Jim Ziegler - The Prosperity Equation - New Millennium Edition - Chapter One

THE PROSPERITY EQUATION
New Millennium Edition
Part One: Get Your Mind Right
The land of opportunity

We live in a land of opportunity; actually, we now live in a world of
opportunity...a world filled with overwhelming and overflowing
abundance. The playing field has been leveled and entrepreneurs with
laptops, working late at night in darkened rooms can bring industry
giants to their knees.
Growing up, as an American Citizen, I was always taught that we live

in a country where virtually anyone has the constitutional right to
become prosperous, even wealthy, that is if you really want it badly
enough to go for it. Now, technology has opened the door to the entire
world. Virtually anyone, anywhere, can become wealthy and
prosperous, and have an incredible lifestyle using these principles.
With so much abundance all around us, why are so many people
living in poverty? Why do so many feel they are helpless? Why do so
many believe there’s no way to escape their situation? Deep in my
heart I believe no one is predestined to be poor. There’s no
circumstance over which we cannot prevail...no situation or
circumstance we cannot rise above. If these statements are true, then
why do so many people live in despair? Why do so many people
endure such desperate and desolate lives?
For years I’ve meditated and obsessed over these questions. There
was a time in my life when I was searching for answers and then,
suddenly, the answers became obvious. It wasn’t a gradual
awakening; it was more like being knocked over by a bolt of lightning.
It was an epiphany…a stream of consciousness realization. Suddenly
it became crystal clear why so many people were missing pieces of
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the puzzle. Why so many never quite put it all together. I called this
revelation The Prosperity Equation.
The Prosperity Equation is a sincere effort to reveal to you the step-

by-step journey that led me from desolation to success. In these
pages I’ve attempted to quantify thought processes as well as to relate
the progression of events I personally experienced on the journey from
despair to affluence. Every page is carefully crafted, designed to show
you exactly how to duplicate my successes.
Look around. Most people are not living their dreams. No matter
where they are at this point in their lives; it hasn’t turned out the way
they thought it would. And now, for many of them, time is quickly
running out. It amazes me watching so many people suddenly waking
up somewhere around middle-age as if they’re emerging from a coma;
in a panic, they suddenly realize they’re facing a financial crisis. If
they’re ever going to make it happen, it had better happen quickly.
Even as I am writing these words, I’ve got Fox News Network on the
television here in my office. Just a few minutes ago there was a panel
of experts debating ‘new’ research concluding that more Americans
fear dying in poverty than fear dying as a result of terrorism. Our
financial future is the foremost thing on most people’s minds,
regardless of their age or situation.
If you believe the headlines and the six o’clock news, the Baby
Boomer generation is on a collision course with financial disaster. How
much of the news is ‘hysteria’ and how much has substance is
questionable. I always have to step back and consider the motivation
of the story’s source. Unfortunately, ethical journalism is dead. There’s
no recognizable integrity, professional ethic or honesty in today’s
media. Liberal reporters with personal agendas are reporting
fabrications and fiction that we gullibly believe to be unbiased news
reporting. And, always remember politicians are liars…basically, it’s
part of their job description. One political party or the other has an
agenda to spin their slant on the news in order to push their party’s
agenda and to bash the other political party. It’s not about truth. So
don’t believe everything you see and hear in the news.
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In other words there may be a hidden political agenda driving all of
those reports that Social Security is going to go bust.
It’s true; most of the Baby Boomers are going into their senior years
with a severe shortage of funds. Unfortunately, because of modern
medicine and technology most seniors are living longer…many of
them are going to live longer than their money. Personally, I do believe
Social Security, in its current form, is going to collapse, or at least,
drastically transform with reduced payouts. In other words, I’m saying
Social Security is not going to be there for you…and you can’t count
on your children, they’ve got their own lives and they’re probably not
going to be there for you either. You’re on your own. Nobody is going
to carry you to the end. The price of medicine is already obscene, and
now, we’re hearing predictions of a 500% increase in the cost of
healthcare and medicine over the next ten years. Futurists are
predicting a single pill will cost hundreds.
The fact that social security may or may not collapse before I start
collecting really doesn’t affect me, and; it shouldn’t affect you either
unless you’re planning to go into your twilight years living like a rat.
Personally, I don’t envision myself sitting in darkened rooms without
heat to lower my electric bill and eating cat food. Seniors I’ve spoken
to who are living entirely on Social Security benefits are living
miserable, impoverished lives.
By the time most of us arrive at the minimum age to qualify for Social
Security benefits, the age limit will have been moved up. It’s already at
sixty-seven. We’ll already have one foot in the grave before we reach
eligibility.
Another ingredient in the soup is the fact Social Security recipients are
one of the most powerful voting blocs on the planet. Very few
politicians are brave enough to tangle with ‘the gray panthers’.
Looking forward to the next ten years there will be nearly one hundred
million seniors reaching retirement age. Comparing that with
approximately thirty million retirees today, there’s no way the system
could ever possibly absorb everything that’s coming at us.
Something’s going to break.
A sliver of good news
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The organization conducting the most accurate research about the
future of retirees is the AARP (I am a member). According to AARP
published research, over the next decade, Baby Boomers stand to
inherit a minimum of $10 trillion; other research estimates go as high
as $50 trillion.
As the World War II, Great Depression era generation is rapidly dying
off, (my parents) they’re passing on substantial wealth to their children
and grandchildren. Unfortunately, most of them haven’t protected their
money from the government. Their heirs will only realize a fraction of
their inheritance.
Now , understand I’m not a lawyer, don’t pretend to be, but I will say
this; if you have aging parents, you need to approach them about
setting up some sort of a limited partnership or revocable living trust
with their heirs participating in ownership of their cash and assets
while they are still alive. This will protect you from having the
government’s hands picking your pockets after your parents pass
away. It may change, but as I write these words the ‘death tax’ is
taking as much as 50% of most people’s cash and assets before their
heirs receive the first nickel. The sad part is that it is totally avoidable
through legal and ethical financial instruments your attorney, banker,
or accountant can set up now. But, it must be done while the person is
still living.
It’s a delicate subject but it needs to be addressed and handled now,
before they pass away. There are phone books filled with names of
attorney’s and accounting firms who specialize in setting up these
limited partnerships, trusts, and other legal financial shelters.
Staying out of the poorhouse

