WEALTH !!

Hallo! Thank you for visiting my blog

Mukesh Ambani

As of July 2010, he is the richest man in Asia^[2] and the fourth richest man in the world 

with a personal wealth of US$29.0 billion.

The Definition Of Wealth

This guide is not about making money, but about creating wealth. Having a clear definition of wealth is not just useful but necessary if that is our focus. As a result of the Wealth Paradox, we cannot simply equate wealth to money. So if wealth is not how much money you have, what is it?

My Definition of Wealth:

“Wealth is not how much money you have.

Wealth is what you’re left with when you lose

all your money.”     HAMILTON

Growing wealth enables you to continuously attract money and opportunities in

the same way that growing a garden enables you to continuously attract the birds  and butterflies.

The Net And The Garden 

Using the analogy of money being as tricky and transient as butterflies is quite

useful. 

It allows us to draw a clear distinction between the strategies of those who are busy trying to make money (The Net) compared to those who are building wealth (The Garden):

The NET

You want to catch butterflies, so you decide to build a net. Surely, with a net you can catch them more easily! You read books on the subject and you practice skills in butterfly catching. 

You find that you are making improvements. Your net  gets bigger and smarter and gradually you do catch more butterflies, but there is something wrong. 

You find that after many years of this strategy you still need to wake up every day and go out to catch more butterflies. You need to hold on to the butterflies you have caught, or they will fly away just as quickly. 

The more butterflies you have, the more difficult they are to hold on to. You are constantly in fear that the butterflies will disappear, or that someone with a bigger net will beat you at your own game.

When the butterflies do disappear, you’re left with nothing. I know of many people who have become experts at sales, marketing,  management, customer service and still struggle to make money. 

We all know of people who have learnt the strategies of successful stock market traders, property investors and serial entrepreneurs and are still left funding their losses.

They carefully follow the strategies they learn, and then remain baffled as to why  they do not attract the same opportunities, resources and sheer luck of their role  models. 

These are people who are trying to make money without first building wealth. They are trying to chase butterflies with a net.  

The GARDEN

On the other hand, wealth creators don’t worry about building a net. Instead, they grow a garden. By focusing on creating an inspiring garden, they are growing something permanent around themselves. As the garden grows, the butterflies come. 

As time goes by, you find that the effort to manage the garden falls as the number of butterflies rise. In fact, the butterflies, birds and bees end up pollinating your garden for you. You don’t fear butterflies leaving, as there are always more coming.

If anyone takes your butterflies away, there will be more the next day. Every successful wealth creator is focused entirely on building their wealth foundation ahead of their money making activities. They have built a reputation, a powerful network, a knowledge base, a resource base and a track record.  

This is  their garden, and it has been built not around their expertise, but around their  passion. Every day, they wake up to their passion – not an empty net.  In a recent speech to a group of students, Warren Buffett said:

“I may have more money than you, but money doesn’t make the

difference. If there is any difference between you and me it may

simply be that I get up every day and have a chance to do what I

love to do, every day. If you learn anything from me, this is the

best advice I can give you.”