21st Century Academy

It’s important to go further than to achieve a dollar-figure for wealth. We talked last time about the 1% who will be “rich” by age 65. But what we didn’t do is qualify that categorization in terms of achieving real wealth.

More Than Money

Here’s the thing—being wealthy is about more than just reaching a magical number. It’s not about having one million dollars in the bank, or about owning your home, or several homes. It may be in part about those things, but achieving wealth (at least what we are trying to achieve through the 21st Century Academy) is really about achieving lifestyle. So what is lifestyle, then?

What Is Lifestyle?

Jamie McIntyre defines lifestyle with this simple equation:

· Lifestyle = Time + Money

You see, achieving a wealthy lifestyle is not just about getting money into your bank account. It’s not just about owning property and “things.” Achieving the wealthy lifestyle is about having money, but also time. You can, and many people do, have money without the time—these are the people, probably most of the world’s population, who work and have money, but need to continue working to maintain those properties, life needs, and possessions. If those people stopped working tomorrow, they’d lose their things. So they have not really achieved a wealthy lifestyle. Obviously you could have time on your hands and not have money, but that would leave you without the lifestyle you are dreaming of, unless that lifestyle is to be penniless and homeless.

You do not have freedom in lifestyle until you have the financial flexibility to make your choices and pursue the lifestyle you want. That comes from having an abundance of not only money, but time, too. When you can say truthfully that you have a level of freedom, comfort, and flexibility in both, you can say that you have successfully achieved financial freedom and a wealthy lifestyle.

To Your Continued Success!
Sean Rasmussen
21st Century Academy
Universal Wealth Creation © 2004 – 2009

Moving along into Jamie McIntyre’s eBook, and into the first chapters referenced in the wealth vision videos, we start to look at an elemental wealth creation question:

Why Do Most People Fail?

Or, to be more specific as Jamie puts it,

“I live in one of the wealthiest nations on earth—so why am I not rich?”

These are really just two versions of the same question. There is no good reason that more people in such highly successful nations as Australia, the UK, the US, and many others should not be sharing the wealth. If you understand why people do not, then you can begin to figure out which of these reasons applies to your own life and begin to work to overcome them.

The Success Formula

One of the first reasons we look at for popular failure is the formula for success that most people follow. Jamie had identified this as:

• Going to school
• Getting a “good education”
• Working hard for long years until retirement

This is the formula that has been ingrained in us all. It’s true in Australia and it’s true in nations all over the world, from Russia to the United States and points north and south. But if you look at the statistics and the results of following that formula, which we will do in an upcoming post, the formula is flawed.

Finding the flaw in our formula has to be the first order of business if we are to succeed and be wealthy. Much as we’d like to believe that this formula is noble and reliable, the outcome tells another story. Join me back here in the coming days as we explore this simple formula for success further, and work to find out what is really impeding our wealth and success.

Sean Rasmussen
21st Century Academy
Universal Wealth Creation © 2004 – 2009

Before we leave the Foreward and move on toward the first chapter of Jamie McIntyre‘s book, there is one quote I’d like to draw some attention to. This is an important discussion to have right from the start, because it helps to really impress upon you the importance of the attitude you bring to this mission.

Not Just Curious, Committed

“My belief is that if you are not just curious but committed to excelling in your life in the 21st Century, then what you will find in this book will be a real gift to you from someone who cares about helping others achieve similar things, if you so desire…I commend you in advance for taking action and developing a 21st Century education, an education for life.”
-Jamie McIntyre, from What I Didn’t Learn In School But Wish I Had

Curiosity is not a bad thing, but it is not enough to make the bridge from want to have. Curiosity can be a very good thing, because it is often what brings people here, taking the first step towards a financial education and a wealthy, successful life. To go the rest of the way, though, you need more.

Commit To Your Personal Success

To go the distance and really achieve wealth, you need to commit to that effort. You need to build a desire to have it—a driving desire that motivates you every step of the way, even on the days when you’d rather not put in the work.

Both here on this blog and in all you do with the 21st Century Academy courses, seminars, and programs you will get nothing but reality; real choices, real possibilities, real opportunities, real life success. And real straight-talk. We won’t sit here and tell you that you can get rich quick because you can’t. But we will tell you that you can certainly succeed, earn financial freedom, and live a life of contentment and wealth, if you are willing to commit to it. That is the message that Jamie McIntyre wanted you to know right from the start and the message I share with you today so that we can all approach this journey with the desire and the will to succeed.

Sean Rasmussen
21st Century Academy
Universal Wealth Creation © 2004 – 2009