The Prosperity Equation

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THE PROSPERI TY EQUATI ON - New M i ll enn ium Ed i t i on F o r e w o r d

So many people live quietly desperate lives, working at jobs theyhateliving in fear of povertystruggling to stay ahead...just trying topay their bills one more month in a row.

You cant count on the government, your retirement funds, or yourpersonal savings to make it to the end. Chances are, when the timecomes, your children will not be willing or able to carry you financially.The Prosperity Equation is about mastering your destiny and ensuring a

great quality of life long after your productive years.

Today, Jim Ziegler, husband, father, corporate president, world-classprofessional speaker, author and self-made millionaire challenges you toanswer this question

Why Arent You Rich?Foreword from the Author

Shifting Paradigms

When I wrote the Prosperity Equation my goal was to write a book thatwas easy to read, filled with information that would dramatically changethe quality of the readers lives forever? This was the first time I hadconsciously collected the ideas, and quantified the thoughts andprocesses that made me wealthy. More importantly, I wanted to capturethese valuable concepts and share them with others before theyevaporated and were lost.

Since then thousands have participated in my seminars, attended my

speeches, read the books, watched the videos and listened to the audios.Ive appeared on national television and been interviewed by nationalmagazines and newspapers.

Damn, Its Fun Being Me

Damn, its fun being me. Life has become this incredible adventure. Imseeing The Prosperity Equation taking on a life of its own...were now


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experiencing viral growth as were seeing more people tuning in to theconcepts and making positive conscious choices to become wealthy andprosperous.

Change is constant. Nothing is the way it was and nothing will ever bethat way again. Everything around you is either dying or being born. Youcan never go back home and find things as you remember them. You can

never rekindle lost love exactly the way you fantasized it. High schoolreunions will always be a disappointment. People change, towns change,situations change; the world is fluid and so is your life...accept it and gowith the flow.

Well, since I first wrote the book many things have changed. Paradigmscontinually shift; the road to success is still under construction with manyrapid-fire abrupt changes in direction.

Oh, dont get me wrong, the philosophies and core concepts of TheProsperity Equation are timeless. I dont want to give anyone a heart

attack here, my original stuff still works just fine. What Im saying is itsnow time to rewrite the book and to bring it into the new millennium. Ivelearned so much and done so much in life and business since I wrote thefirst edition; but now there are many new ideas and concepts that mustbe added to The Equation.

So heres what its all about. In no way do I intend to corrupt the originalwork. This is still The Prosperity Equation, the Entrepreneurs Road Mapto Wealth. All of the stories, parables and anecdotes are still intact fromthe original version. This new version only adds to the value, nothing

taken away. Many chapters are still word-for-word exactly as they werewritten originally, other chapters have been added to or totallyrewrittenbrought forward into the future, which is now. Some of themarketing concepts from the original are no longer on the cutting edge.As technology and business disciplines have changed, Ive changed withthem.

When I finished rewriting the entire book, as I read the last words of thelast paragraph of this new edition, I doubled back to the beginning andwrote this foreword to let the readers know I am extremely proud of theend result. This is a better book than the original. ---James A. Ziegler, CSP, HSG ---


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Par t One: Get Your M ind R igh t

The Land of Opportunity

We live in a land of opportunity; actually, we now live in a world ofopportunity...a world filled with overwhelming and overflowingabundance. The playing field has been leveled and entrepreneurs with

laptops, working late at night in darkened rooms can bring industrygiants to their knees.

Growing up, as an American Citizen, I was always taught that we live ina country where virtually anyone has the constitutional right to becomeprosperous, even wealthy, that is if you really want it badly enough togo for it. Now, technology has opened the door to the entire world.Virtually anyone, anywhere, can become wealthy and prosperous, andhave an incredible lifestyle using these principles.

With so much abundance all around us, why are so many people living

in poverty? Why do so many feel they are helpless? Why do so manybelieve theres no way to escape their situation? Deep in my heart Ibelieve no one is predestined to be poor. Theres no circumstance overwhich we cannot prevail...no situation or circumstance we cannot riseabove. If these statements are true, then why do so many people live indespair? Why do so many people endure such desperate and desolatelives?

For years Ive meditated and obsessed over these questions. There wasa time in my life when I was searching for answers and then, suddenly,

the answers became obvious. It wasnt a gradual awakening; it wasmore like being knocked over by a bolt of lightning. It was anepiphanya stream of consciousness realization. Suddenly it becamecrystal clear why so many people were missing pieces of the puzzle.Why so many never quite put it all together. I called this revelation TheProsperity Equation.

The Prosperity Equation is a sincere effort to reveal to you the step-by-step journey that led me from desolation to success. In these pages Iveattempted to quantify thought processes as well as to relate theprogression of events I personally experienced on the journey from

despair to affluence. Every page is carefully crafted, designed to showyou exactly how to duplicate my successes.

Look around. Most people are not living their dreams. No matter wherethey are at this point in their lives; it hasnt turned out the way theythought it would. And now, for many of them, time is quickly runningout. It amazes me watching so many people suddenly waking upsomewhere around middle-age as if theyre emerging from a coma; in apanic, they suddenly realize theyre facing a financial crisis. If theyreever going to make it happen, it had better happen quickly.


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Even as I am writing these words, Ive got Fox News Network on thetelevision here in my office. Just a few minutes ago there was a panel ofexperts debating new research concluding that more Americans feardying in poverty than fear dying as a result of terrorism. Our financialfuture is the foremost thing on most peoples minds, regardless of theirage or situation.

If you believe the headlines and the six oclock news, the Baby Boomergeneration is on a collision course with financial disaster. How much ofthe news is hysteria and how much has substance is questionable. Ialways have to step back and consider the motivation of the storyssource. Unfortunately, ethical journalism is dead. Theres norecognizable integrity, professional ethic or honesty in todays media.Liberal reporters with personal agendas are reporting fabrications andfiction that we gullibly believe to be unbiased news reporting. And,always remember politicians are liarsbasically, its part of their jobdescription. One political party or the other has an agenda to spin their

slant on the news in order to push their partys agenda and to bash theother political party. Its not about truth. So dont believe everything yousee and hear in the news.

In other words there may be a hidden political agenda driving all ofthose reports that Social Security is going to go bust.Its true; most of the Baby Boomers are going into their senior yearswith a severe shortage of funds. Unfortunately, because of modernmedicine and technology most seniors are living longermany of them

are going to live longer than their money. Personally, I do believe SocialSecurity, in its current form, is going to collapse, or at least, drasticallytransform with reduced payouts. In other words, Im saying SocialSecurity is not going to be there for youand you cant count on yourchildren, theyve got their own lives and theyre probably not going to bethere for you either. Youre on your own. Nobody is going to carry youto the end. The price of medicine is already obscene, and now, werehearing predictions of a 500% increase in the cost of healthcare andmedicine over the next ten years. Futurists are predicting a single pillwill cost hundreds.The fact that social security may or may not collapse before I startcollecting really doesnt affect me, and; it shouldnt affect you eitherunless youre planning to go into your twilight years living like a rat.Personally, I dont envision myself sitting in darkened rooms withoutheat to lower my electric bill and eating cat food. Seniors Ive spoken towho are living entirely on Social Security benefits are living miserable,impoverished lives.By the time most of us arrive at the minimum age to qualify for SocialSecurity benefits, the age limit will have been moved up. Its already at


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sixty-seven. Well already have one foot in the grave before we reacheligibility.Another ingredient in the soup is the fact Social Security recipients areone of the most powerful voting blocs on the planet. Very few politiciansare brave enough to tangle with the gray panthers.Looking forward to the next ten years there will be nearly one hundredmillion seniors reaching retirement age. Comparing that withapproximately thirty million retirees today, theres no way the systemcould ever possibly absorb everything thats coming at us. Somethingsgoing to break.A Sliver of Good NewsThe organization conducting the most accurate research about thefuture of retirees is the AARP (I am a member). According to AARPpublished research, over the next decade, Baby Boomers stand to

inherit a minimum of $10 trillion; other research estimates go as high as$50 trillion.As the World War II, Great Depression era generation is rapidly dyingoff, (my parents) theyre passing on substantial wealth to their childrenand grandchildren. Unfortunately, most of them havent protected theirmoney from the government. Their heirs will only realize a fraction oftheir inheritance.Now , understand Im not a lawyer, dont pretend to be, but I will say

this; if you have aging parents, you need to approach them aboutsetting up some sort of a limited partnership or revocable living trustwith their heirs participating in ownership of their cash and assets whilethey are still alive. This will protect you from having the governmentshands picking your pockets after your parents pass away. It maychange, but as I write these words the death tax is taking as much as50% of most peoples cash and assets before their heirs receive the firstnickel. The sad part is that it is totally avoidable through legal andethical financial instruments your attorney, banker, or accountant canset up now. But, it must be done while the person is still living. Its a delicate subject but it needs to be addressed and handled now,before they pass away. There are phone books filled with names ofattorneys and accounting firms who specialize in setting up theselimited partnerships, trusts, and other legal financial shelters.Staying Out of the PoorhouseStill, so many of the people Ive cared about all of my life are destinedto die bitter, broke and disillusioned, that is; unless they scramble andmake drastic changes in their lives immediately. A formula for those


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changes lies in the pages ahead.

