Chapter 12: Final Thoughts

I hope this book serves as a witness to the fact that all who live can make a difference for good. You don't have to be an acclaimed superstar to stand as an ensign. The solution to hedonism is building a life focused on making and living according to the covenants with God, at living morally upright lives, providing service, and giving back to others. 

Our legacy in Earth can continue. 

Chapter 11: The New Zealand Experience

"Before Launching Leaders, I did not believe my dreams were posible". -Yi-Han Wu.

Launching Leaders

It is a 12-week intesive career-training and personal development program aimed at providing the skills, knowledge, and support needed by young people to put into action their business, professional, or entrepreneurial ideas. Participants are paired with a carefully and specifically chosen mentor. The goal is to combine spiritual teachings with concrete business principles. We recognize the bigger picture of personal and spiritual growth. 

Guy Kawasaki, Stephen R. Covey, Jim Collins, James Ritchie, Terry and Mary Pitts. 

James Ritchie felt that Launching Leaders should begin its operation working with young adults in New Zealand, it began in 2011. After that, it began teaching in other parts of the world, including the US. 

Of the most meaninful ideas is the concept that not only it is possible to become sucessful financially while still remaining a spiritually-grounded and loving individual, but that these two goals actually work together in complete symbiosis. It encourages individuals to bury the duplicitous life and begin a new path of success and purpose. 

Proof of Concept: Words From Launching Leaders Participants

• Terry and Mary Pitts, Launching Leaders Founding Members
• Josh Roa, Launching Leaders Alumni; Auckland, New Zealand
• Johnson McKay, Original Mentor for Launching Leaders in New Zealand
• Chelsea Turner, Launching Leaders Alumni; Auckland, New Zealand
• Tu'u Singsam, Launching Leaders Alumni; Auckland, New Zealand

The Abundant Life

It is indeed possible to mantain an honest, upright, and service-oriented lifestyle while also following the dreams of entrepreneurial and financial success, we saw many of our student's mindsets drastically transform. The phrase, "the abundant life", to describe this state of all-around successful living. 

"The abundant life does not consist of a glut of luxury. It does not make itself content with commercially produced pleasure, the nightclub idea of what is a good time, mistaking it for joy and happiness. On the contrary, obedience to law, respect for others, mastery of self, joy in service-these constitute the abundant life". -Thomas S. Monson 

Chapter 10: Time To Sell

"A prudent question is one-half of wisdom". -Francis Bacon 

The Finish Line

Any successful entrepreneur must consider his or her exit strategy. The final step in entrepreneurial efforts. By giving yourself some sort of finish line, you help define the ultimate goal of your efforts. Consider what type of future you must desire, and how you'd like your "retirement" to look. It forces you to plan for the future and act effectively in the present. 

Our Selling Experience: A Review of Principles

From start to finish, the principles of spirituality, moral living, keeping covenants, following The Formula, and the many other ideas shared in this book have worked together as the compass for our business actions and decisions. Experience the power of change, the need of change, and the benefits of change in our lives. Don't force the things. 

Have specific stipulations may or not make your list of selling requeriments, the lesson here is to ponder what fundamental principles are most important to you and your business. Stand up for the principles important to you and make their maintenance actual requeriments for anybody interested in buying your company. 

Some questions:

• What involvement do you desire after the sale, and how will you ensure that it happens?
• How will you protect your associates, the team that "got you there" in the first place?
• How will your company's culture be protected, and how will you keep the company from morphing into another empire with an entirely different identity?
• Does the sale contract reflect the exit strategy that's best for your, your family, and your future?
• What selling price is right? How much is "enough"? Will the sale set you up with income sufficient for retirement? Will it allow you to fund your philanthropy work and create the future style of service you desire? 

Chapter 9: The Unseen Difference

"I have never thought of writing for reputation and honor. What I have in my heart must come out; that is the reason why I compose". -Ludwing van Beethoven. 

It's All About Others.

Focus on building up those around us, to be a positive influence in the lives of others. How much life is not about "me". We focus in serving others and uplifting those around us, we ourselves are blessed. By serving others, we demonstrate our love for and faith in God. 