Still, so many of the people I’ve cared about all of my life are destined
to die bitter, broke and disillusioned, that is; unless they scramble and
make drastic changes in their lives immediately. A formula for those
changes lies in the pages ahead.
The question you need to face, regardless of your age or current

financial situation is… “Am I financially prepared for the future?”
And, let’s face it, you really already knew the answer before I asked
the question, didn’t you? The majority of the people reading this book
or listening to the audio just said no. The truth be known, you probably
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said ‘no’ too…didn’t you? I suspect that most people who bought this
book probably bought it because they are nowhere nearly financially
prepared to make it all of the way to the end of their lives.
Truthfully, if you have fears about the future, it’s probably because
those fears are justified. Up until now, if you’re like most people, the
answer has been to put it out of your mind and think about something
more pleasant. You’ve elected to take the Scarlett O’Hara
philosophical approach to financial security into the future. You’re
telling yourself... “I'll think of it all tomorrow…After all, tomorrow is
another day.”
Well, I won’t let you off of the hook that easily. You can’t change it if
you refuse to deal with it. We’re going to start thinking about it right
now.
An integral premise of The Prosperity Equation is the core belief that

anyone can create income streams for life. I’m talking about recurring
residual income continuing on after the end of your productive years.
Even though I’m moderately wealthy, the truth be known, I would not
be able to retire right now unless I’d be willing to reduce the quality of
my lifestyle. In other words, even though I have a lot of money right
now…substantial cash and assets…I do not have enough to last all of
the way to the end of my life (my wife’s life) at our current standard
and lifestyle. We live extravagantly. I live an abundance philosophy.
There will always be more than enough. Of course, my wife and I
spend a lot of money on the frivolous things we love to do and have.
Of course, I would be able to retire for life…right now…and live
extremely well until I die…but…it wouldn’t be as good. We’d be
forced to cut back on something. Sacrificing just ain’t my style.
Guess what? My intention is to continue to live flamboyantly and

extravagantly right up to the moment I draw my last breath. It’s all in
perspective isn’t it?
I’ve actually begun writing some chapters for a future book I intend to
title… ‘Get Rich, Live Rich, Die Rich…Secrets of the Cash Flow
Millionaire’
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The theme is centered on conceptional thinking about how we all must
create income streams with enough legs to get us all of the way to the
end of our lives...without sacrificing our standard of living. The truth is,
most people, even if they actually do have adequate retirement funds,
what they really have are minimal ‘bare bones’ survival funds. Plan to
live abundantly forever. Don’t get all of the way to the end of your life
eking out an existence.
Is it too late?
Is it too late for you? Absolutely not! If you’re under funded and
undercapitalized, you need to start immediately. You can catch up. A
successful life is a plan and, unfortunately; many people started
planning too late…well, almost too late. When you’re young, you’re
invincible. You’ll think about all of the serious stuff when you get older.
Then suddenly its here, now you’re older and you’re not prepared.
Who does this guy think he is?

This book is not some hare-brained Get Rich Quick Scheme written by
some kind of Get Rich Wannabe. I am a successful, working
executive, who started with nothing and built my companies and
substantial wealth with the very principles I’m teaching. There’s no
hidden agenda. It’s enough for me to know that many people like you
will embrace these principles and their lives will be better for the
experience. And, of course, as part of my legacy, I’d like to believe you
will think well of me.
When I first made a conscious decision to become wealthy, it was

necessary to take a realistic look at myself and to eliminate the
excuses I was hanging onto to justify my failures.
I didn’t have the luxury of being born with wealthy parents. And,
fortunately, I wasn’t cursed with an advanced education. My education
came from the streets. The first thirty-five years of my life I had no real
focus or direction. Taking whatever came my way, the entire plan was
to wake up another day and see happens.
Like many successful people I’ve known, it took a catastrophic event

to shake me up and get my life moving in a positive direction. Like so
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many others I desperately needed that catalyst to light the fire. I
needed a reason to become focused and motivated.
You’ve probably met many people who are wealthier, smarter and a
whole lot better looking than I am, and; you’ll also have to admit there
are many extremely rich people who are uglier, stupider, and less
charming. Who ever said any of this was supposed to be fair or
logical? It’s not so much about who you are as it is about what you’ve
done. It’s not about where you started as much as it’s about where you
are and where you’re going.
There’s thousands, perhaps millions, of people on the planet who are

