I'll admit, I was skeptical about
this title, but once I got into it, I realized what a great
concept these authors are writing about. The theory is that
when more of us have abundant income, we'll have more to
share. The 'enlightened' part of the title means the goal here
is not just to make a lot of money for yourself - it's to make
a lot to enjoy your life and also share liberally. That
sharing of abundance, the authors say, is what will make the
world a better place. They advocate a 'principled' approach to
wealth:
First, do no harm. Borrowing from the Hippocratic oath that many doctors take as they
graduate from medical school, the Enlightened Millionaire commits to avoid any
wealth-building activities that harm or impoverish other people. Create only
abundance, never scarcity. This means creating wealth in an ethical, honest,
and win/win manner.
Second, do much good. The Enlightened Millionaire enjoys creating wealth that improves the
lives of many people. The goal is to enrich one-self while enriching others.
Third, operate out of stewardship. Enlightened Millionaires are stewards over their
financial blessings - enjoying the privileges of financial success while
creating an ongoing legacy to bless others. Many Enlightened Millionaires feel
personal 'calling' to provide support to one or more specific causes. The goal
is not to amass personal wealth for its own sake, but to ultimately create a
perpetual giving fund to support worthy causes. In other words, your wealth is
not just for you (selfish), but for blessing the lives of many people
(selfless). The first proof of your commitment to make money to bless other
people is to give at least the first 10% away.
We want to inspire a million millionaires to give 10% of
all they earn each year back to their communities - to improve
the lives of others around them. When this happens, it will
generate billions of dollars focused on improving the
well-being of humankind.
