Authentic Wealth

AUTHENTIC WEALTH

NEIL CROFTS

Money isn’t real Money is invented by humans: an entirely artificial concept, it has no analogue in the natural world. Money used to be linked to the value of gold (The Gold Standard) but now it isn’t linked to anything that might be considered to have intrinsic value. In fact most currencies are legitimised only on the basis that they are an acceptable way of paying taxes. Only 3% of the money in circulation in the UK has been created by the government. The rest is ‘lent into existence’ by banks.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Lending money into existence 97% of money in the UK is lent into existence. It’s a similar figure in other countries. When you buy a house with a loan, the lending bank needs to back only 8% of the loan with assets that they own. The rest is based on the value of your property. The money they lend you is ‘created’ by the bank with a few keystrokes: it’s not sitting in the vault. It then takes you many years of sweat to repay with interest that ‘virtual’ money. For some people, paying off their mortgage is their life’s work. Of course, if the banks didn’t lend individuals so much money for mortgages, houses would be a lot cheaper. How does that make you feel? This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Money is Energy Another more authentic way to look at money is as a convenient token for the exchange of energy between people. When I do some work for someone I exchange some of my intellectual, emotional and/or physical energy for some of their energy, usually in the form of money. They will have exchanged some of their energy with someone else to acquire the money and I will probably go on to exchange it with someone else for goods or services that are created with the energy of others. It is a good system: a lot more convenient than lugging goats around.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Energy is abundant The great thing about seeing money as a way to exchange energy is the enormous amount of energy available. The first law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. So... if money is an artificial invention to facilitate the exchange of energy... and energy cannot be created or destroyed... There can never be a shortage of money. Where money looses it’s energy is when it is used to exploit others or to gamble. Then it is not being used for the exchange of energy, but to control or distract.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Money is Free Different types of people have different approaches to money and energy. These different approaches are independent of income and assets; they are about what we do with what we have. Many people feel they don’t have much choice about what to do with their money. But if money is just another form of energy, we can choose to direct our energy elsewhere. You can use money to distract yourself, to enslave yourself or to enrich yourself. The choice is yours.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Poor Approach The poor approach to money and energy is to direct the energy towards distraction. For example directing energy towards wide screen TVs, alcohol (or other anaesthetics), distracting holidays (usually involving lots of alcohol), buying everything new, souvenirs, ornaments and so on. Directing energy towards things that distract you from your situation means that the situation is unlikely to improve.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Ordinary Approach The ordinary approach to money and energy is to direct it towards “ego props” or “lifestyle products” that make us feel important. What these have in common is that they cost far more in terms of money and energy than they return. Typically these might include: highly mortgaged houses, expensive cars, boats and planes, trophy holidays, premium brands, expensive divorces and so on. It’s also perfectly ordinary to take on huge debts or seek enormous salaries to acquire these badges of lifestyle. We end up dependent on our income and forced to stay in jobs that we may find destructive and unfulfilling.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Wealthy Approach The wealthy approach to energy and money is to direct what we have towards things that provide more energy and money. To invest in businesses, property or projects that enrich us further, financially and emotionally. If you want to be wealthy, focus your financial and personal energy on enrichment. Develop yourself as a person, your confidence and clarity. Use available financial resources to create value for others rather than to distract, entertain or prop up your ego. Justify all spending of time or money by its potential for enrichment.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Attracting Wealth What is your favourite food? Go with me on this..... What does it taste like? What does it smell like? What is the texture and what are the colours? We love our favourite food because of the intensity of the experience. It tastes great, it smells great, we like the texture and the colours. Write down exactly what it is you like about it.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Boiled rice OK, now contrast your favourite food with a plate of boiled rice. Boiled rice is plain. It is inoffensive. We don’t dislike boiled rice - but we don’t love it either. You can choose to live your life as a plate of boiled rice to avoid offending people. Or you can choose to be a fully flavoured dish… you won’t be to everyone’s taste, but enough will love you. Hold that thought…

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Money is Love We direct our energy towards what we fear and what we love. For example we might buy some new clothes, either because we love them or because we fear dressing inappropriately - or a combination of the two. When a politician says there is not enough money to pay for high quality school meals, what they are really saying is that they do not love the children’s nutrition or fear the consequences enough. There is rarely a shortage of money for wars, because there is rarely a shortage of fear in that context.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Attracting love So if we want to attract more money we need to either be more frightening or more lovable. Assuming you prefer love to fear, the way to achieve that is to be more true to yourself: full flavour, full colour, full intensity, full experience, full time. And not to play the plate of boiled rice, to avoid offending others. The more we are ourselves, the more we attract love and, with it, energy. Some of that energy will be in the form of money.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Life lessons One of the core messages we receive during our education is that we are not competent to evaluate ourselves. Evaluation is done by someone in authority; remotely and preferably with a red pen. This is both disempowering and untrue. In fact the only person truly capable of evaluating you is you. Only you know how hard you tried, how honest you were and what you are capable of. This form of external evaluation or appraisal often continues into the work place. It directs our attention to improving our weak points. We are encouraged to use our energy to polish up the areas that are not great.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Build your brand Although it runs contrary to our culture, your energy would be far better channelled into doing what you’re good at! Anyone who succeeds in sport, business, entertainment or anything else succeeds by doing what they are great at. You already have a range of valuable talents. Building on these will be far more enriching than trying to improve weak points. Your own ‘brand’ is based on your unique set of strengths. Use your energy to be the best you can be at whatever you are already great at and project that as your ‘brand’.

This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Build your team Another lesson we need to unlearn is trying to do everything alone. What we might now call collaboration was known as cheating at school. Independence is not a bad thing, but interdependence is better. If you want to be truly wealthy you have to let go of enough of your independence to truly collaborate with others. You probably know what your weak points are, they will have been drummed into you enough. The opportunity is to collaborate with people who are strong where you’re weak. Collaboration will give you more skills, creativity and contacts so you can offer greater value to more people. And therefore attract more energy to yourself and your collaborators. This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Income unlimited A strong piece of conditioning that many of us receive is that the income we deserve is related to the time we spend, rather than the value we create. Most jobs will limit your income in exchange for your time and the implication of security. But time is finite and value is lasting. It has little relation to time. To be truly wealthy you must separate time from money and work from security. And look for your greatest opportunity to create value for others. "Where your talents and the needs of the world cross, there lies your vocation." Aristotle This e-book is written and offered by Neil Crofts - coach, consultant and author. For more information or to contact please visit www.authentictransformation.com Copyright © Neil Crofts 2008

Neil Crofts Neil Crofts is a highly authentic, experienced and innovative coach, author and business consultant. His style is to inspire, equip, motivate and energise people and businesses to make breakthroughs and transformations. He has helped thousands of people to find innovative and authentic routes to success and fulfillment in life and work. For more details of books and courses or to arrange a chat to see what might work best for you or your business please see: www.authentictransformation.co.uk or e- mail [email protected]