Usually, in thinking of wealth, there is a stereotypical attitude much in the vein of the character Gordon Gekko from the 1987 film Wall Street who sent the phrase “Greed is good” into pop culture history.
But for Robert Shemin, who is a self-described idiot and wealth guru, being wealthy is not about
greed, it’s about gratitude. Shemin argues that if you can’t be grateful for what you have now, how can you prepare to be grateful and find contentment as you reach to the next financial level.
In his latest book “How Come That Idiot’s Rich And I’m Not” Shemin discusses that people focus on what they don’t have and how to get it instead of being thankful for what they do have. He also writes about the weight of abundance and how to truly appreciate that for a person to seek wealth they must also believe there is enough for everyone.
But probably the most significant concept that Shemin writes in his new book that will hit the street in March is that the act of forgiveness is important. Forgiving those times where people, in seeking financial success, might have made mistakes.
And forgiving ourselves for mistakes we have made in seeking a wealth such as bad decisions or missed opportunities.
Shemin’s spiritual insights on financial independence have more to do with that true wealth is found when people get to that point where they can do what they want to do. And, his self-deprecating approach is refreshing.
The philisophy of Gordon Gekko remains in this day and age, but it’s pleasing to know that seeking success can give a person more than just money but peace.
