It's Selfish To Be Broke

I remember the first time I heard this. It was a little startling. (Maybe you're reacting that way right now, too.)

But, it's true: being broke is the most selfish thing you can do.

Why? Because it forces you to focus all your energy and creativity on survival...how to rob Peter to pay Paul....how to keep the wolf from the door....how to take care of your bills....

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that "wealthy people only think about money". And I'm sure that's true of some people. But it's certainly not true for most. The truth is that NO ONE thinks about money more than broke people. It's all they can think about!

On the other hand, one of the most generous things you can do is to choose to be wealthy. By doing so, you can actually become a contribution to other people's lives. Sure, you can have a more comfortable lifestyle. But you'll have all kinds of wonderful opportunities to give money to worthy causes.....to give gifts to people you love....to assist others who need it and can't help themselves....

You can donate money to a library for new children's books.
You can give money to victims of a Hurricane.
You can drill a well in Bangladesh so village children don't have to walk 5 miles for fresh water.
You can donate to your local church or synagogue or whatever.
You can start a scholarship to assist students with college tuition.

There's a lot you can do by choosing to be wealthy. But if all you can focus on is how you're going to pay YOUR bills this month....then you're not able to assist anyone but yourself.

This concept made me mad when I heard it...because I didn't like thinking that being broke was a "choice" (it is) and that I was being selfish (I was).

But if you'll think about it without attaching emotion to it....I think you'll see that it's true.

The great thing is that being poor and being wealthy are CHOICES. And at any time, you can make a new choice.

Tony Rush

Who Should You Listen To?

Would you take real-estate advice from a homeless person?
Would you take marital advice from someone who's been divorced 11 times?
Would you take diet tips from someone who's obese and gaining weight?

There is no shortage of opinions today. In the "Age of Information", everyone seems to have an opinion nearly any topic you bring up. It's part of living in a society where information is so available. Which is good!

But, the problem is that some forms of media -- like the Internet -- make no distinction between good advice and bad advice. If an uninformed or unintelligent person has $20 a month for internet access, they can get the same amount of spotlight as someone who's brilliant.

And so the #1 skill you can learn today is "discernment". Knowing who to listen to and who to ignore.

And this applies to learning to become more prosperous. If you want to become wealthy and successful, make sure you're spending your time with people who ARE wealthy and successful.

There are three kinds of people giving advice:

1. Those who have never done it
2. Those who have done it and failed
3. Those who have done it and succeeded.

Make sure you spend your time ONLY taking instruction from people in the 3rd group. They're the only ones who can show you the path!

Tony Rush

P.S. This post applies to me and this blog as well! Fortunately, I'm in the 3rd group and you can rest assured that the information on this blog is the same information that assisted me in becoming wealthy, prosperous and abundant! But, weigh my words for yourself -- be responsible for your own mindset!

Make Your Bed Every Morning

There's an old bit of wisdom that says, "How you do something is how you do everything". I don't know if that's universally true or not...but it sure seems like it.

One way this is often true is that people who have cluttered homes tend to have cluttered lives. That was certainly true for me several years ago. I wasn't dirty but I was definitely untidy. I'd leave things lying around. I wouldn't wash dishes regularly. I never made my bed. (I'd get up in the morning and think, "Why should I make my bed? I'm going to be sleep in it again tonight".)

And my life reflected that same disorder. I was regularly late on bills. I bounced checks. I missed appointments. I let my relationships slide.... I was a mess.

It sounds simple I know, but the same mindset it takes to make your bed every morning is the same mindset it takes to create abundance and flow in your life.

Plus,...if you're not willing to be excellent to yourself...how can you expect Life to be excellent to you?

Think about it. Maybe this will work for you the way it worked for me.

Tony Rush

Be A Contrarian

I hate to be the one to break this to you.

Actually I don't. I LOVE being the one to break this to you:

If you want to be successful, wealthy, prosperous and abundant, you're going to have to become different from most of the people you know, see and meet.

Think about it: does it look to you like "most" people are doing well?

No? Then, doesn't it stand to reason that -- if you don't want to have their kind of life -- you'd better have different thoughts and decisions?

While this might sound a bit cynical, the truth is that most people are NOT doing well.
They're sick.
They're broke.
They're struggling.
They're frustrated.

And the reason they're sick, broke, struggling and frustrated is because they have not yet figured out that their thoughts and mindset are creating their circumstances.

But you have. So, prepare to become a contrarian. When you encounter ideas and concepts that you don't agree with, ask yourself, "If this person is happy and successful, maybe I should consider that there's something for me to learn here."

You may wind up adopting the powerful ideas of a relatively small group of people who are healthy, happy, prosperous, abundant and wealthy!

Cool, huh?

Tony Rush

There Is An Infinite Supply Of Money

I've said this in seminars and workshops and some people reply, "Well, that's not true. Obviously there is a finite amount of money in the world. How can you say that there is an infinite supply of money?"

Here's what they're missing. Anything that continually circulates is -- for all practical purpose -- infinite. There's as much of it as you could possibly need.

Think about it. Let's say you have $200. You go and spend that $200 on a new pair of shoes. People who believe that money is limited would say that money no longer exists.

But it does exist, doesn't it? The owner of the store has it. And he gives part of it to the maker of the shoes...and the salesperson...and part of it goes to the mall where the shoe store is located.

And when those people go buy a loaf of bread, now that money is circulating some more. And it winds up in the hands of someone who might want to pay YOU for something you can do.

See, even if you can count all the dollars, euros, pounds, etc.....you can never count how much value each dollar leaves behind as it moves on its journey.

So, don't hoard money. Circulate it. If you'll smile and bless it as you spend it, it'll find its way back to you!

Tony Rush

It's All About Being In A "Flow"

Prosperity flows. Like water.

For instance, what happens to a pond if you block up the outlet and don't let any more water come in?

It stagnates! Nasty stuff! The same is true with anything else.

Take money, for example. A lot of people think that the way to create more money in their life is to hoard it. To pinch pennies. To reduce spending.

And regardless of what the personal finance gurus tell you, this is usually a mistake. The same "valve" that closes the flow of money OUT of your life is the same "valve" that closes the flow of money INTO your life.

So, what's the alternative? Be willing to circulate money. Give a slightly larger tip than you feel you have to. Donate $20 to a charity. Or $100. Choose to have a good attitude about paying some of the bills you don't like.

By developing a positive feeling about circulating money out of your life, the Universe responds by circulating more money INTO your life.

Try it. Drop me a note and let me know what your results are!

Tony Rush
tony@tonyrush.com

Always Valet Park

"Never self-park. Always valet park".

I remember when I was broke, I used to laugh at people that paid someone to park their car for them. "What are they wasting their money for?," I'd laugh. "They should park their own car and save the money!"

But, then again, those were the words of a broke person.

Today, I never self-park if a valet is available.

Why?

• Because it will reminds you that you're prosperous and that you're living an abundant life.
• Because when it's raining, you stay dry while everyone who wanted to save $5 is walking around in the rain trying to find their car.
• Because when it's hot, you get into a car that's already got the air conditioner on instead of one that's been parked in the hot sun for hours
• Because it feels good! And feeling good is what amps up your ability to attract abundance!
  

So, there you go. Want another way to feel good in life? Valet park! It's a cheap and easy and way worth the small price.

Stay tuned for the next Lifestyle Tip!

Tony Rush