infinitely wealthier than I’ll ever hope to be. Considering the fact that
ten minutes of Bill Gates’ day is more valuable than my entire
lifetime’s net worth, I readily concede there are people who know how
to make a lot more money a whole lot better than I ever will.
I’m told Bill Gates has amassed more than forty-six billion dollars.
Think about it. That’s incredible. One guy has more money than two-
thirds of the world’s population combined. Personally, I’ve decided to
allow him to win. If you bought this book to learn how to become a
billionaire; you’ve got the wrong book, I don’t know how to do that yet.
So, you see, I’m not misrepresenting myself to be the ultimate mega-
millionaire. You bump into people every day in the supermarket who
have more money than I do. It’s not about me. Like you, I’m also still
on the journey. No one should ever become so smug and arrogant to
the point where we begin to believe we have arrived.
What this book is about however is how people like me…people like
us…people with limited education and poor parents can become
millionaires. I’ll never misrepresent myself to be the absolute highest
example of success. Everyone has to be positioned somewhere on
the food chain of prosperity. By this measurement, I’m doing fine, so
much better than most. If the net worth of every human being on the
planet were listed in ascending order, you’d have to place me squarely
at the top fraction of a percentage. This is important for credibility. I
feel compelled to point this out because there are hundreds of books
out there about How to Get Rich which were written by people who
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obviously weren’t, never have been and probably never will be. Well, I
am the real deal, a working millionaire.
The Prosperity Equation is written from personal experience and it’s

about how to reach higher levels of living extremely well. As the author
and the guide on this tour, let me say to you...I am living the dream.
Every Picture Tells a Story

This book is really not about me at all; although parts of the book will
be discussing some of the events my wife and I experienced as we
developed the business. At times it will get extremely personal as I
describe how I solidified my philosophies; these stories are only
intended to be parables.
Back in the seventies, Rod Stewart had a hit titled Every Picture Tells
a Story. Well, in this case, Every Story Tells a Picture. Every example
illustrates events and struggles we endured, back when my wife,
Debbie, and I were bringing the business off of the kitchen table.
Every one of these stories has a purpose to clarify a point I’m trying to
hammer home.
There’s many ways to become wealthy. I certainly don’t claim to know

all of them. Let’s start with the fact very few of the world’s wealthiest
people became wealthy through their investments. I’m going to say the
stock market is something that generally makes a lot of money for
some people after they’ve already become wealthy doing something
else. In other words, I believe the stock market is a vehicle where the
rich get richer by leveraging existing wealth.
Another one of those bedrock principles upon which The Prosperity

Equation is built is to reinvest your money back into your personal
development and into your business. Although investments rarely
create a person’s initial fortune, you have to develop discipline and
control when handling money. One of the most dynamic concepts in
wealth building is the power of compound interest, the power of
leveraging money to make more money by its own momentum.
Always keep idle money working.
Throughout history many of the wealthiest people were great

inventors; people like Ford and Edison. If your invention is guaranteed
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to change the world, then you’re already destined to be wealthy and
famous. Maybe you’ve discovered a medical breakthrough, found the
answer to the world’s food shortage, solved the energy crisis, or
developed a pill that will cure cancer. If that’s the case, then you’re
going to be rich anyway. It’s automatic. Put the book down. Relax! The
game is over. You won! Forget about it! Go play!
Maybe you’re an incredible athlete or talented actor who’s just waiting

to be discovered and signed up for some incredibly stupid amount of
money. Maybe you’re the next American Idol. Once again,
congratulations, you don’t need this book. Give it to some untalented
poorer person. Your destiny is guaranteed. The future is chiseled in
granite.
As for the rest of us, most of us are not great actors, singers, boxers
or ball players. There are only so many Tom Cruise’s, Britney Spears’,
Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan’s out there. There’s only one
Muhammad Ali for each generation and The Beatles phenomenon
only happens occasionally.
Unfortunately, I never had any great inventions or patents. I’ve never

won the lottery, couldn’t sing or act and I don’t have a particularly great
curve ball so I figured that…maybe…just maybe…It might be a great
idea if I went into business for myself. For me and many like me, the
answer was starting and growing my own business. As a result of the
decisions I made more than twenty years ago, I am now the president
of three extremely profitable companies with seven-digit revenues and
an incredibly lavish lifestyle.
Okay, let’s paint the whole picture for you. Make no mistake about it;
The Prosperity Equation is about how to achieve success by starting
and growing your own business. It’s a formula to achieve freedom. It’s
about making personal choices and taking control of your destiny. It’s
all about dramatically improving the total quality of your life.
The Prosperity Equation begins when we examine the philosophies

and mindsets of success and then transitions into the specifics of how
to start and grow an entrepreneurial business. In the pages to follow,
I’m going to attempt to take you from the initial mindset, through the
skills and disciplines, to the nuts and bolts processes of starting or
growing your business. This is not intended to be light reading. Woven
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throughout the fabric of The Equation, I’ll be discussing marketing,
sales and networking; business techniques and interpersonal skills.
Through the years I’ve studied thousands of hopefuls who started new
businesses and ultimately failed. Even though they had the desire to
succeed, the truth be known, they just didn’t get it. There were pieces
missing in their puzzle. If you really pay attention, and read it with an
open mind; this book will put the puzzle together for you.
The Prosperity Equation is a road map to guide you along the route to
financial success, a blueprint for building wealth. Along the way, I hope
you’ll discover personal freedom and a great abundant quality of life
as well as self-satisfaction.
Am I saying The Prosperity Equation is the one and only way to

