You’ll remember the argument I had with the CEO about the rainforests.  He said that he thought teachers and nurses would save them.  I thought he was delusional.  Of course they can’t save the rainforest because they’re too preoccupied trying to pay down their credit card debt.

I talked about progress and innovation, and how only free enterprise allows these developments to happen.  But there is another side as well.

I want to save the rainforests too.  But the difference is, I’m actually doing something about it.  I send money to organizations that actually buy the rainforests and then deed them to foundations.  I can do that because I make enough money to meet my own needs, and then some more.

If you want to help anyone with just about anything, you need to make more money than you need to meet your basic needs.  And the more extra you make, the better.

Do you think you’re saving the world, driving your eight-year-old Ford Escort?   Do you think you’re serving God by renting a run down apartment instead of owning a beautiful home in Hawaii?  Do you think you’re more spiritual, because you’re maxed out on your credit cards?   Get back to reality.

It isn’t a sin to be born poor – but it sure is a sin to stay that way.

How much could Mother Theresa have helped people if she simply took in enough to meet her needs?  How much good could Gandhi have done if he had to stop his mission each day to go to work at the Curry King drive through window?

Mother Theresa was able to do accomplish her mission because she had many rich people sending her money each month.  Likewise with Gandhi and others like them.  If they sat home, huddling in a hovel, thinking they were spiritual by denying themselves nothing but subsistence, the world would have been much poorer indeed.

So are you ready to save the world?  You can start by becoming prosperous yourself.

-RG

Of course memorials are not supposed to be sad, but hopefully a celebration of the life they honor. But Jim’s work wasn’t about that.  Jim’s work was about celebrating your life.

So rather than mourning him, or even celebrating him, I think Jim would want something more.  He would want you to be great.

I can still hear his voice in my head, like he’s standing next to me.  “If you fall down…do a couple push-ups while you’re down there.”

That is the way to celebrate Jim.  Take the lessons he taught you and put them into practice.  Be bold, be proactive, be great.

What’s the great thing you keep promising yourself to do?  Why don’t you start it today?

If you won’t do it for you, do it for Jim.

-RG



First I pointed out to him that I only drive one car at a time anyway.  Then I asked him who he thought was going to save the world.

“Teachers,” he replied, “teachers and nurses.”

I practically swallowed my teeth I was laughing so hard.  Not because I don’t appreciate teachers and nurses.  I love them in fact.  I think they have two of the most important jobs on the planet.  But I also know that they are two of the lowest paying jobs around as well.

What I told the CEO was that nurses and teachers were not going to save the rainforest, because they are too preoccupied with making the minimum payments on their credit cards each month.  Like most poor people, they are so busy trying to overcome the challenges and hardships they face, they have little time or resources to worry about helping the greater good.

Saving the rainforests is nice, but if you’re worried about where you’re going to get the money for your own child’s school supplies, the forests are going to take a back seat.  Sending money to the World Wildlife Fund sounds like a great idea.  But if you’re concerned with being able to buy enough groceries to feed your family, it’s going to go down the priority chain quick.

Do we need to be concerned about vanishing species, diminishing rainforests, and the disappearing ozone layer?  Without a doubt.

But what’s the answer?

Should we all stop using electricity?  Go back to living in grass huts?  Mothball all the airplanes and cars?

I don’t think so.  The answer is not to move backward.

We save the world by saving ourselves.  And we save ourselves by growth.  Moving forward, not backward.  PROGRESS is the answer for the world.  Learning new ways to grow crops.  Biospheres, hydroponics and growing food on other planets.  Harnessing the power of the sun, the air and the oceans.  Turning salt water into drinking water, deserts into farmland, and garbage into fuel.  Transforming lack consciousness for prosperity consciousness.

And who’s going to do all this, you may ask.

RICH PEOPLE.  People who understand free enterprise, investment and business are the ones who will create the innovation and progress that can save the planet.

Socialism won’t cut it.  And neither will Communism.

Both of these “isms,” who each claim to look out for the masses are actually anti-prosperity, and thus, anti-humanity.  They can never, and will never, make the world a better place.  They foster only lack and victim thinking.

