Wealth Building Basics

Learning to build wealth requires one to learn to be counter-intuitive. Building wealth is not about pushing and dodging the thrusts of others. Sure that is one way to push (pun intended) ahead but, in the end, it leaves one cold and alone. Of course, you cannot be one who is constantly pushed either. Doormats seldom build significant wealth on their own. So what is the answer. If I can't push and I mustn't cave in to the bully what can I do?

The answer is really quite simple. Not only is it simple, it has been around foras long as man has thought about his place in the universe. The ancient Hebrew Sage Hillel told a follower who asked him to explain the whole Torah while standing on one foot, "What is hurtful to you you must abstain from doing to another. That is the entire Torah. Go and learn." The Koran teachers, "One cannot call himself a Muslum until he recognizes the needs of others before the needs of self." Jesus preached, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." What is common to these ideas is one simple concept. Success comes to those who recognize they are not alone but are obligated by some force to step outside of their own ego to be of service to others.

Being of service is an important concept. If you serve others without the anticipation of return, if you give a gift without expecting a gift in return, you will be amazed at how quickly the benefits will pour in. The Native Americans of the Northwest honored another by giving away all of their possessions. The giver was always rewarded for his selfless action by being presented by more than he ever gave away. But there was no expectation that there would be any community reciprocation.
Being of service will not produce immediate results. Because you refer business to someone there is no guarantee that business will be referred back to you. What is certain, however, is that if you have built a network of people that you are referring business to, like the potlatch of the Northwest, you will reap far more than you invested in the process.

This process takes patience. But anything worth having is worth investingtime and effort into developing.