Success Is Not A Solo Project

How deeply dependent we are on God. Also with partners, mentors, associates, and clients. When we combine an understanding of the collaborative nature of professional success with the recognition that business and financial successes are ultimately intended to bless the lives of others, it becomes possible to become the unseen difference. 

Be The Unseen Difference

The unseen difference is guidance, mentorship, and leadership given and shared "behind the scenes". It embodies one of the most personal, genuine, and in the end, successful ways to share and receive wisdom. These lessons are almost always the most powerful. 

Tom Rath outlines eight roles to be filled by people in a relationship:

1. Builder
2. Champion
3. Collaborator
4. Companion
5. Connector
6. Energizer
7. Mind opener
8. Navigator

The important thing is to find your special niche in the contributions you can make, and then focus on using this to become a positive force in the lives of those around you. 

We can all become the unseen difference by simply imparting and sharing, in a sincere manner, those things we feel will help others in what they're trying to accomplish. As we focus on being the unseen difference in the live of others, a whole network of help and support is created. 

Chapter 8: Giving Back

"I knew a man, they thought him mad, the more he gave, the more he had". -Anonymous

Giving back had always been a principle of central importance in our personal lives. It's important to understand that we should never give or serve with the expectation that our lives will suddenly become more prosperous as a result of our service."Giving back must be sincere and selfless, not superficial and self-serving." (Page 149). It changes hearts. Serving others is truly what gives life meaning and purpose. 

Make It Happen 

1. Bridge The Gap: To ensure that your personal life and your professional life are consistent with one another. Make it a high priority in your personal life as well. You will have the conviction needed to act consistently and confidently. 
2. Plan On Giving: When we make plans, we make a decision so that when it comes time to act, we already know what we will do. The key is to make giving a planned activity.
3. Focus On Stewardship: Carefully consider what you and your own family realistically need. After ensuring that all responsibilites and duties have been fully met, you can devote your remaining resources to giving back. Findind such a balance is good entrepreneurial stewardship. 
4. Consider Money, Time, And Sweat: Money isn't the only way to serve, donating your time and personal effort are so extremely helpful and deeply rewarding. The act of giving, and the subsequent experience of seeing some degree of light and hope come into the lives of those you serve is worth every dollar spent, minute of time donated, and drop of sweat given. 
5. Track Progress: Track the progress and the outcome of your efforts. Simply to record gratitude: theirs and ours. 

Wrapping It Up

When we put our efforts on giving back, we become more closely to work associates, clients, and employees, and we ourselves become more humble. Also, know the central role of God in this process. It's been given to us through the blessings and kindness of our loving Heavenly Father. Knowing this, how can we feel justified in not sharing, serving, and giving back?

The more we devote our resources and efforts toward helping those around us, the more God blesses us with happiness and safety. 

Chapter 7: The Personal Constitution

"Vision without effort is a daydreaming; effort without vision is druggery; but vision, coupled with effort, will obtain the prize" -Thomas S. Monson. 

Put together the Personal Constitution needs months of writing, pondering, praying, and re-writing. With it we can discover new and important things about ourselves, it can guide our lifes. 

James Ritchie: On Personal Constitutions

Productivity pyramid:

The need for each of us to have role models who inspire us to become better, the need to have a person in our lifes who we look up, and who inspires us to become better. Becoming better is what the Personal Constitution is all about. A document outlining who you want to be and what you're going to do to accomplish this objective.  We need a foundational system of values to give us constant strenght and guidance. 

The first step is to identify those values or personal qualities mos important to you. That will define what type of person you want yourself to become. Examples: integrity, ethical living, loyalty, morality, friendliness, being charitable, and being trustworthy. After that, we have to prioritize. Keep in mind the principles of The Formula. 

It's time to begin writing our Personal Constitution. Begin with your most important value and write a sentence that begins "I am", and ends with a description of that value. 

Example: -"I am like the Savior". Then build this sentence into a paragraph: "I am like the Savior. I think the way He thought, act the way He acted, speak the way He spoke, and treat everyone the way He treated them". 

"I am totally honest in all my personal, family, and business dealings. I am trusted with my fellow beings and would do nothing to damage or harm any of those relationships". 

