Don't put the cart before the horse

I believe that working for a living is a multi-faceted endeavour. Some people love what they do, and define themselves and their social status by their vocation. For instance, some people may go after a high paying job just to acquire the envy of their peers or to feel good about themselves, They feel like their job defines them or at best, it is a "calling". Some people genuinely love their job and feel challenged and fulfilled by it. I know some of these people. They are winning at the game as it has been scripted.

Most people I know see their job as "just the way it is". They go to work everyday to pay the bills, take a nice two week vacation every year, and maybe, someday, retire. These people are following the well-worn path they have been shown by their parents and teachers. They consider themselves as "normal" and hope that serendipity will buy them freedom from the drudgery. Unfortunately, there are too many people living in "quiet desperation", chained to a cubicle, not able to believe that there is something better out there.

Then, there are those who see a job as a means to an end. These are the people who I want to learn more from and send time with. They are working not just to earn a living, but to solve a bigger problem.

1. I know many entrepreneurs who got a job working at an entry-level position in the field they want to be in. They got a job at a company  so that they can learn the industry and gain insight, experience and contacts. These people see the job as a paid training period. When they feel they have gained enough knowledge and skill, they open up their own business in that field and try to be better, unique or different than the rest. They used the ordinary "job" as a launching pad for their business venture.

2. Some people use a job as a savings plan. Some people spend there lives working at a job to save up enough money to do what they really love. They perhaps spend the summers working so that they can ski all winter. They may work for a couple of years to save up enough to backpack for a year. This methodology sees the job as a piece of a grander puzzle.

My philosophy has been to work at my job to fund my financial freedom plan. My financial freedom plan is a giant, all-encompassing philosophy of self reliance. The goal is to be able to live off of my investment income without needing to work for anyone else but myself. It is not a traditional retirement plan, because I don't want to wait until Im 65 to start enjoying my life.

Entrepreneurship

There are people out there that embody the entrepreneurial spirit and just have to do it. They live for the thrill of building something. They see a need and then find a way to fulfill that need through innovation, invention or efficiency. They are action oriented and know how to get things done. That is great, if you have the guts.

I have a full time job, and two businesses. Why do I do this? To feed my financial freedom plan. Every cent I earn above and beyond my expenses from ALL my sources of income go back into my investments.  I do this so that eventually my investments will earn me enough money so that I don't have to work.

I'll probably still work, but at things that inspire and fulfill me. I like to have purpose. I do not want to sit under a palm tree and sip tropical drinks for the rest of my life. I want to contribute to society and continue to learn and grow. This makes me happy. The key difference is that when I am financially free I won't HAVE to work. I can CHOOSE to work.

This is my core belief. I am obsessed with personal sovereignty. I HATE being told what to do. I HATE working hard just to make someone else's life better. I HATE having to ask for anything from anybody. This is the concept behind my Be Your Own Bank program. It is a plan that puts you in the driver's seat for your own financial life. No more going to see the bad man at the bank, hat in hand, to ask for a loan. You give yourself a loan. No more going to see the "boss" and begging for a raise. You give yourself a raise whenever you want. No more hoping that the world economy stays in any particular state. You make money no matter what. This is freedom. You create it, maintain it, grow it, and reap the benefits. It is all you, baby.

So my side-hustles are fun, but they are not sources of "income" per se. they are feeding the machine that is my investment portfolio. I prioritize the channeling of all money into the machine because that is the most effective way I can think of to care for myself and my loved ones. I march steadily towards financial freedom, in spite of life's ups and downs because I have a system. The system is designed so that I am constantly moving towards my goal of financial freedom in every financial climate. I pay myself first.

So, I am suggesting that you look at your efforts in your job or your business from a long-term perspective. Ask yourself,

"To what end?"

It is similar to having a corporate structure where you have a holding company that is the shareholder of all your other endeavours. Your job could be considered a "Company" in your portfolio of income earning activities. Your rental property could be another. Your lemonade stand, yet another. The overarching umbrella company (The financial freedom fund) would be your focus. This is where you send all of your earning from your subsidiaries (Job, Business, side hustle, interest, dividends, tax-returns etc.) and protect and grow that money until it takes care of you whether the subsidiaries are producing or not.

This gives you freedom. The freedom to change careers if you want. To tell that overbearing boss to shove it. To take a year off and bike across Canada. The possibilities are endless. If your money-making efforts have a higher purpose, then you are not just existing, you are progressing. That is a huge, both financially and psychologically. You are never static, as a human being, you are either growing or dying. I believe I would prefer growing over dying, but that is just me. You are free to choose.

Multiple Streams of income

The cool thing about having multiple streams of income is that it serves more than one purpose.

1. You can enjoy a slightly higher standard of living if you wish

2. You can grow your investment portfolio or "Financial freedom fund" faster.

3. You will learn a lot of useful skills

4. They are replicatable

5. You can keep some of them going even after you achieve financial freedom.

It may require working 16 hour days for a while to get all of this off the ground, or it may not. Once you have built an income stream through getting a second job, starting an e-commerce business or teaching piano lessons, you can grow that to whatever scale you wish or have time for. If you plan it right, you can design the income stream so it it runs without you, continuing to generate income, even while you are sleeping or off doing something else. The creation of a side income is actually an INVESTMENT of time. You are putting in an up-front investment of time, energy and, perhaps, money to get a return on your investment in the future that may even continue in perpetuity, even after you have passed on. Your heirs will love you for it.

I have written about leveraging time before, but it is worth repeating. If you can put in effort now for something that will run on its own power in the future you can stop trading your time for money as you can have multiple income streams happening at once from efforts you contributed in the past. It is like cloning yourself. That is how the big boys do it.

So to circle back to the title of this article, I refer to the cart as your investment portfolio and the horse as your income source. You should always be concerning yourself with producing income first, then making it work for you, not the other way around. Often people quit their jobs to start a business, but that is expecting the business to become something worthwhile and take care of you at the same time. This is a tough row to hoe. It makes more sense to have a job, and then start a business on the weekend so that all the spoils of your business can be pumped back into the business or into the machine. It will grow the business or the freedom fund a lot faster and it is easier to have healthy business without the overhead of a mortgage or car payments that belong to the owner.

The other side of this philosophy is that your financial freedom fund is not income. It is future income. It is investing for the future. The personal "Bank" you build is a foundation. You must prioritize this over all other spending priorities. It will eventually take care of you, but you have to feed it. You have to commit to earning as much money as you can and sending that money off to work for you. This is the horse pulling the cart. I do not ever speak of, or believe in, getting rich quick, or gaming the system. That is a fantasy. You CAN become better off than you were previously, but it must be done systematically and consciously. There are no shortcuts. Getting rich is a way of living, not a magic trick.

The Good News

That being said, it is not all blood, sweat and tears. My investing system can get you there faster and more efficiently if you learn it and practice it properly. It works great, as I amuy using it myself to rise out of poverty, but you must learn to walk before you can run. As my article "You gotta know the rules before you can break them" explains, you absolutely must master the basics before you can move on the the advanced stuff. You cannot skip over the mundane. All long-term money management and growth strategies require time, self-discipline, and consistency to achieve success, and the best way to build up your skills in these tough areas is by doing the simple things:

1. Spend less than you earn

2. Invest for the long term

3. Do the math

4. Sacrifice the instant gratification impulses

These things are hard. Once you make them a habit, you will be able to move on up to the crazy stuff I talk about in my BYOB strategy. If you bypass the hard work of becoming the person you need to be, then you will not have the necessary character traits to weather the storms that will befall you when you are playing bigger.

I am passionate about helping people, who are struggling financially, to learn about how money works, develop a plan and implement it. I love to see despair turn to hope. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing the look on people's faces when they realize that they have the power to lift themselves out of unwanted circumstances and start to believe they can achieve their dreams. My work is all about trying to help people find that joy, by showing them that it just might be possible to be financially free.

The reality is, getting ahead financially is kind of boring. My job is to remove the mental barriers to becoming wealthy. The difference between nothing and something is infinite. Often, just switching from believing that financial freedom is impossible to possible is the key to going from nothing to something.

The difference between a boring long-term plan and a get rich quick scheme is also infinite. That is going from the reality of a well-executed plan to a fantasy. Get-rich quick is as impossible as doing nothing. The only way the will work for you is if you are super-lucky.

You cannot do the same thing you have always done and expect different results. Relying on serendipity or luck to change your circumstances is wishful thinking and not very empowering. It puts you in the victim mindset. This will hold you back from achieving many things. Owning your behaviours and finding the wherewithal to stick to a long-term plan is empowering. You proactively become the master of your life. This is preferable to blowing in the wind.

Heads UP

With interest rates rising, my BYOB strategy becomes more risky and less "magical" - at least at first glance.

However, it is still doable and has many useful benefits, in spite of the tougher price to pay.

If you are using my plan here are a few ideas to make your journey less perilous:

1. Pay the margin: At this stage I would start to pay down the margin as best you can. Some would choose to split the monthly contributions 50/50 - half going towards new investments and half towards the margin amount owing. In any case you want to ensure that you are still keeping your debt ratios at a reasonable level.

2. Reduce your living expenses as much as possible: If you are borrowing less to live on, you will incur less margin debt and pay less interest.

3. Use a buffering system like a credit card: This earns you points and allows you to smooth out the payment schedules

4. Sell some stock: Sell as much as you need to to get your ratio back in line, Simple.

Remember, my plan is just a framework. How you personally implement it is very much your decision. The whole idea of "Being your own Bank" is to put YOU in control. You are the one who decides how much risk you wish to incur. You are one who decides when and how to invest, spend and borrow your own money. I am determined to give you as much information as I can about how the system works and all of the options. It is a buffet of strategies that you pick and choose from.

The good news

Personally, I am focused on paying down debt right now. Fortunately, I have my monthly dividends to help me! I will be able to get to a comfortable debt level in a condensed period of time thanks to my investment income.

The driving force behind my BYOB strategy has always been freedom. Freedom to choose. Freedom to switch directions. Freedom to adjust as I see fit. I refuse to be "locked-in" or have to go ask someone for my own money. It is all in my control and that feels awesome. In the current interest-rate environment I have the flexibility and instant control to correct my strategy in many ways. I love being in the drivers seat. Remember, the only thing you can count on is change.

A couple of good points:

1. With interest rates as high as they are, a good old fashioned savings account isn't the worst idea. If you can be earning 5-6% on your money, with no downside of capital losses, go for it. It is a great wealth preservation strategy.

2. Interest is taxed more heavily than dividends. Make sure you understand that 5% returns are not equal. A 5% dividend will leave you with more money than a 5% interest payment. Just saying'...

With the above being said - the real important thing to remember is that the better you understand the strategies and how money works the better off you will be in the face of changing market conditions. You are not a victim. You are nimble and fast. You can change up your strategy using the BYOB framework at a moments notice. I am suggesting that understanding the system is what gives you the freedom and power. The information is key. You then become unstoppable because you are no longer at the mercy of external conditions. You are like a sailor using the wind to travel in whatever direction you want. You just need to adjust the sails and correct your heading. You will still arrive at your destination, in spite of the storms and changing winds.

So if you have read my books or studied my course, take heed. You are equipped with all the tools you need to stay the course. If you are not familiar with my work, I am suggesting that you may find comfort in the knowledge I have to share. It has the power to make you feel like you can win, no matter the adversity. It will show you how to set yourself up for success. I advocate "being your own bank" in a broad sense. That means being your own financial planner, being your own stock broker, being your own accountant and being your own money manager. If you are more comfortable having someone "do it for you" then there a lots of people willing to help you do that. My methods may not be for you and I wish you joy and happiness and we can still be friends.

