I want the good guys to win.
Unfortunately, our culture has taught us to fear money and wealth.
Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah, Jeff Bezos—ask anyone on the street “who is wealthy?” and these are the names you’ll hear in reply.
Or these: Mr. Peanut. Scrooge McDuck. Mr. Lodge. But these are cartoon characters. Caricatures of material wealth.
Ask a person “what are wealthy people like?” and you might hear “lucky, greedy, lazy, corrupt.”
Our culture’s preoccupation with money creates confusion about wealth. And the people talking and thinking about money the most are the ones who don’t have it. They have a mindset of self-protection, scarcity and distrust. Is it any wonder that broke people don’t understand how businesses create wealth and that most wealthy people are really generous?
Unfortunately, these broke people are the ones teaching us about money.
Most people believe that wealth equals having lots of money. But wealth really means freedom.
Wealth and Freedom
In reality, wealth is:
Freedom of time—The opportunity to choose how you invest your day.
Freedom of experience—The opportunity to immerse yourself in new places, new cultures and new adventures. Where will you go? What will you do? What connections will you make? How will your story change?
Freedom of finances—Self-reliance, security. The knowledge that you’ll sleep in a warm bed under a dry roof with a full belly. And the confidence that your position won’t change tomorrow.
Freedom of choice—Independence. The opportunity to decide your own path.
Freedom of pursuit—The opportunity to dedicate yourself to fulfilling your true potential.
Freedom of generosity—The opportunity to share and raise others up.
Freedom of mindset—Abundance, patience, peace. The opportunity to escape a mindset of competition, jealousy and comparison.
Freedom of commitment—The opportunity to commit time and resources for as long as necessary.
Freedom of legacy—The opportunity to leave a multigenerational platform of service or support. The chance to write your own story into the minds of future generations.
Freedom of health—The opportunity to control your own mobility. Freedom from the bonds of medication, weakness or mental decline.
Wealth also means responsibility—for all of the above.
Why I Want Gym Owners to Be Wealthy
Wealth produces a broad and stable platform.
When our basic needs, security needs and social needs are met, we’re free to work on societal problems. We can dedicate our time to service. We can pursue self-actualization by giving to others: our capital resources, our time and our knowledge.
Wealthy gym owners don’t go out of business. They don’t start Ponzi schemes. They build bigger and better gyms, pay their staff more, and help more people.
They support local teams, run local challenges, elevate their neighborhoods and spread health through their cities.
Money doesn’t solve every problem. But it solves the money problems, and gym owners will solve most of the others.
Other Media in This Series
“Entrepreneurs: Why $1 Million Isn’t Enough to Retire”
“Two Paths to Wealth and Security for Gym Owners”
