“Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is a freedom.”
-Marilyn Ferguson:

Fear is a common thread which holds us together.  We all experience it.  It doesn’t matter how old we are or where we are in our lives, we all fear something.  The difference between people, those who achieve their goals and attain the wealth they desire and those who do not, is what they do with their fear.

Types of Fear

The dictionary defines fear as:

a. A feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger.
b. A state or condition marked by this feeling: living in fear.
2. A feeling of disquiet or apprehension: a fear of looking foolish.
3. Extreme reverence or awe, as toward a supreme power.
4. A reason for dread or apprehension: Being alone is my greatest fear.

Not all fears, as you can see, are created equal.   Fearing for your life as a semi-truck comes barreling down the road toward you is quite different than a fear of public speaking though both inspire the same physical response – increased heart rate, sweating, tightening of muscles, rapid breathing and so on. 

One fear may save your life the other…well the other simply causes missed opportunities, loss of confidence, and a significantly slower path to success.  If you want to achieve your wealth goals and create the life you desire – you have to not only face your fears, you have to overcome them.

In Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill lists 6 types of fear:

1. Fear of Poverty
2. Fear of Criticism
3. Fear of Ill Health
4. Fear of loss of love of someone
5. Fear of Old Age
6. Fear of Death

Fear, is a state of mind.  Nothing more nothing less.  The good news…you are in control of your state of mind.

One great exercise for this is – “What’s the worst that could happen?”  When you’re fearing a confrontation, making a decision, taking a financial risk or whatever decision you may be having to make which is causing anxiety and fear ask yourself, “What is the worst that could happen?”

Then proceed to answer it.  Lay it all out on the line.  For example, if you have an opportunity to get your book out in front of people and have been invited to speak to 1000 conference attendees and you’re terrified of making a fool of yourself then the worst that could happen is that you make a total fool of yourself, right?  You could stumble over your words, lose your place and in short be completely ineffective.

Now look at the flip side – what’s the best that could happen?  Conversely, you could give great speech, win over the crowd and sell more books than you have printed.  Sounds pretty good, right?  You’re also so impressive that handfuls of people approach you with new opportunities.  Score!

Indecision Breeds Doubt and Fear

It all begins with your attitude.  Make a decision to be successful.  Make a decision to set aside all doubts and fears, or better yet to not let them into your thought process at all.  Indecision, according to Napoleon Hill and many other wealth creation experts, crystallizes into doubt.  The two blend and become fear.

Fear, as you well know, gets in the way of accomplishing great things.  It prevents you from acting.  And as you may also know – money likes speed.  The more you hesitate, the more indecisive you are – the longer the road to financial success and great wealth.

There are many symptoms of fear – it’s these very symptoms which cause lack.  They include:
- Indifference
- Indecision
- Doubt
- Worry
- Too cautious
- Procrastination

Each of these symptoms is a road block to wealth creation.  Feel any of these symptoms coming on and you must absolutely stop and assess.  Where is the symptom coming from?  What are you afraid of?  Once you’re able to determine the fear you can then begin to change your perspective by asking that question – what’s the worst that could happen? 

Once you know the worst, you can then prepare for the best.  You can then set aside your fear or overcome it.  Our logical mind can be both a hindrance and a help – the key is to use it to your advantage.  Recognize when your thoughts are limiting your success.  Ask yourself the following questions:
- Am I complaining about someone or something?
- Am I blaming someone or something?
- Am I self-medicating to avoid thinking/feeling something?
- Am I annoyed by someone or something?
- Am I avoiding someone/something?  Procrastinating?

If you find yourself answering yes to anyone of those questions know that you have the tools right now to change your perspective.  To change you can:
- Change the words you use – problems become opportunities and a complaint becomes a request. 
- Be grateful for what you presently have and look at each difficulty as an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Remember that you’re responsible for all that you create in your life and you’re capable of creating amazing and seemingly impossible things – including great wealth.

“Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death”
-James F. Bymes

Fear is perhaps the most difficult roadblock to attaining great wealth. It’s a natural human reaction.  It’s not all bad – it’s useful to protect ourselves from harm and death.  However much of the fear we feel has little or nothing to do with injury or death but rather we’re protecting ourselves from perceived emotional injury, from perceived financial injury and by and large to protect our pride our ego. 

Would you really let a potential slice to your ego or emotions prohibit you from attaining all you desire?  Of course not!  When those little seeds of fear surface, recognize them for what they are, turn them around or set them aside, and continue on your confident path toward your goals – whatever they may be.

To Your Success!
Jeremy Gislason
SureFireWealth INC
SureFireWealth.com

What do you think about Crossing the Bridge of Fear? Have you had any real life experiences that you overcame? Leave your comments below…

You are free to link back to this article from your websites, blogs and social bookmark sites as well as tell others via email or word of mouth.

I’m almost certain you’re familiar with the concept of visualization.  It’s so important to the creation of wealth that Chapter three in Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is title “Faith.  Visualization of and belief in attainment of desire.” When we use the power of visualization we bring ourselves closer to the success we desire.

Why Visualization Creates Wealth And Success…

Engaging Your Emotions.  Think about the last time you had a nightmare.  Maybe you were being chased or perhaps someone was after a loved one.  You woke with a hammering heart, shallow breathing and I bet if you’d been able to take your blood pressure it would have spiked.  Most likely even though you knew the nightmare was just a dream those emotions and physical sensations stuck with you for some time.  Perhaps you spent the morning in a bad mood not really sure why but nonetheless you were cranky. 

Conversely consider the last time you woke from a really good dream.  (Depending on the nature of the dream you may have woken with the same hammering heart and shallow breathing but that’s between you and the person in your dreams:))  Perhaps you woke laughing or with a big smile on your face.  Again, you knew the dream was just that, a dream and a figment of your imagination but it still had an effect on your disposition and even your physical response. 

Visualization and dreams are tightly linked.  They both engage our imagination.  And the interesting thing is when we use our imagination our mind and body don’t really know the difference between what we imagine and reality. 

Consider trying this experiment to demonstrate just how powerful our imagination is.  Sit in a comfortable location with no disturbances and imagine something really awful.  Close your eyes and allow your imagination to wander to the dark side for a moment.  Don’t go there too long, just long enough to note the physical and emotional reaction you have. Does your body tighten up?  Do your muscles clench?  DO you get shaky and uncomfortable?  DO you get angry or frightened?

Now flip it.  Imagine something really wonderful.  Your deepest desire has just come true.  Now how do you feel?  What is your body doing?  Stay here longer and note the reactions and responses you have.

This is the power of visualization.  When you imagine scenarios, your body and mind react as if they were true.  Many people, including Napoleon Hill, believe that when you believe something to be true, you attract it to you – you make it true. 

Strengthen belief in goal and self.  Now believing something to be true doesn’t necessarily make it happen.  I can believe someone is going to knock on my door with a million dollar check but it just hasn’t happened yet.  However, what I can do is take action to make it happen.  However for many people taking action is difficult due to lack of confidence or a lack of belief in our deepest desire or goal.  Visualization, because it taps directly into these emotions, can strengthen our belief in ourselves and our goals. 

Additionally, visualization helps paint the scene so you can better plan and prepare for success.  When you visualize your success as reality you can also visualize your path to get there.  What steps are you taking? What is working for you?  How do you feel and what can you do to reach success? 

Athletes are taught visualization at an early age.  The best athletes can actual visualize their event in real time.  For example, a sprinter tasked with visualizing their race will imagine themselves as the start block, hear the starter gun, visualize the race and see themselves crossing the finish time all in the same exact amount of time it takes to run their event.  Harnessing this ability to visualize and honing your visualization skills will amplify the benefits of visualization.

