Have you ever wondered what the truth
of money is about? Here it is:
Being honest has always been
the key to making money in the world.
You will never hear this broadcasted
on the nightly news or printed in
your local paper. We are constantly
bombarded with messages of how
the wealthy cut corners to stay
ahead and undermine the little guy.
This is the opposite of the truth.
This brings us to our fourth philosophy
of Money on Your Terms:
I do what is honorable with
my life and money.
I developed this philosophy after meeting
a highly successful businessman.
Let me share the story with you.
Many years ago, I had the opportunity
to meet a multi-billionaire in his office
in Century City, California. I reached
out to him by phone and asked if
he would be willing to give me
advice on success. He actually
returned my call. However, he
was initially reluctant to help.
I called a few days later and asked
for a meeting, and he finally agreed.
His name was John Anderson. UCLA
named their business school,
The Anderson School of Business,
after him. Forbes magazine ranked
him as the 397th richest person in
the world in 2009. I asked John
what he considered to be one of
the keys to his success. He instantly
said, “Doing the right thing.” He said
that practicing moral behavior works
from a business standpoint by
creating a powerful reputation in
the long run. John then showed
me a quote from William Shakespeare’s
Hamlet hanging on the wall in his office.
“This above all: to thine own self be true,
and it must follow, as the night the day.
Thou canst not then be false to any man.”
This quote says it all about being true
to yourself and others and living a life
of integrity. After I left his office, I strove
to be even more honorable with money.
John Anderson made an indelible
impression on me about living a
life of integrity.
With honesty, money compounds.
It might not seem that way when
you are faced with making a decision
to do the right thing. However, it
compounds into more for you. This
philosophy will work for you in
thick and thin. I firmly know
that if you are an honest person,
especially with your money, more
will come.
By doing the right thing in the real
world, people will trust you, which
will then grow into spreading the
word about you. From there, you
will be sought out, given more
opportunities, and thus rewarded
for your consistency and character.
This in turn will build your financial
future.
We all have choices to make for
both our finances and our lives.
Choose the path of doing the
right thing, and you will see
how the cold, hard truth about
money will reward you in the end.