Money is a very emotional subject for most people and I get it. It is scary. My solution to that is financial education. Understanding money and having a certain amount of control over your situation removes a lot of that fear. Do yourself a favour and learn everything you can about money and investing. You will empower yourself to navigate the stormy waters will confidence.

" Smooth seas do not make a great sailor"

If you are interested in learning more, poke around my website. I have a hundred free articles discussing financial strategies and money mindset. I have links to resources of all kinds, including other peoples products that I believe in. I want to help you find what you are looking for, even if it means referring you to someone else.

Thanks

You gotta know the rules before you can break 'em

In my quest to help people help themselves in the realm of financial education I encounter many challenges. I could list off a hundred but I want to focus on just TWO:

1. People want to get rich quick

2. People want to circumvent the basics and find a "loophole" or a "fix"

As much as I wish I had a concrete solution for these two problems, I do not.

If you are looking for a book, course or seminar that promises either of the above, I am not your guy. I, personally, would be quite sceptical of any such claims to overnight riches, and would expect there to be a "catch".

Belief

We are bombarded by movies, tv shows and news stories about people who "beat the odds" or have achieved uncommon success by being famous or brilliant. Internet billionaires and star athletes are constantly being idolized and talked about. Movie stars and musicians who top the charts are all on display as examples of what it looks like to have "arrived".

I believe that this sends us the wrong message. It creates a belief that wealth is something that is reserved for the elite few or the specially gifted. It appears that you may need to be extra connected or plain lucky. Ask people "how do you become wealthy?", and a a disturbing number of them will respond with fanciful answers like:

1. Win the lottery

2. Commit a crime

3. Be a star Athlete

4. Be a Movie star

5. Be a RAP star

6. Sell drugs

7. Join the MOB

8. Marry in to a wealthy family

9. Get in early on the latest IPO.

I could go on.

My toughest challenge is convincing people that anyone can become wealthy. Why is it so hard?

Because the truth is boring. Becoming wealthy is a slow process that takes self-discipline, sacrifice, and long-term perspective. Becoming wealthy is just a process. It is a collection of habits and behaviours that you repeat for a long time.

The reason it is so hard to believe that becoming rich is doable is because of the low odds of any of the above 9 points to happen to anyone. The odds of winning the lottery are astronomically NOT in your favour. Neither is becoming a professional athlete or committing a crime without consequences. If you think that these silly notions are the only way to become wealthy then it is obvious why you believe it is impossible.

I am suggesting that it is possible. I am suggesting that it can be done by changing your mind. You must learn that there is a "real" way to become wealthy and it involves very down to earth and achievable plans that you don't need to be special to execute.

You Must Change

The secret to wealth is becoming the right kind of person. It involves you changing your everyday thinking and actions to support your financial goals and nothing more. You just have to consistently do the right things with the money you already have. Nothing more.

The reason nobody wants to do this is because it is hard.

But, compare that with the alternative.

If said to you:

1. To become rich you must become a pop star.

The barriers to becoming a pop star are many - most of which are out of your control. You must be good-looking and talented. You just be in the right place at the right time. You must have that something "special" that makes you larger than life. Plus great songs, great management, and a lot of confidence.

If I were to sum up this task, I would would say it is pretty darn unlikely to happen,.

Now, if I said to you:

1. To become rich you must spend less than you earn from now on

The barrier to this is just you. Anyone can spend less than they earn if they try hard enough.All it takes is self-discipline and persistence. If you cannot do this, then, you just don't want to.

The main point here is whether the "plan" to become rich is actually doable or not. Is it beholden to the winds of chance, or is it just a matter of you choosing to become wealthy?

This is a HUGE difference. One is nearly impossible and the other is actually real, just not easy. It is simply a matter of whether you have the tools to do it or not. Not everyone can be gorgeous and sing like an angel - but everyone can do simple math and live below their means.  You are not limited by God-given gifts, just your own willingness.

The Basics

So the starting point to wealth creation is a simple, boring concept. Spend less than you earn. It is not flashy or sensational. It is a hard pill to swallow because it puts the responsibility on you, not chance. It will be psychologically uncomfortable because it is so mundane. You have this immense power within you to actually achieve your financial dreams, but it starts with a basic paradigm a child could understand.

Of course, once you can consistently live below your means, then the real fun begins. Then all of the crazy money manipulation ideas I cover in my books, courses and seminars start to become a real possibility. Once you have the habit of financial discipline, which means following the basic rules, then you have the opportunity to master your money through investing, leveraging and building multiple streams of income. This is breaking the rules.

What to Do with your Tax Refund

Death and Taxes

It’s that time of year again..tax season.

As much as we dread this annual chore, we sometimes look forward to receiving a serendipitous gift from above - the almighty tax refund.

So now what?

Suddenly we are feeling pretty darn flush and all kinds of crazy ideas start to appear.

Should we go to Mexico?

Should we buy a new car?

Should we contribute to our RRSP?

Should we pay off the credit card?

There are a ton of choices to make and everyone has different circumstances that will drive their decision-making process in a unique direction. I don't know your personal financial situation, but I am going to tell you what I would do, and why.

INVEST

I don't have the space to fully make the case for investing. It is, by far, the most advantageous thing you can do with money. I am convinced that there is no other option for me.

1. Mental health - By investing you are contribution to your mental health buy improving your circumstances. Since we tend to equate money with survival, the more money you have, the more "safe" you feel. Therefore money in your possession just feels good.

2. Long Term perspective - Investing money instead of spending it creates the habit of thinking long term, This is the true way to wealth. You will make better decisions if you consider your future instead of your present,.

3. You are richer - If you have more money today than you had yesterday you are richer than you were., We all want to be richer. Here is your chance. Invest that tax-refund.

4. Potential returns - your money is a great servant but a horrible master. If you put your money to work earning you more money you are even richer than yesterday because you now EARN more. Increasing your income, either through dividends or capital gains is a way to give yourself a raise, without having to work any harder.

I could go on, and I often do. My latest book "The GAP" gives you 100 pages of this. I feel it will convince you that you can become rich if you choose. It removes the world "impossible" from your financial plan and gives you the tools and emotional hooks to drive you forward financially.

I also have written a few articles that answer the question,

“Should I pay of debt or invest?"

I suggest you give them a quick read and see for yourself what makes sense and what doesn't.

I would never assume that investing is the right move for everyone, as there are an infinite number of unique circumstances that may logically necessitate a different approach. Do what you must. My work is all about convincing people to take control of their money and if you are doing that then, awesome, please ignore my suggestions.

If you aren't sure what to do, please take the time to educate yourself. There are a ton of resources out there to learn about investing and building wealth. My books and courses can help, as well as the work of other terrific teachers. I encourage you to make an informed decision about your extra money.

In the meantime, you can just put your tax-refund in the bank until you decide what to do with it. There is no rush. You can enjoy the mental-health benefits of "money in the bank" while you are learning!

What to ask a rich person

When encountering a rich person and striking up a conversation, most people who aren't rich ask the same question of the wealthy,

"How did you become rich?”

As interesting and diverse as the answers you receive may be, I believe that you are asking the wrong question.

I think the question you should be asking is,

"Why did you become rich?"

This is the more meaningful question because now you are dealing with the real obstacle to becoming wealthy. That obstacle is YOU.

People are not machines. They feel things, are lazy, have incorrect beliefs and biases that lead them astray in a myriad of ways. People are imperfect and inconsistent.

The "how" of becoming rich is quite simple. There are a ton of methods and vehicles that will allow you to become rich. There are as many ways to become a millionaire as there are millionaires. The methodology is almost irrelevant. Pick and one run with it.

The real secret to becoming rich is hidden in plain sight. It is you.

In order to re-frame this idea, I will say it a different way. You are the reason you are not rich.

The behaviours and habits that will propel you forward into riches are simple to explain, yet difficult to do. Why?

Because they require hard things like:

Self-discipline

Hard work

Delayed-gratification

Long-term perspective

These are mental activities. These are personality and character traits that are the real key to success, yet are difficult to cultivate.

Getting rich is very simple math,

"Spend less than you earn and invest the difference"

There - I've given you the secret. I'll meet you in Monte Carlo next week. Your yacht or mine?

Rich Mindset

To become rich you have to think like a rich person. You have to make the same decisions and take the same course of action as the rich people you admire. You have to do this on a consistent basis. You have to constantly make decisions with every dollar you earn as to where it is going and what is its highest return. You have to NOT spend on things that make you poor and invest in things that make you rich.

Now if you examine the above behaviours you will see that they do NOT require exceptional intelligence or inside information. They do not require you to be attractive or well-connected. They just require you to make good decisions every single day without losing sight of the end goal. This is simply an inside job. You need to BE the person you need to BE to get to the prize. You need to become someone who has the self-discipline and foresight to plan for every cent you earn and spend.

As to the "HOW", you have many choices. There is a ton of information out there that will give you the "how" - that is the easy part.

You could read my Books.

You could take my course.

You could read one of my top 5 financial books of all time.

You could follow the advice of the great Brian Tracy.

All of these sources of "How to" are ready available and inexpensive. You could spend $10 on a book that will change your whole life. You spend more for a beer at some nightclubs.

You are no longer a victim

Once you fully understand that the only thing preventing you from achieving your financial desires is you, the world will open up to you. You will now realize that you have the power to achieve anything, as long as you are willing to change.

I understand that change is super hard. I know! It is really hard. We are really uncomfortable when we are stretched outside of our mental boundaries.

My latest book, THE GAP, gives a clear, succinct plan to become rich, but also suggests some compelling reasons "WHY" to become rich. It speaks to the inner-you. It speaks to the person, not the machine. It will convince you that you are the catalyst for change. Financial freedom is not an exclusive club that only the privileged few can belong to. It is achievable by anyone who is willing to change themselves. Do the hard work of become the right person, and the money will follow.

Contrary to popular belief, the person you need to be is not who is usually depicted on TV. You do not need to be a workaholic or a shark. You do not need to exploit other people or break the law. You can be a good person you contributes to society and still get rich. Most rich people are just normal, hard-working people who persevered and made good choices with their money.

So give "THE GAP" a read and allow yourself to accept your personal sovereignty. The world is yours, if you are willing to become a new you.

The Road Less Travelled

Choices

I was watching a very entertaining interview with Paul Orfalea, the founder of Kinko's. He is a gruff, irascible man who comes across as someone who doesn't suffer fools easily. I loved it. He built a multi-billion dollar business from nothing using common sense and a commitment to improve things a little bit every day. He achieved an uncommon level of success in spite of having dyslexia and academic struggles.

He suggested that there are 2 ways to achieve financial abundance:

1. Be a great student. Get good grades. Work hard, and become a doctor or a lawyer or an engineer. You can choose to use your mind to be well paid and do valuable work.

2. Be great with your money.

Number 1 is the traditional path that we all hear from our parents and society at large. Get good grades, get a good job, live the American dream. This works for the people that have an aptitude for that kind of thing. Good for you.

Number 2 is for everyone else.

My work is generally focused on the people who fall into the number 2 category, but those of you in number 1 would benefit greatly from the principles as well.

The rest of us, who are not highly paid professionals, need to be good with money. Not just good with money, but GREAT with money. This is our ticket to abundance. We tend to be working with amounts of money that are, shall we say, modest. We need to make the most of our money in a world that demands money for everything. We are immersed in a sea of capitalism that caters to those that "have", and has little remorse for those that "have not".