Long Term Goals

Time to move out up the pyramid and focus setting goals, identify what needs to be done to transform yourself. Long term and short term goals. You should build directly off the "I am" statements of your identifying values exercise. 

Must be written out in "I will" statements. It commits you to take actions and complete tasks. 

Example: I will be financially independent by the age of 55, meaning that I will be able to live off the profits, interests, or dividends of my businesses and investments without the need to 'go to work'". 

Short Term Goals 

Those things you will do the current year that will move you closer to accomplishing your long term goals. Uses clear and direct language that commits to action. 

Example: I will add to my Independence Account 13% of my gross earnings and 75% of any capital gains of profits I generate this year". 

The Daily Task List

Each minute of the day: Productivity Points. We need to take full advantage of every Productivity Point. Your daily tasks and personal assignments that you will accomplish that day. 

Using sentences beginning with the phrase: "Today I will". Motor of your progression; it can only be traveled through short and consistent daily steps. 

The End Result

When you're serious about achieving these goals, you'll begin planning each day, and as you follow these plans, you'll find yourself taking full advantage of every Productivity Point-every minute-you've been given. "You will notice yourself becoming a better husband, wife, sibling, or friend". (Page 139). 

Create Your Own Personal Constitution: Steve's How-To Guide

PAGE 140, 141, 142. 143. 

Chapter 6: Financial Fitness

"Financial freedom is a part of the ground happy people stand on". -James Christiansen

Understanding how to effectively manage our financial resources has been a critical component to all our successes. 

James Ritchie: Financial Fitness

Wealth is a tool of service and sharing, be the most meaningful and productive. Self-reliance is the true goal, not being rich. Maintaining a healthy attitude toward money also makes it easier to recognize and take advantage of opportunities to serve others; this is the true joy of financial independence. 

The Richest Man in Babylon, by George Clason, summarizes the principle of Financial Fitness. 

The first principle: hard work. Without sustained and consistent hard work, nothing else is possible.

Independence Account, Second principle: pay yourself first. Pay ourselves a portion of everything we earn, at least 10%  

Third principle: a part of all you earn is yours to keep. The Golden Account (Investments and Assets)

Budget Account, something like a checkbook that receives barely enough to cover the frugal written budget from paycheck to paycheck. 

Savings Account, to covering any irregular expenses such as holidays, birthdays, insurance, and emergencies, "wish list". Never takes higher priority that the Budget Account or Independence Account. 

Knowing you are in control of your life and are working to maximize your opportunities; self-worth, self-esteem, and productivity will expand. Also, serve others will also become greater. Self-reliance will bring you the true purpose of life and the source of greatest happiness: giving back and building a better world.

Chapter 5: The Value Of Strong Mentors

Choose very carefully who you go into business with, and never become partners with a person just because you're afraid of the unknown. Need for mentors in our lives, people we can trust and learn from, people we can always rely on. Finding a true mentor will provide an anchor in all your business activities through their examples, support, and the lessons they teach.

Parents, teachers, tutors, friends who sincerely care about us, church and community leaders, God.  We need to actively seek out and adopt the right types of mentors whenever we can. Adopting strong mentors is one of the most effective things we can do to overcome these challenges.

"Mentor are individuals who have already experienced the challenges of life as a businessperson and who have successfully learned to overcome them. (...) A good mentor will care about you as an individual, and will listen to your concerns, questions, and ideas". (Page 107)

• What type of mentor you need in your life, considering your goals, your strenghts, and weaknesses. 
• Be watchful for people who may meet these ideals and who possess these atributes. 
• If will raise you to higher ground. 
• A great mentor will take interest in you, and adopt you for life. 
• Should not have a personal financial interest in your success, sincere and selfless desire. 
• Become friends for life. 
• Ask for some of their time, who's willing to take a sincere interest in you and your goals. 
• Be communicative, clear, and direct.

Keep them close for the rest of your life. I strongly believe that those who reach the summits of life only do so with the help of a mentor. 

James Ritchie: On Mentors

Mentors provide me the examples and lessons I needed to succeed. Like our parents, sibilings, spouses, life partners. Gives us motivation. Try to emulate them. Recognize the many mentors who have made significant impacts in your life. Lists of personal mentors who have taugh us critical lessons and provided indispensable help. Be mindful of the mentors who cross your path. 

