“Debt is the worst poverty.” - Thomas Fuller

It was only a few years ago when I was overloaded with debt – so much so that I couldn’t make all my payments and I had numerous debts sent to several collection agencies. I had creditors calling me for late payments, and I was juggling them, constantly stressed about how I was going to make my car payment and make rent. It’s hard to imagine those days now – the unbearable burden of that debt – because as of this year, I am debt free!

It’s an amazingly liberating feeling to be free of debt. Your money is your own, and you have breathing room in your budget for saving, investing, and buying what you need.

We are all unique in every sense of the word. We are unique in our looks, our likes and dislikes, and definitely in our ways of thinking and behavior. It is this very difference in our personal characteristics which can make interaction with others both so much fun - and quite challenging at the same time.

As a person chooses to take more time towards better understanding themselves as to why they think the way they think, feel the way they feel, and do what they do, something quite amazing happens… One finds that just as this information is applicable to better understanding oneself; it can also be effectively used to better understand others.

Money is an essential part of life. It has been around for a really long time in many different forms and is not going anywhere anytime soon. As time progresses, we are going to see more and more transactions performed digitally and paper money will eventually be phased out. No matter what its form, money will continue to affect our lives in countless ways.

So What Exactly Is Money?
In simple terms, money it is a tool used to measure the exchange of value between two entities. A simple example is an employee trading their time for money with an employer. Knowledge, experience, skills, and talents are just some of the factors which determine an individual’s capacity to earn money. The employer and employee simply agree to trade a specific amount of money for a specific amount of time and an exchange of value takes place resulting in the transfer of money.

Success is not single sided; it is a holistic experience taking into account all of life’s experiences. I view success as a Five Part Formula. Our conversation about success starts with business, but ends with the total life experience.

If I asked a group of people to write down everything they needed for success in business and life we could probably fill countless whiteboards, blackboards, flipcharts, computer files and notepads. I have found there are only five basic skills needed in order to be successful:

1. Become an Expert / Have a Great Product and/or Service
2. Develop Sales and Marketing Skills
3. Get Help from Experts (Mentors)
4. Control Your Thoughts
5. Create Balance in Your Life