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IF THE HEIGHT OF WISDOM IS ENLIGHTENMENT, then we can say that the kind of clients we seek are financially enlightened. It may seem odd to pair a term usually used to refer to spiritual matters with one so flatly material, but "financial enlightenment" is hardly an oxymoron. People who have become truly wise about finances "financially enlightened" realize something awesomely significant: In the grand scheme of things, money's not that important. It's significant only to the extent that it allows them to enjoy what is important to them. And not worrying about finances is critical to having a life that is exciting, nurtures their loved ones, and fulfills their highest aspirations. Sometimes, it's easiest to understand an abstract concept like enlightenment by examining what it is not. It is not allowing the distractions of day-to-day living to rattle you, to distract you from your purpose, or to cause you to question those you trust. To take an extreme example, consider the Dalai Llama, someone most everyone could agree is enlightened. He stands as the embodiment of quiet, peaceful perseverance. Although he has confronted great tragedy, he is still subjected to mundane pressures, too. No doubt traffic slows his progress to appointments as often as anyone else. The people around him place enormous demands on his time. He endures the hassles of everyday living like anyone else. Yet these bothers roll off of him like water off of a duck. Why? It's the level of wisdom he has attained, which gives him a sense of profound calm despite potentially irritating disruptions. In financial terms, ads and so-called news that attempt to make people uncomfortable with their advisors and their methods would not ruffle someone who is financially enlightened. These distractions simply become background noise. How do you find individuals
who have achieved such equanimity in their financial lives?
In most cases, it's your job to assist people in becoming financially enlightened. To do this, you must be an enlightened advisor. Itís all fine and well to agree with my philosophy. Of course you want your clients to trust you. Of course you want to build your business 100 percent on ideal referrals and stop cold calling. Of course you think people deserve to build financial strategies based on something more meaningful than surface goals. Of course you are more fulfilled in your own work as a Trusted Advisor instead of just being a salesperson. But enlightenment is not about agreeing with me. It's not about thinking at all; it's about being a certain way and therefore doing certain things. I am grateful to the many people who tell me they enjoy reading my articles and books. Yet, respectfully, I have to tell you that my intention is not to entertain you with clever ideas; it's to enlighten you to a new way of doing business and inspire you to take action. Agreeing with my philosophy will not get you anywhere. The real issue is whether youíre implementing the methodology. Philosophy doesn't produce results. Are you getting entertained, or are you getting results? Salespeople who like my ideas but don't implement them will never get as far as the individual who genuinely wants to serve his or her clients as a Trusted Advisor-and who follows through with the whole methodology. My longstanding advice to you: Don't be a salesperson; be an enlightened Trusted Advisor.
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