The Value Of Strong Mentors

It is an irreplaceable component of professional success. You fill your life with the people whose support, advice, and real-world, experiential knowledge can lift you above the traps of fear and poor business decisions. 

Chapter 4: The Formula And Happiness

The Formula is perhaps the greatest, most concise , and most clear guide for living a successful life. God is responsible for making our successes possible, and it's only by recognizing this and living our lives according to the spiritual principles upon which The Formula is built that we have been able to attain our goals and ambitions.

James Ritchie: The Formula for Success - The Basics

Stephen R. Covey, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, these are three of them. 

Private Victory:

1. Be Proactive 

2. Begin With The End In Mind 

3. First Things First

We learn to trust ourselves. 

Public Victory: 

1. Think Win/Win 

2. First Seek To Understand, Then Seek To Be Understood 

3. Create Synergy

We demonstrate to the world that we are worthy of their trust.

The seven habit is Sharpening the saw, that is consistently reading, writing, exercising, eating right, thinking, developing talents, etc. 

Private Victory Precedes Public Victory 

We need to experience regular Private Victories, during we learn to trust ourselves, before we try to convince the external and public world that we are worthy of their trust. 

Gethsemane Preceded Calvary

Jesus proved this, first in the Gethsemane (Private Victory), after the cross to Calvary (Public Victory). 

To have mentors whom we can trust, that they give teach with their examples, teachings, and advice of them.  "Go Home, Get Your Education, Make Your Mark, And Get Prepared To Be Of Service". 

1. Get Your Education: be properly trained, constantly work to obtain all the wisdom we possibly can. Love for learning. In the classroom training and real-world education. 

2. Make Your Mark: make a difference, to make our mark a positive one in the world. 

3. Get Prepared To Be Of Service: Serving and giving back, generate the truest and greatest happiness we can experience in our lives. 

Each step directly feeds into the next, the more you live one step, the better prepared you are to live the next one. 

James Ritchie: The Formula For Success- Expanded Principles

The Formula actually gets even better. Combine with J. Paul Getty's autobiography, where he outlines his own three steps. 

1. Get Up Early: early rises. 

2. Work Hard: there's no free lunch. 

3. Find Oil: to build a better mousetrap or provide a superior service. 

Combine with our original formula, and make a guaranteed six step formula for happiness:

1. Get Up Early

2. Work Hard

3. Get Your Education 

4. Find Your Oil

5. Make Your Mark

6. Get Prepared To Be Of Service 

James Ritchie: A Fairy Tale Life

Relates some important events from his personal life as evidence of The Fomula's power. 

The Formula is ultimately a set of principles designed to help anybody who follows them become successful and happy in all aspects of life. You will begin to see great personal growth and you will put yourself on the path toward success and happiness. The real power of The Formula lies in its spiritual focus on serving others. 

Chapter 3: Beware The Double Life

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." -Matthew 6:24

The belief that these two lives will never meet or significantly impact each other. Be consistent in the way you make decisions and the type of person you are, whether at work or at home, will become a significant benefit to you in your business ventures. 

No Duplicity

How strongly our personal lives intersect with and impact our business lives. Like wasting company and resources in order to satisfy his personal addictions. How you behave and who you try to be in one place will always have an effect on who you are and how you act in the other. Living the same principles of professionalism, courtesy, and respect are critical. The focus is really the same, applies equally to business associates, family members, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers. 

We are bound to follow these guidelines in all aspect of our lives. We can't have two separate lives. Commit ourselves to following His teachings in all places and in all times. It's impossible to serve two masters. 

It's A Family Affair

Cooperation between your business ventures and your family. Spouse or life partner. We don't need excuses for our spouses to come on these journeys, do we? It's key in pursuing your goals and dreams. It's critical that both members have equal opportunities to speak, make suggestions, and contribute. 

You create a constant support system for one another. Don't feel it's necessary for your spouse to become a legally recognized and official business partner. 

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni 

Putting It All Together

Learn to be equally trustworthy and transparent in your dealings with business and life partners, then you have a great chance of success in your professional adventures. Open trust, communication, cooperation, agreement, buy-in, and mutual respect in marriage. 

