Money is one of the most difficult and formidable obstacles for me to overcome, and I often wrestle with what the proper way to make it is.
One approach I can’t stand is The Easy Way. The Easy Way is a cleverly packaged sales pitch by marketers to make you believe that money is the end all of life’s accomplishments: “If you could just make all this money, imagine how your life would be jetsetting here and yachting there and driving this and having so much time, blah blah blah…”
Now there nothing wrong with acquiring wealth. It’s a necessity, actually. Especially if you want to do great things in the world.
But why does it seem that great and noble work pays less, unless you’re one of the lucky few who invent something like the credit card machine? Why do Easy Wayers seem to do so well while people with strong integrity (good, honest, hard working folk who put duty, craft and loyalty first) seem to struggle so much? Is this a short-sighted observation?
This question will continue to bother me until I find an answer. The answering I’m searching for, of course, is wealth without compromising value. Wealth while pursuing greatness, not putting it on the back burner while I go out and make my fortune.
One blessing almost too obvious is the free market I live in. I wake up everyday with an opportunity to do whatever I want to become wealthy. This is a good start, and it’s free.
The challenge is listening to the right people and appealing to the right people, and having faith in myself to do this.