Instead of lamenting that things shouldn't be that way, we need to accept "what is", and make the most of it. We need to win at the game of money, whether we agree with the rules or not, because we are all playing whether we want to or not. Once we have achieved financial freedom we can rally together and change the world.

So, if you are earning a very high salary and don't need to worry about how to make ends meet, I wish you well. You are in the 1% and I hope you appreciate your state of being enough to not squander it.

For the rest of us, the good news is, you can be financially abundant, you just have to go about it in a different way than our professional, affluent friends. If you are a regular Schmo, like me, your opportunity to be wealthy lies in your ability to manage your money like a wizard. You must become a money management ninja. The cool thing about that is, it does not require joining a secret society or being connected to the right people. It just requires doing a little self-education. You must go out and get the information you need to set you on the right path.

The bookstores, libraries, and internet are bursting with information on how to manage money and how to put your money to work. I have read thousands of books and most of what I have learned about money has been from people who are smarter than me and wrote down their ideas. I love to read, so I used that skill to gain knowledge. I then went out and implemented a few of the ideas and, through trial and error, figured out a plan to be financially free.

I have written books about my methods and people find them interesting, yet I wonder how many people have actually executed the ideas. I created an online course that goes through step-by-step how to build a fortune. I have recommended my top 5 personal finance books that I feel are required reading for anyone who wants to win at the game of money. If you are reading this blog, I assume you are looking for some sort of solution to your money problems. Look no further. There are answers here. There is also answers elsewhere that I can highly recommend.

The point I am making is, if you are struggling financially there are solutions. Do not wallow in self-pity and believe that there is no escape. Climbing out of poverty is not impossible. It can be very hard, and take a lot longer than you would like, but it is actually doable. This is the key concept. IT IS POSSIBLE. The only thing that you have to do is learn how.

When you learn the behaviours, habits and thought processes that lead to financial abundance, the only obstacle in your path is you. You must be willing to go through the hard work and mental dissonance that comes with change. You must be willing to become a different person in order to live a different life. This makes many people uncomfortable. I understand that, but there is no other way. Change is scary and hard, but it is necessary. I like to think of it as "improvement", rather than change as that feels better to me. It am not opposed to improving myself, because it makes me feel like I can do it in digestible bites, instead of an overnight life altering epiphany. I am not Ebenezer Scrooge.

My message is that there is a way to improve your financial circumstances, but it is not easy, fast or magical. This is a bitter pill to swallow for many people, but it is the only way, outside of divine intervention. Maybe you will get lucky and win the lottery. Let me know when that happens. In the meantime, I'll be taking things into my own hands and making it happen, step by step. I feel a little more sure of the outcome that way.

Living the Dream

This stuff is REAL

I have been droning on for many years now, to anyone who will listen, about my theories of money, wealth and economics. I do this because I am passionate about the psychology of money. It never ceases to amaze me the crazy psychological gymnastics people perform in their brains when it comes to money. I am more convinced than ever, that money is a mind game, more than anything.

In the process of writing my latest book, I did my usual obsessive researching about the topic I am writing about, money management. I read many books, watched hundreds of videos, talked to several experts and just plain sat and thought about things. I realized that most of the ideas (not all, I'm proud to say) are not new. They have been written about and discussed by far smarter people than me, and I have been aware of some of these concepts for decades.

The strange thing is, even though I thought I "knew" certain things about money, it wasn't until I actually "DID" them that they started to make sense. I truly started to understand what the gurus were talking about. Not only did I understand the ideas, I felt them. My giant revelation was that feeling the ideas was the catalyst. When I experienced my first dividend going into my bank account, the feeling I got was incredible. The whole concept of passive income suddenly, and very dramatically made perfect sense to me. I had to feel it to believe it.

It is when I actually experienced investing my money, leveraging my assets, and actually building and receiving multiple streams of income did I truly understand why I should be doing it. Because I felt it emotionally, it became real to me. It became an actual life moment and its importance to me grew tenfold. It was only when I saw it for myself and felt the emotion of the plan coming together that I really became passionate about it. When I read a book I get excited about the ideas for a while then it slowly fades into memory. But If I actually implement it in my real life, and feel the emotional thrill of tangibly moving towards financial freedom, it becomes an obsession.

I believe that life is all about the experiences you have, not the things you acquire. The actual experience of building a fortune and learning how to grow wealth is exhilarating. The skills and character I built through learning how to be self-disciplined with money have helped me in so many other areas of my life. Learning to have long-term perspective has not only brought me abundance financially but has given me perspective on my family, my relationships and my career. I make better decisions in all walks of life because I had the chance to try and fail at wealth building.

The principles of money management are timeless. They are repeated over and over again because they work. I write about these things because I feel them so intensely. If I was just spouting theories and concepts that I find interesting I doubt I ever would have finished even one book, let alone five. I write because I experienced that ideas and concepts. I saw for myself the benefits. I have felt the elation of watching my portfolio grow. I have felt the thrill of my favourite stock raising their dividend, giving me even more money for doing nothing.

I write my books because I want to share the feeling. I want you to be able to experience the emotions that come with growing your wealth. It feels amazing.

So many people have some very unhelpful ideas in their brain about money. Wealth and prosperity is only a dream to many, and even more feel like it is an exclusive club they can never be a part of. I am here to tell you, that you are welcome to join. You just have to be willing to go through the uncomfortable process of changing the way you think and , perhaps, altering a few fundamental beliefs that you may have about money. I want you to share in the feeling of freedom. Having money gives you the power to live your life on your terms. There is no better feeling than that.

So I encourage you to not only read books, take courses and attend seminars, but to actually do the things they suggest. When you actually live the ideas, you will experience a motivation to continue that you just can't get from ideas alone. You will make a few mistakes. We all have. Learn from them and try again. But I promise you, if you actually do the things that build wealth, you will not forget them. You will have become the ideas.

I suggest in my new book that if you adopt the mindset and habits of wealthy people, you are officially a wealthy person, regardless of how much money you presently have. There is no amount of money that declares you as "rich". It is your daily actions and choices that determine whether you are rich or not. That is why wealthy people are never worried about losing it all, because they know they can just make it back again. Why? Because they ARE rich. They will just do the things that got them there over again. If you do the same things consistently and make the same choices you will be rich too. There is no question about it. Those same good habits will not only get you there, but keep you there too.

I would love it if you were to find a plan that excites you enough to actually follow through and do it. Then, there will be no stopping you because the reality of the experience will be so much better than the theory that you will refuse to stop.

I would love to hear about your wealth journeys! Leave a comment and share your experiences.

Be Kind

What does kindness have to do with being wealthy?

I write about the world of money and finance. It tends to be a pretty dry, serious business. But I like to try and keep it light and remember the context of it all. Money is just a tool to use to live your best life. If you only care about the money, you will tend to never be happy and never have enough. It is people that make us happy. It is experiences. It is growing and learning.  Having money frees you to pursue happiness in its truest forms. I like to think of the freedom money buys as units of time.

Time is the truest form of currency and the only one that everyone gets the same amount of to spend. If you invest your time wisely you can reap the benefits. It is like money. If you invest money it creates more of itself and becomes a compounding return. Time is the same. If you invest your time, you will eventually have more of it to spend, but if you spend your time, you will eventually run out.

I like to think that most people are the same, and really are motivated by the same basic instincts. Some people tend to cross the moral boundary because it is in their nature, but I believe that those poor, lost souls are very small minority. I believe that most people who commit crimes, or lie, cheat and hoard are just desperate. They lack the very things that would give them the luxury of self-awareness; money and time.

Money is time and time is money. If everyone had all of their basic needs met, and the equal opportunity to develop themselves to their fullest potential, there would be an awful lot less crime and deceit. Most crime and greed is motivated by need. Yes, there is the odd crime of passion, but most unscrupulous situations are just a result of lack.

Kindness

We live in a world where there is a lot of mistrust and paranoia. We actually pay for people to be nice to us sometimes. Waiters, masseuses, therapists, entertainers and even prostitutes are all examples of people pretending to be kind to us in order to make a living. Sometimes we even believe them. We start to think that the only time people are nice to us is when they want something or have an hidden agenda. This is not the world I want to live in.

So, I make it a habit to be kind to people even when I have nothing to gain. I believe that I can make a difference in the world and that difference starts with my behaviours. I refuse to live my life in fear and mistrust. I like to think I am wise enough to know when someone is trying to scam me, but for the most part, I believe that being kind is just a way to start spreading happiness to those around me and hopefully it will have a ripple effect. I am ALWAYS in control of my actions so I can choose to be kind, without expecting anything in return.

I like to think of this as creating value, like I am always talking about. Money comes to those who create value for the world. People will happily pay you for something they consider valuable, so why wouldn't kindness pay you in kind? It probably won't return as money, but it could. It most likely will result in you attracting kindness back to yourself. That is fine with me. I like it when people are kind to me. It feels good. It makes me like them. It yes me want to do business with them. Kindness is awesome.

I believe that the universe reflects back to you what you put out. A thief thinks everyone is a thief and a liar thinks everyone is a liar.  I also believe that if you are nice to people they will tend to be nice back. Ignore the people who are cynical and think everyone is on the take. They probably have lived a life whereby they encountered a lot of insincere people and may have been victims of broken promises themselves. Even if you get a not so nice response from them, be kind anyway. It costs you nothing and maybe you can be an example for them to change their mind. If you have no agenda other than spreading kindness, then you have done all you can do.

I am writing about kindness in a financial blog to shed light on the perspective that people come first. Money is just a tool. It is a system that we are immersed in, so we perhaps give it an unnatural amount of power over our mindset, but in the end it is just a means to an end. Gathering a fortune just gives you the ability to truly express your full potential as a human being, without the restraints of having to make a living, or putting food on the table. When you rise above "survival" as your primary purpose in life, you have the responsibility to become all that you can be and add value to the world. There is really nothing else to do. Being rich is not the end game. Being free to pursue worthy goals and shine your light on the world is.

So by all means, become rich. Just remember to do something worthwhile with it when you do. That doesn't mean giving it away, necessarily. That would be counterproductive. Use the time it buys you to contribute to the betterment of mankind, either through your efforts to become an amazing person, or through your time and attention towards a worthy cause. Kindness, just like love, is a verb, not a noun. You show kindness and love through actions.

I am not naive. I realize the world can be a nasty place sometimes. But we can sit around and complain about the state of the world or we can change it. We don't live in a bubble. The "world" is an amalgamation of all of us and our behaviours. We are a part of the collective soul of the planet. Be a great part of it.

As Ghandi said

"Be the change you want to see in the world"

Be the kind of person you wish everyone was.  This does not make you a sucker. This makes you a hero. It takes courage to be kind, sometimes. It take sacrifice sometimes. But kindness is worth being. I challenge you to be a kind person even when those around you are not. This is the true mark of superior human being. Be strong enough to be kind.

How to get what you want

Dreams Can Come True

We all have dreams and desires. Some people want health. Some people want loving relationships and other want fame and fortune. Everyone wants something different but the bottom line is, how do we get it?

Most dreams we have seem unattainable at first glance. Many who struggle with life feel like their current circumstances are the way it will always be. It is very hard to imagine that things will change when you are in the middle of a bad situation.

Hockey

I like to use the game of hockey as a great analogy of life, since I am Canadian, and I love hockey. In hockey, the players are always moving. When you have the puck and you are trying to make a play, sometimes you don't have one available. The other team has all the options covered. This could seem like a no-win situation, and if we approached this the same way many people approach life, we would just give up because we had no options. However, in hockey what we do in this situation is keep skating. As we move, the other pieces of the puzzle move too, creating a new scenario and possibly different options. The key is movement. In hockey they say it is solving your problems with your legs, not your hands.