The question you need to face, regardless of your age or currentfinancial situation is Am I financially prepared for the future?

And, lets face it, you really already knew the answer before I asked thequestion, didnt you? The majority of the people reading this book or

listening to the audio just said no. The truth be known, you probablysaid no toodidnt you? I suspect that most people who bought thisbook probably bought it because they are nowhere nearly financiallyprepared to make it all of the way to the end of their lives.

Truthfully, if you have fears about the future, its probably becausethose fears are justified. Up until now, if youre like most people, theanswer has been to put it out of your mind and think about somethingmore pleasant. Youve elected to take the Scarlett OHara philosophicalapproach to financial security into the future. Youre telling yourself...I'll think of it all tomorrowAfter all, tomorrow is another day.

Well, I wont let you off of the hook that easily. You cant change it ifyou refuse to deal with it. Were going to start thinking about it rightnow.

An integral premise of The Prosperity Equation is the core belief thatanyone can create income streams for life. Im talking about recurringresidual income continuing on after the end of your productive years.

Even though Im moderately wealthy, the truth be known, I would not

be able to retire right now unless Id be willing to reduce the quality ofmy lifestyle. In other words, even though I have a lot of money rightnowsubstantial cash and assetsI do not have enough to last all of theway to the end of my life (my wifes life) at our current standard andlifestyle. We live extravagantly. I live an abundance philosophy. Therewill always be more than enough. Of course, my wife and I spend a lotof money on the frivolous things we love to do and have. Of course, Iwould be able to retire for liferight nowand live extremely well until Idiebutit wouldnt be as good. Wed be forced to cut back onsomething. Sacrificing just aint my style.

Guess what? My intention is to continue to live flamboyantly andextravagantly right up to the moment I draw my last breath. Its all inperspective isnt it?

Ive actually begun writing some chapters for a future book I intend totitle Get Rich, Live Rich, Die RichSecrets of the Cash Flow Millionaire

The theme is centered on conceptual thinking about how we all mustcreate income streams with enough legs to get us all of the way to theend of our lives...without sacrificing our standard of living. The truth is,


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most people, even if they actually do have adequate retirement funds,what they really have are minimal bare bones survival funds. Plan tolive abundantly forever. Dont get all of the way to the end of your lifeeking out an existence.

Is it Too Late?

Is it too late for you? Absolutely not! If youre under funded andundercapitalized, you need to start immediately. You can catch up. Asuccessful life is a plan and, unfortunately; many people startedplanning too latewell, almost too late. When youre young, youreinvincible. Youll think about all of the serious stuff when you get older.Then suddenly its here, now youre older and youre not prepared.

Who Does this Guy Think He is?

This book is not some hare-brained Get Rich Quick Scheme written bysome kind of Get Rich Wannabe. I am a successful, working executive,

who started with nothing and built my companies and substantial wealthwith the very principles Im teaching. Theres no hidden agenda. Itsenough for me to know that many people like you will embrace theseprinciples and their lives will be better for the experience. And, ofcourse, as part of my legacy, Id like to believe you will think well of me.

When I first made a conscious decision to become wealthy, it wasnecessary to take a realistic look at myself and to eliminate the excusesI was hanging onto to justify my failures.

I didnt have the luxury of being born with wealthy parents. And,fortunately, I wasnt cursed with an advanced education. My educationcame from the streets. The first thirty-five years of my life I had no realfocus or direction. Taking whatever came my way, the entire plan was towake up another day and see happens.

Like many successful people Ive known, it took a catastrophic event toshake me up and get my life moving in a positive direction. Like somany others I desperately needed that catalyst to light the fire. Ineeded a reason to become focused and motivated.

Youve probably met many people who are wealthier, smarter and awhole lot better looking than I am, and; youll also have to admit thereare many extremely rich people who are uglier, stupider, and lesscharming. Who ever said any of this was supposed to be fair or logical?Its not so much about who you are as it is about what youve done. Itsnot about where you started as much as its about where you are andwhere youre going.

Theres thousands, perhaps millions, of people on the planet who areinfinitely wealthier than Ill ever hope to be. Considering the fact that


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ten minutes of Bill Gates day is more valuable than my entire lifetimesnet worth, I readily concede there are people who know how to make alot more money a whole lot better than I ever will.

Im told Bill Gates has amassed more than forty-six billion dollars. Thinkabout it. Thats incredible. One guy has more money than two-thirds ofthe worlds population combined. Personally, Ive decided to allow him to

win. If you bought this book to learn how to become a billionaire; youvegot the wrong book, I dont know how to do that yet.

So, you see, Im not misrepresenting myself to be the ultimate mega-millionaire. You bump into people every day in the supermarket whohave more money than I do. Its not about me. Like you, Im also still onthe journey. No one should ever become so smug and arrogant to thepoint where we begin to believe we have arrived.

What this book is about however is how people like mepeople likeuspeople with limited education and poor parents can become

millionaires. Ill never misrepresent myself to be the absolute highestexample of success. Everyone has to be positioned somewhere on thefood chain of prosperity. By this measurement, Im doing fine, so muchbetter than most. If the net worth of every human being on the planetwere listed in ascending order, youd have to place me squarely at thetop fraction of a percentage. This is important for credibility. I feelcompelled to point this out because there are hundreds of books outthere about How to Get Rich which were written by people whoobviously werent, never have been and probably never will be. Well, Iam the real deal, a working millionaire.

The Prosperity Equation is written from personal experience and itsabout how to reach higher levels of living extremely well. As the authorand the guide on this tour, let me say to you...I am living the dream.

Every Picture Tells a Story

This book is really not about me at all; although parts of the book will bediscussing some of the events my wife and I experienced as wedeveloped the business. At times it will get extremely personal as Idescribe how I solidified my philosophies; these stories are only

intended to be parables.

Back in the seventies, Rod Stewart had a hit titled Every Picture Tells aStory. Well, in this case, Every Story Tells a Picture. Every exampleillustrates events and struggles we endured, back when my wife,Debbie, and I were bringing the business off of the kitchen table. Everyone of these stories has a purpose to clarify a point Im trying tohammer home.

Theres many ways to become wealthy. I certainly dont claim to know


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all of them. Lets start with the fact very few of the worlds wealthiestpeople became wealthy through their investments. Im going to say thestock market is something that generally makes a lot of money for somepeople after theyve already become wealthy doing something else. Inother words, I believe the stock market is a vehicle where the rich getricher by leveraging existing wealth.

Another one of those bedrock principles upon which The ProsperityEquation is built is to reinvest your money back into your personaldevelopment and into your business. Although investments rarely createa persons initial fortune, you have to develop discipline and controlwhen handling money. One of the most dynamic concepts in wealthbuilding is the power of compound interest, the power of leveragingmoney to make more money by its own momentum. Always keep idlemoney working.

Throughout history many of the wealthiest people were great inventors;people like Ford and Edison. If your invention is guaranteed to change

the world, then youre already destined to be wealthy and famous.Maybe youve discovered a medical breakthrough, found the answer tothe worlds food shortage, solved the energy crisis, or developed a pillthat will cure cancer. If thats the case, then youre going to be richanyway. Its automatic. Put the book down. Relax! The game is over.You won! Forget about it! Go play!

Maybe youre an incredible athlete or talented actor whos just waiting tobe discovered and signed up for some incredibly stupid amount ofmoney. Maybe youre the next American Idol. Once again,

congratulations, you dont need this book. Give it to some untalentedpoorer person. Your destiny is guaranteed. The future is chiseled ingranite.

As for the rest of us, most of us are not great actors, singers, boxers orball players. There are only so many Tom Cruises, Britney Spears,Tiger Woods or Michael Jordans out there. Theres only one MuhammadAli for each generation and The Beatles phenomenon only happensoccasionally.

