Story 5:
At a wealth-building seminar, a young man who worked as a brick worker got up and asked the presenter, “How did you become so rich?”
The presenter gave him four words, “Keep the right company.”
If you want to raise your wealth consciousness by attracting and retaining more money, whom are you hanging out with regularly?
Do you remember Blockbuster Video? What happened?
By the end of the 90s, Blockbuster had over 65 million registered customers and over 9,000 video rental stores. Their employees grew by over 84,000 worldwide.
Just from collecting the late rental fees alone, Blockbusters pulled in 800 million dollars annually.
Blockbuster was invincible UNTIL its new partner dwindled the good fortune.
The partner was Enron, an energy company with explosive success. In 1996, the company reported an annual revenue of 13 million, and its growth peaked at 100 million annual revenue in 2000.
Enron invested in different industries, and among them was the marriage to Blockbuster to create a video-on-demand platform.
However, the Enron-Blockbuster matrimony only survived for three years before Blockbuster discovered that Enron’s reported earnings were a fraud.
On November 9, 2013, Blockbuster rented its last video.
The demise of Blockbuster was rooted in its chosen business company, Enron.
Blockbuster is forever remembered as a business bankruptcy.
Lesson:
You’re as rich as the people you hang out with regularly.
The Bible says, that he who keeps company with the wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm (Proverb 13:20).
Have you noticed even Jesus showed a preference for his inner circle?
Out of twelve disciples, Jesus chose to spend more time with Peter, John, and James.
And because the three disciples received more teachings from Jesus, their contribution to humanity was more significant than other disciples.
Now back to the young man in the seminar.
He immediately took action during the lunch break following the seminar session.
In the middle of a napkin, he drew a line and named the left column “CREDIT” and the right column “DEBT”.
For the people who had positively impacted his growth, he wrote down their names in the “CREDIT” column.
For the naysayers, mostly his peers, who knew it all and laughed at his pursuit of growth, he grouped them in the “DEBT” column.
He decided to give more attention to the “CREDIT” group and begin investing in wealth knowledge through books and workshops.
He now owns a lucrative construction company and multiple real estate investments.
The Bible says that as iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another (Proverb 27: 17). We become the ones with whom we hang out the most.
When I first consciously sought wealth, I stumbled upon a book written by Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Poor Dad.
The book hit me like tons of bricks as it overthrew my previous beliefs and conventional thinking about money.
I also noticed that Kiyosaki prudently chose his business partners.
Not only he had chosen the most spiritually evolved wife, but he also introduced a team of altruistic wealth teachers to his workshops.
How could Kiyosaki fall from success when he hung out regularly with Kenny, the real estate guru, Tom, the tax master, and Mike, the metal expert?
And all of them share something in common. They are all God-loving, ardent learners, and generous givers to humanity.
On my journey to find who I AM, I’ve discovered many aspects of myself through money, including my beliefs, my spending habits, and my behavioral patterns.
I was coached to clean up my money house by removing negative thought patterns and distancing myself from negative influences, including my highly critical mother whom I adore and love.
Like many, I wanted money fast at the beginning.
But gradually, I revamped my money mindset and focused on serving more and better.
Kiyosaki has passionately advocated for students to build up skills, like public speaking and presentation. The money is in mastering a skill to serve, not to get.
While working on the same job, every day, I intentionally set goals to improve old skills and acquire new skills, which would empower me inside.
If you want MORE in life, you have to become MORE.
When you’re surrounded by people who actively seek growth, you can’t help but grow with them, first with your new thoughts, then unruffled actions, and finally surreal manifestations.
Mr. Jim Rhon had a famous adage that resonated with generations of wealth seekers,
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, I hesitated to start a story blog since English is my second language, and I’m also tech-challenged.
Within two weeks, my husband supported me at an online writing course and reminded me, “Don’t worry about the result; enjoy the journey because you’ll become so much MORE after producing pensive words regularly.”
My teen boy quickly assembled a WordPress site and reassured me, “Mama, you write and don’t care about what people will say. If you experience writing blocks, read more.”
How can I possibly be poor when I have the right company beside me?
If you aren’t satisfied with where you are with money or life in general, ask yourself an honest question: Am I keeping the right company for my utmost growth?
Now, open the money door with affirmations:
I AM mindful of my money.
I AM entering a new circle of wealth.
I AM immersing myself in unlimited abundance.
Let the money truth be engraved in your heart.
Your right company is MONEY.