I life, if we just keep moving, we create opportunities for ourselves. We must ask ourselves, "What can I do?" ..and then do it. By moving forward, by doing what you can to move closer to your goals, you are opening up new opportunities and scenarios. Your are meeting new people and seeing things from a new perspective,. Options that were not there before become available because you moved. Even moving sideways is still changing your perspective.

Don't be a victim

This "movement" approach to life is the opposite of being a victim. We can expect the world to change while we stay in the same place, but that is pointless. If we keep moving, we create opportunities and new situations. We cannot wait for things to change, we must create the change. As Brian Tracy says, no one is coming to the rescue.

Take responsibility for your life

By taking responsibility for everything in your life, you are changing from victim to creator. You are the one pulling the strings and you are the one that is accountable. When you can accept that your life circumstances were created by you and you alone, you are well on your way to becoming free. In order for your life to get better, you must get better. As Jim Rohn says:

Don't wish life were easier, wish you were better.

Or as I quote in many of my articles

God don't drive no parked cars - Dr, Phil

Do not expect fate to take care of you - you are in the drivers seat. If you set out to achieve something, you must assume it is all on you. You must do what needs to be done, and keep going until you succeed. There are many ways that fate or the universe may assist you in your quest, but it will not do it for you.

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too.” - William Hutchison Murray

Make a plan

To get what you want, you need to clearly define what it is that you want. Make it very real in your mind, write it down. Create a vision board. You cannot hit a target you can't see. Once you know and have defined exactly what you want, make a plan to get it. It is ok if you don't know all of the steps quite yet., Begin and learn as you go. The act of moving towards your goal is enough to bring unexpected assistance to your aid. Your initial plan is a list of things you CAN do, and you must do them. If you don't know what to do next, find out. That is your next task on your to-do list. Find someone who does know, or has done it before. Read a book. Take a course. There is a ton of information out there to help you achieve your goals. You must take ownership of the project and look for answers and resources to get to the finish line. In the spirit of "what CAN I do?" Your next move may be to find out what your next move should be..

Persist

Nobody ever achieves anything without some obstacles. There is always something that comes up that impedes your progress or sets you back. This is normal. If you let obstacles stop you from moving forward, you will never achieve anything. Unexpected challenges always come up . Expect them and prepare for them if you can. But keep going. Figure it out and move on. You only lose when you quit.

Learn

They say that the only reason someone else is doing better than you is because they know something you don't. It is all about knowledge. You must be a life-long learner if you are going to be successful. You must continuously be adapting to changing circumstances and finding out new ways to do things. The world is changing fast, you must change too. Change is scary for many people, but high-achievers are willing to go through the uncomfortableness of change and become more. You must be willing to wander outside of your comfort zone and adapt.

Adapt

Darwin is often misquoted as saying life is about the survival of the fittest. This is incorrect. He actually said it is about survival of the most adaptable. This has never been more true than today. As our world changes and evolves at top speed, those who can change and adapt along with it are the ones who will survive. This means staying focused on your goals, but adapting your methods or approach as need be. You must be more concerned with where you are going than with how you are going to get there. You never know if your current strategy will become obsolete or ineffective as things change. You need to be willing to change your approach.

Grow

The most important thing here is to grow. You need to become the person you want to be  in order to get things you want. As Jim Rohn said:

If someone gives you a million dollars, you better hurry up and become a millionaire.

This means you must be the person that you need to be. This Implies that your daily habits and actions are a reflection of who you are, and who you are will determine where you end up. You have complete control over who you become, so you might as well direct that evolution in the right direction. Learn, grow, and adapt. You are capable of so much more than you think.

So the key to getting what you want is to decide what it is that you want and then work towards it. Make a plan and follow through. Persist and overcome obstacle. Stay focused on the end goal and don't fall in love with the process. You can do it. I encourage you to learn as much as you can in your pursuit of happiness. Read books. Take courses. Talk to people more successful than you. Take responsibly. Do not expect the world to magically gift you what you want because you think you are a nice person. You must act upon the world and provide value. You must be willing to pay the price for your success. Only then, will you evoke serendipity.

Which financial plan is the best?

Where do I begin?

If you are like me, you are always looking for a better way to do things. I am convinced that there is a smarter, faster, or even less risky way to grow my money and my noble quest never ends. I read everything I can about investing and money and I never stop tweaking my own strategies.

Even though I am quick to absorb new information, I am slow to implement it. Not that I am procrastinating. No, I just want to make sure the new strategy is sound. I also consider what my current strategy is - because it matters. It matters because every plan requires follow through. I need to see if it works and stick to it over the long term. Long term thinking is what will set you apart from the crowd and long term actions are how you execute on these strategies. That means acting deliberately and with sober discipline through thick and thin.

Every financial plan is going to be affected by the winds of change. The economy and interest rates - technological change and macro-economic variables all make a strategy more or less effective depending on the plan you choose. Do not be afraid to change if there is enough evidence to change.

On the flip side of things, do not change at the first sign of a market correction or the feds announcing an increase to the interest rates. These are normal things and the ebb and flow of the markets are inevitable. You must be strong in these times and stick to the plan if the math works,

So which plan is the best?

The one that you actually do.

Find a plan that makes sense and actually do it. Take your cold, hard cash and make a move. Then stick with it. Do not go chasing every new trend or investment scheme that comes along. If your original plan is moving you forward at approximately the rate you anticipated, then stick with it. Starting over again and again will get you nowhere. A good strategy takes time and perseverance through ups and downs. You cannot expect things to happen overnight.

As much as I would love to think the biggest problem people have when building wealth is jumping around from plan to plan, that is, sadly, not the case. The biggest problem most people encounter on their financial journey is doing nothing. Even if you do take an interest in investing and building a financial nest-egg, most people read a book or two then do nothing about it. They think the idea is cool (or not) and then just go about their lives thinking that financial freedom is only for the lucky few or is just an abstract idea. This is a tragedy. Most plans you read about, especially the ones you have heard about more than once, are good plans. They work if you work them. If you grow your money and demonstrate self discipline and perseverance, you will succeed. This is the most likely outcome.

The guaranteed outcome of doing nothing is nothing. Your will be in the same place ten years from now that you are are presently if you don't implement a sound financial plan.

I could mention that the other side of the coin is having a financial plan that is stagnating and you never make a change because it is too scary. That is another issue. I have been in that situation too. We think about "sunk cost" and refuse to let go of our bad investments because we think we love them. Try to have the courage to cut your losses and move on. You will know when it is time. You just have to admit it to yourself.

So the best plan is to actually read the book, take the course and follow through.

Set up the accounts

Move the money

Set up the automation

Watch it grow.

I encourage you to take the time to think about your current plan. Are you doing nothing? Are you jumping around like a maniac? Are you sitting on that mutual find that is paying more fees every year than it is earning? If so, it is time to find your courage. Do some homework, find a plan that works for you and then move on it. Put your money to work and watch the magic happen.

If you are looking for a plan, perhaps my books or courses can give you a nudge in the right direction. I also recommend many books by other people smarter than me in my articles that are excellent roadmaps for financial abundance. Whichever you choose is up to you. But you actually have to do it. Money can be scary and most of us think we have no extra money to spare. But the truth is there is a way. You can start a financial freedom plan with the money you already have. It is possible. I have done it and many of my readers have too. It is not witchcraft. Financial freedom is not reserved for a special few. It is for everybody. If you are not on the path to financial freedom then there is just something that you don't know. That is all. If you can find the information you are missing and ACTUALLY act upon it, you will be amazed at the new opportunities and perspectives that will come your way.

God don't drive no parked cars

- Dr. Phil

You are only as rich as your passive income allows

You are not rich until you are free

You are not free until you are rich

Which of these statements are true?

Maybe both to some degree.

We live in a world that demands that we pay. We have to pay for almost everything we want, including the basic necessities of life - food, shelter, and clothing.

I get that there are those who live extremely frugal lifestyles and I can appreciate that approach. It is freedom within a certain set of boundaries. You are free but you have to limit your activities to those which you can afford. Imagine the difference between living in a van and parking overnight at Walmart half the time, vs. living in a mansion and flying around in your private jet. Both scenarios represent freedom, but one seems to have a lot more options than the other.

But I digress.

The point I am making here is specifically about financial freedom. To me, financial freedom is defined by:

1. Not having to work if you choose not to

2. Not having to compromise when choosing your activities.

3. Living the lifestyle you want, without having to worry about how to pay for it

Now, if we look closer at these three points, we can see that there are many ways to achieve these states of being, and many ways to interpret their fulfillment.

Not having to work

This doesn't mean you don't work, In fact, if you absolutely love your work, go to town. I envy those who have a career that defines them, and they can't imagine ever retiring because they derive so much joy from their chosen field. That isn't me. I work because I have to pay the bills, just like almost everyone else I know.

Not having to compromise when choosing activities

This is when you follow you heart's desire and don't worry about how much it costs. Want to jet off to Bora Bora on a whim? Do it. You want to have the steak or the chicken? You don't look at what it costs, you choose the steak.

Living the lifestyle you want

Finally, I get to the point of my tirade. You may have a certain lifestyle that you desire. It may be living in a tent under an overpass or it may be hobnobbing with the rich and famous in Monaco. You are free to choose whatever lifestyle you want and if you are able to live it care-free (financially speaking) then you are truly rich. So now I want to make a statement that, I feel, defines my whole philosophy about wealth.

You are only rich as your passive income allows.

If you earn a high salary and you are driving a flashy car and wear $10,000 suits, then you may think that you are rich. But..if you got fired, or became unable to work due to circumstances out of your control, could you still afford your lifestyle?

If the answer is "no" then you are not rich.

I believe that you are only as rich as your passive income allows. The money that keeps coming whether you work or not.

If you truly understand my point of view, you will appreciate my next statement.

Your lifestyle should be defined by the amount of your passive income, not your salary.

This is the true definition of financial freedom to me. You earn money while you sleep. You have your money working hard for YOU, 24 hours day, and you decide what to do with your time.

So in this paradigm, you would consider yourself poor until you can sustain your chosen lifestyle without working. If you earn a high salary, but have no investments, then you should live like a pauper until you have invested enough to not have to work.

If you wanted to be a fanatic, you would attempt to live ONLY on your passive income, and invest every penny of your "earned" income from your job. This would inspire you to get busy investing so that you can earn the lifestyle you dream about. It seems backwards or crazy, but It is an extreme example of how you can really gain a freedom that few ever get to experience.

If you were to invest your whole salary, and perhaps even your spouses salary too, you could build up a pretty sizeable portfolio of passive income producing investments quite quickly.

You wonder how this would be possible. The world doesn't stop just because you decided to hoard your cash. You still have to pay for stuff.

This is where long-term perspective comes in.

The old saying is :

"Live like no-one else now, so you can live like no-one else later"

If you made some huge sacrifices and pared down your lifestyle to a minimum, even though you could technically afford much more now, you could set yourself up to live a life you might never have dreamed possible.

Living in your sister's basement or in a shady part of town right now isn't the end of the world. It doesn't reflect on your status or your ambition if there is a long-term goal in the works. Because you know that this current "modest" lifestyle is not going to be forever, and that it is part of a much bigger plan, you may even find joy in the experience because it is a part of your grand design. It is you, doing something that most people are not willing to do in order to live a lifestyle that not many people are able to live. Being willing to do what most people are not willing to do is usually a recipe for success.