Unfortunately, I never had any great inventions or patents. Ive never

won the lottery, couldnt sing or act and I dont have a particularly greatcurve ball so I figured thatmaybejust maybeIt might be a greatidea if I went into business for myself. For me and many like me, theanswer was starting and growing my own business. As a result of thedecisions I made more than twenty years ago, I am now the presidentof three extremely profitable companies with seven-digit revenues andan incredibly lavish lifestyle.

Okay, lets paint the whole picture for you. Make no mistake about it;The Prosperity Equation is about how to achieve success by starting and


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growing your own business. Its a formula to achieve freedom. Its aboutmaking personal choices and taking control of your destiny. Its all aboutdramatically improving the total quality of your life.

The Prosperity Equation begins when we examine the philosophies andmindsets of success and then transitions into the specifics of how tostart and grow an entrepreneurial business. In the pages to follow, Im

going to attempt to take you from the initial mindset, through the skillsand disciplines, to the nuts and bolts processes of starting or growingyour business. This is not intended to be light reading. Woventhroughout the fabric of The Equation, Ill be discussing marketing, salesand networking; business techniques and interpersonal skills. Throughthe years Ive studied thousands of hopefuls who started newbusinesses and ultimately failed. Even though they had the desire tosucceed, the truth be known, they just didnt get it. There were piecesmissing in their puzzle. If you really pay attention, and read it with anopen mind; this book will put the puzzle together for you.

The Prosperity Equation is a road map to guide you along the route tofinancial success, a blueprint for building wealth. Along the way, I hopeyoull discover personal freedom and a great abundant quality of life aswell as self-satisfaction.

Am I saying The Prosperity Equation is the one and only way to becomesuccessful and wealthy? Absolutely not! What this book isits mysincere attempt to share the strategies and techniques that made mesuccessful. Just as there are many different roads leading to anydestination on a physical map of your state or hometown, there are also

many different routes to personal prosperity I am writing this bookoutlining the one route to success I know best. It is the only route Iknow. This is the route I took.

The subtitle, The Entrepreneurs Road Map to Wealth was actuallyadded to the original version of this book by my editor as we werefleshing out the original manuscript. She and I were discussing somechanges on the phone; as a matter of fact we were rewriting thepreceding paragraph. I think she came up with it first although; it mayhave been one of those simultaneous explosions of creativity. Of course,The Entrepreneurs Road Map to Wealth, thats exactly what this book is

all about.

There Are No Guarantees

The Prosperity Equation is an outline of what is working for me and whathas worked for thousands of my friends and seminar students. It is onlya way to get there. There are a lot of theories about how to get rich. Letme repeat, its not the one and only way and, even once you know theway, theres no assurance youve got what it takes to stick it out andmake the journey. I have no way of knowing the strength of your


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character and your resolve to succeed.

The Prosperity Equation is complex. Its more than a formula forachieving the quantifiable goals of wealth and success; its also aboutthe freedom wealth affords to achieve security, a great lifestyle andpeace of mind.

The Prosperity Equation is about the nuts and bolts as well as thephilosophical shifts and psychological preparation it takes to start andgrow a successful business. Since the core focus of The ProsperityEquation is directed toward owning and operating your own businessand being your own boss, well be spending a lot of time discussingthese nuts and bolts business processes and the basics of wealthbuilding.

Well be discussing some very specific techniques leading to thegeneration of wealth through operating your own business. Severalchapters will be outlining specific techniques and procedures, step-by-

step, laying out a blueprint with which you can lay the foundation tobuild your fortune. But before you start trying to learn or apply any ofthese techniques and procedures, youve got to get your mind right.

If you were a soldier fighting in a war, you wouldnt go into battle if youwere untrained and out-of-shape. Youd be killed. Well, guess what? Thisisnt any different. Its a war out there and, once you decide this is whatyou really want to do, you must be prepared, focused and well-trained.It requires study and planning as well as psychological preparation tostart and grow a successful business. If youre not emotionally tough,

dont even think about it. An Entrepreneur has to have a high tolerancefor dealing with stress and frustration. As you read on, I want you tothink of me as your personal trainer, pushing you hard, stretching yourpersonal limits and expanding your boundaries as you move toward yourdestination. Maybe Im a drill instructor and this is a boot camp.Regardless, my goal is to push you through your personal barriers andlead you to achieving your personal goals of wealth and prosperity. Iintend to be tough on you.

As you read deeper into these pages, youll discover this theme will berepeated many times, in many forms, hammering it into your head until

it sinks deep into the permanent recesses of your subconsciousmindThe Prosperity Equation is all about mindset. Its about developingan attitude and a philosophy; its about developing a unique philosophyleading to your personal growth and business success.

Im not necessarily talking about becoming filthy rich either. There aremany levels of personal wealth and success. The underlying themecontinually recurs and echoes throughout these pages, success is athought process. Getting your mind right is three-quarters of TheEquation. Failure in life and business is the end result of defective


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thinking. My observation is that people who fail have weaknesses ofcharacter, attitude and determination.

The purpose of The Prosperity Equation is to inspire revelations andcreate emotions within you. My goal is to help focus your vision andcause you develop a new desire and intensity. Reread and study everychapter before you move on, and dont move on until youre absolutely

certain youve mastered the concepts as theyre presented.

This was an extremely difficult book to write. Ive struggled with everyword youre about to read. When I first began writing The ProsperityEquation I was just sitting there in a darkened room staring at thecomputer. I sat there motionless for hours assembling my thoughtsbefore the first words began to flow out of my mind and onto the screen.There was so much I wanted to say to you and I wanted to be sure Isaid it perfectly.

This is The Prosperity Equation.

Quantifying the Equation

Have you ever noticed there are some people who seem to possess acharisma that seems to magnetically attract other people to them?Couldnt exactly put your finger on it but there was just somethingabout them.

When you were in school, they were always the same ones who werealways most popular. You just liked being around them. They seemed to

always be voted most likely or homecoming royaltyyou know what Imean.

And, did you ever meet a salesperson you really liked doing businesswith? Or, a waiter or waitress you always asked for by name?

The answer to all of those questions is, of course, we all have met thosepeople. They have repeatedly come in and out of our lives.

What are the habits, traits, and qualities that make people successful intheir lives and businesses? Why are some people destined to become

millionaires while others can barely survive with cash on hand until theend of the month?

Well, hang on. I am about to share with you an incredible formula forrealizing your hidden unlimited potential.

You can have wealth and success beyond your dreams if youll masterthe concepts ahead. But, dont expect to immediately appreciate theawesome power of The Prosperity Equation even after Ive described itto you initially. Ive taught The Equation to thousands of people over the


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years and very few people really get it on the first pass. It wont allcome together for you immediately either; the message wont be totallyclear until youve read the last word of the last sentence of this book.Now, dont go reading ahead at the back of the book expecting a majorrevelation; when I made that statement I was assuming youve read allof the pages in between. Somewhere in there youll experience what Icall that Aha moment as the light switch is turned on. This is one of

those books youll find yourself reading and rereading. Every timesomething new will come of it.

Life is a puzzle. It takes many pieces to complete the picture. Thats TheProsperity Equation. Ive dedicated my entire life (up until now anyway)to studying the traits and habits of successful and wealthy businesspeople.

When I first read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, Ilearned the dynamic concept of studying the characteristics of winners,and then modeling myself after them. Somewhere in my quest it

occurred to me that all of the successful people I have known or studiedhad four basic common characteristics.

Not exactly like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective people by StephenCovey; The Equation centers on four dynamic concepts. I call these thefour cornerstone pillars of prosperity.

They are:1. Attitude

2. Desire3. Work Ethic4. CompetencyThats all there is to it. I ts simplistic. There isnt anything else.

Now, of course those words standing alone without explanation andmeditation have very little impact on a persons life. The power of theseconcepts comes to light when you stop and realize that if you trulypossessed all of those qualities you would already be a millionaire.

And, if you are not already a millionaire; I suggest that at least one ofthose pieces is missing from your puzzle. There is absolutely no way foranyone to have all of those concepts totally mastered and still remainpoor.

Now relax. Ive only given you part of The Equationtheres more.

Okayokay, I know. I just finished telling you that was all there is andnow Im telling you theres more. Well, sort of.


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Allow me to explain. To become truly successful and, ultimately, tobecome wealthy and prosperous, there are some other peripheralphilosophies and concepts you must also master to complete TheEquation. These peripherals determine the degree of abundance youwill receive and keep. These peripherals are like the moons that revolvearound the planets. They tug and pull and have an effect on the gravityof The Equation.

