“Imagine you’re on your deathbed—and standing around your bed are the ghosts representing your unfilled potential. The ghosts of the ideas you never acted on. The ghosts of the talents you didn’t use. And they’re standing around your bed. Angry. Disappointed. Upset.
‘We came to you because you could have brought us to life,’they say. ‘And now we go to the grave together.’ So I ask you today: How many ghosts are going to be around your bed when your time comes? You invested a lot in your education. And people invested in you. And let me tell you, the world needs your talents.”
Denzel Washington
In over 15 years of working with individuals and families to plan their financial futures, one sad truth has emerged: too many think of retirement as some magical and mysterious “happiness zone.” If one can reach that crossroads of age and monetary value, then life will suddenly open wide the doors of joy and purpose. We just have to grit our teeth, put down our heads, and push through until we get there.
Can this be all there is?
What about the decades of life leading up to retirement?
Sure, financial health and personal prosperity is important! After all, I’ve dedicated my life to helping people achieve their goals. Yet, across the years of my life, wealth has taken on a brand new meaning.
If life is a journey, then wealth can be found in those moments along the way, not just at the final destination.
Missing Out While Saving Up
While I hope to have more to my name when I reach retirement age, that doesn’t mean I’m not wealthy now.
What assets do I have today? I’m a father. A husband. A community supporter. I love teaching my sons about business and life. I’ve jumped out of airplanes, raced supercars, shot multi-thousand-dollar rifles. For me, wealth has been redefined in those unforgettable moments of life that make you feel alive.
“Yeah, that sounds great Dustin, but I can't afford to live that extravagantly right now.”
Perhaps. Or maybe you can’t afford to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Changing my perspective on wealth has taken me to some incredible places in life. I’ve moved cities to jump on a lucrative real estate opportunity. I’ve taken a day off to cut wood in the fields with my sons. I’ve risked money on penny stocks. Why? Because I don’t want the ghosts standing around my deathbed looking at me with disappointment.
Paint A New Picture of Wealth
It’s time to paint your picture of wealth with a new set of watercolors. What if the path to financial success was paved with a life of wealth through unforgettable moments? Consider this quote from guru Jim Rohn:
“Set a Goal to Become a Millionaire, for What It Will Make of You to Achieve It.”
Jim Rohn
We redefine wealth when we realize that the outcome is found in the journey to the end. Like investing, the focus is on the journey - not the outcome. Life comes at you quickly, and in the blink of an eye you may discover that you’ve missed your only opportunity to make a real difference.
So here’s the question: Are you ready to recalibrate and rediscover what wealth truly means for your life? If so, then you are invited to join me on the Picture of Wealth Podcast as we learn together with men and women who have unlocked the key to living an intentional life of true joy and purpose by preparing themselves for the future. If you are willing to have an open mind and take a few risks, together we can rediscover our financial futures starting today.
Are you ready to experience more of the life you’ve dreamed of while preparing for the future? Subscribe to the Picture of Wealth podcast today to uncover more insights from Dustin Serviss. Listen today wherever you listen to podcasts.
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