become successful and wealthy? Absolutely not! What this book is…
it’s my sincere attempt to share the strategies and techniques that
made me successful. Just as there are many different roads leading to
any destination on a physical map of your state or hometown, there
are also many different routes to personal prosperity I am writing this
book outlining the one route to success I know best. It is the only route
I know. This is the route I took.
The subtitle, ‘The Entrepreneur’s Road Map to Wealth’ was actually

added to the original version of this book by my editor as we were
‘fleshing out’ the original manuscript. She and I were discussing some
changes on the phone; as a matter of fact we were rewriting the
preceding paragraph. I think she came up with it first although; it may
have been one of those simultaneous explosions of creativity. Of
course, The Entrepreneur’s Road Map to Wealth, that’s exactly what
this book is all about.
There are no guarantees

The Prosperity Equation is an outline of what is working for me and
what has worked for thousands of my friends and seminar students. It
is only a way to get there. There are a lot of theories about how to get
rich. Let me repeat, it’s not the one and only way and, even once you
know the way, there’s no assurance you’ve got what it takes to stick it
out and make the journey. I have no way of knowing the strength of
your character and your resolve to succeed.
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The Prosperity Equation is complex. It’s more than a formula for
achieving the quantifiable goals of wealth and success; it’s also about
the freedom wealth affords to achieve security, a great lifestyle and
peace of mind.
The Prosperity Equation is about the nuts and bolts as well as the
philosophical shifts and psychological preparation it takes to start and
grow a successful business. Since the core focus of The Prosperity
Equation is directed toward owning and operating your own business
and being your own boss, we’ll be spending a lot of time discussing
these nuts and bolts business processes and the basics of wealth
building.
We’ll be discussing some very specific techniques leading to the

generation of wealth through operating your own business. Several
chapters will be outlining specific techniques and procedures, step-by-
step, laying out a blueprint with which you can lay the foundation to
build your fortune. But before you start trying to learn or apply any of
these techniques and procedures, you’ve got to get your mind right.
If you were a soldier fighting in a war, you wouldn’t go into battle if you
were untrained and out-of-shape. You’d be killed. Well, guess what?
This isn’t any different. It’s a war out there and, once you decide this is
what you really want to do, you must be prepared, focused and well-
trained. It requires study and planning as well as psychological
preparation to start and grow a successful business. If you’re not
emotionally tough, don’t even think about it. An Entrepreneur has to
have a high tolerance for dealing with stress and frustration. As you
read on, I want you to think of me as your personal trainer, pushing
you hard, stretching your personal limits and expanding your
boundaries as you move toward your destination. Maybe I’m a drill
instructor and this is a boot camp. Regardless, my goal is to push you
through your personal barriers and lead you to achieving your
personal goals of wealth and prosperity. I intend to be tough on you.
As you read deeper into these pages, you’ll discover this theme will be
repeated many times, in many forms, hammering it into your head
until it sinks deep into the permanent recesses of your subconscious
mind…The Prosperity Equation is all about mindset. It’s about
developing an attitude and a philosophy; it’s about developing a
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unique philosophy leading to your personal growth and business
success.
I’m not necessarily talking about becoming filthy rich either. There are
many levels of personal wealth and success. The underlying theme
continually recurs and echoes throughout these pages, success is a
thought process. Getting your mind right is three-quarters of The
Equation. Failure in life and business is the end result of defective
thinking. My observation is that people who fail have weaknesses of
character, attitude and determination.
The purpose of The Prosperity Equation is to inspire revelations and

create emotions within you. My goal is to help focus your vision and
cause you develop a new desire and intensity. Reread and study every
chapter before you move on, and don’t move on until you’re absolutely
certain you’ve mastered the concepts as they’re presented.
This was an extremely difficult book to write. I’ve struggled with every
word you’re about to read. When I first began writing The Prosperity
Equation I was just sitting there in a darkened room staring at the
computer. I sat there motionless for hours assembling my thoughts
before the first words began to flow out of my mind and onto the
screen. There was so much I wanted to say to you and I wanted to be
sure I said it perfectly.
This is The Prosperity Equation.
Quantifying the Equation

Have you ever noticed there are some people who seem to possess a
charisma that seems to magnetically attract other people to them?
Couldn’t exactly put your finger on it but there was just ‘something’
about them.
When you were in school, they were always the same ones who were
always most popular. You just liked being around them. They seemed
to always be voted ‘most likely’ or “homecoming royalty’…you know
what I mean.
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And, did you ever meet a salesperson you really liked doing business
with? Or, a waiter or waitress you always asked for by name?
The answer to all of those questions is, of course, we all have met
those people. They have repeatedly come in and out of our lives.
What are the habits, traits, and qualities that make people successful
in their lives and businesses? Why are some people destined to
become millionaires while others can barely survive with cash on hand
until the end of the month?
Well, hang on. I am about to share with you an incredible formula for
realizing your hidden unlimited potential.
You can have wealth and success beyond your dreams if you’ll master
the concepts ahead. But, don’t expect to immediately appreciate the
awesome power of The Prosperity Equation even after I’ve described
it to you initially. I’ve taught The Equation to thousands of people over
the years and very few people really get it on the first pass. It won’t all
come together for you immediately either; the message won’t be
totally clear until you’ve read the last word of the last sentence of this
book. Now, don’t go reading ahead at the back of the book expecting
a major revelation; when I made that statement I was assuming you’ve
read all of the pages in between. Somewhere in there you’ll
experience what I call that ‘Aha’ moment as the light switch is turned
on. This is one of those books you’ll find yourself reading and
rereading. Every time something new will come of it.
Life is a puzzle. It takes many pieces to complete the picture. That’s