These peripheral concepts are subcategorized as subheadings of one ormore of the basic cornerstone pillars of prosperity.

You are not expected to fully grasp the significance of these conceptsright now in the early stages of the experience. It is however importantto lay them out early in the book so you will recognize them as theyappear, over and over again, in the text and stories ahead.

Study the peripherals listed below and think about how they mightrelate to the cornerstone pillars of The Equation, which are Attitude,

Desire, Work Ethic and Competency. Spend some time with thisconceptual thinking before you move on.The peripherals are

Gather people Define your vision Leverage other peoples experience See change as a challenge Make quick and accurate decisions Have a lasting and meaningful relationship

Saturate you mind with success Know God Have honor Invest your money back into the business Invest in your personal development See each person as an individual Embrace technology Manage multiple projects

All of the core principles of The Equation, as well as these fine-tunedperipherals, will be continually interwoven throughout this words you are

about to read. As you read on, from time to time, put the book down orturn off the audio and spend time reflecting on how these principlesapply to you and your life. Examine your dreams, schemes, and desiresand then compare them to reality. Most importantly, consider whatchanges and adjustments you will need to make with your thoughtprocess and in your life if you intend to pursue The Prosperity Equation.

Ive chosen to write this book in several parts

The first chapters of The Prosperity Equation are about getting your


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mind right. Before we discuss the specifics of starting a new business orgrowing an existing business, Im going to ask you to take a realisticlook at yourself. In these initial chapters, were going to examine yourattitude, your desire, your personal philosophies as well as yourpersonal work ethic. This is the same material I teach in my prosperityseminars. I can tell you from experience many people do not lookforward to having to face themselves with all of their excuses and

defenses stripped away. If youre up to it, read on. Bear in mind,everything you will discover about yourself is not necessarily going to beexactly the way you would like it to be. Theres a very real possibilityyoull discover you really dont have the drive and commitment to startyour own business. Maybe youre not suited to become your own boss.Many people would rather not know. And, most people find out too lateafter theyve committed when theres no turning back.

The second part of The Prosperity Equation discusses the specifics ofselecting and starting a new business or growing and developing anexisting business. In these chapters, Ive attempted to speak from my

personal experience, often referring to how I started and developed myown companies. These chapters analyze some events that made thecompanies grow and prosper, as well as mistakes, traps and pitfalls I fellinto along the way.

Finally, the last part of this book deals with advertising, promotions, andselling your products or services. No matter how great your service orproduct is, you will be doomed to an early bankruptcy if you lack theexpertise to sell and market your business. Ive known many talentedbusiness people who had an aversion, even a distain for sales. Even

though they had a great product, actually a better product or servicethan their competition, their companies are gone and they havereturned to the workforce. If you dont like sales then you have nobusiness starting a business.

This Book is not for Everyone

If you fully understand and apply the principles and the philosophies Imabout to share with you, your life is about to explode. Wonderful thingsare about to happen for you and for your family. Truthfully, theinformation in this book is worth several hundred thousand times what

youve paid for it. Sadly enough though, let me slap a little cold water inyour face here, the truth of the matter is that most people who read thisbook will never get it. Most people have been raised and conditioned allof their lives for failure and conformity. Statistically, the odds arestacked against you. If youre like most people, you havent got what ittakes to be a success in life. Before you even begin youll have toradically adjust your thought processes to defeat and conquer a lifetimeof negative programming.

What is Prosperity?


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Although the concept of Prosperity does involve wealth, money is onlyone part of The Equation. Money alone cannot buy happiness. The Bibletells us, the love of money is the root of all evil. Pay attention, it saysthe love of money. When I think about those words I think aboutEbenezer Scrooge in Dickens Christmas Carol. Scrooge amassed afortune and he lived a frugal, self-centered life. Scrooge loved his money

and nothing else. Although he was a wealthy man; his soul wasntliberated until he actually spent his money. In the end his money madea lot of other people happy. Of course, in the process of spending hismoney, old Scrooge himself received a great deal of pleasure becausehe experienced the good things his money did for others.

You see money in and of itself has no value. Money only becomes realwhen youre spending itwhen its in motion. That is one of the mainreasons most of us are not able to save more money than we do. Whenyou see a balance on your bank statement, its just a bunch of numberson a piece of paper or a computer screen. It only becomes real when

you draw it out and when youre actually buying something with it.

If youve ever spent any time in the gambling casinos in Las Vegas orAtlantic City did you ever stop and wonder why they play with plasticchips instead of making bets with real cash? The basic psychologycenters around the idea that the players lose sight of the fact the chipsare actually real money. Psychologically, its easier to lose plastic chipsthan to lose real moneyor at least thats the illusion it creates.

Money CanBuy Happiness

The world is teeming with people who lives are festering withfrustration, despair and misery, people whose destiny is dictated bytheir poverty. How could any sane person in his or her right mind evenbegin to insinuate that a wealthy person doesnt have at least a bettershot at living a happy fulfilled life? Poverty is a curse, not a virtue.

Since we were children theres been this continuous parade of self-righteous losers marching through our lives, programming our minds forfailure, Money Cant Buy Happiness they chant in chorus, andunfortunately, most people bought into the lie. Well, let me say this

about that, all of the things in my life that make me happy and healthyare much more accessible to me because I have money. Having moneygives a person a greater peace of mind and personal security. I amfirmly convinced poor people have more stress and worry anduncertainty in their lives than wealthy people.

Although money wont buy your good health, it certainly will make thefinest physicians and medical services available to you. The skyrocketingcost of medical services is rapidly outdistancing most peoples financialability to have quality healthcare.


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It will certainly give you the time, resources, and the freedom to pursueyour dreams.

Money Gives You the Ability to Take Risks.

Although you dont have to be a criminal to become rich, its true that

many rich people did amass their fortunes because they were ruthlessand aggressive by nature. I have always heard that Joe Kennedy builtthe famous Kennedy family fortune when he was an alleged kingpin inthe Bootlegging industry during the prohibition years.

You dont have to be a criminal to be prosperous, although; if thats theroad you choose to take, its certainly one of your options.

Everything youll read here is centered on integrity and ethics. Myphilosophy has always been, theres never a need to lie or cheat orsneak or deceive to become wealthy or successful. Its true, however

that you must develop what I call a business mindset. What I mean isyou must learn to be straightforward and direct in matters concerningbusiness. Business decisions are rational and seldom emotional. Youmust be able to see things clearly, as they actually are.

When you develop a business mindset its necessary to speak to othersbluntly, with brutal frankness, direct and to the point. A businessmindset is a focused, intense attitude you would never use in a socialenvironment. Sometimes youll be required to make difficult andunpleasant business decisions. Some of these decisions might have an

adverse effect on the lives of people you genuinely like. Sometimes itmeans youll have to have the guts to say no when everyone else isurging you to go forward with a project because it means a lot to them.A business mindset is not always popular with people who are driven byemotion. All of these things go with the territory.

How Rich is Rich?

When we talk about prosperity, how much money does a person have tohave before you would consider them to be wealthy? The majority ofpeople I meet in my seminars and in my day-to-day travels do not have

enough money. Lets stop and make a distinction between becomingfilthy stupid stinking rich and having enough money.

How Much is Enough Money?

Heres the formula I use to determine if a person has enough money.When a person has enough money they never have to ask how muchsomething costs before they make a decision to buy it. Price is rarely afactor in making the decision.


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Even though I have a lot of money, Im not what I would call filthystupid stinking rich. There are literally millions of millionaires in theworld today. There are probably several hundred millionaires livingwithin a just few miles of your home. You probably rub elbows withmillionaires every day at the supermarket, in the mall or at the carwash. They go to your church and their kids probably play with yours. Itjust isnt such a big deal anymore. Frankly, in todays economy, a

million dollars just aint what it used to be. Even so, its still, it is anawful lot of money. If youre reading this book, chances are youre oneof those people who would like to have a million dollars.

Although millionaires have become rather commonplace in todayssociety, considering the fact youve chosen to buy this book, Im goingto suspect you are probably not one of them and maybe youd like to be.

Another very important thing we need to take a look at is just how muchdo you have to have to be considered borderline wealthy? Most of usdont have the time or the dedication it takes to become a billionaire.

When you are talking about that kind of moneya billiondollarschances are statistically against it for most of us.Although becoming a billionaire is a long shot; I believe virtuallyeveryone reading this book does has the ability to become a millionairein a relatively short amount of time. Im talking about you.Take a moment and visualize what a million dollars would mean to youand those you love.

