How I finally found true wealth by living life on my own terms

I’m a huge Tony Robbins fan and I try to listen to him regularly. His lecture on what “true wealth” is, really hit home with me over the course of the last year as I found myself constantly frustrated with the state I was in. When I refer to the term wanting to be “financially free”, it’s not the monetary part that matters to me, it’s the “freedom” part. Money has never been what fulfills me, it’s the driver for what has helped me become who I am and focus on my mission and vision.

Have I managed to live out a successful corporate career to date? Yes. I’ve been blessed that my hard work has been recognized and I’ve been able to shine in the corporate space over the last several years. I’m beyond grateful for the chances I took (which at the time seemed somewhat dreadful) in moving cities across the nation so often. Although in my heart I knew packing up boxes every year and moving was not for me, it allowed me to learn about very diverse communities. Some were poor, some were booming, some were populated and some were villages. I always found myself intrigued to learn about the small business owners in the city and what they did to connect to the community surrounding them. Each new city continued to activate this passion in me to find new ways to leave each city in better condition than when I had gotten there.

We are all unique and built differently. We all are fulfilled by various things in life and I kept asking myself this year “what truly fulfills me?” because I kept feeling like there is something else I should be doing. Tony explains that you know what fulfills you when you’re obsessed with it and can’t get enough. As I’m enjoying some music at a campfire and listening to the waves with a friend, I shared several opportunities I saw in developing the city of Toledo. He stopped me and randomly asked me what I wanted my legacy to be when I die. I thought the question was random but I quickly and confidently was able to respond to it. I want to be remembered for making a difference in a community and then teach it to the next generation to live on. After a moment of silence, he asked me “well, what are you waiting for? You obsess over millions of ideas you constantly have about the community that surrounds you, make it your living”

For the last several years, I knew money didn’t fulfill me but that I needed it to help me fund my passion. Most would take what I’ve made and spend it on fancy homes, cars, and more. I saved it, invested it into real estate and told myself I’d reach a goal of producing enough income to live life on my own terms by age 30. Not only did I invest in real estate, but I worked hard to invest into people surrounding me that need it. I listened to Tony’s advice and decided to take massive action! I knew I would never be able to leave a legacy if I didn’t solely focus on it. I’m thankful I took the approach of investing and saving my income so that I could take a leap of faith and leave my corporate career. I’m grateful I have a support system that I know will be there if I fail and I’m blessed that my first career was the vehicle for starting my legacy.

Tony really sparked me to understand what truly fulfilled me. I’ve never cared what anyone thinks of my material things. No one would know I have much money when I currently live in a small duplex half torn apart that I’m remodeling, my old used cars or by the looks of my small trailer at the lake. What fulfills me is being able to wake up to a sunrise and watch a sunset. Being able to watch a community grow, help put a roof over someone’s head and watch buildings transform. These are all things I obsess over.

I realized this year that life is short. I went through pain and suffering almost losing a 17 year old brother to cancer this year. Tony said it best “If you follow your trail of stress, you’ll find your deepest fear”. I followed it, and my deepest fear was that I didn’t want to leave this world without leaving my legacy on a community after seeing how short life really can be. Now that I have removed a large time barrier in my life and left my corporate gig, I finally have had the time to focus on my passions.

I’ve trained my brain to take stress for what it’s worth now, know its bull shit and find something to appreciate. I give myself the 90 second rule of thinking about it and then let it go. You’ll feel fulfilled when you are living life consistently at its peak. Being at your peak means living in happiness, abundance, joy, taking care of yourself and having appreciation. I’ve trained myself to be “energy rich” verse “energy poor”. In order to stay in an energy rich state, one must grow and continue to make progress towards the goals that fulfill themselves.

Success without fulfillment equals failure. I look forward to my simple life and getting to visit my tiny trailer on the lake so I can watch sunsets while I focus on how to make this community greater tomorrow than it was today. Not only do I look forward to what’s to come in my future but I dream about teaching the next generation on how to make a difference for themselves and their communities as well!

Cheers