In my numerous
interviews of the wealthiest and happiest people, I am
struck by the clear, insightful and creative thinking that
is prevalent in their investing strategies and techniques.
A well known investor and author, Dolf de Roos says that the
most valuable piece of real estate is the one between our
ears. This leads me to the question, "Why would anyone in
their right mind not work to ensure a right and alert mind?”
Looking back, some people may remember the times that they
produced results out of their brilliance. They may also
remember the times that they ignored their mind telling them
to avoid making that silly mistake that they were about to
make.
How much did that lapse in alertness cost them in their
time, money, energy, relationships and dreams?
It seems like genius or presence (and perhaps it’s opposite,
stupidity or not being present) is something we want to
manage if we want any hope of success in business or
investing.
By ‘presence’ or ‘being present’, I narrow the meaning to
the ability to be alert to what is really important or
critical; the alertness to current attitude, current actions
and current results and whether all of the above is adding
up to the intended outcomes.
The other common denominator for all these successful and
happy people (NOTE: I include both adjectives) is the extent
of integrity in their lives. It is an integrity that leaves
them present in the moment: giving them a critical edge when
it comes to responding to or dealing with different and
difficult situations. For example, coming up with creative
solutions and spontaneously working out untenable
situations.
I believe that genius (or presence) and integrity go hand in
hand. Some people may squawk and express cynicism at this
seemingly idealistic notion. And they may be valid in
expressing such responses; In an age where the media
unceasingly plays to the lack of integrity in our political
process, business, leadership and celebrities, and where
their day to day experience in just trying to earn an honest
buck seems constantly thwarted or colored by the lack of
honesty of others.
I have two responses:
But it may require a
change in thinking of how we perceive integrity. The very
common printed definition of Integrity in dictionaries is
quite unlike what we commonly think of as Integrity. This
printed definition of Integrity is “the state of being
whole” (www.Bartleby.com).
Another way to say this is "with nothing missing".
Notice this definition is not about being right or wrong,
but about having wholeness. One could say it in another way:
"With nothing missing". For example if you had a wheel and
one spoke was missing, you could say that the wheel was not
whole, and thus not in integrity (NOTE: nothing about the
wheel’s moral character is sought).
To bring this home, if you had a missing component in your
finances; for example your checkbook not being balanced
(fill it by balancing your checkbook) or a bill unpaid (fill
it by paying it or making payment arrangements) or
insufficient legal protection for your properties (fill it
by creating a plan to rectify), you could say that there is
a missing and hence an “out of integrity”. This does not
make you a bad and wrong person.
This may be welcome relief for some who may have experienced
guilt thinking of integrity as something wrong or right. I
assert this guilt was highly practiced as we grew up.
But the work is still to be done in restoring what was
missing - often not a pleasant experience. “So why would we
want to do this work?” someone may ask.
To illustrate one reason, let’s go back to the wheel analogy
above. If you had a missing spoke on your bicycle wheel, and
you were only going barely one mile and hour, it would
probably not be much of a problem. However, if you were
going 30 or 50 or 60 miles an hour, you could have a problem
– losing the race or falling off.
So perhaps there is a very good relationship between
integrity and performance and security. For most competent
human beings, they may have about 80 to 95 percent of their
life/time in integrity.
However, that remaining 15 percent to 5 percent may be the
difference in performance you need to jump from your current
state of finances to wealth and riches and happiness.
In the course of coaching many investors and businesses, I
have noticed that simple acts of restoring integrity can
increase wealth and happiness (successful sales or deals and
problem resolutions) within a matter of weeks or shorter.
Another reason to pay attention to your integrity (going
back to the presence/genius factor) is that you will
actually get to be alert and present if you handle these
‘out of integrities’ that tend to distract you.
The mind is designed to ‘chatter’ anytime that it detects
something missing. And it never stops ‘chattering’ until
that missing is not missing anymore. This can be
debilitating and restricting if not addressed.
For example, if you did not balance your checkbook and you
wrote a check for a large amount of money, and you were not
clear if the check would clear, how present or alert could
you be, especially when the person you wrote the check out
to comes to visit?
Another example would be if you knew that you needed a
strategy and a plan to make your investing business succeed
and you don’t have either. How many nights and days do you
agonize over this while you miss opportunities because of
the ‘chatter’ from your mind?
How does that affect your wealth generation?
It is a common experience for many on the road to wealth and
living well to discover that they are not only their true
worst enemy; they are their ONLY true enemy.
There are actually many practical actions to take on. Let’s
start with the most effective that I know of.
-
Create and manage
a Wholeness or Integrity List
Create a list (we have complimentary excel spreadsheets
that you can get by emailing us at info@AlacrityConsulting.com
– please mention this article) that tracks and manages the
actions that you know that you need to take to clear up
the ‘chatter” in your mind. First column on the table:
specifically define the issue. Second column: the action
required to complete this issue. Third column: the
deadline date. Schedule 30 minutes a day to manage your
integrity list. If this is confronting, start out at a
steady pace: one item a week.
-
Create a powerful
system of accountability – The Procrastination Buster
Hire a coach or a friend who will not be ‘whimpy’ with
you. Give them your promises daily to handle outstanding
issues and then give them permission to hold you to
account rigorously. For example, tough consequences when
you do not follow through on your promises.
-
More practices to
come in future articles.
Remember, the reason
for doing these practices is to restore your ability to be
present and to have peace of mind. That is a mind with
little or no chatter. It is not to impose restrictions or to
police your life.
Some of the main expressions of integrity are
Imagine a life where
you have accounted for all your promises (broken and
fulfilled), where your communications and your actions are
consistent with your values and where you are true to
yourself (for example your mission statement). What chatter
would your mind conceivably have?
Possibly a little; But probably far less than when no
accountability or responsibility was being practiced.
Would that Peace of Mind be worth the work that it takes to
restore wholeness to your life? Would the work be worth
restoring your divine right to being a genius and a total
creator in your life and in your pursuit of wealth and
happiness?
Bio:
Mr. Sunil Bhaskaran is the CEO of
Alacrity Consulting Services, Inc., an organization which is
dedicated to coaching, training and educating real estate
investors and business owners (particularly women based
businesses and investors). Mr. Bhaskaran comes from a family
who invested in real estate in Singapore in the early
nineteen seventies. Through the years, he has learned the
power and opportunity behind real estate investing and has
generated over $1 million in income from real estate (cash
flow and equity) in the last 10 years in the United States.
He is also a radio personality and had a successful radio
talk show “Lets Talk Relationships” on KSCO AM Radio in the
Monterey Bay area of California. You may email him at
Info@AlacrityConsulting.com. Go to the website
www.AlacrityConsulting.com to learn more.