Only capitalism – the free market economy – can create the jobs, advancement, and forward growth necessary to overcome the challenges of change.  In capitalism, you become wealthy by providing something of such value, people are willing to trade their money for it.  And the more value you create, the wealthier you become.

So you want to save the world?  You can start by manifesting your own prosperity first.

That’s my take.  What do you think?

-RG

He told me, “Randy the world can’t afford for everyone to drive four or five exotic cars.  The rainforests are disappearing and over consumption is destroying the planet.  You’ve got to stop preaching this prosperity stuff.”

So what do you think about that?

When I tell people that they can manifest prosperity – which may include cars, homes, clothes and other beautiful things – is it really anti-earth, and thus anti-prosperity?  And weren’t Mother Theresa, Albert Schweitzer, and Gandhi all poor?

Check in with your thoughts below and we’ll look at it deeper tomorrow.

-RG

That kind of lack thinking is what keeps people in mediocrity.  Real abundance comes from striving for more, daring to be bold, daring and imaginative.  Innovation happens.  Personal growth happens.  Because to manifest more, you have to become more.

If I accepted the common belief, I would have been happy working long hours in a restaurant, driving a beat-up old car, and living in a cramped apartment.  I would have reduced my needs and desires to match what I had.

If I did that – or if you do that – what’s the difference between that and being dead?

If you connect with me on Twitter, then you know I just came back from another around the world trip.  I mixed business and pleasure, doing some workshops in Rome, Sydney and Kuala Lumpur, interrupted by a trip of a lifetime to the Great Barrier Reef.  What a spectacular experience.

And what an expensive one…

SCUBA diving has to be one of the most spiritual things you can ever experience.  But do you know how much it costs?   Do you think it’s a different experience to dive off Australia versus Lake Michigan?  How about the two grand I spent to charter a helicopter to go back, because the waves were so choppy and we didn’t want to get seasick?

Now my oceanfront suite in the resort on the private island we stayed at goes for about $5,000 a night.  I’m sure the Holiday Inn is a lot cheaper.  But they don’t have Holiday Inns there.

The trip from Rome to Sydney was 20 hours.  Which in First Class on Singapore Airlines with a lie flat bed, delicious food, and charming service is almost like a vacation in itself.  Now could you be happy cramped up in the middle seat in the economy cabin on a flying slum like United?  I guess so, but I don’t want to test that out.

How often have you heard people say that the best things in life are free?  That’s a little misleading.  Yes rainbows, watching a kitten play, and sunsets are still free.   But it’s a lot cooler watching the sunset or catching a rainbow from your balcony on a private beach.   And if you love kittens, it’s nice to be able to send a check to support the animal shelter.

People say a car just takes you from point A to point B.  But people who say that have never driven one of my cars.  Yes you could be a newlywed and be happy in a studio apartment.  But I bet you’d be a little happier in your dream home.

What do you think?

-RG

Here’s my problem with all that…

When you say things like, “I know lots of unhappy rich people…” you are making a very lack-centered statement.
When you affirm something like that, you are programming your subconscious mind that rich people are unhappy.  Which means that it will work against you getting rich, because you don’t want to be unhappy.

Of course you know unhappy rich people.  But you also know lots more unhappy poor and middle-class people.

The fact that “money doesn’t buy happiness” does not mean that money buys unhappiness.  Money or the lack of it will only magnify your happiness or unhappiness.  Money reveals who you really are.

Now is someone who has good health, wonderful relationships, a strong spiritual connection, and fulfilling work – but not much money – prosperous?

Well I suppose they could be.  But I think they’re usually not.  Maybe the meek will inherit the earth, but not if they’re making the minimum payments on their credit card bills each month.

Let me show you a few examples of the difference between being wealthy and being poor.

You are born with crooked or protruding teeth.  You feel very self-conscious about it and your self-esteem suffers.  If your family is wealthy, you get braces and other dental work to correct it right away.  Be poor and you could take psychological damage around for life.

