4Envisioning Prosperity
Making a living is not the same as making a life, because all money isn't green.
WE HAVE ALL heard stories of very wealthy people who, on their deathbeds, wished they had spent more time with their family and friends instead of building their empires. Don't get me wrong. You need money in life. And not just for basic food, clothing, and shelter. To make a sustaining mark, to build a company, to assist others in a substantive way or leave a legacy, to build generational wealth, you need to have money or obtain it. It's what you do with money that can determine your satisfaction in life, based on your values, Defined Priorities, and what makes you feel prosperous.
Most definitions of prosperity involve economics and lots of wealth. I prefer to think of prosperity as living a rich and full life with all the money and happiness you need. Why? Because how much is up to the individual—prosperity is not one size fits all. In my speeches, I often ask people, “Do you know how much your enough is?” Most look back at me blankly and shake their heads. If you haven't been tested as to how much you can really live on and be happy, you might not know. One of my good friends sent me a great saying: “One of the best things in life is realizing you're perfectly happy without the things you thought you needed the most.” I couldn't agree more.
But I didn't always think so.
Like most Type A people, I spent years relentlessly going for the gold—the brass ring. There is ...
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