The Greatest Gift

by Phil Covington

As Christmas approached I continued to ponder: "What would be the greatest gift that I could share with others?" Of course, one of the things that came to mind is that it's often all too easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. While searching the Internet I ran across one definition that I thought was as well put as any that I've heard: "Christmas is celebrated by Christians the world over. Why Christmas is special to you depends on the customs and traditions that were handed down in your family. While Christmas is viewed as too commercial by most, those who keep their traditions alive renew the joy that is associated with the birth of Christ each year." As the above passage points out, Christmas is associated just as much if not more so with gift giving in a commercial sense. Christmas is, after all, the biggest shopping season of the year the World over. And, while it is indeed nice to be able to give gifts to family members and others, is a monetary or material gift really the greatest gift? Many feel that time spent with family and friends over the holidays is the greatest gift. And, it's that latter assumption that I would mainly like to focus on just for a moment. Whether spending Christmas at home, with family and friends, at church, or a combination of all of the above, how is it all possible? Unfortunately, even the least materialistic and commercially minded person has to deal with the realities of time and money, even if only to spend time with loved ones over the holidays. Because Christmas is a holiday that is almost universally recognized, most, though not all, employees get at least Christmas day off work, if not Christmas Eve, and possibly even more time. Especially for those who only get one or two days off for Christmas, time often becomes a problem as they try to coordinate travel and spending time with family and friends. Many people would like to spend more time celebrating Christmas and enjoying their families, if they could, but cannot due to their work schedules. And, regardless of whether one has only Christmas day off work, or an entire week or two, even minus gift giving, what makes it all possible? Whether at home, away with family, at church, in a car, or on a plane, all require money in order to be possible. Personally, I feel about the same way as an acquaintance whom I was briefly mentored by, who put it this way: "I don't really like money per say. I wish the World didn't require that we have to focus on money so much. However, since the World literally runs on money and requires it of us, then I feel that the best way that I can remedy that issue is by making enough money so that I no longer have to worry about it." Unfortunately, for 95 percent of the population, unless they make some changes in what they are currently doing they will never achieve the goal of making enough money so that they never have to worry about it. Here are some statistics that you can easily verify: Not including 2-income households, 70 of Americans earn less than $50,000 per year.70 are living paycheck to paycheck, according to the Wall Street Journal.62 will retire with less than $10,000 in income per year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.The average American household, excluding the equity in their house, has a net worth of less than $15,000.Only 5 percent earn $100,000 a year or more.And less than 5 percent are wealthy.What are the 5 percent doing that the 95 percent aren't? Not all of the 5 percent who are wealthy are high income earners. It's not at all uncommon to read in the news, for instance, about someone who recently died and left millions of dollars to their favorite cause or charity, even though they had a relatively low paying job (often under $50,000 per year). They amassed their fortunes by living frugally and investing wisely. I've personally had the honor and privilege of knowing such people. Just one such man that I know never earned more than $25,000 a year in his entire life, but successfully raised a family, sent his children to college, always put food (and plenty of it) on the table, pays cash for all of his cars, pays cash for his homes (yes, even a nice home worth $200,000), and has hundreds of thousands of dollars in the bank. Which shows that one of the keys to possessing the greatest gift is mindset. People with money have a different mindset than people who don't. Simply by changing your mindset you can change the amount of money in your bank account. If you want proof of how important and how powerful your mindset can be simply research some articles on what happens when the "average" person inherits a large sum of money, or wins the lottery, etc. Studies and surveys that have tracked such people find that within only a few short years the vast majority are no better off, if not worse off, than before. In other words, they spent and/or lost all of their money. In "recent" years winnings have sometimes been coupled with a financial advisor or money manager, which has helped some, but studies still show that most people who come into large sums of money don't keep it, unless they happen to have or acquire that successful mindset. And much has been made about the fact that the winner of the largest undivided lottery in American history of over $300 million dollars has by all accounts seen his life go downhill ever since. The right mindset makes all the difference in the World. With it you can achieve the greatest gift whether you make $25,000 a year, or $250,000 a year. Without it, even millions may make no difference. Another aspect of the right mindset is being willing to do the things that other people aren't willing to do, or to learn how to. Obviously, there is something that the 5 percent or less of financially successful people are doing that the other 95 percent are not. For one thing, over 70 percent of the people who are millionaires own their own business, as opposed to working for someone else. And that's also discussed in other articles that you'll find on ABCIncome.com. Additionally, here's one of the biggest changes that you can make to affect (increase) your income: Master the ability to sell and market. Another common trait of high income earners is that often they are involved in some way in the sales or marketing of some product or service. I find it amusing the degree to which so many people say they are not interested in sales, or could never do sales, etc., because all of us sell almost everyday even without realizing it. We all constantly sell our friends, family, colleagues, and co-workers not only on our way of thinking, but on whatever new discovery we happen to be excited about. Have you ever convinced a friend, for instance, that he or she should really try a certain food or restaurant, or see a certain movie? Have you ever applied for a job interview, the whole point of which is to prove your value to a prospective employer? Of course, we all have. And, whenever you do, you are selling! Whatever your interests, and whatever your occupation, you are likely to benefit tremendously by learning how to sell and market effectively. If you want ultimate job security, learn how to sell and market effectively. Think about it this way: in well over 90 percent of all companies and organizations, without people involved in sales and marketing there would be no business, no revenue, and no employment for anyone else. Even though as little as 5 to 20 percent or less of a company's staff may be devoted to sales and marketing, that small percentage accounts for 80 percent or more of a company's sales. People with good marketing skills are always among the first to hired and the last to be fired in any company, because they bring in the money that fuels the entire operation. So, how does one go about changing his or her mindset? Not only are the answers readily available, and incredibly and ridiculously inexpensive, but they've absolutely been proven to be effective. As you've no doubt heard before, find out what successful people are doing and then try to emulate anything that is good and worthwhile. For one thing successful people tend to associate with other successful people. For another, they tend to read more and seek out information on how to become even more successful than they already are. A the end of this article you'll find references to other free articles on ABCIncome.com, as well as a list of inexpensive and easy to read, but powerful, books that you can pick up at any good bookstore for only dollars, but that will absolutely put many more dollars into your bank account. Many years ago a friend and mentor gave me three such books, one of which I sat down and read in one setting. My income immediately increased by many thousands of dollars as a result. "Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime." "Spend your money to give someone a gift and he or she has a gift for today. Teach someone to earn and manage money, and he or she can have money and gifts for a lifetime." The friend and mentor whom I am referring to above could have given me the "gift" of money or some other material thing. He could have easily afforded to, as he was a millionaire. However, how long would such a gift have lasted? Instead he gave me something much, much more valuable. He gave me the greatest gift of all.

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