"By supporting each other and working together, we made it through this challenging time (...) We were still in the same team, working toward the same goal". (Page 79)

Chapter 2: The Power Of Covenants

Covenants 101

When we have the enough faith to live our personal standards and keep our covenants, will light the path before us and connect us to Heaven. 

Covenant: in which God promised them if they kept His law and were faithful to Him. (Receive blessings for their obedience). 

As we live according to spiritual law such as this, and experience firsthand the blessing of this obedience, we gain increased faith in the efficacy of faithful and obedient living. Whether public or private, happiness and success. There is a direct link between success and happiness in our lives, and living the covenants we have made with God. 

A covenant is done so without fear or threat; it is made out of respect, and understanding. He dictates what is required of an individual in order to receive certain blessings, when you fail to live according to your covenants, you won't receive these blessings. 

Concept of obedience, and more specifically obedience within the context of covenant making and keeping. "My business is the result of making covenants with God and trying my best to uphold my end of these promises". (Page 60). Hard work is still required. 

The Pipeline To Heaven's Blessings 

The importance of keeping our covenants as it relates to our business activities, "if our fields are watered". Divine guidance and aid. ESSENTIAL. Belief and action, only by living an honest, upright, charitable life. 

Final Thoughts 

I couldn't always trust and depend on other people, depend more on God. "God will provide a way for us to accomplish the righteous endeavors of our hearts, especially when it comes to our business, financial, career, and entrepreneurial activities". (Page 65). 

Chapter 1: Divine Guidance In Business

Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence". -Aristotle. 

Chapter 1

Divine Guidance In Business

"Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition... Everything else is secondary". -Steve Jobs

God has a plan for me. Small pieces of this plan will be revealed to you through personal spiritual promptings. "Following your heart". Moments of personal inspiration and live according to my personal moral code, that will give me a sense of confidence and security. 

Too Coincidental To Be Coincidental 

I have to be aware about new opportunities to grow, to know and talk with the correct type of people. That my path may cross at the exact time, a precise moment to progress. But the progress doesn't stop there, I have to prepare for something even bigger, like a start a company of my own. Always have new feelings of entrepreneurialism, possibles next steps in my life. To receive divine inspiration and guidance. Like the Liahona. 

Don't be afraid about changes, this life is all about moving forward and looking more opportunities to success. Happy and optimistic about the future. Like he and Ginger created Golden Coast, did that happen in the moment when they met Mike?

Coincidences... coincidences coalesce into a clear picture of divine guidance. God will clear a pathway with which these impressions may be realized. 

Making Lemonade

Sometimes bad people will try to attack us. We don't have to let that discourage us, we will have time of doubts, we need to trust in our family and husband or wife. To turn lemons into lemonade. Search in the troubles ways to be better and enlarge our horizonts. 

Value of persevering through adversity and staying true to what we believe in, regardless of how difficult may be. 

"Acting with faith, trusting your heart's inspiration, and working hard to see your objectives through are critical components in the foundation of business success.". (Page 43). 

Have Faith To Act Urgently

The challenges we faced were not only part of our progression in business, but we were part of our much larger and more significant progression as human beings. Lessons with eternal value. 

Doing all we can do, and then trusting God to carry these efforts through to success. TRUST GOD, in that way we demonstrate our faith. When God speaks to us in our hearts, it's time to act. To act in accordance with God's timing. Don't be so impatient, and we have such limited views. 

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted... A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance". (Page 45). 

Most important: To do the right thing.  Second, to do the right thing at the right time. We open ourselves up to receive the maximal degree of divine aid, protection, and blessings, our actions will be most effective. 

Learn how to recognize personal revelation when it occurs, personal revelation is potent. 

Urgent to follow this divine inspiration, God will continue blessing you even with even more personal revelation and guidance. This type of faithful action allows you to take the next step into the unknown, into the darkness. This is precisely the point at which God will reveal to you the next portion of the path. 

Live Well

We don't have control over the decisions and actions of others. Focus in our personal moral code, forgive our enemies, in that way the ability to love and help others will increase. Help us to survive and grow. 

The Cycle Of Divine Guidance