Personally, Ive never even reached for those lofty levels of personal

wealth of a Bill Gates or a Warren Buffet. Could I do it? I dont know Ivenever taken a shot at it...yet. Someday in the future I might actuallybecome a billionaire but then Id have to write a new book.

Money is Freedom

It aint just about the money.

Prosperity is about the complete quality of your life. Living in a finehome and eating fine food, wearing fine clothes and jewelry, driving finecars, world travel, and doing everything youve always wanted to do.

Prosperity is having enough money to share your good fortune and to beable to help others.

BUT, thats only part of it. Prosperity also involves having the ability toprovide everything for your family and those people you care about.Prosperity is all about having choices without restrictions and makingyour own decisions without limitations because you dont have enoughmoney. Its about not worrying about the future.


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Prosperity is all about your spiritual peace of mind and your personalhealth.

Prosperity is freedom! Its all about approaching my wife on Thursdayand saying, Hey, how about us taking off and spending this weekend inthe Caymans? The freedom to be able to say those things and makethose spontaneous decisions with no limitations is exhilarating. How

much it costs is never a consideration. I know we have it, however muchit is. I rarely have to stop and analyze our finances before I make adecision. Now, Im not saying we wouldnt shop to get the best airfareand accommodations. Im not advocating being irresponsible withmoney. All Im saying is when youve got it; it makes decisions a lot lessstressful. I guess the reason I really appreciate the freedom moneycreates is because I will always remember how it was when I didnt haveit.

Success Leads to Excess

In one of my Prosperity Seminars a few years ago one of the studentsasked me a question, Mr. Ziegler, why do you wear so much jewelry?

My answer was short and simple, Because I can!

I have an original saying, which is often repeated in my ProsperitySeminars. Success leads to excess!

Revelations

The most incredible revelation came to me somewhere along the way inmy quest for wealth and security. Following the breakthrough conceptthat success is a thought process. It occurred to me that The ProsperityEquation takes place almost entirely in your head.

Part of the process of getting your mind in order is getting rid ofcounter-productive thoughts and beliefs that become distractions. Mostpeople have these negative programs running constantly in thebackground of their mind. Like malicious computer viruses theyrescrewing up the programs and nothings running the way its supposedto.

Live in the Present

So, bottom line philosophy, I believe most people spend their entirelives living in the past as if it was the Magical Time. They wish theycould somehow get back there to a time in their past and live thereforever. Remember the movie Ground Hog Day starring Bill Murray? Hewas a news reporter who got stuck in a single day in history that keptrepeating itself over and over again. There are many people who wouldbe totally okay with that if they could pick the day to continually relive.


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Im convinced many people struggle throughout their entire lives justwishing they could regress back to the security and safety of the womb.

These same people waste their entire lives looking forward to the futurehoping someday theyll stumble upon some kind of magic cure foreverything thats wrong with their lives. You see them lining up at the

counters of your neighborhood convenience store every Friday to buytheir lottery ticketsjust trying to buy themselves a little hope. Theyredreaming about instant prosperity with no personal investment. Theydrudge through the present, enduring their uneventful day-to-day lives.They act as if right-here and right-now are just burdens theyre forcedto endure until the good times return.

I sincerely believe the overwhelming majority of people on Earth are justtrying to get to the end of their lives with their bills paid one moremonth in a row. Theyre incapable of envisioning wealth, success orprosperity as something they can have; theyve become slaves,

indentured servants, to their bills. Theyre just going through themotions of making it through another day, working and hoping they cancover their financial nut each month.

Accept Responsibility

You cant blame other people and circumstances for your personalfailures. And, you cannot allow others to take credit for your successes.Youll never win in life or business until you personally acceptresponsibility for your own successes and your failures. In other words,

nobody did it to you and nobody did it for you. One of the keys toprosperity is to accept total responsibility for your life. It is the wayyouve designed itand what youre getting out of life is what youvechosen. If you dont like what youre getting, then choose somethingelse.

There are so many people leading lives of desperation, stuck in jobsthey hate, enduring relationships that arent working. They havent gotthe guts to break out or make a change. My observation is most peopledie while theyre still waiting for the right moment to make their move.They never get off of square one because they lack self-confidence and

conviction. So many lives are filled with psychological security blanketspeople refuse to throw away.

Its a fact, the majority of problems in most peoples lives andrelationships are, in the end, a result of financial problems. Talking topeople who are divorced, youll discover most of them will tell you theunderlying reason for the breakup of their marriage started withfinancial problems. Then lets rewrite the book to say the lack of moneyis the root of most of the evils, in our earthly lives anyway.


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Experientially, Ive interacted with so many people who tend to bewimps, whiners and excuse-makers. Their lives become reduced to anendless series of petty, insignificant dramas, revolving aroundjustification and blaming others instead of accepting responsibility fortheir own successes and failures. The world is overflowing with petty,mean-spirited little people. Im talking about small thinkers who seegiant problems in every tiny non-event that makes up the fabric of their

meaningless, insignificant existence. These people are everywhere,lurking around each corner, hiding behind every bush, and they arewaiting to get a shot at you. Their mission in life is to bring you down. Ifsomehow they can get you involved in their meaningless intrigues, youllbe distracted from those things in life that are truly significant.

Your Life is the Result of the Choices Youve Made

Your life is the result of a series of choices and decisions youve made.You are wherever you are in your life, at whatever point youve arrived,at whatever levels of success and prosperity youre enjoying, because of

choices youve made. In truth, whether you wish to believe it or not, youare exactly what youve chosen to be...and you have exactly whatyouve chosen to have...and what youre getting out of life is exactlywhat youve chosen to get. If youre losing its because youve chosen tolose. It was a decision. If you dont like it the way it ischange it.Choose to win!

Stop Whining

Me, Personally, Ive been knocked down hard, many times. As a matter

of fact, Ive been knocked down recently. So what! Its all about howyou react to it. Getting up and not giving up have was always my onlyoption. I never whine. Nobody wants to listen to it anyway. Nobodywants to hang with whiners except other whiners. Whiners attract otherwhiners but they never listen to each other. Whining is a one-waycommunication.

If your life has become reduced to a series of insignificant incidents,which are constantly blown out of proportion, then youll never really getthe big picture. If youre ever going to have all of those things you sayyou really want out of life, then its important to get your thought

processes in order. Wealthy prosperous people think differently. Theysee situations from alternative perspectives. Affluent people tend to berealists.

People who are not totally winning in life have their priorities out oforder. They waste valuable productive energy on nonproductive things,spending countless hours obsessing about unimportant molehills untilthey become the mountains and kill their spirits.

Let me ask you to stop and think about something for a moment. If


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what you were extremely upset about yesterday cannot even beremembered today, then it was probably never important in the firstplace and it drained away your time and energy needlessly. Can yourecall a recent major crisis that took you totally out of your game andcaused you to lose a lot of productivity? The question is did it really havea major ongoing effect on the rest of your life? Or, most probably, did itactually have very little lasting consequence on whats happening now?

The key is realizing the insignificance of the event as part of the bigpicture as its happening.

I go back to when I was choosing to freak out over my divorce (25 yearsago). At the time, it seemed like the end of the world. It was all-consuming, self-destructive and counter-productive, but today its barelya footnote in my biography. I never think about it...ever. The point Immaking is to get focused and analyze distractions as they occur, beforethey take you away from dead center.

Success is a Decision

In the Prosperity Seminars, we dedicate a lot of time to discussing justexactly what The Prosperity Equation means. One thing I can say withabsolute authority is if you are ever going to have prosperity, you mustfirst make a concrete decision to become a success. This decision itselfis multi-faceted and requires many additional smaller decisions. One ofthe most important decisions you must be willing to make is to eliminatenegative, petty trivia from your life and concentrate on those things thatreally matter and focus on the goals at hand. Youre going to have torealistically examine your life and strip away all of the excuses you

might be hiding behind, those things which are holding you back. Youmust make a conscious decision to achieve focus. Im talking about rightnow, as in like immediately! Make the first decision of many Im going tobe demanding you to make as you read through these pages. Make acommitment to become the ultimate success. Another one of thebedrock principles of The Prosperity Equation is to achieve focus.

Very Few Prosperous People Are Employees--James A. Ziegler 1986--

Most People are Destined to be Employees

Lets see if Im getting this right? Im going to assume you bought thisbook because youre thinking about starting your own business. Youredreaming about the day when you can step out there on your own?Looking forward to the day when you tell off the boss, clean out yourdesk, quit your job and never look back. Does that about sum it up?