“I train myself mentally with visualization. The morning of a tournament, before I put my feet on the floor, I visualize myself making perfect runs with emphasis on technique, all the way through to what my personal best is in practice…. The more you work with this type of visualization, especially when you do it on a day-to-day basis, you’ll actually begin to feel your muscles contracting at the appropriate times.”
-Camille Duvall

Perfecting Your Visualization Skills

Engage your 5 senses.  When we’re just beginning to use visualization we begin by simply seeing what is happening in our imagination.  However adding your senses will not only enhance the experience, it will amplify the results.  Your emotions, confidence and faith in your ability to succeed will become second nature. 

Sight, touch, smell, taste, hearing can all be integrated into your visualizations.  In the example of the sprinter running their race they will hear the roar of the crowd cheering them on as they run.  They will feel the impact as their feet pound the pavement.  They will smell the cologne on the person running beside them. They will taste the sports drink they consumed just before hitting the starter block.  They will feel the sweat trickle down their temples and the wind whipping it dry as they focus on the finish line.

Practice makes perfect.  I know, that’s a tedious cliché and I apologize however practicing visualization isn’t just a fun exercise – who doesn’t like daydreaming about how wonderful and successful they are?  It’s also an important exercise.  The better you become at visualization the faster you will achieve the success you desire.  You’ll be better able to tap into those emotions, thoughts and beliefs which are imperative to success. 

Don’t just take my word for it.  Go back and repeat that visualization exercise only this time when you’re imaging the bad stuff, the really awful situation, engage your five senses.  Don’t imagine anything too awful because it can ruin your day and send you straight to the hospital.  Instead imagine something along the lines of being yelled at by a customer or watching your plasma television crash to the ground.  What do you hear, smell, taste, and feel? 

Flip it again and imagine something truly wonderful.  Imagine yourself succeeding at a long standing goal.  Imagine you have found the love of your life and you are holding each other tightly. Imagine you have just taken a bite of the most delious desert of your life. Imagine you have just gotten a raise that doubles your current salary. Imagine you have unlocked the door with your keys to your new 5,000 square foot dream home. Imagine you have just deposited a check for $1 million dollars into your bank account. Imagine you are standing atop a high mountain seeing for miles or wading in the shores of a white sand beach with a loved one. What do you hear, taste, feel, and smell?

Don’t judge your visualization skills.  As you practice visualization you will begin to improve however as it quite often happens you’ll finish the visualization, open your eyes, and realize you forgot to include what the air smelled like or what you heard.   No worries!  Like anything it takes practice and fortunately the more you practice the better you get AND you’re not competing against anyone.  This skill benefits you and you alone.

“Mentally imagine you are buying the business or applying for the job that will earn your fortune. Review each step you’d take, the obstacles you might meet, the difficulties you would meet. Continue imagining each step until you mentally reach your wealth goal.”
-Tyler G. Hicks

Visualization is a powerful concept. Use it, embrace it, and reach your deepest desires, whatever they may be.  It paves the road for you both emotionally, physically, mentally and perhaps most important – strategically.  Use your senses, hone your skills, and watch your visions become your reality.

To Your Success!
Jeremy Gislason
SureFireWealth INC
SureFireWealth.com

What do you do to harness the power of visualization in your own business or life? What do you think about this concept? Leave your comments below…

You are free to link back to this article from your websites, blogs and social bookmark sites as well as tell others via email or word of mouth.

Business owners and entrepreneurs often tap into the law of reciprocity without knowing it. 

They’re inherently pre-programmed to participate in the worldwide truth of give and receive.  While there are those out there in this world who take take take, the vast majority of us swing to the other side of the scale and give give give. 

Ever heard the quote – it’s better to give than receive?

Sure you have!  Not sure if it’s true because invariably when you give you do receive – it’s the law of reciprocity. 

Whether you give time, knowledge, money or even tangible things – you get it back tenfold. 

Let’s take a look at this law in action!