You’re driving and your car breaks down on the highway.  If you’re poor, it’s a very old car.  There is no warranty, and you probably don’t have the cash to fix it.  You can barely pay for the tow truck to haul it to the repair shop.  You try to work out payments with the guy, or you end up taking the bus for three weeks while you try to scrape together the money to fix it.

If you have money, you’re a member of the auto club.  You call on your cell phone; they send over a truck and take it to the dealership.  Because it’s a recent model, all the necessary work is covered by the warranty, and they give you a loaner car while it’s being fixed.

You pick up your paycheck one week and go shopping.  On your way home, you stop at the bank to deposit your check only to discover that you lost it somewhere.

You immediately call your boss, who tells you that they will stop payment and issue a new one.  Which will take three weeks.   If you’re poor, what happens?

You’ve already written checks against that paycheck, because you were over due with some bills already.  They come in and bounce.  Your bank charges you $45 each.  Each credit card company that gets check back charges you a $35 late fee.  You’re frantically calling your friends and relatives, relating your drama story to borrow enough money to cover your hot checks and survive the three weeks.

If you have money, you have overdraft protection, the bank transfers a few hundred dollars from your savings account, and you live in harmony till your replacement check comes in.

I could go on, but you get the point.  Money may not buy happiness, but it sure can stave off a lot of misery, lubricate your life, and make it more fun.

Now if the lady who runs the charity or my minister are happy and fulfilled while making $25,000 or $30,000 a year, great.  I just have a hard time believing that they are happy with that.  If they truly are, wonderful, but what happens when challenges come up like the ones I mentioned?

If they have a problem making their bills, fixing their car, or are living from paycheck to paycheck, it’s pretty hard to live a life of abundance.

Now some would say that prosperity comes from reducing your desires to be happy with what you have.   Which is about the craziest shit I’ve ever heard!  And that’s where we’ll pick up next time.  Until then, please check in with your thoughts.

-RG

Let me explain my thoughts on this more…

I’m sure you remember the abject and complete failure of the government in response to the Hurricane Katrina situation in New Orleans.  I got to experience that same scenario when Hurricane Andrew created a swath of destruction through South Florida.

The well-meaning government bureaucrats were completely unprepared, untrained, and frankly, incompetent to help the people that needed it.   Compare that with the Mormons…

One of my friends in the hardest hit area was Mormon.  His phone was down, but he still had voicemail and spotty cell phone service and let me know he had lost the roof on his house.  So I threw my tools in the car and made my way through the destruction to his home, about 24 hours after the hurricane.

Imagine my shock when I drove up and found a new roof on his house and stacks of lumber in his yard.  He opened the door to reveal racks of bread, stacks of relief supplies, and enough food for 1,000 families.  I asked how this all came to be.

He explained that volunteers from his church had arrived two hours after the storm.  They had tire repair kits so they could make it through the roads even when the government vehicles couldn’t.  They brought flatbeds full of lumber to repair roofs.  They had truckloads full of food.   Because he was a deacon in his church, they brought him a list of the names and addresses of the entire congregation, and put him in charge of getting relief to them all, as well as helping the other neighbors.

Why could they do this?  Because they were prosperous.

Most weren’t billionaires or even millionaires.  They were doctors, dentists, plumbers, carpenters, executives and many other professions. But the church had taught them about prosperity.  They tithed, saved money, avoided debt, and planned ahead for emergencies.

So when the storm was forecast to hit Florida, they closed their businesses, took time off from work, drove from all over North America to Orlando and waited to see exactly where it would land.  And as soon as it passed, they immediately went to the area and were providing help, three weeks before the government was up and running.

Now we could talk about other aspects of the Mormon religion and I have.  (Ever since this experience I’ve said if it weren’t for the rules against pre-marital sex, drinking, drugs and swearing, I’d definitely be a Mormon!)  But one thing I can tell you is they do a wonderful job teaching their flock about money and material things.

Quite a contrast to many other religions…

The Mormon Church is wealthy because they teach their people to be wealthy, and this creates a source of funding to support and grow the movement.  The Vatican is wealthy because they teach their people that it’s spiritual to be poor.  Big difference from a prosperity standpoint.