I realize that what I am suggesting sounds extreme and it is. My first book, "Be Your Own Bank" actually offers a blueprint for this plan, and many have enjoyed it. But you don't have to go crazy. You can scale this plan to whatever degree you feel comfortable with. I suggest pushing your comfort zone as far as you can, but the beauty of the plan is that it can be adjusted to any income level and any degree of risk tolerance.

To me, the most important part of this is truly understanding and embracing the primary concept:

You are only as rich as your passive income allows.

By drinking the Kool-Aid and believing this precept, you will make financial decisions towards this end. Prioritizing investing over lifestyle will ensure you are approaching financial freedom from the VIP entrance. This is what the "big boys" mean when they tell you to "Pay yourself first". Your long-term thinking will lead to long-term actions and that will lead, inevitably, to long-term freedom. This is not fantasy. You just have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone and take on a new way of thinking and acting.

If you want to change your life, you must change yourself.

Keeping It Real

Turning Ideas into Reality

I am often found sitting in the shade reading a great book and smiling as I fill my mind with new information and new ideas. I am fascinated with new concepts and I love to expand my repertoire of skills. I read a lot. 

Now here is the rub

I am a pretty lazy guy. I read a great book and I get all inspired and then I do NOTHING> I have just tickled my curiosity bone and left it at that. I am terrible for following through an anything that is outside of my comfort zone. 

In my travels and meeting with people who follow my work, I realize that a lot of people share the same affliction. They love to learn about new ideas but they tend to stay the course in their life trajectory. They stay at the same job, eat the same breakfast and spend their precious time in the same way they always have. This is our natural survival instinct at work. We strive for homeostasis in our life as we avoid anything that is uncomfortable and instinctively assume that change is dangerous. 

Anytime that I did actually get off my butt and implement a great idea, I have been stunned by the results. My whole life changed; both on the outside and on the inside. 

The Law of Attraction

I am fascinated by the concept  of "thoughts become reality". It is often misconstrued as some magical force that grants you wishes if you do the right visualisations. I like to think that it is a little more practical than that, but no less mystical. 

If you read a book that explains how to build a boat in your backyard using only fence boards you may think that is a great idea and contemplate how cool that would be to have a boat that you built yourself and where it might take you. You may feel the glow of having new information and feel more powerful because you know something that others don't. You might actually "feel" the reality of sitting on your boat with the salty breeze in your face.

But until you actually go into your backyard and start hammering, it is nothing. It is just an idea. It is a single, nebulous concept lost in the infinite sea of ideas. It has no ability to affect your present reality, unless you bring it forth into 3D existence - by concrete action. 

Every idea worth implementing requires you to actually move, manipulate and toil against that natural inertia {and even entropy} of the real world. Nothing is going to just "happen" on it's own.

As good 'ol Dr. Phil says "God don't drive no parked cars"

There is a bleak underlying melancholy that persists within the tenet of "life is hard". Yes it can be hard. It also is an unavoidable fact. Everything that exists in the man-made world, including yachts, mansions and private planes were the result of actual work. People actually moved their bodies and manipulated physical objects to bring these things into existence from their original form as dormant ideas.

As Albert Einstein once said,

"Nothing happens until something moves"

For a lazy guy like me, this seems like bad news. I want everything to happen magically. I want super-powers where I can wiggle my nose and manifest whatever I want instantly. This "work" idea doesn't sound like very much fun at all. 

Here is the good part. - Ideas are what make the work worthwhile. If we are in pursuit of a worthy goal, we are successful. If we want to build that boat in our backyard out of fence boards it sure would make the labour far more efficient and worthwhile if we had a set of blueprints to follow. If we have a plan, and a methodology and the right tools, the fruits of our labours will be optimised. We will give ourselves the best chance of producing a boat that actually floats if we use the "ideas" presented by someone who had already done it before. This is a huge advantage over the guy next door who is trying to build his boat without any plans or tools. 

So, since life demands the we HAVE to work at stuff, then we might as well work intelligently. We might as well get the best return on the investment of our labour. I guess that is why they call it "Sweat Equity". The effort is an investment into our actual real-life dream fulfilment. We must follow the steps as defined by the most successful of us.. 

Plan

Work

Persevere

This is the only way that manifestation works and the only way it will ever work. 

It is also a cycle. We plan our work (ideas), then we work hard to bring our vision into reality, then we keep going until it is done. If we are not getting the results we want, we do some more thinking (conceptualising)  and adjust our strategy and keep working until we succeed. It is a simple formula, but a powerful one, that has been handed down for generations in many esoteric traditions.

Play both sides 

It is not enough to dream and hope. 

It is not enough to work hard aimlessly. 

You must first develop the idea in your mind, either by inspiration or through the words of others, then labour to bring it forth into physical reality, then persevere until it is complete. There is no other path. 

Now a couple of interesting things about this. 

As the Rolling Stones said,

"You can't always get what you want"

Sometimes, in the process of pursuing a goal or chasing a dream, things don't turn out as you expected.. This is usually the case - and is not always a bad thing. Often, I use the metaphor from playing hockey - if you don't like where you are at (you don't have a play) - move (take a few strides)- everything will change. If you move forward your options will continually change and evolve. Your perspective will change too. As you "move" through life you learn more and your perspective changes. You can see things in different ways, opening up new possibilities and opportunities that were not there before or were there all along, you just couldn't see them from where you were. 

To once again paraphrase Dr. Phil, movement (effort) is the key. 

I think the magical part of this is that something as etheric as an "idea" can have such a huge impact on physical reality. 

As they say - If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. 

Having the correct ideas and tools (skills) will make your movement in the world exponentially more potent than not having a plan - and a plan is just a thought. So it really is kind of like bringing thoughts into reality. Except, wishing and hoping doesn't make it real, your effort makes it real. Yet, your effort would be useless without the idea.

I like to think that this concept is the foundation for all of reality. The universe is a creation, not an accident. It was conceived and designed first, then brought forth into reality through movement. The big bang is the first motion. 

Just as an idea can become reality, the opposite is also true. 

A person can, through much trial and error, become successful in 3D reality. Then, that person can share their experience through books, training courses, seminars or mentorship. The reality of their accomplishments has now been distilled back into a cloud of etheric ideas. 

These ideas are then transferred to another human being through whatever medium they prefer and are sitting there with their full potential untapped, until that next human being acts. The idea is propagating from soul to soul and each will have the opportunity to manifest that reality (or not) through their own unique experience. This seems pretty cool to me - it is equivalent to speaking into a cellphone and that physical information is converted to electrons and then transmitted through the air from tower to tower, then through miles of fiber optic cables as protons of light, then back into the air and re-created as analogue sound waves in the the receiving  person's ear. I have even left out a few steps here, but if you were to explain this to a person 100 years ago, they would never believe you . It would seem like magic. Yet consciousness and thought and manifestation really behave the same way. We don't quite understand the "how" but we can still use it to our advantage. The macro level and the micro level tend to mirror each other.

As much as we would all like to take credit for our accomplishments we need to acknowledge that nothing happens in a vacuum. Outside forces always interfere with our plans.- Sometimes in a positive way and, of course, sometimes not. 

I am suggesting that we would benefit from accepting our role as an instrument upon which the  cosmic consciousness, of which our own individual awareness is an integral part, makes the music of physical reality. We collectively create our reality. 

So what can I do? 

Learn. Listen . Make sure you start with good ideas. You need them to be successful.

Then work. Hard. As the legendary Brian Tracy says,

“Figure out the price of success and get busy paying that price.”

Then persevere. Keep going until you succeed. Re-adjust. Adapt. Overcome. You only lose when you quit. You are not being timed. 

Then accept any assistance you get from the collective consciousness with humility. Call it luck if you wish, but few have succeeded without it. 

Until one is committed there is hesitancy,

the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.

Concerning all acts of initiative (and Creation)

There is one elementary truth

The ignorance which kills countless ideas and splendid plans:

the moment that one definitely commits ones self, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,

raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings And material assistance which no one could have dreamt

Would have come your way.

Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.

Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.

-Johann Wolfgang von GOETHE 1749-1832

Diversify or Perish

Preservation of Capital

As you may or may not be aware, we are in the midst of a bear market. Every indication is that the stock market will continue its downward slide for the next few months, if not longer. This is a blessing and a curse.

The curse: Your portfolio becomes worth less than it used to. Nothing hurts more than seeing you hard earned gains shrivelling before your eyes. Your "net worth" is being negatively affected and it is painful. 

Please keep in mind - you only lose money if you sell. If you do not sell anything you realize no losses. Your stocks continue to earn dividends and you are in "business as usual" mode. If you are following my plan, this is a temporary situation and is good for one reason:

The blessing: Stocks are on sale!

Your dividend re-investment plan is getting you way more bang for the buck. Your ROI is higher and your yield is higher. You are purchasing more stocks for the same amount of money and thus, your dividend is higher. If you are invested in good blue chip stocks, this dividend has not changed or has actually gone up, so you are now earning way more with each stock you buy. Not a bad deal.

So either way, you are fine. If you have the time.

Time

So what if you are in the later stages of your financial journey? Like me, you are very reliant upon not only dividends but on the marginal value of you portfolio. Your ability to leverage what you have is diminished by the lower value of your stocks. This can create a problem, especially if you are ready to retire.

I personally have weathered the storm of many stock market "corrections" over the years and have been fortunate to be able to hang on, persevere, and allow my portfolio to climb back to even greater levels as I dollar-cost-averaged my way to prosperity. 

However, due to my age and my plan, I got out of the market 6 months ago and have moved my money to other investing platforms. Why?

Preservation of Capital. 

I wanted to put my money to work without the fear of it losing its value. I needed it to remain intact so I can plan my retirement and my strategy based on real numbers and less speculation. My situation is, I don't have the time to recover anymore. I need the money to be here, now. So I changed my plan.

I now am invested in a few different things, most of which allow me to sleep at night.

I am fortunate to have made some good connections over the years and I am privileged to be able to invest my money in a few private investing deals that are only available to a few people. This is great for me, but how does this help you?

Peer to Peer lending

I have a good percentage of my wealth invested in peer to peer lending. This is a platform whereby people underwrite loans for other people who need them and the broker just takes a small percentage of the transaction. Instead of going to a traditional lender, like a bank, you can apply for a loan through a service like GoPeer and be approved based on your credit rating just like anywhere else, but the HUGE difference is, you will be approved by your peers, not the bank manager. If you are high risk, you will pay a high interest rate. Then, it is up to investors like me to decide whether you are worth the risk or not. This is amazing! It is like having thousands of different loan officers with thousands of different opinions and risk tolerances to asses your situation and decide whether to underwrite your loan or not. 

As a borrower, this is great because it is a way to get a loan in spite of bad credit or being over leveraged. 

As an investor, this is great because you get to decide your own risk vs. reward comfort zone. You decide which loans you will fund, and then decide how much you want to invest in each one. You can invest as little as $10 on any given loan and you are in the drivers seat. The lending platform does all of the dirty work, including chasing down the delinquent accounts.

From a "preservation of capital" point of view, this is perfect. You get back your initial investment PLUS interest over the term of each loan. In the end, you have not had to worry about the fluctuations of the stock market or the possibility of a dividend being cut or eliminated. 

If you are interested in taking a look, I am offering a referral bonus. Using the link below, you can sign up to be an investor with GoPeer and you will receive $30 towards your portfolio! 

Invest with GoPeer

Of course, the risk associated with this is quite apparent. What if your "peer" defaults on the loan? Well there are some recovery mechanisms in place but you generally will have to take the hit if that happens. The higher the risk, the higher the reward. Each loan is given a grade from A+ to E- . The interest rate gets higher as the rating goes down, so you choose which ones you feel you can take on. It is up to you. 

