Building Wealth from Within

A First Time for Everything
It's been nearly 5 months since I realized my life in the poor house has come to an end, and that the new mandate was for a 180⁰ turn into wealth building. At that point, all my resources have already dried up and I was deep in debt. I didn't even have a clue how to get started on this wealth building pursuit. Sure, I was doing a 9-5 before, but that was simply to have a job - not exactly what I would call wealth building. With my coffee business in Canada then, it wasn't in pursuit of wealth either but simply to put food on my table. So, to put it in perspective, at this stage in life, this is the very first time I actually started to deliberately focus and be mindful of wealth building. I have to start from zero. No, make that starting from a negative since I was already deep in debt when I made that decision to pursue the new mandate.

A Formidable Task
I psyched myself for the formidable task at hand. Task? Really, I didn't know where or how to begin. I just knew I didn't want to make that call to loan more money to keep me afloat. I looked at the big picture and I see poor people all over the world. The Philippine poverty rate is 80% for crying out loud. Surely, wealth building is a formidable task - otherwise there won't be too many poor people.

The Money Factor
I also noticed that good working relationships fall in disarray when you throw money in the equation. I find that true in ALL relationships - family, between siblings, between colleagues, between friends, etc. Money is such a scarce commodity people fight over it. Surely, wealth building, or the pursuit of money cannot be that easy.

Here-and-Now
Fast-forward to 5 months later - now. My debts are all paid-up*, my cash-flow is not only positive but increasing with every passing month, and I'm now developing a sales arm, and soon a team of coders. I have other plans for expansion but they have to wait until certain things are met.

More Building Blocks
So, has the enterprise become big? No! Not yet. But if I crunch the numbers and plot the trajectory given the marginal gains, I can already see where I will be at a point in time. And with that foresight, I have to begin putting in place the mechanism that will play the pivotal roles - the sales team, the coders, etc.

So, what made it work?
I pondered and contemplated about it for quite a while. Is it my technical skills? I'm sure that's a factor, but there are many people out there who are better web designers than me - I'm far from cornering that market. Being in the right place at the right time? No, I can't make that claim. Really, nothing I'm searching for outside answers my question. I had to turn within. Sure enough, I found the answer. I found lots of answers.

Hard Questions
I am drawn to conclude that everything stems from volition to be a catalyst for positive change. Not that easy considering the hidden boogeymen (pride, pain, instinct, genetic immortality, etc.) that lurk in the shadows. Am I building wealth to have the most number of toys? Am I doing this to acquire power and influence? Do I want this so that I can crush people who wronged me in the past? Do I want to be the big swinging dick in town? Or am I just trying to impress someone? What do I want at the end of the day? Despite the good intentions, there's perhaps a little bit of the foregoing - a delicate balancing act of the Yin and Yang. The choices become easier when they all come in clear focus.

Volition
Looking back, there was no volition to begin with. I was completely neutral. I was handed a poverty-induced mandate to get myself out of the poor house - and I unquestioningly acted on that almost stoically - like an obedient soldier carrying out an order. It was in the succeeding series of Aha Moments that volition came into play.

Ending Thoughts
So, what exactly am I saying? That wealth building is not nearly as difficult as most people think if your heart is in the right place. I'm not bragging - just making a point here. Sure, I faced many challenges along the way - ate rejection for breakfast, been brushed-off, been stood-up on appointments, etc. I've labored on coding continuously for days, weeks and months, but those are not nearly as difficult as most people put up just to earn minimum wage. And the key? Volition to do a greater good - for myself and everyone within the collective whole. Playing to win. But when I win, I make sure nobody loses.

--- TheLoneRider

* of the three people I owed money from, none initially wanted to take my money back but I insisted on paying. One accepted full payment, another accepted a token payment (a fig leaf I'm sure), and the other could not be convinced otherwise ("...leave it there").

Comments:

Michael Fazackerley
(Apr 10, 2011) I'm sure you know. The wealth building begins within. You open yourself. You invite abundance into you life. It takes many forms. I'm sure you know this. It seems you're entering a time to flower. Be well my friend. You are making the world a better place.

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