Influence and Reciprocity

If you’ve been in business for any length of time or even if you’ve just begun to research business models and strategies you’ve likely come across Dr Robert Cialdini and his laws of persuasion and influence.

They are, in no particular order,

- Commitment and Consistency – If people commit, to an idea or goal, they are more likely to honor that commitment.  This is used often in sales.  A sales person gets the potential customer to agree to a few ideas and thus sets the tone for the sale.

- Social Proof – People will do things that they see other people are doing.  The bandwagon mentality.  If other people are doing it then there must be some value or benefit to it.

- Authority – People will tend to obey authority figures.  Establish credibility and authority and people will be more likely to buy from you.

- Likeability – People are easily persuaded by other people that they like. 

- Scarcity – Perceived scarcity will generate demand.  Buy now only 10 left – enough said!

- Reciprocity – People tend to return a favor.  This is often used in internet marketing by giving people lots of good content.  We’re talking books, reports, even products or at least trial versions of products. 

The law of reciprocity at its most basic level tells us that if we give our prospects and customers something, whether it is a free product or service, excellent customer service, or even something as basic as tons of valuable information on a website or blog, then they will return the favor and make a purchase.  It’s a law that many business owners and entrepreneurs tap into without realizing it.  They do it unconsciously.

Networking and Reciprocity

That being said, the law of reciprocity doesn’t stop there.  It extends to your community – both your personal community and your professional community.

When you participate in your local community, whether it is through your church, through your child’s school, your local community education program, local team sports, your home owner’s association, the homeless shelter, your community’s cultural events and so on, you’re volunteering your time. You’re sharing your knowledge and experience with those who can most benefit from it. 

For example if you own a business teaching copywriting strategies you can give back to the community by teaching free marketing writing courses through your local community education program or free university.  You can assist at the junior high or high school and help during writing labs or workshops. 

So how does the law of reciprocity work if you’re volunteering your time in your community? 

It just does.  Not very scientific, right?  Well the truth of the matter is that when you’re out and about meeting people and sharing your knowledge and experience you meet people who need your knowledge and experience and are willing to pay for it.  You meet people who are interested in your products and services and you meet people who present valuable business building opportunities. 

It’s basic networking without the focus being about your or your business.  In fact, in my experience if you go out to help others with the idea that you’re going to get something back monetarily – it doesn’t work.  Instead, go out and help others, give back to your community and enjoy the feel good rewards you receive.  The wealth will follow naturally.

The same holds true if when you are networking professionally.  However instead of shaking hands and kissing babies with the hope that these same folks will come knocking at your metaphorical door (unless you own a brick and mortar business then it’s not so metaphorical?) connect with fellow business owners and entrepreneurs in an effort to education and to learn.  Networking by and large is about sharing knowledge and helping each other become better. 

When you network professionally the more charitable your approach the more you will receive.  In today’s competitive marketplace the ones who survive long term are transparent and authentic. 

The Universal Law of Reciprocity

The universal law of reciprocity pulls us out of our day to day actions, our day to day giving and receiving and puts it in the hands of whatever you believe is out there affecting your life – God, The Universe, an energetic force – it doesn’t really matter because the law is the same.  When you give, you receive. 

It isn’t a matter of faith.  You don’t even have to believe in this law for it to be true.  In fact if you go into the world giving and expecting something back then it’s just not going to be as effective.  If you look at each good deed you do as a money in the bank – we’ll you’re taking all the fun out of it.  Instead, rest assured with the knowledge that every time you give you will receive.

Seriously.  This isn’t some new fangled spiritual, hippy, approach to wealth.  People have embraced and prospered with this knowledge for centuries. 

So how can you use the law of reciprocity to prosper?

Become conscious of it.  Know that it is an influential factor in sales.  When you give away value, people are inclined to reciprocate.  That means integrate it into your sales and marketing strategy and tactics.  Use the law of reciprocity to influence your customers and prospects.