The other downside is liquidity. You cannot withdrawal your funds before the end of the loan term. You are locked in to each loan for the duration. This is not a terrible thing, but worth noting.

So if you are wanting to become a lender, and put your money to work, this may be a good option for you. If not, carry on. I am not a financial advisor, just a dude sharing his financial adventures (<-see how I snuck that disclaimer in there?)

Invest with GoPeer

If you are not familiar with my investing strategies I encourage you to read my books or take my course. Every bit of information helps. You work hard for your money, wouldn't it be awesome if you could make your money work hard for you? 

Escape from Victimhood

You are the end game. 

They say the path of self awareness follows a cyclical pattern:

First - you look at your own flaws and say "I am not good enough"

Second - You look at the world and say " the world is against me"

Third - you look back at yourself and say "I can become more"

The first two realisations are necessary but painful. As teenagers we start to become self-aware enough to compare ourselves with our peers. We tend to try to conform to the crowd to be accepted and thought of as "cool". This is us in the first stage.

We then reach adulthood and start to interact with the world at large. Our small peer group was "easy" compared to the big bad world. We try to make ourselves as relevant as we can through accomplishments, and status symbols. We try to gain the approval of our boss, our significant others and our expanded peer group. This is the second stage. Many people get stuck here.

Eventually we come full circle and start to pay attention to ourselves again. We need to do this complete journey in order to figure out that the world begins and ends with us. 

Most importantly, we realize that if we want to have a life that we dream of, we need to begin with becoming the people we need to be to experience that new reality.

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

― Leo Tolstoy."

This is the crux of the matter. We need to realize that in order to change our circumstances we have to look inwards. 

Einstein said "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result"

Our life's circumstances are a reflection of our daily thoughts and habits. If we spend all of our money and are constantly in debt, we will always continue to be broke and in debt unless we change our money habits. So many people live their lives in unsustainable ways yet they imagine their only escape is some sort of deus ex machina-type intervention, like winning the lottery or inheriting a fortune from a long-lost uncle. This is victim thinking. If you are putting your hopes of prosperity or happiness on the whims of the universe you will be sorely disappointed. The natural state of the universe is entropy or decay. The universe is, by its very nature, eventually going to be a completely static matrix of atoms all spread evenly apart through all of existence. 

The only thing that creates order from the chaos or the static field is consciousness. Or put another way, the only thing that produces a higher order of existence or anything of value is thought, followed by effort. 

We must focus our attention and labours towards creation. We are the keepers of that power. Consciousness is the driver that makes new things. Ideas are great, but we must execute on them. By thinking about new things and putting forth effort (actual physical ACTION) towards the creation of anything, we counteract the natural entropy of the world. If we rest on our laurels and allow the universe to "take the wheel" we will end up in despair. Depression is what happens when we allow the outside world to tell us how to act and feel. Poverty is what happens when we put our financial well being in the hands of someone else. (our boss, our financial advisor, or our rich uncle).

We have the power and the opportunity to create massive abundance, but we need to act upon it ourselves and be the project managers of the journey. We need to make a decision to be wealthy and then execute on our plan. This is the only way. We must take ownership of our destiny. If we create a plan and follow through with it, we can make progress. Few plans go as expected, but the movement forward is the catalyst that enables miracles to happen

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. - William H. Murray 

The universe is probably a giant field of consciousness, of which you are a small part" It can only amplify that which you send to it. If you put out a vibe off prosperity and happiness it will resonate with you, but if you are always transmitting a feeling of sadness and desperation. It will amplify that too. Think of it as an echo chamber. What we say and think will be reflected back to us. If we shout loudly "My life sucks!" the universe will send that back to you in the form of happenstance and "bad luck" because that is why you told it to do. 

The opposite is equally true. If you send out a vibe of I am making something of myself and I am going to become the master of my destiny. The universe will agree with you and perhaps serendipitously send good thing your way that are in sync with your vibe. 

So it is your choice. But the key point is the is that the place to start is inside of you. YOU need to change, in order for things to change. Don't wish life was easier, wish you were better.

As Dr. Phil says:

"God don't drive no parked cars"

I always say, imagine going back to being a teenager and facing the so-called "problems" you had. As a mature adult, you would laugh at how easily you deal with things that were "the end of the world" when you were 15. Did the problem get easier or did you get better?

The same is true for all your problems. By changing yourself you become more capable of dealing with the world. This is the only true way to happiness. 

I send this message in my books and courses about money. 

Should you pay off debt or invest? Well, imagine if you were rich. Would the debt be a problem?> no

Why? Because your "ability" to pay it off has increased. So now ask the question again. 

Should you pay off debt or invest?

By paying off debt, your ability to pay off the decreases. You have less money. 

By investing, your ability to pay the debt increases. Therefore, the debt becomes less of a burden. I will also toss in the fact that the value of debt decreases over time due to inflation. I remember my parents saying they bought their first house for $5000 - and they thought they would never pay that off in their lifetime. A debt of $5000 would mean nothing to them today. So service the debt, but prioritise investing - you will eventually become greater than your debts. 

So becoming more is the only long-term solution to your problems. This is a proactive stance that many are afraid to embrace due to the Ego's natural fear of death. To our Ego, change is the same as death. It cannot tell the difference. It thinks "this is who I am" and truly believes it. That is why we sometimes cling to old ideas and beliefs even though we have encountered evidence to the contrary. Because if we believe something different, due to new evidence being presented, then we will no longer be who we were and the ego is terrified of that.

We can overcome that fear and change anyways. We can become more and realize that we are still "us" but a different version of us. Perhaps even one we like better. You can decide to change. It is everyone's sovereign right to do so. If you think that staying the same will change your circumstances, you are deluding yourself. 

The cool thing is, we are a combination of our thoughts and our behaviours. By adopting new habits, we can bit-by-bit chip away at the old stone of ourselves and find the "David" awaiting inside. We can become more. We do it a little at a time. Huge changes really stick, but daily habits accumulated over time will eventually seem quite natural and we will do them almost unconsciously. This applies to all your habits, including your money habits. 

By adopting good money habits and spending time learning the best methods of spending, saving and investing, we change our circumstances. Why? Because we have increased our ability to deal with our money problems. We must not wait for some divine intervention or stroke of luck to get us out of our dilemma. We must not gamble. We must not hope. We must act. We must do SOMETHING - ask yourself "What CAN I do?" - (My wife taught me that precept and I have written about it extensively - thanks, honey)

There is a magic formula to wealth. I can give you a recipe for financial freedom. There are many ways to do it. What I must tell you is that any plan you adopt must contain the primary elements of focus, self-discipline and grit. These are internal qualities. My plans work, but only if you are the person who can stick to it through the inevitable ups and downs. The secret ingredient to financial freedom is you becoming the right person. As Jim Rohn said:

“If someone gives you a million dollars, you better hurry up and become a millionaire.” 

Ever wonder why so many lottery winners are broke within 3 years? Because they didn't change. They were not willing to become millionaires. Money will not solve your problems, only YOU will. Money is just a result of you becoming a rich person and then behaving that way consistently over time. 

I hope I have offered you some helpful advice. It is hard to hear because change is hard. New habits are hard. Believing something new is especially hard. I know. But it is a battle worth fighting. A mind expanded can never go back to its original dimensions. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. 

The Psychology of Money

I have often wondered why so many authors, gurus and "influencers" always talk about "mindset" and "affirmations" and other mental exercises to create wealth. I believed this focus on the mind to be a massive waste of time, and to what end? I wanted hard facts. I wanted a plan. 

I was always hoping that they would give me a paint by numbers plan to follow that would generate wealth for me and my family. I wanted them to tell me:

1. Invest in 'X' and hold for 'X' years

2. Buy real estate in 'X' market and get the money from <this guy>

I wanted a formula, not some "pie in the sky" about mastering your emotions or the law of attraction. 

I was even so convinced that the proper information to distribute to the people was a "get rich textbook", I wrote one. In fact, I wrote several. 

My books are actually step by step plans to create wealth. They spell out, in plain language, a formula for becoming rich, using the money you already have, even if it is very little at the moment. I was convinced that this was the right course of action and anyone could follow my plan and become wealthy. I even have a video course that boils it down to the essentials. 

As popular as my plan has been ( thank you, dear readers..), I realized that the vast majority of people I have spoken to who have read my books or taken my course never implemented it. They thought is was a "cool idea" and then moved on with their life. I suppose I could just be happy that I made a buck, but I am trying to solve a problem - POVERTY- and my methods were NOT getting it done. 

I realized that in order for people to change their life, they, themselves, have to change. This is old news. I think it's not even news from this century; but I finally clued into the underlying issue. Change is hard. Doing new things, habitually, is hard. Becoming a better version of yourself is hard. People don't like hard. 

My 'get rich' plan is easy. Being a person who executes that plan, is hard.

So I read a zillion books about this very subject - here are a few of my favorites:

The Psychology of Money - This book blew my mind. It explains why we think the way we do about money and what is potentially holding us back from creating real wealth. A must-read for anyone who wants to figure it out.

Scarcity - This book scientifically explains the behaviour of the poor vs. the behaviour of the rich. If you like cold, hard facts and need convincing that wealth begins in the mind, take a bite out of this tome.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - This is an older book but it does a great job of explaining that it is OK to be rich. It debunks some of the poverty biases that you may have been taught from your parents.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad - this is a classic, and rightly so. It explains how rich people do things differently from poor people, and it has very little to do with investing strategy. It has everything to do with understanding what an asset is, how debt works, and what a rich person would do vs. You average poor person. Spoiler - most of us are poor people...

The New Plan

Once I understood that we need to change our minds first, then our habits, our strategies will then become relevant. There are a million strategies out there to build wealth, but they all require you to posses a certain subset of personal skills and disciplines that take work and repetition to master. 

In light of this new information, I have decided to continue my quest to create the ultimate "playbook" for wealth creation and am writing a new book that spells out a plan to master the habits necessary to become rich. This is not investing. This is daily money management on steroids that will get you into the groove of managing your money like a superhero, in preparation for taking on a more advanced strategy, like my BYOB: BE Your Own Bank method. 

I hope to have the first draft completed by end of summer and a possible release in fall of 2022. I am excited to share my ideas with you, and see if we can pump you up to elite status in the world of personal wealth creation and money matters.

If you are interested in keeping tabs on the happenings in "BYOB land", subscribe to our Newsletter and you will be the first to know when the new book is due. You will also get a free "Stock picking guide" just for signing up! 

Thanks for your support

What Can I Do?

Trust Me

The other day I was at my local Canadian Tire store and two young girls approached me and asked for my advice. I suppose because I look like a typical "Dad", they may have assumed I have some sort of insight into their dilemma. One of the girls had purchased a new bike and they were trying to figure out how they were going to get it home in their very small economy vehicle. I told them they would have to take it apart or get a bike rack; there was no way it was going to fit inside of their little puddle-jumper.  

I went inside and did my business and when I came back out, they were still sitting there in their car. I realized my van was big enough to fit the bike in, so I knocked on the window and cheerfully offered to help them out. The look of terror on their faces said it all. They said they had a solution and thanks anyway and rolled up the window before the last word was uttered.

I appreciate the reason for their nervousness and at the same time, feel sad that the world has become this way. In a scenario where I was just trying to be kind, my intentions were misconstrued as predatory and manipulative. 

So what can we do about it? 