The Prosperity Equation. I’ve dedicated my entire life (up until now
anyway) to studying the traits and habits of successful and wealthy
business people.
When I first read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, I
learned the dynamic concept of studying the characteristics of
winners, and then modeling myself after them. Somewhere in my
quest it occurred to me that all of the successful people I have known
or studied had four basic common characteristics.
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Not exactly like The Seven Habits of Highly Effective people by
Stephen Covey; The Equation centers on four dynamic concepts. I call
these the four cornerstone pillars of prosperity.
They are…
1. Attitude
2. Desire
3. Work Ethic
4. Competency
That’s all there is to it. It’s simplistic. There isn’t anything else.
Now, of course those words standing alone without explanation and

meditation have very little impact on a person’s life. The power of
these concepts comes to light when you stop and realize that if you
truly possessed all of those qualities you would already be a
millionaire.
And, if you are not already a millionaire; I suggest that at least one of
those pieces is missing from your puzzle. There is absolutely no way
for anyone to have all of those concepts totally mastered and still
remain poor.
Now relax. I’ve only given you part of The Equation…there’s more.
Okay…okay, I know. I just finished telling you that was all there is and
now I’m telling you there’s more. Well, sort of.
Allow me to explain. To become truly successful and, ultimately, to

become wealthy and prosperous, there are some other ‘peripheral
philosophies’ and concepts you must also master to complete The
Equation. These ‘peripherals’ determine the degree of abundance you
will receive and keep. These ‘peripherals’ are like the moons that
revolve around the planets. They tug and pull and have an effect on
the gravity of The Equation.
These ‘peripheral concepts’ are subcategorized as subheadings of

one or more of the basic cornerstone pillars of prosperity.
You are not expected to fully grasp the significance of these concepts
right now in the early stages of the experience. It is however important
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to lay them out early in the book so you will recognize them as they
appear, over and over again, in the text and stories ahead.
Study ‘the peripherals’ listed below and think about how they might
relate to the cornerstone pillars of The Equation, which are Attitude,
Desire, Work Ethic and Competency. Spend some time with this
conceptual thinking before you move on.
The ‘peripherals’ are…
• Gather people
• Define your vision
• Leverage other people’s experience
• See change as a challenge
• Make quick and accurate decisions
• Have a lasting and meaningful relationship
• Saturate you mind with success
• Know God
• Have honor
• Invest your money back into the business
• Invest in your personal development
• See each person as an individual
• Embrace technology
• Manage multiple projects
All of the core principles of The Equation, as well as these fine-tuned

peripherals, will be continually interwoven throughout this words you
are about to read. As you read on, from time to time, put the book
down or turn off the audio and spend time reflecting on how these
principles apply to you and your life. Examine your dreams, schemes,
and desires and then compare them to reality. Most importantly,
consider what changes and adjustments you will need to make with
your thought process and in your life if you intend to pursue The
Prosperity Equation.
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I’ve chosen to write this book in several parts

The first chapters of The Prosperity Equation are about getting your
mind right. Before we discuss the specifics of starting a new business
or growing an existing business, I’m going to ask you to take a realistic
look at yourself. In these initial chapters, we’re going to examine your
attitude, your desire, your personal philosophies as well as your
personal work ethic. This is the same material I teach in my prosperity
seminars. I can tell you from experience many people do not look
forward to having to face themselves with all of their excuses and
defenses stripped away. If you’re up to it, read on. Bear in mind,
everything you will discover about yourself is not necessarily going to
be exactly the way you would like it to be. There’s a very real
possibility you’ll discover you really don’t have the drive and
commitment to start your own business. Maybe you’re not suited to
become your own boss. Many people would rather not know. And,
most people find out too late after they’ve committed when there’s no
turning back.
The second part of The Prosperity Equation discusses the specifics of