Network.  Get out and get involved both in your personal life and in your professional life.  The people that you meet are wide open doors of opportunity.  Greet them as such and be an opportunity for them. The wealth you will receive both personal and tangible – we’re talking about  both the joy of giving as well as the joy of the monetary benefits you will receive, will astound you.

Finally, simply accept that the law of reciprocity works. Don’t force it.  Enjoy it.  Sit back from time to time and ask yourself – Am I giving enough?  Take stock in the opportunities that have come your way simply by giving.  And then make a plan to give more. 

The law of reciprocity is always in motion.  Don’t let it slip between your fingers – use it to generate the great wealth you deserve.

To Your Success!
Jeremy Gislason
SureFireWealth INC
SureFireWealth.com

What do you think about the Law of Reciprocity? Have you had any real life experiences? Do you believe this works or not? Leave your comments below…

You are free to link back to this article from your websites, blogs and social bookmark sites as well as tell others via email or word of mouth.

“Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it.”

-Henry David Thoreau

 
Have you noticed?  Society likes to make rules and laws.  We like to make rules for everything.  We have:
 

-  Traffic rules

-  Rules of etiquette and behavior

-  Rules for how to wash your hands

-  Rules to train your dogs

-  Rules of fashion

-  Rules at the playground

-  Sports have rules

-  Copywriting rules

-  Internet marketing rules

-  Rules of business

-  Rules of eating

-  Rules for exercising

-  Blogging rules

-  Environmental rules

-  And we certainly have a whole host of rules about wealth and money!

 
Enough said, right?  We have rules for everything and money is certainly no exception. 

 
Step outside and look around and you’ll see rules everywhere you turn.  They often look like this:

 
Do Not Enter

No Not Feed The Animals

No Swimming

No Left Turn

Do Not Pass

 
Notice how most of the rules/laws we have tell us what not to do?  They’re limiting.

That’s not all bad.  I mean if we didn’t have some traffic rules imagine the chaos.  People can’t really seem to manage a roundabout as it is, take away the rules and the *&% would hit the fan.  And if you have children then rules are required to maintain your sanity and teach cause and effect.

Rules provide structure. They help us cope with change.  They teach and they keep us safe.

Rules also limit us.  They prevent us from doing what’s right for us at that moment.  They can also make us feel repressed, stifled and even resentful.

Not all of us handle rules the same way.

Are you a conformist or a rebel?

There are two basic reactions to ‘rules’.  There are those people who conform.  They say please and thank you.  They drive the speed limit.  They get eight hours of sleep each night.  They exercise.  They put subjects in their email subject line and they’re never late for appointments. 

They take their vitamins.  They save their money.  They work hard.  They don’t run at the pool and they always wipe down the exercise equipment after they use it.  In short, they play by the rules.  They conform.

What happens to the conformist? 

Nothing. 

That’s not so bad really.  Unless they’re waiting for some type of reward.  A pat on the back or an acknowledgement for all their patience and good deeds.  If that reward doesn’t come then they can turn.  They can become…

The Rebel.  The rebel shuns rules.  Forget about saving money, we only live once, right?  They take risks, break the rules and laugh at the conformists.  They take vacations too often.  They leave work early.  They start businesses and forget to reply in a timely manner to email messages – in fact they may not reply at all. 

The downside…the rebel, unless they’re incredibly charming, can be seen as an outcast.  They can be shunned because they don’t follow the rules.  They can end up in jail because despite the myth, some rules are not meant to be broken.

Now these are extremes of course but most of us land somewhere closer to one end of the spectrum than the other.  Maybe we disobey traffic laws from time to time or we fudge and tell a lie but for the most part we’re conformists.  Or perhaps you attend a meeting or two and occasionally say please or thank you but for the most part honestly believe that rules are meant to be broken.

Perhaps there’s a third type of person…

The type of person who makes their own rules.  This is particularly interesting when it comes to the rules of wealth.