I could go on and on about how today's world has become so cynical that all conversations with anyone other that your inner circle are considered a sales pitch. As an example of this - I receive at least one or two scam phone calls, texts or emails every single day. No wonder we think everyone is out to get us. This kind of thing might lead you to believe that everyone is a thief. Our online, always connected world has brought us a ton of efficiency, connectivity and opportunity, but it has also created a whole new platform for grifters, con-artists and criminals. The news outlets bombard us with bad-news stories, meant to draw us in by their wild nature, in order to get viewers, but skew our perception of realty. 

In my experience, criminals and con-men are the exception not the rule. As Luke Bryan says, "Most people are Good". It is true. Most people are just trying to make ends meet and spend time with people they love. It is sad that the corrupt minority are perpetuating the painting all of mankind with the same brush. It is natural for us to turn on our safety instincts, as that is what our primal brain is wired to do, to protect us from threats. The trouble is, not everyone is a threat. In fact, very few people are threats. But how can you tell who is a nice, regular person and who is a wolf in sheep's clothing?

I don't know the answer to this. But I have a few ideas to help make a difference in how we act in the face of this negative paradigm.

Be the person you want to be

Don't let society's perceptions dictate who you are. Some people might say to themselves,

"The world is a crap place and everyone is out to get me. I might as well be untrustworthy myself so I can get my piece of the pie". Others will live in fear and avoid honest and genuine interactions with human beings because they don’t trust anyone.

Sticking with the theme of "What CAN I do?" You must change the direction of your focus from reacting to the world (being a victim) to acting upon the world (be a hero). You always have control over what you think, what you feel and what you do. If you understand this simple concept then you always have power. 

You do not exist in a vacuum. You are a part of this world. There is really no separation between you and your environment. You always have an effect on the world as long as you are alive. So you must decide what effect you have. Because you are unavoidably a piece of the whole of humanity, your words and deeds speak for us all. If you think that people are evil, you can contradict that statement by your own nature. If you are good in a world of evil, then the statement that "people are evil" is not true. It cannot be true as your are a "people" and you are choosing not to be evil. You are an equal part of the collective, so what you put out into the world becomes a truth. Your existence creates reality as much as anybody, so you are actually defining the world you live in by the life you lead. 

I will continue to be kind to people. I will continue to treat people with respect and patience when I can. Sometimes I will misjudge someone and be treated poorly in return. That is OK, I can take it. I am tougher than I look. But if I am kind to 10 people, and 9 are actually receptive to my kindness, I will have planted a seed of positivity in 9 people, who may start to believe that people are not as bad as they originally thought, and perhaps even pay it forward. This, to me, outweighs the consequences brought about by the one "bad" person who is burdened with the inability to trust and feels they must manipulate and deceive to "get ahead".

Bad News

〰️

Bad News 〰️

Because of our unconscious bias towards the negative, the majority of what we are fed as "news" is of a dark nature, in order to get readership or 'clicks'. This leads us to believe most of what is going on in the world is ugly and entropic. The real fact is, the world is actually improving all the time. I recently read a great book entitled "Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know" which is an examination of statistics from around the world on various human circumstances, like crime, hunger, health and war. In almost every category, the statisticians found that things are improving and have been for a long time. Our world is evolving, which could be reworded as "we" are evolving. 

Perhaps, we see the world negatively because bad things happen, which is actually not the norm, so we are upset by them. In the past, the world was a dangerous, lawless place and life was always hard. People just accepted it so there was a certain degree of desensitisation to the nastiness. Now, in our safe, sterile modern world we expect things to be peaceful and orderly, so when it is not, we start to think things are going badly. 

Be Kind

Set an example. Show people who they can become. You can't change people but you can inspire them. 

What is the world? It is people. People created and thought up everything. None of our society is natural. It is all conjured up in someone's mind and made into "rules" to serve those who benefit the most from it. People are the world. You are a "people", therefore, by you changing, you change the world. At least a significant part of it. So, be strong. Be the person you wish everyone else was. Trustworthy. Courageous. Kind. 

In a sea of darkness, be a light unto the world. Have the courage to be kind when everyone else thinks that being nice is naive. Have the strength of character to do the right thing, even when no-one will know. Fight for what is right. Be strong and bold for the right ideals. You don't have to change the world, you just have to change yourself. If you can be someone who you are proud of and who believes in something bigger than yourself, then you are making the changes in the world that you can. The emphasis is on the word "can" in "what CAN I do". 

It is easy to feel powerless in many situations. When things are going sideways you have to take a look at your situation and forget about what is NOT in your control and focus on what is. Ask yourself, "What CAN I do" and do it. Make positive actions come alive and shine light on the darkness. You can refuse to buy into the negative view of the world. You can refuse to accept that the world is "going to hell in a hand basket" and strive to make it the way you want it to be. If enough people believe that they can make a difference, then a huge difference can be made - in the right direction. We can  choose to be victims and believe the false perceptions that the world is a terrible place or be heroes, bravely fighting for positive change and lifting up our fellow human beings. 

The best way to change the world is by changing yourself. You can do this in a myriad of ways. You can educate yourself. It has been said that the modern education system is meant to create good employees, who will follow instructions. They want obedience and loyalty. I believe that the real purpose of education is to develop critical thinking skills. We must learn new things in order to frame the world through the correct lenses. Money management and entrepreneurship is not taught in school because it would encourage people to think creatively and look for ways to add value in the world. This would create a lack of good minions to do the everyday tasks necessary to keep the wheels of industry turning. 

By reading books, taking courses, attending seminars and engaging in real conversations with people you admire, you will start to become the person you need to be to change the world. As you learn to see the world differently, new ideas and opportunities become apparent, that you couldn't see before. You will take in new information and you will be able to put it in the right context. You will be less susceptible to propaganda and able to identify con-men when they come calling. 

I try to help by being kind, and by writing books and articles that are meant to give people the knowledge they need to escape the clutches of poverty and financial hardship. I try to be positive and encouraging in my work, and I send out positive intentions into the universe when I write, that someone, somewhere ,will read what I have written and it will be the discovering of missing information they needed to set them on a new course.. maybe even change their life.

You can't help others unless you help yourself

As Abraham Lincoln once said,

"You can't help the poor by being one of them"

This goes to show that logically, you must get your own act together before you are in any position to help others. So the first step to a better world is to make yourself better. For those of you who are Christians, even Jesus said the same thing. Tom Harpur, in his great book "For Christ's Sake" makes the argument that the central theme of the christian message is to love they neighbour, but you must love yourself first. You can't give something you dont have. Makes sense to me.

Just like the girls at Canadian Tire, they needed help. I had a van. I would not have been in a position to help if i didn't have a van. It is very simple. You cannot give what you don't have. They did not accept my help, but I was able to offer it. The same goes for any offering you present to the world. The world may or may not accept your gifts, but that is no reason not to present them. You must be the change you want to see in the world, as Gandhi suggested.

Educate your self then educate others. Pass it on to your children. Change yourself then change the world. Talk about new ideas. Support free speech. We can change the system one brick at a time. Learn, grow, discuss. 

Multiple Streams of Income

Income 1

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Income 2

〰️

Income 3

〰️

Income 4

〰️

Income 1 〰️ Income 2 〰️ Income 3 〰️ Income 4 〰️

The rich know that there is only so much time in a day and so much contribution you can make with your physical or mental efforts. At the end of the day, we all must rest and strive for balance in our lives. Our capacity to earn money with our time or expertise is limited by the hours we can work. We can put in obscenely long hours to earn more money, but that is not sustainable for most people. We will eventually burn out. Trading your time for money has very real limits.

In order to earn large sums of money, you must leverage time. You must set in motion several money making mechanisms that, once initiated, will continue to earn money for you without the need for you to be present. It is fine to check in on these vehicles from time to time to make adjustments, but for all intents and purposes the mechanism is self sufficient.

If you set up enough of these self-driving streams of income, you could eventually become rich. You will earn money while you sleep. Your multiple streams of income will work in parallel with each other. It is like cloning yourself over and over again. Your are living multiple lives and meandering along multiple timelines simultaneously. This is the secret way to wealth. 

My good friend Rob Burylo in his book "The Wealthy Buddhist" defines the process of wealth creation in a beautiful way:

1. You create an exceptional amount of value for a few people

2. You create value for an exceptional number of people

3. Or both

Rich could be defined as an exceptional amount of money, to stick with Mr. Burylo's suggestion. This defines it so well. 

Money

However, it is not money you are after. Money is just an effect. It is the result of providing value to the world. If you find a need and fill it, and you are able to do it at a large enough scale, you will be rewarded with money as a consequence of your actions.

So, do not pursue money for money's sake. Try to find an opportunity to offer value to others. Find a way to be of service so that people will make you rich by gladly and thankfully giving you thier money for giving them something they needed or wanted. 

If you provide a service that is quite easy to replicate and that most people can do to the same level of quality, it is really not worth much. The service is not rare or valuable because it is easy to do, and anyone can do it. The result being, that particular service doesn't pay very well. It doesn't matter whether the economy is doing well or the cost of living is going up. It doesn't matter what your level of "seniority" is, if the service or product you are providing is not rare or difficult to reproduce, it is not worth much, nor will it ever be. 

So providing value, making it available to as many people as possible and letting modern technology take care of the logistics makes for a repeatable and profitable path to wealth. You can replicate it over and over again. Your up-front efforts will continue to pay dividends, even when you are off doing other things and creating new sources of value. This is how you leverage time. 

Invest

One of the easiest ways to create a stream of income that keeps on trucking is investing. Investing can be intimidating and confusing, but it doesn't have to be. If you take a little time to learn the basics, you can have money coming into your life every month without much effort at all. You just have to learn how. It is not difficult. 

In my book "Be Your Own Bank" I propose a method to invest your money that will make you rich. It is a simple formula that if you follow it, you will be amazed at the results. And the best thing about my method is that it does not require any additional money up front. You can start your wealth creation journey with your current income and grow it from where you are. 

If you have spent any amount of time reading my articles here on my website, you are aware that I have offered up many different ideas for how to earn additional passive income through investing, entrepreneurship and financial education. I am dedicated to providing value to those who want it. My hope is, that when you purchase one of my books or courses, you feel you are receiving more value than what you paid for it. 

If you are struggling financially, I want you to understand that I know how hard it is. I have been there many times and it feels horrible. It can seem like the walls are closing in and the world is against you. You will lose sleep at night worrying how you are going to take care of your family or how you will be able to eat. 

I know how a bunch of words on a page can seem pretty pathetic in comparison the the real problems you face, but I need to tell you that you have options. There is a way out for everyone but it will take a new mindset. It will take knowledge, willpower and a new set of behaviours to dig your way out. If you are willing to change, you can create change. Money will not solve your problems, only YOU can. You need to become something more. You need to be better. That is the only way. 

"The lord helps those who help themselves"

So take the time to invest in yourself. Learn what you need to know to make your life what you want it to be. If someone out there is living the life you want, then you know it is possible, because no-one is super-human. Everything they did to become wealthy is a learnable skill and they just know something you don't.

Forget about the athletes, musicians and movie stars. They are such a small proportion of the wealthy that it is laughable. The real rich earned their money through methods that work, are repeatable and learnable by anyone. You can be that someone. The knowledge is out there in books, courses, seminars and videos. Feed your mind with useful information and you will become more. 

More powerful

More persuasive

More valuable

I Was Wron

I thought that I could change the world with my wisdom. I wrote several books about how to invest and build a fortune. I created a training course with step-by-step instructions on how to gain financial freedom in a relatively short amount of time. I have written almost a hundred free articles on my website about the psychology of money and offered a ton of advice on how to manage money and make better financial decisions.

