One of the
things about the Coveted Commandment is that it begs the question: “What is the
Coveted Commandment?” It is a valid
question and should have a very simple answer. Taken in the context of the intended meaning
here, Let us look at what covet means. It means to wish or long for; want. [1]
Let us look at what a commandment is. It is a
decree or proclamation issued by an authority and having the force of law. [2]
All together, we are suggesting that the total context of
our message is that there was and still is, an undeclared decree that is so
powerful, that those who would, could and still do have the power to exact law,
choose not to authenticate it because it would diminish the ability of those
who are in power, or who have friends in power, to make, continue to make, or
begin to, achieve wealth. I contend that
it is a decree that is desired only of those in power for those who are
connected, and also in powerful. It is,
for all intents and purposes, the Coveted Commandment. That Commandment plainly states: Thou Shalt Build Wealth.
If you have read my previous blogs, you’ll know that I
questioned as to why only 10 Commandments?
You’ll know that I proposed an inquiry as to how, after 40 days and 40
nights, did Moses only come up with 10 commandments. He had thousands of people under his
leadership, and with all that he could share, no mention of wealth attainment,
wealth building, or wealth development.
I contend that because this particular commandment encourages wealth
building, it is a coveted or strongly desired commandment that is not shared
with the masses, but kept in secret. And
if we want to give those in power the benefit of the doubt, that this is a commandment
that is undiscovered, that remains on Mt. Sinai
You may refer to me as paranoid, delusional, a conspiracy
theorist or, having nothing on which to base my theory, but know that I risk my
sanity, my reputation, and perhaps my life, because if I am anywhere near the
realm of possibility, there are powerful people who would not want this to be a
known and promoted commandment.
Why so great a risk?
It is the risk that I have been assigned. By that I mean, there are many of us
throughout our lives who have been assigned a task, however great, however
small, that whether we choose to accept it or not, it becomes inevitable that
we carry out that which destiny has so ordained. For example:
Why does anyone climb Mt.
Everest
Why do people attempt to swim large bodies of water? Why do people stick their arms in a jar of
mosquitoes that may have the West Nile virus?
Why do people try to accomplish great feats that seemingly for
other people have no desire, interest, or even want to try to prove? Yet, for whatever reason, these people,
whoever they maybe, carry out not only their perceived dream, but also that
which they have been assigned. It is
their calling. You maybe such a person,
you may be in the throws of beginning your assignment, or maybe you have
completed it. And so far, all is
well. I wish myself to be so lucky. With that said, I would like to share with
you the building principles of the Coveted Commandment. If such a commandment exists, it is simply
this: Thou shalt build wealth.[3]
Here in the Coveted Commandment, it is not enough to state
that there is a suspected commandment that has or is still being held under
lock and key. Understandably, it is not
expected that someone will step out of the shadows and admit to having
knowledge of such a commandment. But, I
believe that to wait for such an occurrence would be a waste of time.
However, what would be a positive use of time, would be to
put together some basic principles that are needed to improve our personal
wealth. Mind you, these are building
principles, not guiding principles. What
is the difference?
Guiding principles, as I understand them, are structured in
such a way as to direct that we are to follow a given set of directions in a
1-2-3 or, an A-B-C manner, in order to
achieve a specific or desired goal.
Conversely, my idea for these building principles are like
the building blocks that my grandson and I play with at home. They are unmarked, brightly colored, and come
in as little as one connector all the way up to 4 connectors. How he and I connect the blocks is generally
with the intent of building a “fire station” or a “tow truck station”. Sometimes we build a “space station”. He and I have had fun as we have built “hundreds”
of fire stations, not one ever the same in his first 4 years.
There is no formative way of using my son’s blocks, you use
your imagination according to what you want to accomplish. Whether you use three blocks, or all 250
blocks, the manner in which you accomplish your goal is up to you. So too, are these building principles for the
Coveted Commandment. There is no order
to these principles, but each one, whether used individually, indiscriminately,
collectively, or however you choose, each principle should be able to stand on
its own, like my grandson’s (Josh, Jr) blocks.
Here are the principles(in no order of preference):
- Pay yourself first
- Eliminate discretionary spending
- Do not borrow or lend money to family
or friends
- Invest in yourself at every opportunity
- Know how much is in your Bank account
at any given time.
- Read the latest on financial
investments
- Partner and Collaborate on wealth
building activities
- Shop only for what you need
- Convert to Direct deposit (checking and
savings)
- Pay your bills before due
- Do not gamble with your earnings
- Substitute the term “investing” for
“spending” in your daily exchanges.
- Look more often for your ROI for your
investments (Return on your Investment)
- Pray daily to be able to carry out your
wealth building ideas
- Share your wealth of knowledge
- Purchase and have a working knowledge
of a calculator
- Invest in something that has a history
of increased value
- Try to make everything that you do with
money an investment
- Establish your wealth-building goals
These principles are presented as I was presenting to someone
who is responsible for making very important decisions everyday about their
daily lives. I would like to say that I
am presenting these ideas to individuals who are the CEO’s[4] of
their lives. In other words, there is no
exclusion as to whom these principles may apply. This does not however make me a qualified
financial planner, CPA, or Investment Specialist, or any legally qualified
individual to advise you on investments or savings.[5] We want to always emphasize that these
principles are presented to those who value their net worth, and are working to
always improve it.
Through these building principles, however applied, each of
you as the CEO of your life, is encouraged to focus on those things which help you
to achieve you personal goals, especially when it comes to building and
maintaining wealth. As the CEO in your
personal life, your decisions are the choices that determine your success. Choose well and choose wisely.
Last, but not least, feel free to build on these few
building principles as presented here.
Nothing here shall be considered absolute, or fool-proof. Based on what you want to accomplish in your
life, you should be able to bring to the table new and innovative ideas on how
to build wealth for you and yours. Your
continued hard work is all that stands between you and what goals you set aside
to accomplish. The good thing about
these principles is that you can exercise them gradually, or repeatedly until
they are second-nature to you.
Best wishes and remember the Coveted Commandment: Thou Shalt Build Wealth.[6]
[1] http://www.thefreedictionary.com/covet
[2] http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/?s=edict
[4] A CEO’s responsibilities:
everything, especially in a startup. The CEO is responsible for the success or
failure of the company. Operations, marketing, strategy, financing, creation of
company culture, human resources, hiring, firing, compliance with safety
regulations, sales, PR, etc.—it all falls on the CEO’s shoulders.
[5] No
information included or suggested here should be considered as financial
advice. Please consult with your CPA,
Attorney, Financial Planner or Financial Adviser, as your results may vary.
[6] The
Coveted Commandment: Thou Shalt Build
Wealth © 2013 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.
Well done Wayne, Im following those principles.
ReplyDeleteThank you Brother Leon Clark for reviewing. I invite to follow along for the next 40 days and 40 nights as we discuss building wealth personally and professionally. Thanks again, and Happy Mardi Gras.
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