcoat” or twist my words? If so, why?
3. In what ways and situations could I use more candor?

“A ‘No’ uttered from deepest conviction is better and greater than a ‘Yes’ merely uttered to please, or what is worse, to avoid trouble.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

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This month we hosted a teleseminar with productivity coach and trainer Sergiu Simmel.

Sergiu educated our listeners on how to recognize the danger of switch tasking and how to calculate how much actual money you are costing yourself with inefficient productivity practices.

Being more productive isn’t about working more, it’s about being efficient and giving the proper attention to everything that you are doing.

We are making the replay of this call available to our full access members.  Download the guide, listen to the recording and get started with better productivity.

Download the guide here:

Listen to the call here:

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Principled Philosophy

Letting Joy Happen

When something doesn’t give us the happiness we thought it would, we tend to think we must not have enough of it, or that we made a mistake in choosing it. But the real question—whether it has to do with money, relationships or something else—is if we’re asking for something that those things can’t provide.

Capitalizing Potential

Are there people/places/things in your life that you place unrealistic demands on? This isn’t a logical exercise, it’s an intuitive one. Ask yourself the question and then let your mind drift towards the answer. It might be a spouse that you blame for making you unhappy, when in reality you’re making yourself unhappy by expecting him/her to be someone they’re not. It might be a “dream home” that seems less dreamy after a few years of wear and tear. It might be a job or business that isn’t generating as much profit as you’d like it to. Answer the following questions, and record your insights.

1. What unrealistic burdens/expectations do I put on other people/places/things?
2. Why do I have these unrealistic expectation?
3. Are there more realistic ways to fulfill my needs, or is it a simple matter of changing my perspective?

“A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes.” ~ Mark Twain

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Principled Philosophy

Break it Down

True financial freedom includes being able to control your financial assets rather then letting them control you. No matter how big the challenge, you will be in control the moment you choose to be.

Whether your current financial challenge is credit card debt, raising funds for a business venture, trying to figure out the best way to invest extra income, or saving for a home improvement project, many people have a tendency to feel overwhelmed at one time or another about how to meet their financial objectives. Financial challenges almost always seem daunting when you look at them from a macro-perspective. The result is that you spend more time focusing on concerns and fears than on solutions.

Keep it simple. Break the macro-perspective down into a more manageable scale by mapping out each action step that will be required to meet your objective. Don’t look at it as a “mega-problem” that needs a “mega-solution”.  Break it down into manageable set of steps that create incremental solutions, so that there’s a clear beginning and end in sight.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider how this concept applies to your own financial situation.

• Do I tend to focus more on my anxiety about my financial concerns/challenges, or do I use my energy to focus on a proactive solution? In what ways could I improve?
• Do I tend to focus on mega-problems, or do I break challenges down into a manageable size where I clearly understand my next step?
• What is one specific concern that I will break down into clear action steps today?

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” ~Edmund Burke

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Principled Philosophy

A Long-term Perspective

Always think long-term when it comes to relationships. A long-term perspective tends to cultivate an attitude of greater respect and consideration for others. Think first about the value and happiness that you can bring into your family, clients and friends lives before you consider what value they can offer you. In fact, if you do this regularly, you most likely won’t even need to consider the value they offer you at all, because you’ll naturally experience positive outcomes as you focus your attention on others well-being. (Obviously, this doesn’t mean you should allow yourself to be a part of an abusive relationship in the hopes that you can change someone who continually mistreats you. In order to truly respect others, you must also insist on their respect.)

Capitalizing Potential

Consider how this concept applies to your life.

• Do I generally keep a long-term perspective when choosing how to deal with clients and loved-ones?

• In what ways could I possibly improve?

There’s one sad truth in life I’ve found

While journeying east and west -

The only folks we really wound

Are those we love the best.

We flatter those we scarcely know,

We please the fleeting guest,

And deal full many a thoughtless blow

To those who love us best.

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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Principled Philosophy

The Whole Truth

Lately scientists have been confirming that natural foods have the power to heal the human body, often as or more effectively than man-made medicine can, depending on the condition. Pure, unprocessed, natural foods each have their own unique powers to heal different parts of the body in different ways. Scientists are just barely starting to discover some of the wonderful built-in mechanisms that whole foods possess. Health experts confirm that regularly eating a wide variety of whole foods such as whole vegetables,  whole grains and fruits is one of the very best ways to help prevent virtually any type of illness. As a general rule of thumb, anytime food is processed (meaning it has additional ingredients like refined white sugars, “white” flours, and other ingredients), it loses it’s effectiveness and can even damage your body rather than nourish it.

Capitalizing Potential

Consider whether you’re primarily eating natural, whole foods. Take a few minutes to consider what ways you could possibly cut out processed foods from your diet and replace them with natural healing foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Come up with an intention and write it down.

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Principled Philosophy

“Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” ~ Malachy McCourt

Tanzan was a professor of Philosophy at the Japanese Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) during the Meiji period, and was considered a Zen master during his day. His peers noted that he had a gift for seeing the “big picture”.  The following story is attributed to Tanzan and his friend Ekido.

Two monks, Tanzan and Ekido, walked down a path on a long walk towards their lodging temple. As they passed by a small village they came across a girl who was clearly upset as she tried to pass the muddy road in her silk kimono, which was sure to get ruined. Tanzan immediately scooped her up and carried her across the road. Five hours later Ekido could stay silent about the incident no more and asked, “Why did you carry that girl across the road? We monks are not supposed to touch females.” To which Tanzan replied, “I put the girl down hours ago. Are you still carrying her?”

Some people are like that. They don’t know how to let go of the perceived injustices and mistakes of others, and it becomes a heavy mental burden as “stuff” accumulates inside their minds.

Capitalizing Potential

Ask yourself the following questions. You may want to record your insights.

• Do I ever let memories turn into burdens, rather than simply being something I’ve learned from? In what ways?
• What unnecessary mental baggage am I carrying around right now? (This can often be identified as any feelings of injustice or resentment you hold towards someone who you feel treated you unfairly and got away with it, or even resentment towards yourself for past mistakes.)
• Do carrying these feelings help me, or do they hurt me?
• When will I be ready to let them go?

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Principled Philosophy

Have you ever let something eat you up inside because it “wasn’t fair” or you felt taken advantage of? Eckhart Tolle, a spiritual counselor, relates the following experience. He once regularly visited a terminally ill woman in her home. Their visits were usually very peaceful ones. But one visit he showed up to find her in a horribly upset state. The woman was certain that her maid had stolen a prized possession—her diamond ring that had once been her grandmother’s and that she had worn every day until the illness made her hands too swollen. Tolled asked her if she didn’t realize that she would have to part with the ring very soon anyway. He asked her specifically:

• “How much more time do you need before you will be ready to let go of it?
• Will you become less when you let go of it?
• Has who you are become diminished by the loss?

After a few minutes of silence the woman smiled and said that as she thought about the last question she started to feel her own “I AM-ness” and she realized that her I AM-ness was not in any way diminished by losing the ring. The ring was just a thing—it wasn’t really a part of her. After that insight the woman became noticeably more at peace and happier. She began to enjoy giving away many of her processions, including even giving things to the woman she was sure had stolen her ring. The more things she gave away the more her joy deepened. In the last few weeks before she died, she was radiant. After she passed her mother called Tolle to let him know she was gone. She also mentioned that they had found the ring in a medicine cabinet in the bathroom.

Capitalizing Potential

Take a few minutes to reflect on this story and how it might relate to your own life.

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