Discover The 10 Keys To Create Wealth (Part 2)

Continuing on my journey to discover the "10 Keys to Create Wealth" with Trivita's Co-founder and CEO Michael Ellison and his book of the same title.

Last time, I shared my thoughts about the 1st key: Desire. This time around,  we'll talk about the 2nd Key: Belief. Michael says right off the bat that " it is necessary to reevaluate beliefs about wealth because those beliefs can either move you forward or hold you back."
 

KEY #2: BELIEF

Since attending a Dani Johnson's "First Steps to Success Seminar", I have changed my belief about the role of money in my life. However reading about that subject, challenged my "money-notion" yet again.  

Growing up in an under-developed country and being among the priviledged few always made me feel guilty about money. And the fact that I grew up with strong religious beliefs didn't help matter either: the references to the blessed poor and damned rich in the Bible left a strong impression.

What changed things around for me was to map my desire to be wealthy with the life purposes that wealth will allow me to fulfill; Such as giving my son a childhood rich in experiences and giving him the option to live the life he wants to not the one he has to; Such as founding and supporting organizations that take care of the street kids of Haiti: Providing education and health care for them. None of those things can be done without money.

Many misquote the Bible as saying that money is the root of all evil. Go look it up, 1 Timothy 6:10, it actually says "the love of money is the root of all evil". In other words how we feel about money and the degree to which we put our trust in money is what determines whether money is good or bad.
What's more God rewards his favored with wealth. Look at Abraham, David, Salomon, Joseph, they were all rich men.  Money can create a certain quality of life, money can heal marriages, provide health and education, broaden horizons...  

Michael challenges us that "rather than live by values and beliefs that you developed as a child or that resulted from societal influence, choose to live by intention, according to values and beliefs you fully embrace as an independent thoughful adult".  

Use the following questions to test your belief about wealth:

1. Do you believe that wealth is mostly a matter of luck? Are you waiting for a lucky break?  Waiting to sponsor a master recruiter that will build your business for you or are you learning and investing in your education so you can be that master recruiter yourself?
2. Do you believe that most wealth is inherited? Let's hope not. And I'll leave it at that.
3. Do you believe God wants you to be wealthy? That was a challenging question for me at first.  But then it dawned on me: God would not put such desires in me if He wasn't ready to provide the tools and the means to achieve them.
4. Do you believe that wealth is limited to only a narrow segment of the population? In other words do you have a scarcity mentality and an abundance mentality. Thankfully, no matter what you believe, wealth is not a limited natural resource.
5. Do you believe that YOU can build wealth? This is the most important of the five questions.  As Henry Ford puts it, "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, either way you're right".

In order to live a fulfilled life, your beliefs and values need to line up with your actions.
Micheal makes a great analogy with a ship on the ocean. "A ship has a propeller to create movement and a rudder to give direction. Your life's propeller is comprised of actions that move you forward at a certain speed. Your life's rudder is your set of beliefs and values that steer you in the direction you desire to go."
If you don't have deep desires rooted in strong purpose,your propeller is malfunctioning and  you will stall out in rough seas, if you don't have clear beliefs and values, your rudder is broken and you will not stay on course.  

How does this apply to your business?
1) Do you believe that your business is the right business for you as you build wealth. If you have doubts about this, you will not do the things necessary to create a successful business.
List the key points about your business that make it the right one for you

2)Evaluate the products you offer. Do you truky believe that these products will help others? Back up your beliefs with solid evidence.

The bottom line is this: "What you believe determines your future"