Its incredible; so many people tell me they hate their jobs. One thing Ican say with great certainty is very few prosperous people areemployees.


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Most of the people who are dissatisfied with the amount of moneytheyre making on their job are probably being paid more than theyreworth to their employer. Sorry about that but its true. I would go so faras to say you might even be a morale problem.

An employees relationship with their employer is supposed to be a value

for value relationship. Is the employer really getting enough value out ofyour productivity to justify continued employment? Just because youvebeen working there a long time does not necessarily justify a raise...oreven continued employment for that matter. An employer doesnt owetheir employees everything they want out of life, thats a unionmentality, not a reality mentality, and it certainly isnt an entrepreneurmentality.

So, if youre one of those people who are dissatisfied with your job,thats fine. All Im pointing out here is your employer is not to blame. Ifyoure unhappy, thats probably not their fault either. They gave you a

jobtold you what the rules areand they told you what the amountthey choose to pay for that job is. You agreed to it. If you didnt like therules or the pay plan then whose choice was that? You accepted the job.You can always choose to leave. But, as long as you choose to stay andwork there...keep your agreements. Stop whining and make a plan.

If you are going to master the concepts of The Prosperity Equation, thenyoull need to learn to think more from the employers viewpoint. Afterall, one day youll be one.

What is Your Personal Marketable Value?

In my Prosperity Seminars we have several exercises where we attemptto get people attending the seminars to get in touch with a concept I callYour Personal, Marketable Value. This is a concept quantifying what youare worth monetarily to other people, your employer, and theconsumers of your goods and services.

Okay, okay youve cleared all of the hurdles and jumped through all ofthe hoops Ive put in front of you so far and youre still with me. Ihavent run you off yet with all of this tough talk and you still want to be

your own boss right? The plan is simple, youre going to start your ownbusiness and set your own hours. Work when you want to. Maybe youreplanning to start one of these fabulous home-based businesses. Youredreaming about sitting around the house all day in your underwear,making the big bucks with the computer and the telephone, orderscoming in over the FAX machine and your e-commerce enabledwebsites. Your mail carriers going to get a hernia stuffing your mailboxwith all of those checks. Youve read thousands of articles about how todo it. Its easy! Millions of people have done it. You can do it too, right?


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(Now Ive got you in a headlock, knocking noogies on your head) Realitycheck! Reality check! Earth to dreamer! Come in dreamer.

Chances are youll never even try to start your own business; and if youdo, youre probably going to fail anyway. Mathematically, statistically,youre doomed before you begin. If youre like most people, you haventeven got a quantified, measurable, written goal. Wheres your business

plan? Thats pitiful. Look at you sitting there reading this book whileyoure hanging on to some flimsy pipe dream.

Maybe you havent got any real substance at all. Maybe youre just alltalk and smoke. Its takes a lot of nerve to jump out there and start abusiness on your own; and, as of yet, you havent proved to yourself oranybody else for that matter whether or not youve got what it takes. Ifyoure getting angry now, remember, Im just holding up a mirror here.If you dont like what you see, are you honestly willing to do what ittakes to change it? Before you quit your job and jump out there withouta parachute it might be a good idea to do a little honest, realistic self

evaluation. If none of this applies to you, then excuse me, I just had torun it by you to see if it fit.

I Want Everything

If you really knew my history, the complex reasons I am successfulwould be obvious to you. Growing up financially challenged in a roughneighborhood, at the bottom of the middle-class, with only a high schooleducation; I was one of three children, the son of an enlisted man in theU.S. Navy. Continuously employed since I was fourteen years old, I

have always held down two or three jobs at the same time for most ofmy life. Early on, I realized if I was ever going to have anything in thisworld Id have to work hard and go out there and get it for myself.

My salvation was in the fact I really did want all of those things I didnthave. I lived in pain because of my parents lack mentality. It waspainful dressing in the kind of clothes we could afford, I felt left out anduncool. There were so many times I was ashamed or embarrassedbecause I wanted to have all of those things the Preppy Kids and theirfamilies had. This pain became a powerful motivator.

I am where I am in my life because I am willing to do those things thatother people are not willing to do to get what they say they want--James A. Ziegler, CSP, HSG 2000-

When I became an adult, I wanted even moreall of those wonderfulthings Id never experienced like expensive new cars and a big beautifulhome in an upscale neighborhoodfinancial security and the freedom tomake my own decisions. I wanted to be able to eat in the very bestrestaurants and never look at the prices on the menu before ordering. Iwanted to wear nice, name-brand clothes and fine jewelry and to be


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able to provide the very best for my family. Luxury vacations and first-class travel, I wanted to experience it all, the very best of everythingwithout limitations, and I was willing to pay the price to have thosethings. I was willing to invest in myself.

Today I have all of those things and more. One of my favorite sayingsis I am where I am in my life because I am willing to do those things

that other people are not willing to do to get what they say they want.

My Dad

His name was James Edward Ziegler; we always just called him Chief.

After thirty-four years of service to his country, thirteen cruises onaircraft carriers and four wars, we buried the old Chief in his uniformback in May of 1991. Chief was a big guy, a tough man, standing sixthree with a commanding presence and an electric intensity that madehim a leader. His formidable demeanor created an aura of power that

made other men respectful. My father was a Chief Petty Officer in theU.S. Navy, one of the very first E-9s, an aviation jet engine mechanic.Most of his career he was the Leading Chief, in charge of the squadron.One of his favorite sayings was...Chiefs run the Navy.

As I write these words, theres a portrait of my father on the bookshelfhere in my office. Theres never a day I dont think about him. In theportrait hes wearing his dress uniform with eight gold stripes on hissleeve with three rows of medals, white gloves, and ribbons on his chestcovering everything beginning with World War II when he served on the

original Enterprise all of the way through when he was in The Blockadeof Cuba. He was a plank holder, sailed on the maiden voyage, on bothaircraft carrier Enterprises. The Old Man served during Vietnam and,when we were stationed in Meridian, Mississippi, he was Leading Chieffor a training squadron, VT-9, where he became friends with a wildyoung lieutenant, a student pilot named John McCain, who is still apersonal friend of my family. I used to baby-sit for McCains kids when Iwas a teenager. We all wore McCains prisoner of war bracelets after theNorth Vietnamese captured him until they brought him home after thewar.

My father, Chief, only had an eighth grade education but, even so, hewas one of the most brilliant and educated men Ive ever known. Heread voraciously and was conversational in many deep, intellectualsubjects. He inspired me to learn.

An enlisted man in the Navy with a wife and three children doesnt makeany real money. Its a national disgrace that so many of those who risktheir lives to protect all of us, are forced to live in near poverty.

On My Honor


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Even though we didnt have a lot of money, we were rich in many otherways. Chief was an honest and honorable man. He taught us morals andstrong values, the meaning of right and wrong. I have to admit thatmany times Ive strayed from true north and lost my way, but, nomatter how far off-track I strayed, Chiefs influence has always prevailedand brought me back to dead center. Very few people today have the

guts and conviction to stand up for what they believe.

The night I was awarded Eagle Scout was one of the proudest momentsin Chiefs life. Closing my eyes now, I can still see the Old Man sittingout there in the audience smiling as I stood on the stage with the othersand raised my right hand in the Scout Sign and said those wordsOnMy Honor.

Theres another picture hanging here in my office. Its a print of afamous painting with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.Many things in my life today have a theme centering on the principles of

honor and integrity I learned from Chief so many years ago.

I really loved that old man. No matter where I was, even when I startedtraveling heavily, I called him every day of his life.

Remembering the last face-to-face conversation we had before he died,he told me there were so many things he wished he had done. Eventhough I assured him he was a success, he still looked at me throughtear-filled eyes as he thought about those things he had always wantedto do and see and be. In spite of all of those wonderful things he had

actually accomplished, he felt he was a failure. It really shook me upwhen I realized he had sacrificed his dreams until it was too late.

It was the end of an era in my life when Chief passed away. Those valuelessons I learned from him are still engrained. The greatest lesson of allwas the last one he taught me. Youve got to go for it. Dont wake up atthe end of your life wishing youd done it differently. Personally, I willdie still stretching out and reaching for that ever-elusive next level.

