If Your Only Goal is to Become Rich...

[PMcDonald]

...you will never achieve it. - John D. Rockefeller

I received this quote today from Nightengale-Conant as their Motivational Quote of the Day and wanted to share it with everyone as it really got me thinking about what that truly means.

There is so much more to life than just money. However, there is so much more to enjoy in life because of money. Getting to a place where I understand that as I create this wealthy, abundant life - I am also putting myself in a place to contribute on a much grander scale than I previously imagined.

For instance, in the past I was the person who became irritated when I was solicited for money for various charitable organizations. I used to say "I am going to pass on giving $50 this time, maybe next time", but now I look forward to saying "I am going to pass on giving $50, but how about I give you $500 instead!" What a wonderful feeling that is!!

I also struggled in the beginning when I was told to come from a place of service. I thought how can I come from a place of service when I am doing this for me and my family? But when I realized that by being a leader and showing people that a better way of life truly does exist, I am offering the most wonderful service I can! And because of that, the money will follow.

To truly be rich means that I am happy and wealthy in all areas of my life but am also greatly enriching the lives of others - my family, friends, community, charities, etc.

So yes, if your ONLY goal is to get rich then you will never achieve it - because being rich, in the true sense of the word, is so much more than the amount of money you have in your bank account.

[Rin]

Originally Posted by PMcDonald

"I am going to pass on giving $50, but how about I give you $500 instead!"

I've always longed to say these exact words! What a great post. You put into words exactly what I want to say. Thank you so much for posting!

[SeriousKidding.com]

Yes, being rich IS so much more than just making money. But, let's face it, we ARE all wanting to have a lot of money. It's not all selfish, either. You and I know how good it feels to give it away. But, if being rich is all you want, well, so be it. It's not like admitting it is going to cause some bad mojo for you. Go ahead, be rich, want to be rich more than anything else. Because, wanting to become wealthy is not only NOT a sin, it's all about what you do with your riches after you've worked your tail off to acquire them. But, I do see your point about wanting to be rich in all areas of life. However, sometimes I think we skirt the issue because it's somehow "bad" to want to become wealthy. I proudly admit it.

[PMcDonald]

SeriousKidding,

I believe you may have misunderstood my post a bit so I feel I should clarify.

I did not mention anything that implied that being wealthy is "bad." In fact, I stated quite the opposite. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be wealthy and to be quite honest the very first step on that path is getting past that stigma that it is dishonest or bad. When we realize that we are meant to live a prosperous and abundant life and when we choose not to believe people who say things like "I may not be rich but at least I am honest" or "Rich people are greedy", then we have taken that first step. I heard that enough growing up, I don't need to hear that anymore - it is simply not true.

However, the distinction I made was that becoming wealthy also allows us to contribute in many ways that we would otherwise have not had the opportunity should we be strapped financially. It absolutely is wonderful to want to become wealthy, however we must also keep the flow of money going which means that as our bank accounts expand, so to should our giving hearts.

Hope that clarifies my initial post for you