Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Zen and the Secrets of Wealth

This week I want to share a thought experiment with you. You need to read the entire blog post before beginning the experiment as it requires you to sit back and close your eyes. The Zen moment I outline will show you the pathway to the highest levels of wealth you can ever attain.

When you finish your Zen moment you will know what wealth really is to you. Most people jump to the conclusion that lots of money is wealth, but for most people this in untrue. Money allows you to experience your real wealth or at least buy it. Wealth is a lifestyle. If money is the only thing that determines wealth then a fist full of Confederate money would make you wealthy in your mind even though it has no buying power.

It is time. Sit back in your favorite easy chair and close your eyes. Clear your mind, relax, and steady your breathing. Think of your life as if you have no debt; you owe absolutely nothing: no mortgage, credit cards, or auto loans to pay each month. Your only bills are normal day to day living expenses: phone, electric/gas, food. Now look at yourself in this new light without debt. How do you act, feel?

You also have enough money invested in government bonds to handle any expense you will ever have. The amount is unimportant. You just need to know you have enough money to buy all necessities and extra for personal entertainment and enjoyment. How will you live now that money is no longer an issue? Feel the contentment.

You no longer need a job in this worldview. You can work if you want or undertake other endeavors. What will you do? This is the point of this entire experiment. If you had enough so you did not have to think about money all day long, earning it, paying bills, spending it: What would you do? How would you live? What really excites you?

Not easy, is it? It takes time and a thorough self-examination to find what really makes you tick. Your true interests take time to rise to the top. We spend so much time earning and spending money we forget what makes life worth living. Too many of us do nothing unrelated to money and the transfer thereof.

It took me several attempts to really find my answer. You may find it takes more than one session to find your true answer as well. Your answer, like mine, may change and evolve with time. That is natural. We are all growing and our deepest interests will modify with time, too.

Your discovery will be different than mine. I will not pollute your process by sharing my answers. What gives your life real meaning is personal. I can't tell you what you should want, be, or experience. All I know is that you need to undergo this exercise on a regular basis. Why? Because the final step in this process is to become what holds the deepest meaning for you. You need to focus on this goal of higher living and meaningful life.

After a session or two, when you find your true bliss, develop a plan to go there to that place of purpose. See it in your mind on a regular basis. Work to adjust your finances to meet your highest need. It will take time. But life is a journey, not an arrival. It is the journey that makes the effort all worth while. Become what you value most.

And remember: If life is worth living, it is worth living well.

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