It Takes Guts to Get Out of a Rut

Youll never hit a home run if you never swing at the pitch. Dont bewimping, whining and complaining to me because you hate your job andyoure not getting those things out of life youd really like to have. Ifyoure stuck in a rut and havent got the nerve to take the risks andchances success demands, then you deserve not to have all of thosethings you dont haveand all of those things youre never-ever going toget.

Personally, I would hate to know Id struck out in my life while I wasstanding at the plate, never taking a swing at it, watching the pitches go


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by.

I Would Hate to Know Id Struck Out in Life Looking at the Pitches--James A. Ziegler 2000--

Burn All of Your Bridges

Clearly focused on the goal, turning back has never been an option. Nowlet me warn you, before you start acting like Indiana Jones blindlystepping off the edge of a cliff, maybe you should stop and think aboutit. Do you honestly have a risk-taker mentality? Do you have a sense ofadventure? Are you ready for a no-turning-back total commitment? Doyou really have the discipline and work ethic to get you where you sayyou want to be? Are you prepared to work all of the hours, makepersonal sacrifices and do everything it takes to succeed?

If you want to duplicate or surpass my success, start by taking a stronglook at yourself. Do you have the drive and desire to succeed? Dont be

too quick to answer. Actions always speak louder than words. Successtakes personal commitment, motivation and the ability to stick in there.Whats your personal track record for hanging in when the going getstough?

Many people try and more than that fail because they dont understandthe basics of what theyre getting into. Face the facts. The truth is themajority of people who work for someone else havent got what it takesto do what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Most people are destined tobe employeesnot owners. You see, to become an independent

businessman or businesswoman, youve got to put it all on the line.Theres no sticking your toe in the water to see if you like it. Once yourein it, then youre committed and theres no turning back.

Entrepreneur is a word derived from the French. It roughly translates asopportunity taker. An Entrepreneur is a person who is not afraid to seizethe moment and to make a decision and act on it. Do you believe youhave entrepreneurial spirit?

And, above all, have you got the guts to take the Leap of Faith requiredto be a success? In my mind it was never a gamble. I have always

believed in myself. The only reason Indiana Jones stepped out into thegreat chasm is because he knew the rock would appear. Do you haveenough faith in yourself and step out there believing the rock willappear?

Have you got the guts to burn all of your bridges before you start? Youllnever be prosperous if you are not willing to take substantial calculatedrisks in life. Once youre in it, youre in it. As I said before theres noturning back. Now, might be the last opportunity to re-examine yourself-doubts or insecurities. If youre certain theres nothing holding you


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back, then read on.

Life is Just a Bucket of Crabs

Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida I spent a lot of time playing on thebanks of the St. Johns River. Im a bass fisherman. Even to this daytheres nothing I enjoy more than tricking a fish with a plastic worm.

One of the happier memories of my childhood was when our wholefamily would go down under the Ortega River Bridge and we would gocrabbing.

Mom and Chief both grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and we loved itwhen we had the opportunity to steam up six or seven-dozen bluecrabs, Maryland style. Eating steamed crabs with salt and vinegar is aningrained part of my familys Maryland heritage. Wed all just sit aroundthe table, which was all covered with newspaper, and the five of us,along with two or three assorted neighbors, would go through a two-footpile of steamed crabs in about an hour. What a mess it was! Oh well,

what was it I talking about anyway? I seem to have gotten a littlesidetracked down memory lane here. Oh yeah, the original point I wasbuilding up to is that Life is like a bucket of crabs.

Let me explain. If youve ever been crabbing, there is an old fishermansadage which says

If you put a live crab in a bucket, you must put a lid on the bucketbecause the crab can climb out, but, if you put two crabs in the bucket,there is no need to put a lid on it because neither crab will allow the

other one to escape. They will latch onto each other tightly and keeppulling each other back down into the bucket.

Ive caught thousands of crabs in my lifetime and I swear to you thats100% true. Crabs in a bucket will grab onto each other with their clawsand not let go. They will continually keep pulling each other back downinto the bucket and will not allow each other to escape.

Life is exactly like that. There are many negative people out there whohate your success and they will do and say everything possible to pullyou back down. They dont want to be successful themselves but they

dont want you to break out or succeed either. If youre trying tobecome successful or if you have a positive attitude, theyll latch ontoyou and try to drag you back down to their level. Theyre the first to tellyou why you are going to fail, why it wont work, and why you shouldntdo it. Theyre convinced the whole world is against them and all of theirown failures and disappointments are someone elses fault. I estimate atleast one-third of the people on this planet are Crabs.

Crabs are professional victims. Theyve always been with us and alwayswill be; whispering negatives in your ear, spreading infectious


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defeatism, trying to pull you back down into the bucket.

The Crabs of this world have a deeply ingrained welfare mentality,theyre spiteful and envious. Crabs externalize their failures and blamethe world for everything thats wrong with their lives. They believe theworld owes them their existence regardless of the fact they contributenothing. Crabs expect their government and their employer and their

community to take care of them from cradle to grave. In their heartsthey believe you owe them something too. They are always looking forsome way to get the system or somebody else to pay for it. Dont beinfected or sidetracked by other peoples insecurity.

A Welder on the Night Shift

Not all of the people who exert negative influences on your life areCrabs. For instance, if I had listened to Mom and Chief, I would still be awelder on the night shift.

Sometimes people who genuinely love you and care about you willaccidentally and unintentionally pull you down. My parents were workingclass people with limited educations. Growing up during the GreatDepression era of American history, they were always conservative,overly cautious and traditional. They were always afraid aboutmoney...they were not risk-takers in any way. Needless to say, I wasone of the reasons they went prematurely gray. You really couldntexpect them to understand my desire to be my own boss or mypenchant for taking risks. They interpreted it as being wild andirresponsible. Mom and Chief always played it safe. Here they were

looking forward to their own retirement and worrying about my future.

By the time I was in my early twenties, I had been a salesman atseveral department stores, waited tables in a few restaurants, drove atruck, and even worked for a short time as a child care counselor for thejuvenile shelter.

My parents wanted me to have security and a future...at least theirversion of what that was. They browbeat me into taking a U.S. CivilService job as an apprentice sheet metal mechanic at The Naval AirRework Facility in Jacksonville. That job had great benefits, good hourly

pay as well as a U.S. Government retirement package. A governmentjob was my parents ultimate concept of lifetime security. In a few shortyears I graduated as a journeyman in two trades.

As a journeyman aircraft sheet metal mechanic and aircraft heli-arcwelder, with coveted titanium certification, I was set for life in a goodtrade. With four years of classroom and in-shop training, I was a highlysought after commodity. I could write my own ticket, almost guaranteeda management position. I hated it. Even though I was good at it, Idespised what I was doing.


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This was during the Vietnam War. We were working ten hours a day, sixdays a week, repairing aircrafts that had been damaged in combat.Averaging more than twenty hours a week of overtime pay for nearlyfour years, the money was fabulous...at least according to my frame ofreference in those daysI thought it was fabulous.

It was a great job by many peoples standards but it just wasnt me. Itwas like being in prison. Every day was a drudge. There was no way Icould picture myself doing this for the rest of my productive years.

As Vietnam wound down and the work schedule lightened up I beganworking part-time on the weekends as a rock n roll disk jockey at WAPEradio. The radio job didnt pay much but I loved it. For a poor kid fromthe Westside of Jacksonville, to me the broadcast business wasglamorous and exciting. I was rapidly becoming a local celebrity.

One night, somewhere around ten oclock, I was welding this big aircraft

assembly and I was thinking...really thinking. If youve ever done anywelding, you know the feeling of solitude when you are alone withyourself inside the welding helmet. Its totally dark except for this brightflame, serene and surrealistic. Welding is a hypnotic experience, a lotlike meditation. You really have a lot of time to think about a lot ofthings. What I was thinking about that night was how much I reallyhated this job. There was this incredible struggle happening, my mindwas in turmoil. Within an hour, I walked up to the shop supervisor,turned in my name badge and my toolbox, and went home. It was as ifthe shackles had disappeared and the prison gates were opened wide.

Im outta here. Of course, my parents never understood. This was majordisappointment to them and there were a lot of emotions.