All of these efforts were aimed at helping people who were struggling financially and needed to get a leg up. I looked around at my circle and I didn't know anyone who was rich, and most were struggling to make ends meet month to month. I even know far too many people who are almost destitute and really are experiencing scarcity at a level that I wouldn't want to wish on my worst enemy. 

I wanted to send these people a message of hope. I endeavoured to give them a roadmap to financial freedom from the depths of struggle. I thought I had all the answers.

I was wrong

It appears that my advice has been useful for some, but not others. Not that everyone couldn't take my advice and run with it and would most likely see results. It wasn't that my plan didn't work. It does, I use it every day. It isn't even that the plan requires money. You can use my plan with a minimal amount of income. I handed them the solution to their money worries on a silver platter. 

But now I realize that the plan I spent years perfecting through trial and error was not what they needed. They needed money. 

Yes

Money

Give Them Money

Universal basic income has been talked about for many years and has been hotly debated in the halls of government. Some claim it is a great way to kick start the economy and get people back to productivity. Their detractors claim it will create a nation of slackers who live off of the hard work of others and contribute nothing to society. Both are probably a little bit correct. But studies have repeatedly shown that UBI does more good than harm, and most people are lifted up by it. There are a few who still refuse to get their act together and squander the money or lose themselves to addiction or crime, but they are the minority. They were probably headed down that road anyways.

So a rational person might think that giving an idiot money just creates an idiot with money. One might also assume that ,if you were not an idiot, you would value knowledge and long-term solutions over immediate quick fixes. The rational person would be wrong. 

It's all Good

I am being somewhat dramatic here because I learned something very interesting lately from the book "Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much" by Sendhil Mullainthan and Eldar Shafir. These guys do a very thorough and in-depth examination of the psychology involved with scarcity (as the title implies) or poverty. They look at the "Why" of poverty. In a chicken and egg-like twist they make the argument that poverty is not the result of bad behaviours - bad behaviours are the result of poverty. 

BOOM

Mind-blown.

They make a compelling argument that worrying about money actually causes people to make poor decisions and acquire a very specific "Tunnel vision" that is both a blessing and a curse - and inevitably perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Their arguments are backed by numerous studies and scientific data that reinforce and support their suggestions. I don't want to give too much away as I hope you take the time to read it for yourself, but it will give you a brand new perspective and empathy for the poverty-stricken and why it seems to be so hard to escape from it's clutches. 

New Ideas

In light of this new information, I realize my work needs to evolve. My previous contributions are jam-packed with valuable information and tools, and are still a beautiful roadmap to wealth. But they are effective for people who are at a particular point in their journey and that is not everyone. My goal has always been to help people help themselves and I stand by that idea.  

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." 

This old saying sums it up perfectly. Many people interpret this as implying that it is more important to teach the man to fish. But there is no punctuation that would support that. It says to do both. Give him a fish AND teach him to fish. This is the real solution. If the man is currently starving, knowledge will not help him much in the short term. He may die before he can catch any fish. Of course, having to give him fish everyday is a drain on the system and is also not ideal.

The same goes for the poor. 

Give them money AND teach them how to use it. If people have empty cupboards and are about to be evicted or are working multiple jobs to support a family, they don't have the time, energy, mental space or emotional capacity to take on a long term academic exercise like learning about budgeting and investing for the future.

We must take care of both items if we want a prosperous and peaceful society. This is the balance between capitalism and collectivism that I explore in my latest book "We Can Save the World, but there's no money in it".  I argue that we need both individual ambition and collective agendas to prosper and be the best we can be as a species. It is quite obvious that communism doesn't work, but unabated capitalism has its downside too. We must learn to embrace a healthy balance between the two and find a way to eradicate poverty, hunger and disease, but also reward ambition, creativity and persistence. It is not impossible at all, just new.

Going Forward

OK, I wasn't exactly "wrong" as much as I was only solving half the problem. Blame it on my “straight white male privilege” or something along those lines. So be it. 

I am now inspired to write a new book based on the principles of "Scarcity psychology" and "modern queuing theory" as they go hand in hand with each other. I will endeavour to explore new ways to help lift people out of poverty by providing them a short term and a long term plan. I will offer up ideas about how to fix the immediate problems of poverty in a permanent way. I have a lot of research to comb through to formulate how I can stitch together a workable plan for EVERYONE that is based on the best practices and principles of economics and perhaps some un-related but useful disciplines. I will try to make it interesting too. Nobody likes a boring book.

Thanks for the support and as always, happy investing.

Good Pain, Bad Pai

Life is Hard

By now, my readers should be familiar with the concept of good debt vs. bad debt. Debt is not inherently evil, it is just a tool to be used.. and it can be used for good and for bad. It can run you into the ground financially or it can set you soaring above the clouds. In fact, it is very hard to become financially free without using debt, or leverage to accelerate your timeline and returns. 

The concept of good debt vs. bad debt is a universal paradigm that applies not only to money, but to life itself. There is a popular meme that is going around about "choose your hard".

This applies to many aspects of life in general. I like to think it is the best lesson there is.

Struggling financially sucks. It is hard and painful. Yet, the only way out of that difficult and life-sucking scenario (precluding a windfall) is by choosing more pain. The pain of self discipline, the pain of sacrifice, the pain of long term thinking. It is hard to be disciplined. It's is hard to be patient and wait for your returns. It is hard to do the right things even when it hurts in the short term. But that is the key - it is short-term pain for long term gain. Financial struggles tend to be categorised as long term pain due to short term pleasures. We blow money on stupid things that give us a temporary "high" but are soon forgotten. This is the problem. We are thinking backwards. 

Like working out; if we go to the gym religiously, work hard (put ourselves through self-inflicted pain), and eat right, we will gain muscles and good health. As a result, long-term ailments and health problems will become less likely. We are choosing the pain. We are choosing the "hard". This beats having life choose the "hard" for us. Because life doesn't pull any punches.

If we choose the "hard" of budgeting, saving and investing our money, starting small, spending less than we earn, then the long term pain of poverty will eventually leave us. We will have a buffer against the economic ebbs and flows of the world. We can CHOOSE this pain. We choose the pain of self discipline so we don't have to experience the pain of "circumstances". 

This is good news. It is hard to hear that life is going to be hard. I understand, but it is just the reality. The good part is, it is a choice which 'hard' or 'pain' we experience. If we choose the 'hard' of self discipline, patience and long term thinking we enjoy the benefits of that choice. If we "choose" to be left to the good graces of the universe we might be in for a different kind of pain. It's as if the universe demands its pound of flesh and says, in order to live life on earth, you have a debt of 'pain' to pay. You get to choose "how" you pay that debt. You can suffer the pain of self discipline, or you can suffer the pain of God's choosing. Take your pick. I know I would prefer to control my own destiny, thank you very much. 

This is not to say the world will not throw you some crappy curveballs from time to time even if you have your act together. But in the event that it does, you will be much better prepared for it than if you have nothing. Like they say, don't wish life were easier, wish you were stronger. 

Scale

The other interesting thing is the amount of effort to become super wealthy and the amount of effort to barely get by are not much different. It all depends on a few choices, and what you focus on. Do you think Jeff Bezos has more time in a day than you do? Do think Warren Buffet works 40 billion times harder than you? Not likely. So what is the difference? 

These guys work on the right things. They spend their time on high-value activities that have a high rate of return. If you spend your time working at a minimum wage job, working hard and putting in overtime for no extra pay may or may not reap you some rewards. But working hard and putting in overtime for no pay at your own business has a massive return. Same hours, same initial paycheck, but the end result is exponentially different. This is the key.

The other thing that the rich learn to do is leverage time. They put money to work for them instead of trading their time for money. If you can create passive income and then rinse and repeat, you are virtually working 24 hours a day 7 days a week on autopilot. You will have money that comes in no matter whether you work or not. This is not hard to do. I explain everything you need to know to set this up in my course "BYOB" or my books.

Leveraging time is the magic that allows unusual amounts of money to enter your life.. do not rely on luck or charity to take care of you. Be willing to put in the work. Be willing to endure the pain of getting ahead. You are probably going to experience pain anyways, you might as well choose the pain to feel. You might as well exhaust yourself working towards a lofty goal than some menial one. You might as well make mistakes and fall on your face doing something worthwhile than living someone else's dream. 

There are two points I am making here:

1. You will experience pain - Life is hard. period. You will fail. You will make mistakes. You will have to learn to walk before you can run. You will have to change and grow. This is what life demands of you. There is no getting around these facts.

2. You can actually choose the pain you experience - You can pay your debt to the universe in whatever manner you choose. But you must pay it. Do not be fooled.

So in this good news/bad news scenario you are in the driver's seat. It's going to hurt. You get to pick how it is going to hurt.  Make the right choice. Choose the pain that serves you.

Inventing Anna

I have been watching the Netflix series Inventing Anna , a tale of a young woman who "cons" her way into high society by pretending to be a rich heiress. It is based on a true story.

This show depicts everything that is wrong with our beliefs about money. Everyone one wants to "look" rich but nobody wants to actually put in the real work to "be" rich. Being rich entails providing some sort of value to the world equal to or greater than the sum of your fortune. You must gain wealth by providing something valuable to an exceptional number of people, or provide exceptional value to a few. Maybe even both. 

This is REAL wealth. People give you money in exchange for something they find valuable. It is a value for value exchange. Anything other than that is stealing or luck. The universe strives for balance and by upsetting the natural order of things, you are creating the potential for a disaster - the universe will balance itself out. 

This "Anna" person tried to act rich and sponge off of the wealth and privilege of people who actually earned their money. The show is chock full of euphemisms like:

"I would rather work for it than inherit it"

, or

"I vowed to never work for someone else"

..etc. 

Being an heiress is great work of you can get it, but alas, not many of us have that opportunity. The rest of us poor, dumb slobs have to earn it. This is not a bad thing, actually. 

By earning your wealth you gain the most valuable asset there is - the ability to earn more. You can lose it all and get it right back because you have the skills and the know-how to create a fortune. This is true wealth. Being given money is not very effective at eliminating poverty. 

You see the people like Anna or "The Tinder Swindler" (Also on Netflix)  who are "putting on" that they are wealthy, but they always seem to need more money. They never stop the con, because they don't really know where money comes from or how to manage it. They believe, as do many people, that money is some nebulous cloud that you just need to tap into somehow. If you say the right things or dress the right way it will magnetically attract to you without you having to earn it. This disrespects the whole system. This attitude disregards the very nature of money and it will come back to bite you, guaranteed. Money, capitalism and wealth creation are all based on laws that are unfailing. If you counter these laws, there will be consequences. For example - Anna is now in jail. 

Please do not be like Anna. Be like the millions of wealthy people in the world who earned their wealth by providing something of value to people.

Create something.

Build something.

Be of service.

This will bring you wealth while conforming to the basic laws of money and will most likely continue to do so. You will create wealth and be able to keep it. 

By thinking money is just something that needs to be accumulated, by any means possible, is so mundane. Money is a representation of value. It is not worth anything by itself. Having a suitcase full of money is not real wealth. It is just a tool. If you decide that suitcase means you are rich, then you will spend it all and then you will be poor again (still). Simple formula . 

If you take that suitcase full of money and invest it into something that provides value to people, it will continue to exist and continue to feed your lifestyle forever. This is true wealth. 

Such a simple concept, yet TV and movies would have you believe otherwise. I am here to tell you that there is really no better way to gain wealth than to earn it. 

How? 

Read books.