Wealth – An Attitude Change
By
Beca Lewis, CFP, MA
There is a shift taking place. It is a change of attitude. This shift is happening throughout our culture. It is to be found both in the individual and in the company. This shift is the focus of the future.
Is it the new revolution – a revolution of thought. It is not the technical revolution; it is the Value Driven Revolution. This revolution is changing the way business operates and the way each individual is expected to operate with in the organization. The proponents of this change of attitude believe that without quality values such as ethics, compassion and service, all victory is hollow.
The drive to accumulate money for money’s sake is being replaced by the understanding that true wealth involves more than money. Mort Meyerson, CEO of The Perot Corporation, asks the question, “To get rich, do you have to be miserable?” He gives the answer in his article “Everything I Thought I knew About Leadership Was Wrong” as a resounding”NO”.
As more and more of us discover that we want more than just money, we are changing the face of our culture and the currents of our lives. Being rich is not enough. As a result we are asking ourselves “what is wealth”?
Our answers may vary, but most would agree that true wealth includes such values as plenty of time, freedom, health, security, creativity, happiness, and love. The use of money may enhance some of these values, but none of them can be bought with money alone.
When we make these choices first the money we need and want will follow. This attitude and approach to life takes courage, especially in the workplace.
There is a growing acceptance of the idea that that there is much more to life than just work. Paul H. Ray reports in American Demographics that there is an emerging culture, the “Cultural Creatives”. He states that nearly one in four American adults live by a new set of values. These are the people who believe in environmentalism, feminism, global issues and spiritual searching.
The new attitude is uncovering the truth that we are all surrounded by wealth, but are blind to its presence because we are too busy making a living.
Values are “in”. Service and ethics are the new buzzwords that drive business. This is the revolution and change of attitude that can open the door for each person and company to assimilate and achieve the full range and values of wealth.
It is a limited perception that claims that there is not enough wealth. Lacks of time, energy, health, love, courage, peace etc. are examples of this limited perception. With imagination all these lacks can be turned into opportunities. A quick turnaround for every situation that looks like lack, or not enough, is to face it with the question “What If I choose to see it another way?”
Looking at the lack from another perspective will always uncover an opportunity and change the situation. The question “What if” challenges the status quo of our thoughts and perceptions. With new perceptions there is no limit to what riches will flood our lives. Being willing to imagine opens the doors to new ideas. Ideas are the rivers through which wealth travels. The wider the river, the bigger the flood. It’s time to open the floodgates of wealth. Become conscious of true wealth and experience being rich.
Beca Lewis is the Director of The BECA Group which provides resources for achieving all forms of wealth using Boldness, Ethics, Clarity, and Action. She teaches The Shift, a class which explores the question “Imagine … What if, By Simply Changing Your Point of View You Get What You Want.” In addition Beca is a stockbroker in Downtown Los Angeles and the author of the book A Women’s ABC’s of Life, From Women Who Learned The Hard Way. She can be reached at 213 964 9337 or [email protected]
