Wealth: Are you wealthy if you have sacrificed your health to improve your bottom line? Are you wealthy if you can afford anything you want but you have no one to share it with or no time to enjoy the fruits of your labor? The financial industry puts such an emphasis on the “number” that you need to reach to be able to retire. This is designed to get you to put more money into mutual funds inside of retirement accounts – perhaps the greatest boon to asset management firms. By thinking differently about what your end goal is, a truly wealthy life, you are much more likely to create an effective strategy to get there.

Economy: Financial institutions promote one fairly linear view of the economy. This view does not begin to explain the boom/bust cycles that we have been experiencing for the past 13 years. There are brilliant economists with very different views about how our economy works but most are not hired by the largest firms or to work inside of government because their way of thinking does not serve the favored agenda. By seeking out the thought leaders in the field of economics, one has access to a more accurate understanding of economic reality allowing for better decisions.

Solutions: The knowledge of how to invest has been progressing for years, and yet the foundation for investment recommendations for most investors is based on work that was done in the 1950s. The most successful investment firms do not use the same approach as those sold by the major investment firms and mutual fund companies. As an example, Yale’s endowment, considered by many to be the leader in the investment world invests very differently from the recommended allocations for an investor walking through the doors of Fidelity or investing on-line with Vanguard. Why is that?

Thought leaders in the world of investing have been creating solutions for retail level clients bringing them closer in alignment with what the best minds in the business are doing. At Global Vision Advisors we seek out the strategies that can bring our clients the greatest potential net return for the least amount of potential risk by finding and working with the thought leaders in the investment world.

Suggested Reads

“The Soul of Money”   by Lynne Twist
 In the Soul of Money Lynne twist explores the human relationship with money and what it means to truly come from sufficiency and abundance rather than scarcity.  In the book she challenges some of the assumptions that western capitalism has at its foundation.  Those assumptions, Twist explains, are:  there is not enough, more is better, and that is just the way it is.

This, in our opinion is the best book about broadening one’s relationship with wealth.

“Rich Dad Poor Dad”  by Robert Kiyosaki
 This is a very well known book in the circles of financial advisors and people looking to achieve financial success.  Kiyosaki uses his life story to illustrate how most people learn about money, getting an education and having a job and how that thinking keeps them from achieving meaningful financial success.  One of the many contributions of his book is how he defines assets and liabilities.

This is a must read for anyone who is serious about achieving financial success and for anyone who wants to provide a new model to teach their children about money.

“Secrets of the Millionaire Mind” by T. Harv Eker This book and Eker’s related seminars have gotten a lot of attention in the personal growth and wealth coaching communities recently.  Eker does an excellent job of breaking down in simple language the process of understanding our relationship with money and how to create a new one.  This is a quick read and recommended for those who are new to the idea that we attract what we think about and those who want tools to apply that knowledge in the area of money.

“The Seven Stages of Money Maturity” by George Kinder
 “The Energy of Money” by Maria Nemeth, Ph.D. 
These two books are for those who want to take the next step in understanding their relationship with money.  Both are filled with helpful stories that illustrate people achieving breakthroughs around money in various stages of their lives.  They also contain useful exercises for the reader interested in a rigorous journey to create the relationship with money that they desire.

“Megatrends 2010” by Patricia Aburdene
 Written in 2005, Megatrends 2010 predicts the rise of conscious capitalism. While many books of this era predict the spread of socially responsible investing, this one includes a focus on spirituality and how change is being driven by values driven consumers who are aligning their spending and investing with their beliefs.  Aburdene provides countless examples of how companies are linking positive corporate social responsibility with increased profits and productivity.

“Investing With Your Values” by Hal Brill, Jack Brill, and Cliff Feigenbaum 
Filled with practical advice about social investing, this book helps to dispel the myth that socially responsible investing is correlated with lower returns. The authors suggest the possibility of a better world and impressive investment returns at the same time. It offers a wide variety of helpful resources that can be used to create a values based portfolio. Investing With Your Values is an important work for investors who are interested in learning about a variety of socially responsible investment products.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH

“Awaken the Giant Within” by Anthony Robbins

“The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”  by Stephen Covey

“Think and Grow Rich” by Napolean Hill

“The Four Agreements” by Miguel Ruiz

“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle

“The New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle

“Excuse Me Your Life is Waiting” by Lynn Grabhorn

“The Road Less Traveled” by M. Scott Peck

DVD’s

“The Secret”

“What the Bleep Do We Know?”

“The Peaceful Warrior”

“The Power of One”