Is there a difference in being wealthy and rich? I think so, it has a lot to do with contentment. Rich is about the accumulation of money and possessions. It drives people to win in the games of “He who has the most toys wins” game. How much is enough? Well just a little more than I have today. This syndrome has infected most of the modern world and promoted by marketers, consumerism and the all important credit card, has created a society of perpetual purchasing and waste.

This video, The Story of Stuff, has gotten a lot of attention and puts the spotlight on the cycle of waste in our current consumerism lifestyles. Take time to watch it, I know it is 21 minutes long, but worth the investment in bandwidth and time. Make a cup of coffee and pause for a while, it will be worth it.

Wealth, on the other hand, is a realization that come from within that we are content with what we have and it will not necessarily make us a better person to own a new car, or latest phone gadget.  Wealth is knowing what we need to live; defining that fixed budget and then managing your life around your needs, not your wants. Big picture thinking is also key here. We need to keep our eyes on the long term financial and investment plans for our lives. Issues of retirement planning, school funds, death benefits, are all key to remove the anxiety from living today. If know I have done this right it removes the daily anxiety of tomorrow, where I have no control.

This week, we will journey through Financial Management with an emphasis on Wealth. We will expose our contestants to some tools and techniques that will change the way they run both their lives and their businesses. We will journey with them through the numbers and play with figures, formulas and finances to find a future filled with focus and wealth.