Three Elements to Enhance Net Worth

Net worth is simply described as total assets minus total liabilities. It may seem obvious that companies and individual want to have a positive net worth, but all too often, we fall into a trap that causes our liabilities to far outweigh our assets. To ensure that we tip the scales to the positive in side, it now becomes essential to build three elements - Beliefs, Attitudes and Actions.

Beliefs

"Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations,
our possibilities can become limitless."

Jamie Paolinetti

Last night I attended a function that was to be the last celebration for a hospital that had been in existence for more than 100 years. The occasion was bittersweet. Conversations were more subdued. There was a pervasive feeling of sorrow and loss.

In his farewell speeches, the CEO shared his impressions of his time with the organization. The most comment that made the most impact on me was, "although this organization will cease to exist, the value that the people have contributed to the community will continue. We have created a firm foundation for health and general well being. "

This totally changed my belief that the community had lost, then I realized how much the community had gained, as had every individual in that room. One of the strongest assets for enhancing net worth is total belief that we have been enrolled in a job, a relationship, an endeavor that had extraordinary worth. We can walk away with our heads high, believing we had contributed to a worth while cause.

Attitude

"I discovered I always have choices and
sometimes it's only a choice of attitude."

Judith M. Knowlton

Carl Jung described attitude as "the readiness of the psych to act or react." It's not what we know that is important, but what we do with what we learn. A close friend's mother is experiencing serious medical problems - the diagnosis is grim. The entire family started to move into a mode (an attitude) of grief. The mother said to her family, "I am going to live the rest of my life, not die. I need you to support me with my living, if you can't, you need to visit me less."

She identified her options and has decided to enjoy every moment. I for one, love being with this remarkable woman.

Actions

"A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do, nothing else."
Mahatma Gandhi

Beliefs and attitudes are not really visible. What becomes apparent are the behaviors - the actions that show our true net worth.

I remember a story of a a woman whose company was downsizing. She was given an hour to clear her desk. In that final hour, telephoned her clients for most of the hour to share with them that a new person would be handling their account, service would continue as usual and the company wanted them to be in the loop with the change. She never told them she was leaving. When her clients realized that she had been let go, her phone started ringing with job offers. Even the company that let her go, called her back.

With the right beliefs, attitudes and actions, our net worth becomes priceless.