Wealth is the precessional effect of you achieving your goals and not the goal itself.
I know that might sound counterintuitive from a Financial Education company, but it is fact.
Far too many people get caught up in the idea of making money for money’s sake, which is fine in terms of creating a better lifestyle, but does not actually give people their true wealth.
There are two types of people in the world: Missionaries and Mercenaries
Mercenaries are only in it for the money. They don’t believe in the cause and will always go to where the money is highest. In the early days, they might look like they have more wealth than missionaries due to the cash they have to splash around, but by the end of their lives, they have usually squandered it and spent it on lifestyle.
Missionaries on the other hand believe in the purpose behind their actions.
Whether it be about creating a better life for their family, creating intergenerational wealth or helping others, there is something more to the goal than just simply making money. In the early days, they might not look flashy (probably in the later years as well) because every dollar is invested into their purpose. But ironically by the end of the day, they usually end up wealthier.
Wealthier not in the sense of being financially rich, but wealthier in the sense of their networks, their knowledge their contacts and the level at which they play in supporting their goals.
The crocodile hunter Steve Irwin is the perfect example.
Just watch this clip of how passionate he is about saving the environment.
For him, money represents the ability to buy land and protect it, not about enriching himself.
His mission is so powerful and his goals are so big that he becomes the person who could command millions of dollars, yet he puts it to a bigger cause than simply lining his own pockets.
That is the difference between a missionary and a mercenary.
Don’t get me wrong, Steve Irwin still pays himself first and ensures he has food on his table and his family are looked after, but beyond that, it is not about fancy boats or “gold plated dunny’s” it is about the part he plays in protecting the environment.
The big question is though, which are you?
Are you building your wealth in pursuit of a bigger goal, or are you just looking to increase your own cash supply? What would you have to change in order to move from a mercenary mindset to a missionary mindset?