So what are the rules of wealth?

Depends on who you’re speaking to.  Ask your parents and they may say the rules are:
 
Save 10% of every paycheck

Live within your means

Give 10% to charity annually.

Good rules, right?

Ask your neighbor and they may say:

Money is meant to be spent – you only live once

Money is the root of all evil

You need a scam to get rich

Money doesn’t grow on trees

The rich get richer…

Still others may say:

You need to be lucky to have money

You must save every penny you make and live below your means because you never know…(guess they could then use the present state of the stock market to prove their point)

Money is for the rich

You can attract wealth

 
And so on…
 
Most of these “rules” are myths. 

What are the REAL rules about wealth?
 
If you ask anyone who has real wealth, they’re probably say that wealth, real wealth stems from:

Desire

Specialized knowledge

Imagination

Planning

Persistence

And an element of risk taking or faith
 
Oddly enough, or perhaps not so oddly, these attributes are the foundation for Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich written about 70 years ago. 
 
“Persistence and patience, perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success”

-Napoleon Hill

Funny that in a world of rules the ones that generate true wealth are the rules we make for ourselves.  For Desire, Imagination, Planning, Persistence, and our Risk taking ability are all personal characteristics.  They’re not strategic investment strategies.  They’re not provided by your financial advisor.  They’re not given only to those in the ‘know.’

 
They are however available for anyone and everyone.  You have the capability to make your own rules for wealth.  When you do, you don’t have to conform to the rules others make and in fact you shouldn’t.  You also don’t have to rebel and fear the repercussions.  Instead, you make and live by your own rules as they follow and relate directly to:
 
Your Desire

Your Specialized knowledge

Your Imagination

Your Planning

Your Persistence

Your risk taking and/or faith
 
The rules of wealth you see, are entirely up to you.

To Your Success!
Jeremy Gislason
SureFireWealth INC
SureFireWealth.com
 
What are your rules to wealth and business? What did you think of this article? Post your ‘Rules’ or leave your comments below

The dictionary defines wealth as:

1. [n] – the state of being rich and affluent
2. [n] – an abundance of material possessions and resources
3. [n] – property that has economic utility: a monetary value or an exchange value
4. [n] – the quality of profuse abundance

None of those definitions sound too bad, right?  The quality of profuse abundance -   I like that definition! 

However, wealth as it is defined in the dictionary is only a small aspect of such a grand and often controversial word.

The definition of wealth can be quite divisive.  Ask your family and friends how they define wealth and then sit back and enjoy the conversation!  Ask any political candidate how they define wealth and you’ll get vastly different answers. 

There is of course the capitalist definition of wealth which states that all wealth is earned, not distributed. 

Conversely, socialism states that there is a more equitable distribution of wealth and wealth is better shared. 

That being said, all political theories and ideologies aside, we know deep down at our core that there is more to ‘wealth’ than dollars in the bank.

Consider the following quotes:

“Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.”
-Henry David Thoreau

“Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.”
-Oscar Wilde

“Being rich is having money; being wealthy is having time”
-Margaret Bonnano

So wealth is:
- Having time
- Having health
- Having quality of life
- Possessing freedom
- Finding inspiration
- Having peace of mind
- Wealth is having compassion
- Being loved
- Loving
- And of course money in the bank – how much money in the bank is defined by you.

And so on and so on.

I’d argue that wealth, true wealth, may be a combination of all of these things. 

Wealth, when it is defined as more than simply dollars in the bank, when it is defined as quality of life, health, peace of mind and all of those things that do often come with financial security is a fine and wonderful thing.  However, each attribute of wealth i.e. peace of mind, time, passion and dollars in the bank can be at risk if one focuses one attribute to the exclusion of all others. 

For example if you live solely to have more money, you’ll inevitably lose time, quality of life, and quite frequently your health.

It’s a fine tightrope to walk.