selecting and starting a new business or growing and developing an
existing business. In these chapters, I’ve attempted to speak from my
personal experience, often referring to how I started and developed
my own companies. These chapters analyze some events that made
the companies grow and prosper, as well as mistakes, traps and
pitfalls I fell into along the way.
Finally, the last part of this book deals with advertising, promotions,
and selling your products or services. No matter how great your
service or product is, you will be doomed to an early bankruptcy if you
lack the expertise to sell and market your business. I’ve known many
talented business people who had an aversion, even a distain for
sales. Even though they had a great product, actually a better product
or service than their competition, their companies are gone and they
have returned to the workforce. If you don’t like sales then you have
no business starting a business.
This book is not for everyone
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New Millennium
If you fully understand and apply the principles and the philosophies
I’m about to share with you, your life is about to explode. Wonderful
things are about to happen for you and for your family. Truthfully, the
information in this book is worth several hundred thousand times what
you’ve paid for it. Sadly enough though, let me slap a little cold water
in your face here, the truth of the matter is that most people who read
this book will never get it. Most people have been raised and
conditioned all of their lives for failure and conformity. Statistically, the
odds are stacked against you. If you’re like most people, you haven’t
got what it takes to be a success in life. Before you even begin you’ll
have to radically adjust your thought processes to defeat and conquer
a lifetime of negative programming.
What is prosperity?
Although the concept of Prosperity does involve wealth, money is only
one part of The Equation. Money alone cannot buy happiness. The
Bible tells us, the love of money is the root of all evil. Pay attention, it
says ‘the love of money’. When I think about those words I think about
Ebenezer Scrooge in Dickens’ Christmas Carol. Scrooge amassed a
fortune and he lived a frugal, self-centered life. Scrooge loved his
money and nothing else. Although he was a wealthy man; his soul
wasn’t liberated until he actually spent his money. In the end his
money made a lot of other people happy. Of course, in the process of
spending his money, old Scrooge himself received a great deal of
pleasure because he experienced the good things his money did for
others.
You see money in and of itself has no value. Money only becomes real
when you’re spending it…when it’s in motion. That is one of the main
reasons most of us are not able to save more money than we do.
When you see a balance on your bank statement, it’s just a bunch of
numbers on a piece of paper or a computer screen. It only becomes
real when you draw it out and when you’re actually buying something
with it.
If you’ve ever spent any time in the gambling casinos in Las Vegas or
Atlantic City did you ever stop and wonder why they play with plastic
chips instead of making bets with real cash? The basic psychology
centers around the idea that the players lose sight of the fact the chips
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are actually real money. Psychologically, it’s easier to lose plastic
chips than to lose real money…or at least that’s the illusion it creates.
Money can buy happiness

The world is teeming with people who lives are festering with
frustration, despair and misery, people whose destiny is dictated by
their poverty. How could any sane person in his or her right mind even
begin to insinuate that a wealthy person doesn’t have at least a better
shot at living a happy fulfilled life? Poverty is a curse, not a virtue.
Since we were children there’s been this continuous parade of self-

righteous losers marching through our lives, programming our minds
for failure, ‘Money Can’t Buy Happiness’ they chant in chorus, and
unfortunately, most people bought into the lie. Well, let me say this
about that, all of the things in my life that make me happy and healthy
are much more accessible to me because I have money. Having
money gives a person a greater peace of mind and personal security. I
am firmly convinced poor people have more stress and worry and
uncertainty in their lives than wealthy people.
Although money won’t buy your good health, it certainly will make the
finest physicians and medical services available to you. The
skyrocketing cost of medical services is rapidly outdistancing most
people’s financial ability to have quality healthcare.
It will certainly give you the time, resources, and the freedom to
pursue your dreams.
Money gives you the ability to take risks.
Although you don’t have to be a criminal to become rich, it’s true that
many rich people did amass their fortunes because they were ruthless
and aggressive by nature. I have always heard that Joe Kennedy built
the famous Kennedy family fortune when he was an alleged kingpin in
the Bootlegging industry during the prohibition years.
You don’t have to be a criminal to be prosperous, although; if that’s the

road you choose to take, it’s certainly one of your options.
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Everything you’ll read here is centered on integrity and ethics. My
philosophy has always been, there’s never a need to lie or cheat or
sneak or deceive to become wealthy or successful. It’s true, however
that you must develop what I call a business mindset. What I mean is
you must learn to be straightforward and direct in matters concerning
business. Business decisions are rational and seldom emotional. You
must be able to see things clearly, as they actually are.
When you develop a business mindset it’s necessary to speak to

others bluntly, with brutal frankness, direct and to the point. A
business mindset is a focused, intense attitude you would never use in
a social environment. Sometimes you’ll be required to make difficult
and unpleasant business decisions. Some of these decisions might
have an adverse effect on the lives of people you genuinely like.
Sometimes it means you’ll have to have the guts to say no when
everyone else is urging you to go forward with a project because it
means a lot to them. A business mindset is not always popular with
people who are driven by emotion. All of these things go with the
territory.
How rich is rich?

When we talk about prosperity, how much money does a person have
to have before you would consider them to be wealthy? The majority
of people I meet in my seminars and in my day-to-day travels do not
have enough money. Let’s stop and make a distinction between
becoming filthy stupid stinking rich and having enough money.
How much is enough money?

Here’s the formula I use to determine if a person has enough money.
When a person has enough money they never have to ask how much
something costs before they make a decision to buy it. Price is rarely a
factor in making the decision.
Even though I have a lot of money, I’m not what I would call filthy
stupid stinking rich. There are literally millions of millionaires in the
world today. There are probably several hundred millionaires living
within a just few miles of your home. You probably rub elbows with
millionaires every day at the supermarket, in the mall or at the car
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wash. They go to your church and their kids probably play with yours.
It just isn’t such a big deal anymore. Frankly, in today’s economy, a
million dollars just ain’t what it used to be. Even so, it’s still, it is an
awful lot of money. If you’re reading this book, chances are you’re one
of those people who would like to have a million dollars.
Although millionaires have become rather commonplace in today’s

society, considering the fact you’ve chosen to buy this book, I’m going
to suspect you are probably not one of them and maybe you’d like to
be.
Another very important thing we need to take a look at is just how

much do you have to have to be considered borderline wealthy? Most
of us don’t have the time or the dedication it takes to become a
billionaire. When you are talking about that kind of money…a billion
dollars…chances are statistically against it for most of us.
Although becoming a billionaire is a long shot; I believe virtually
everyone reading this book does has the ability to become a
millionaire in a relatively short amount of time. I’m talking about you.
Take a moment and visualize what a million dollars would mean to you
and those you love.
Personally, I’ve never even reached for those lofty levels of personal
wealth of a Bill Gates or a Warren Buffet. Could I do it? I don’t know
I’ve never taken a shot at it...yet. Someday in the future I might
actually become a billionaire …but then I’d have to write a new book.
Money is freedom
It ain’t just about the money.
Prosperity is about the complete quality of your life. Living in a fine

