How To Get Everything You want in Life

• 

Photo by Guilherme Garcia on Unsplash

“You will never have anything without giving” John Earl Shoaff

Chasing the Wind!

The general narrative of the human story in the globalization age is the pursuit of riches and status. How to be a millionaire shows and programs, and how to amass a large following online are among the most trending videos on YouTube. We are pushing manufacturing to its limits as the demand for more materials things rises. But what if we stopped for a moment and asked for wisdom from a man who was super-wealthy and had the highest status during his life. What would he tell us?

“Don’t chase the wind,” he would say in a reflective tone. I believe that he would recount how powerful he was, having access to all material possessions as he wished, and because of status, kings from distant lands would come just to listen to his wisdom. In the contemporary language, he would say something like, “Don’t pursue things that don’t have a positive impact on your essence or your spirit.”

Hidden Treasure

What is your essence as a person? I believe that the most important part of an individual being is his or her soul or what the Bible calls the heart. King Solomon, the third king of Israel, who would advise us of not chasing the wind, is quoted saying, “Guard your heart (soul) above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Solomon understood that within every man or woman dwells a hidden treasure to build a magnificent life. Anything and everything that is valuable in bringing about a successful life originate from within a person; from the hidden treasures of the heart. One major treasure is a person’s purpose. Your purpose is a priceless treasure that holds the key to getting what you want out of life. That’s why you have to dig deep within to discover your purpose.

A Promise and the key

Inasmuch as I don’t promise you that you will be a millionaire, own a mansion, Maserati, or a yacht, it doesn’t mean these things are impossible to get. What I promise you is by doing the things below you will get everything you want in terms of satisfaction, fulfillment, and a sense of significance. Material possessions such as money will be a byproduct of getting the things that your true essence yearns to get. The key to getting satisfaction, fulfillment, and a sense of significance is using your purpose to touch other people’s life. How do you do this? You do it in two steps as follows.

1. Give more than you receive

The key to unlocking your blessings in life is giving. The greatest teacher, Jesus of Nazareth said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom.” In essence, Jesus’ words reveal an important truth; what you have is a reflection of your giving. Jesus added, “For with the same measure that you use (to give), it will be measured back to you.” The principle here is that giving is the first step to getting everything you want. It enables you to unearth the hidden treasures within.

The way to expand your worth is not by acquiring more, but by giving more. In their book, The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea, Bob Burg and John David Mann outline five laws of Stratospheric Success that emphasize the power of giving. The first law which is “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment,” lays bare the secret to succeeding in the marketplaces. This law brings to mind what Jim Rohan said many years ago, “You don’t get paid by the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.” Therefore, do you want to get more and have everything you desire? Find ways to give more than you receive. Be it in the marketplace, in your relationships, or in ministry, when you give more, you receive more.

Don’t be like the multitudes who unconsciously are greedy for more.  Instead, be consciously generous. Be like the few who make it to the top of the success ladder, yet whose minds are set on serving others with what they have because of their abundance mindsets. Therefore, how can we increase our giving after we wholeheartedly believe in the power of giving? By expanding your influence.

2. Increase your influence

The most successful people today, in any industry, are the most influential people in their fields. Influence is an indispensable quality for achieving any significant success. Your influence will determine how wide your life is and how much you get out of life. Increasing your influence is vital since it helps you reach more people in the area of giving. Influence is a classic example of a feedback look. You need to be influential to give more and you give more to become more influential. Less influence means less giving and more influence leads to more giving.

Regardless of your level of influence, two things can either boost or diminish your influence; your character and competence. When it comes to character, you can drastically increase your influence with integrity, responsibility, and care. John C. Maxwell, the author of How to Become a Person of Influence, says, “Integrity is important in building relationships. And is the foundation upon which many other qualities for success are built, such as respect, dignity, and trust.” On the other hand, you must be competent in something since character alone is not enough. Character and competence are the building block to trust. Where there is no trust there is less giving and receiving.

In summary, the key to getting everything we want is well captured by Zig Ziglar’s quote, which states, “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want.” Mr. Ziglar who was a World War II veteran lived by the principle of giving, which allowed him to get to the top of an extremely challenging career in sales. Don’t chase the wind by going after meaningless material things but unearth your treasures, starting with your purpose, share with the world, and all other things (including money) shall be added to you. Also, expand your influence since it is the acceleration to your giving and receiving.

What’s Next…

My favorite holiday in the U.S is Thanksgiving. Besides eating a bird that we cook all day and eat for several days, I really love the time we take time as a nation to stop and express gratitude. So, next, I will share with you three ways gratitude unlocks more blessings in your life.