Do you focus on earning money to support a better quality of life, to have more time and so on?

Or

Do you focus on quality of life and have faith that the money will follow?

It’s the whole success before meaning or meaning before success question.

Success before meaning.

There’s a well established school of thought which dictates that you work hard, you earn a good living, build a good life and then reap the rewards of your hard work.  There are various scenarios this may entail.

For many it may entail spending 20 years working a 9-5 desk job, living frugally and saving as much money as possible.  The reward is then quitting or retiring and living the life you’ve always wanted to live.  Whether that means traveling, spending your days in your garden or workshop or starting that small business you’ve always wanted to start. 

This is the place that many people come from.  They spend their lives focused on the goal of achieving financial success and freedom.

While setting and achieving goals is a great thing, the problem with this mindset is:

1. One forgets to enjoy life while it’s happening and waits to enjoy it at some future date.
2. That date may never come

Meaning before success.

Another school of thought follows the path of doing what they love and hoping or trusting that wealth will follow. 

Those who follow this school of thought believe that the goal to success starts with finding a business or trade you’re passionate about.  Passion and desire breed wealth.

While it’s true that passion for your business or trade will bring about day to day quality of life, satisfaction and contentment – financial wealth isn’t a given.  In fact there are many people who are barely getting by who absolutely love what they do. 

Another option?

I propose that there is actually a third approach to obtaining wealth without sacrificing quality of life.

Starting an internet based business, yes even in today’s economy, can provide the kind of lifestyle and complete wealth you’re seeking. 

Starting an internet based business, while it takes a bit of time at the outset to get a business up and running, once it’s established and you’ve automated as much as you can humanly automate and delegated the rest – the profits are in your pocket and you’ve as much free time as you can humanly stand.  Time to live the life you’re dreaming of but instead of dreaming it, you’re actually living it. 

Time to pursue your passions.  Yes, this third option means the business you start doesn’t have to be something you’re passionate about.  You can make your business your passion, however it’s not mandatory.  You can in fact sell t-shirts online, make a mint, and not give a hoot about t-shirts.

Timothy Ferriss talks at length on this in his book “The 4-Hour Workweek”.

The concept is defined as the new rich or NR as he calls them.  It’s the idea that it doesn’t have to be success versus meaning or wealth versus poverty or freedom versus being chained to a desk 9-5.  Life, and wealth, can be defined by you. 

Starting an internet based business isn’t as simple as setting up a website and watching the profits roll in.  There’s a process.  There’s a science behind profiting online.  It begins with specialized knowledge.

THERE are two kinds of knowledge. One is general, the other is specialized. General knowledge, no matter how great in quantity or variety it may be, is of but little use in the accumulation of money.
-Napoleon Hill

Mr. Hill also goes on to say in Chapter Five of Think and Grow Rich, KNOWLEDGE will not attract money, unless it is organized, and intelligently directed, through practical PLANS OF ACTION, to the DEFINITE END of accumulation of money.

Now specialized knowledge is something you can possess, like knowing how to take apart and put back together a 1964 Ford Mustang blindfolded.  It is also something you can purchase or acquire. 

You can obtain specialized knowledge by:

- Participating in a mastermind group, hiring a coach, or finding a mentor.
- Going to school or getting specialized training
- Reading everything ever published on the topic including participating in forums and chat rooms on your chosen topic.

As we move through life and make our choices it’s nice to know that there are options.  You can choose to live your life pursuing financial wealth at the expense of the other gems life has to offer, you can choose to pursue health, art and happiness at the expense of financial wealth or you can decide that you deserve both.  You can decide that the world and its abundance are available to you. 

The internet makes it easier than ever before.  It gives you access to specialized knowledge and wonderful tools which enable you to automate almost every process and system required to run a successful and profitable business.  

To Your Success!
Jeremy Gislason
SureFireWealth INC
SureFireWealth.com

What do you think of this article? What is ‘wealth’ to you? Leave your comments below…