home and eating fine food, wearing fine clothes and jewelry, driving
fine cars, world travel, and doing everything you’ve always wanted to
do.
Prosperity is having enough money to share your good fortune and to

be able to help others.
BUT, that’s only part of it. Prosperity also involves having the ability to
provide everything for your family and those people you care about.
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Prosperity is all about having choices without restrictions and making
your own decisions without limitations because you don’t have enough
money. It’s about not worrying about the future.
Prosperity is all about your spiritual peace of mind and your personal
health.
Prosperity is freedom! It’s all about approaching my wife on Thursday

and saying, “Hey, how about us taking off and spending this weekend
in the Caymans?” The freedom to be able to say those things and
make those spontaneous decisions with no limitations is exhilarating.
How much it costs is never a consideration. I know we have it,
however much it is. I rarely have to stop and analyze our finances
before I make a decision. Now, I’m not saying we wouldn’t shop to get
the best airfare and accommodations. I’m not advocating being
irresponsible with money. All I’m saying is when you’ve got it; it makes
decisions a lot less stressful. I guess the reason I really appreciate the
freedom money creates is because I will always remember how it was
when I didn’t have it.
Success leads to excess

In one of my Prosperity Seminars a few years ago one of the students
asked me a question, “Mr. Ziegler, why do you wear so much
jewelry?”
My answer was short and simple, “Because I can!”
I have an original saying, which is often repeated in my Prosperity

Seminars. ‘Success leads to excess!’
Revelations
The most incredible revelation came to me somewhere along the way
in my quest for wealth and security. Following the breakthrough
concept that success is a thought process. It occurred to me that The
Prosperity Equation takes place almost entirely in your head.
Part of the process of getting your mind in order is getting rid of

counter-productive thoughts and beliefs that become distractions.
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Most people have these negative programs running constantly in the
background of their mind. Like malicious computer viruses they’re
screwing up the programs and nothing’s running the way it’s supposed
to.
Live in the present

So, bottom line philosophy, I believe most people spend their entire
lives living in the past as if it was the Magical Time. They wish they
could somehow get back there to a time in their past and live there
forever. Remember the movie Ground Hog Day starring Bill Murray?
He was a news reporter who got stuck in a single day in history that
kept repeating itself over and over again. There are many people who
would be totally okay with that if they could pick the day to continually
relive.
I’m convinced many people struggle throughout their entire lives just
wishing they could regress back to the security and safety of the
womb.
These same people waste their entire lives looking forward to the
future hoping someday they’ll stumble upon some kind of magic cure
for everything that’s wrong with their lives. You see them lining up at
the counters of your neighborhood convenience store every Friday to
buy their lottery tickets…just trying to buy themselves a little hope.
They’re dreaming about instant prosperity with no personal
investment. They drudge through the present, enduring their
uneventful day-to-day lives. They act as if right-here and right-now are
just burdens they’re forced to endure until the good times return.
I sincerely believe the overwhelming majority of people on Earth are

just trying to get to the end of their lives with their bills paid one more
month in a row. They’re incapable of envisioning wealth, success or
prosperity as something they can have; they’ve become slaves,
indentured servants, to their bills. They’re just going through the
motions of making it through another day, working and hoping they
can cover their financial nut each month.
Accept responsibility
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You can’t blame other people and circumstances for your personal
failures. And, you cannot allow others to take credit for your
successes. You’ll never win in life or business until you personally
accept responsibility for your own successes and your failures. In
other words, nobody did it to you and nobody did it for you. One of the
keys to prosperity is to accept total responsibility for your life. It is the
way you’ve designed it…and what you’re getting out of life is what
you’ve chosen. If you don’t like what you’re getting, then choose
something else.
There are so many people leading lives of desperation, stuck in jobs

they hate, enduring relationships that aren’t working. They haven’t got
the guts to break out or make a change. My observation is most
people die while they’re still waiting for the right moment to make their
move. They never get off of square one because they lack self-
confidence and conviction. So many lives are filled with psychological
security blankets people refuse to throw away.
It’s a fact, the majority of problems in most people’s lives and

relationships are, in the end, a result of financial problems. Talking to
people who are divorced, you’ll discover most of them will tell you the
underlying reason for the breakup of their marriage started with
financial problems. Then let’s rewrite the book to say the lack of
money is the root of most of the evils, in our earthly lives anyway.
Experientially, I’ve interacted with so many people who tend to be

wimps, whiners and excuse-makers. Their lives become reduced to an
endless series of petty, insignificant dramas, revolving around
justification and blaming others instead of accepting responsibility for
their own successes and failures. The world is overflowing with petty,
mean-spirited little people. I’m talking about small thinkers who see
giant problems in every tiny non-event that makes up the fabric of their
meaningless, insignificant existence. These people are everywhere,
lurking around each corner, hiding behind every bush, and they are
waiting to get a shot at you. Their mission in life is to bring you down. If
somehow they can get you involved in their meaningless intrigues,
you’ll be distracted from those things in life that are truly significant.
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Your life is the result of the choices you’ve

