Summary: Abundance is More Than Just Money The great mentor Marshall Thurber taught that 94% of all failures are due to a lack of a system. In this case, SYSTEM is an acronym that stands for Save Your Self Time Energy Money. Thurber taught about the importance of predictability in ensuring quality results. That means if you put a certain amount of wood into the fire, you’d get a certain amount of BTUs. Or if you followed the exact recipe for cinnamon rolls, you’d get a perfect batch of them 90-95% of the time. This same principle can be applied the systems that create predictable wealth. Most people, who are familiar with the world of finance, focus on creating predictable rates of return and predictable results with their money so they don’t have to worry about their money. There are several different ways to accomplish this. One is called structured cash flows. Others include putting money into a maximum funded insurance contract. During the past 12 years—possibly the worst 12-year period since the Great Depression—people who have done this have enjoyed predictable rates of return at a time that was utter chaos to others. Many investors saw up to a 40% loss in their savings twice in the past 12 years, first in 2003 and again in 2008. It’s no wonder people were running around in a panic. But those who used systems that created predictable returns saw their money double and triple during that same 12 years. They did not lose any money when the economy went down. That ongoing market volatility is just one part of a triple whammy that also includes higher taxes and rising inflation. But once again, having the right system in place allows a person to enjoy predictable tax-free returns while building a nest egg that continues to produce tax-free income throughout your retirement. Having a life of abundance begins with learning the right strategies. Building Your Dream Life of Peace and Prosperity On September 23, 1908, in a game against the Chicago Cubs, Fred Merkle of the New York Giants was on first base with Moose McCormick was on third base, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The score was tied. The next batter singled home McCormick from third base. But Merkle, caught up in the excitement, failed to touch second base and ran to celebrate with his teammates. The second baseman noticed this, picked up the ball and tagged second base and then appealed to the umpire who called Merkle out. This nullified the run just made by McCormick. In the ensuing chaos, the game was called a tie and the Cubs and Giants had to meet in a playoff game. The Cubs won that game. Had the giants won that September 23rd game, that playoff would have been unnecessary and the Giants could have won the 1908 World Series that instead ended up being won by the Cubs. The lesson here is that sometimes in life, we forget to touch all the bases and it can come back to bite us later. We have to keep things in their proper perspective. This includes money. It’s fine to learn how to accumulate money predictably and to accumulate it tax-free in good times or bad times. But we have to remember to touch all the bases while we do it. This means touching not only the financial bases, but also the other bases like your health, your family, your relationships, and your values. You’ve got to get your intellectual assents, your wisdom, your knowledge, and your experience in alignment as well. It’s also important to touch the base of what you give back to society through your contributions. What good is your money without these other foundational areas? It’s impossible to be happy without remembering to touch these bases. Our knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits contribute greatly to the kind of abundance that we all hope to enjoy. If you’d like to learn how create greater predictability in your wealth without losing sight of those other essential areas of the abundant life,
