I love this book.
It is rare to find a business book that inspires you to be a better person.
In Today We Are Rich, Tim Sanders outlines how we can improve our confidence, our life, the lives of others, and our business success by investing in specific positive behaviors.
He describes this new book as a prequel to his book, Love is the Killer App, where he first introduced us to the “Lovecat” — the type of business person who is generous, kind, and respectful — the business leader who gives his way to the top, and grows people along the way.
In his new book, Tim shares with us where he got these values in the first place, through the lessons he learned growing up, from his grandmother Billye.
“Today we are rich” is a declaration of abundance – We can redefine what it means to be rich in moments of giving and helping. When Billye was able to take what little she had and change the world with it (even if it was just for one person), she would declare “We are rich.”
Moving forward
In the book, Tim shows us how to get our lives and our businesses moving forward by living in what he refers to as “The Good Loop” of learning, thanking, giving and finishing.
It’s about investing in good habits, on purpose, and avoiding negative talk and behaviors. Living in the good loop requires that we act. I had a chance to have an awesome conversation with Tim Sanders about The Power of Confidence and his new book, Today We Are Rich.
You can download a recording of the conversation here.
Confidence
Confidence is easy when you are on top. But what about when things go bad? You need confidence when you don’t have the wind at your back and you are in a “personal recession” where you stop growing as as a human.
Confidence is rocket-fuel for the abundance mentality. Tim emphasized the importance of confidence, and how to get it!
Giving
When you give, you believe that there is enough to go around. When you share … in that moment … that’s when you are worth something to the world. Richness is within your control if you stop making it about things.
The fundamental secret: the law of reciprocity. Humans in western culture are engineered to give back. So the more you give, the more you set off a whole chain reaction of giving. Everyone wins. Your confidence grows.
The Horn of Plenty
In the book, Tim tells a story about the “horn of plenty.” If your Granny or your Mom has one of those wicker baskets, the horn-shaped one with the plastic fruit in it, ask them why.
Tim’s grandmother told him this: During the 1930’s, if you didn’t have poverty, you caught the fear of poverty from listening to other people. Around the dinner table, the conversation was about — who’s going broke next? Billye’s Mom bought an “end-the-depression-horn-of-plenty.” It symbolized that today we are rich. It changed our family’s culture forever. Culture comes from conversation.
You need to always move the conversation forward
Tim’s grandmother proclaimed: I’m tired of talking about the economy. Let’s talk about what’s going right. We have everything we need here.
Culture, whether in your family or company is a conversation, and the conversation must move forward. We’ve got to change the conversation, because the negative one will drive us into the ground if we let it.
Practice gratitude
Gratitude is a muscle, not a feeling. People get spiritually flabby, because they stop re-investing in their gratitude. They become a cynic whether at work or in their relationships.
- Ask What do we HAVE? What are we grateful for? Tim shared some great stories about people and organizations who got out of a slump, and started moving forward simply by being grateful.
- Breakfast for your soul. Give your gratitude a workout in the morning instead of doing email! Think about the people you are grateful for. Tell them.
Feed your mind good stuff
Processed food and sugar are bad for your body. Same goes for what you put into your mind. Anything that is easy to eat and digest is genrally not that good for you — TV, Internet browsing, and bite size news and gossip online are not nourishing you.
Books are hard. (Think protein and fiber!) But that slow, deliberate intake of information lets us assimilate specialized knowledge. It makes you better.
When you feed your mind good stuff, you are making an investment in everyone. Fill gaps in your day with confidence-building, learning. If we’re not growing, we’re not keeping up. If you want an advantage in business, read books.
You can download Tim’s “Feed Your Mind Good Stuff” chapter for free.
Purpose vs. Passion
It’s popular to tell our kids, just do what you love, just follow your passions. (Be selfish.) When a person enters society, we need to change the compass.
True north needs to be a purpose. We need to think about something bigger than just ourself. Tim talked about how investing in your purpose and giving something to the world further builds your confidence.
No short cuts
Positive thinking is an outcome not a prescribed behavior.
Everybody wants to make short cuts out of self help. When things are really bad, to prescribe positive thinking to someone who is down and out is as useful as going to someone who is struggling with obesity and telling them to just think skinny.
Positive thinking is an outcome of investing in the right behaviors and habits on purpose.
If you want to invest in building your confidence and abundance mentality, it’s a serious workout. Tim’s book, Today We Are Rich, is loaded with insights and practical advice to get into “The Good Loop” of learning, thanking, giving and finishing.
Tim, thank you for writing it!
This was originally published on Patty Azzarello’s Business Leadership Blog. Her new book is Rise: How to be Really Successful at Work and LIKE Your Life.