A Career in Radio

I went into the radio business full-time. I was hungry and willing to dowhatever it took to get ahead. Starting out as a disk jockey, I workedmy way up to a position created specifically for me. I became thePromotions Director at WAPE. Basically, what the title meant was, inaddition to my air shift, I was also in charge of setting up andcoordinating all of the radio stations listener participation promotions

like The Great Rambling Raft Race and The Great Frisbee Fly-in andvarious station-sponsored rock concerts when the big rock groups of thesixties came to town. I met all of them from The Monkees to LedZeppelin. My job was to coordinate the promotions and make sure weraised large crowds. I was also doing a lot of live appearances andremote broadcasts. I was one of the judges for The Miss JacksonvillePageant one year and was one of the celebrity judges along with actor,Richard Boone (Paladin) at the Fernandina Shrimp Festival, there werealso appearances at a lot of local events when the station needed tohave representation. Even though I was unaware of it at the time, my


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experiential education was driving me toward destiny at warp speed. Iwas doing a lot of onstage speaking on behalf of the radio station.

The owners of the station were Stan and Sis Kaplan, two of the greatestinnovators and promoters in the history of the radio industry. Theirnames are legendary in the broadcast industry. Stan Kaplan passedaway in 2003; I will be eternally indebted to him for the breaks he gave

a street tough kid from the Westside of Jacksonville and the lessons hetaught me.

At WAPE I had the privilege to work with and become lifelong personalfriends with some of the greatest rock jocks in the history of The GoldenEra of Top Forty Radio. I often joke about the fact I have pictures ofmyself, on the air playing Paul Revere and the Raiders records whenthey were current hits.

Being a rock jock in the sixties, trust me, it doesnt get any better thanthat. I have incredible memories of things we did back that other people

can only imagine. They say if you can remember the sixties, you werentthere. Well, all I can say about that is somehow I got through it all withat least one or two brain cells still firing.

These were the years when I was really beginning to pay my dues,working hard, paying attention, learning about advertising andpromotions and public speaking. Little did I know I was developing skillsthat would help me to achieve my goals later in life. Most importantly,for the first time in my life I was being paid for my talent and mycreativity instead of my physical skills and labor. My intellectual

contributions were being recognized and rewarded. It was always mydream to be paid more for what I knew than for what I was doing withmy hands.

One day I approached Stan and told him I wanted be an advertisingsalesman for the station. He was horrified. In those days my hobbieswere bar-fighting and drag racing, not exactly the image he wantedrepresenting the station in the business community. He said no. I wasdisappointed but I wasnt done.

Over the next three years I worked for WPDQ-AM and WIVY-FM as a

salesman and on-air personality. From there I went on to the numberone adult station in the market, WVOJ, a country radio station, where Iset records in radio advertising sales in Jacksonville for the sheervolume of spots I sold that have never been broken. I sold a quarter ofa million dollars radio adverting two years in a row at eight dollars aspot. Eventually, I even worked my way up to sales management. In theradio business, as with most businesses, selling is where the money is.To me, selling is a profession, and this was when I began to learn mytrade. I am a professional salesman.


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By this time I was making more money than I ever could have dreamedof making as a welder or even as a supervisor or shop foreman had Ilistened to my parents and ignored my dream. What if? What if I hadlistened to Mom and Chief and never took chances? Id probably still bea welder on the night shift.

Who are you listening to? Never allow anyone else to tamper with your

dreams.

But, the real story here centers on my experiences in the broadcastingindustry as the foundation for my successes today. What I learned inthose early years brought me to the point where I am today. Lookingback, remembering those early days when I first broke into fulltimeprofessional sales, I can truthfully say I was paying my duesexperientially, developing credentials to become qualified to write thisbook.

Take a Look at Yourself, a Realistic Look

All weve talked about so far is your attitude, beliefs and mindsets. All ofthese must be faced and dealt with before you will ever be able to breakout and shed whatever shackles are holding you back. What I am reallyasking you to do is to make a sincere commitment to the rest of yourlife...asking you to make some deep, convicted decisions here.

As we dive deeper into The Prosperity Equation, Ill specifically explainthese techniques as I have employed them and why they work.Eventually, were going to get into the nuts and bolts of creating and

building a business but before we get to that, we need to talk about firstthings first.

Everything youve read so far is designed to shake you up and to causeyou to realize nothing is beyond your reach. In these initial pages Imattempting to get you to concentrate, think and dream and focus onyour future as it can be...as it should be. You deserve prosperity. Torealistically map out a course to where you are going, we need to stopand take inventory and quantify the value of your past and of yourpersonal experiences.

Life is no more than a collection of your personal experiences. All ofthese adventures Ive lived over the course of my entire life havebecome an investment I made years ago paying the price to develop theskills that are paying off today. Your life and everything youve learnedfrom your experiences, good and bad, has collateral value you areputting in the bank today.

Leverage Other Peoples Experience

The ability leverage the experience of others is one of those cornerstone


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principles of The Prosperity Equation.

Thinking back, countless times an older person has said to me, If Iknew only then what I know now, I would be a millionaire.Unfortunately, thats so painfully true. Life plays many cruel jokes onmost of us. By the time you figure it all out by yourself, its too late.There just isnt enough time for most people to get there before the final

curtain falls on their lives. Dont waste any amount of that precious timereinventing what already exists and figuring out what is already known.Build on the knowledge others have given us.

Could you imagine where you would be if you had to discover theprinciples simple math or had to invent the written word all by yourself?I am sort of glad someone else invented the automobile before I wasborn so I didnt have to do it myself. In other words, to be a success youhave to leverage other peoples knowledge. We all go through lifeflipping light switches although very few of us could actually make alight bulb or create electricity...nor do we want to have to do that. We

just appreciate the fact we can thoughtlessly flip a switch and lighthappens. The invention of the light bulb and the production of theelectricity, I prefer to leverage the experience of whoever did that forme and just flip the switches. It frees up my time for more importantstuff. So it is in business. You dont have to reinvent the wheel. Howmany times have you heard that clich? Find out whos already done it,whatever it is, and use their experience to go to the highest level.

Another part of the bedrock foundation of The Prosperity Equation is youshould surround yourself with successful people. You should seek out

those who know what you dont know and can do what you haventlearned to do. Absorb the knowledge of others who have been therebefore you. In Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill made references tothe concept of building a Mastermind Group.

Saturate Your Mind with Success

Some people who know me will tell you I am obsessed with success. Italk about it continually. There are actually those who are offended by italthough, after further analysis; I usually find out the type of peoplewho are offended by my success obsession are offended because it

interferes with their frustration about their failure obsession.

Remember, early on I said success is a thought process. It happens inyour head. From the vision...to realization...from the decision...toactualization, there is a natural progression when you bring thoughts,dreams and concepts into reality.

I made a commitment to saturate my mind with success. Later on, Illdescribe exactly how I discovered this important concept when I beganbuilding the framework of my fortune.


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The Marketable Value of Experience

You are the result of everything that you have ever experienced andthat point to which it has brought you.--Dr. Frederick S. Perls 1970ish--

As a consultant, professional speaker, and now, as a writer, the onlyvalue I have to those people who pay for my services is my ability togive to them the benefits of things Ive experienced over the course ofmy life and career. Who ever thought Id be quoting Fritz Perls in abusiness book?

The reason you paid for this book is because I am sharing secrets andtechniques that made me successful. You are paying for the meat andsubstance of what Ive seen and done, what I have been, where Ivegone, and what Ive touched in my life. Youre not paying for someethereal theories I learned in school, read about, or heard about, but

never actually experienced first-hand in real life.

When people find out that I am often paid more than ten-thousanddollars plus first-class travel for a one-hour speech they are oftenshocked or amazed. People often comment thats a lot of money for onehours work. When I hear that I always smile and explain that I am notpaid ten-thousand dollars for the one hour I stood on the platformspeaking, but rather for the thirty years of self development it took forme to learn what to say.As a professional speaker or an author people are paying for the value

of your experience regardless of the time it took to deliver the message.

Education is not a qualification, it is only a credential--James A. Ziegler 2000--

I havent got a lot of patience when Im dealing with the intelligentsia.Those snooty self-absorbed denizens of the snobby elitist world ofacademia usually make me want to throw up. I cant tell you how manytimes Ive been forced to interact with overly-self-impressed, non-functional people with huge superiority complexes based solely on thefact theyve lived their entire lives in an artificial academic environment.

So many people rely on their educational credentials as if that aloneguarantees them success in life and business. From real-world, been-there and done-that experience, I can say without reservation that apersons experience is the only true and valid qualification. Ive met somany frustrated PhDs who are totally unemployable to the point ofbeing useless because theyve no real-world, real-life experience base,which, in turn, equates to zero marketable value. Remember this andbelieve it; your education is not a qualification it is only a credential.


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Weve all heard the old joke that PhD really means Pizza Hut Delivery.

The designations I use in my correspondence and on my business cardfollowing my name are CSP, which stands

The Prosperity Equation

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