The Mormons teach prosperity and help their people on how to manifest it.  The Vatican wants gold-plated plumbing for the Pope, but admonishes you to live like a pauper.   Pretty hypocritical.

Which begets the question that if your area was destroyed by a natural disaster, who would you want helping you?  Which then takes us back to our original question…

Can you be prosperous without money?  We’ll pick up there again on the next post.  In the meantime, please keep the dialogue going.

-RG

If you remember, the situation was a lady who helps impoverished mothers, as was her life’s dream.  She draws a very small salary, because otherwise she believes it would be hard to get the donations that support her work.  She loves her work, is healthy, has a solid relationship and appears to be quite happy.  So I wanted to know if you think she is prosperous.

The prevalent school of thought on this for most people is that she is prosperous.  Most people say something to the effect of, “The lady is obviously successful doing what she wants to do, giving of herself and achieving personal fulfillment in the process.  She’s like Mother Theresa and doesn’t have the desire for material wealth.”

Here’s my problem with all that and some food for thought for you…

Yes Mother Theresa lived a simple life.  And it took a lot of money from rich people like me to support that simple life.

The other issue I would raise was the lady’s belief that if she took a larger salary that getting donations would be difficult. Does this mean she does not value herself enough to be paid more? Does she believe she doesn’t deserve more?  If so, that doesn’t seem very prosperous to me.  A lot of you raised this issue in the comments.

I remember a Board of Directors meeting I was participating in at my church as we were debating hiring a new minister.  The other members were voting against the new hire because we were over budget and he wanted $30,000 a year, plus health benefits.  I said I wanted a minister that earned at least $150,000 a year and drove a Ferrari or Lambo.

Because if he or she was going to be our spiritual leader, I wanted to follow someone that was demonstrating and manifesting prosperity in their own life.

Now you can imagine the response I got.  But take a look at the current situation in Haiti…

People trapped in rubble, starving, dropping from dehydration, all while millions of people around the world are sending money, food, water, and relief supplies.   But it’s been chaos on the ground, because the help has been administered by low-paid bureaucrats.

You should know I don’t say this to be mean or diminish the efforts they are making.  I’m sure they are doing everything they’re capable of in a very difficult situation.  But they operate from lack consciousness and all of their work is affected by that.

I’d rather pay Jack Welch, Michael Bloomberg, Bill Marriott, or some other billionaire a million dollars a month to run the relief effort.  Because ultimately more people would get help, and a whole lot faster.

Of course the interesting thing is that I’m sure those guys wouldn’t take the money.  Because they don’t need it and they’ve moved a long time ago from success to significance.  And there’s a lesson there as well.

So give that some thought, and next post we’ll pick up from there.

-RG

The person who asked it related the example of their sister who runs a charity for poor mothers in South America.  The lady in question loves what she does, and does it well.  She helps scores of impoverished mothers, as was her life’s dream.  Other organizations from around the world come to visit her program so they can emulate their success.

The lady draws a very small salary, because she believes it would be hard to ask for donations from people if she took home a large one.  She loves her work, is healthy, has a solid relationship and appears to be quite happy.

So is she prosperous?

Let me know what you think, and we’ll talk about it more on the next post.

-RG

You don’t ask the girl to dance, because she might say no.  You spend another 30 minutes on your expense account instead of making the sales call.  You bury yourself in busywork, instead of calling that prospect.

Did you miss out on the love of your life because you were afraid to approach them?  Did someone else get rich with your idea, because you were too timid to act? Did someone else sponsor that “Diamond Director” because you were afraid to call him or her?

When fear holds you back from your highest good, it’s out of control.  And you have to do something about it.  So what should you do?

Well I can’t think of a better thing to tell you than the following passage from “As a Man Thinketh.”

“Just as a gardener cultivates his plot, keeping it free from weeds, and growing the flowers and fruits he requires, so may a man tend the garden of his mind, weeding out all the wrong, useless, and impure thoughts, and cultivating toward perfection the flowers and fruits of right, useful and pure thoughts.  By pursuing this process, a man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life.”

Think about that.  And please share your thoughts below.

-RG