Everyone wants to get rich, right? It's part of the "American dream" after all. Proving that point are lots of "get rich quick" scams that you can fall into all around: network marketing...ok, well that's the most popular one these days, but trust me there are others.
In fact, they used to sell them on TV! Now get rich quick scams mostly come in two varieties:
- Network Marketing
- Far fetched internet schemes (including scammer emails)
Funny thing is, there are actually lots of ways to get rich. That's why I've always had a little bit of a fascination with those who have built great wealth for themselves (as opposed to those how have stumbled onto it accidentally, or illegally).
I've known a handful of very wealthy people, and observed lots of others from afar. In fact, a friend's dad who was like my own dad to me growing up gave me a copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad several years ago, which I've always appreciated the wisdom of.
Turns out (just as the subtitle of the book claims) there are things that the Rich teach their children about wealth that the poor and middle class simply do not.
While most of the time when you hear someone say "here's how to get rich" you should just shut your ears or walk away, there is some sound advice around building wealth and being financially successful.
I am certainly not a wealthy person, but in the spirit of debunking crap advocated by scammers and hucksters everywhere, here are some ways you actually can get rich quick slowly:
- diligence
- persistence
- integrity
- ingenuity
- endurance
Notice that all of the things I have advocated above are actually character traits. They're not methods or business processes any more than they are just ways of living your life.
I contend that building wealth and being successful in any avenue of life has more to do with who you are than what you do.
In fact, I'll tell you where I get that idea: Jesus. Jesus said:
Seek first the Kingdom of God and God's righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Jesus priority for us is to seek to know God, and allow Him to transform who we are at a core level, because who we are is vastly more important that what we do. It determines what we do and how we do it.
Scripture is clear that money is really an amoral thing. It's like a brick: you can use it to build or you can use it to destroy. But Scripture also clearly lines out how we can use wealth to do honorable things, and how we can live in a way that is far more significant than getting rich quick or slowly.