made
Your life is the result of a series of choices and decisions you’ve
made. You are wherever you are in your life, at whatever point you’ve
arrived, at whatever levels of success and prosperity you’re enjoying,
because of choices you’ve made. In truth, whether you wish to believe
it or not, you are exactly what you’ve chosen to be...and you have
exactly what you’ve chosen to have...and what you’re getting out of life
is exactly what you’ve chosen to get. If you’re losing it’s because
you’ve chosen to lose. It was a decision. If you don’t like it the way it
is…change it. Choose to win!
Stop whining
Me, Personally, I’ve been knocked down hard, many times. As a
matter of fact, I’ve been knocked down recently. So what! It’s all about
how you react to it. Getting up and not giving up have was always my
only option. I never whine. Nobody wants to listen to it anyway.
Nobody wants to hang with whiners except other whiners. Whiners
attract other whiners but they never listen to each other. Whining is a
one-way communication.
If your life has become reduced to a series of insignificant incidents,

which are constantly blown out of proportion, then you’ll never really
get the big picture. If you’re ever going to have all of those things you
say you really want out of life, then it’s important to get your thought
processes in order. Wealthy prosperous people think differently. They
see situations from alternative perspectives. Affluent people tend to be
realists.
People who are not totally winning in life have their priorities out of
order. They waste valuable productive energy on nonproductive
things, spending countless hours obsessing about unimportant
molehills until they become the mountains and kill their spirits.
Let me ask you to stop and think about something for a moment. If
what you were extremely upset about yesterday cannot even be
remembered today, then it was probably never important in the first
place and it drained away your time and energy needlessly. Can you
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recall a recent major crisis that took you totally out of your game and
caused you to lose a lot of productivity? The question is did it really
have a major ongoing effect on the rest of your life? Or, most probably,
did it actually have very little lasting consequence on what’s
happening now? The key is realizing the insignificance of the event as
part of the big picture as its happening.
I go back to when I was choosing to freak out over my divorce (25

years ago). At the time, it seemed like the end of the world. It was all-
consuming, self-destructive and counter-productive, but today it’s
barely a footnote in my biography. I never think about it...ever. The
point I’m making is to get focused and analyze distractions as they
occur, before they take you away from dead center.
Success is a decision
In the Prosperity Seminars, we dedicate a lot of time to discussing just
exactly what The Prosperity Equation means. One thing I can say with
absolute authority is if you are ever going to have prosperity, you must
first make a concrete decision to become a success. This decision
itself is multi-faceted and requires many additional smaller decisions.
One of the most important decisions you must be willing to make is to
eliminate negative, petty trivia from your life and concentrate on those
things that really matter and focus on the goals at hand. You’re going
to have to realistically examine your life and strip away all of the
excuses you might be hiding behind, those things which are holding
you back. You must make a conscious decision to achieve focus. I’m
talking about right now, as in like immediately! Make the first decision
of many I’m going to be demanding you to make as you read through
these pages. Make a commitment to become the ultimate success.
Another one of the bedrock principles of The Prosperity Equation is to
achieve focus.
“Very Few Prosperous People Are Employees”

--James A. Ziegler
1986--
Most people are destined to be employees
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Let’s see if I’m getting this right? I’m going to assume you bought this
book because you’re thinking about starting your own business. You’re
dreaming about the day when you can step out there on your own?
Looking forward to the day when you tell off the boss, clean out your
desk, quit your job and never look back. Does that about sum it up?
It’s incredible; so many people tell me they hate their jobs. One thing I
can say with great certainty is very few prosperous people are
employees.
Most of the people who are dissatisfied with the amount of money
they’re making on their job are probably being paid more than they’re
worth to their employer. Sorry about that but it’s true. I would go so far
as to say you might even be a morale problem.
An employee’s relationship with their employer is supposed to be a

value for value relationship. Is the employer really getting enough
value out of your productivity to justify continued employment? Just
because you’ve been working there a long time does not necessarily
justify a raise...or even continued employment for that matter. An
employer doesn’t owe their employees everything they want out of life,
that’s a union mentality, not a reality mentality, and it certainly isn’t an
entrepreneur mentality.
So, if you’re one of those people who are dissatisfied with your job,
that’s fine. All I’m pointing out here is your employer is not to blame. If
you’re unhappy, that’s probably not their fault either. They gave you a
job…told you what the rules are…and they told you what the amount
they choose to pay for that job is. You agreed to it. If you didn’t like the
rules or the pay plan then whose choice was that? You accepted the
job. You can always choose to leave. But, as long as you choose to
stay and work there...keep your agreements. Stop whining and make
a plan.
If you are going to master the concepts of The Prosperity Equation,

then you’ll need to learn to think more from the employer’s viewpoint.
After all, one day you’ll be one.
What is your personal marketable value?
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In my Prosperity Seminars we have several exercises where we
attempt to get people attending the seminars to get in touch with a
concept I call Your Personal, Marketable Value. This is a concept
quantifying what you are worth monetarily to other people, your
employer, and the consumers of your goods and services.
Okay, okay you’ve cleared all of the hurdles and jumped through all of
the hoops I’ve put in front of you so far and you’re still with me. I
haven’t run you off yet with all of this tough talk and you still want to be
your own boss right? The plan is simple, you’re going to start your own
business and set your own hours. Work when you want to. Maybe
you’re planning to start one of these fabulous home-based
businesses. You’re dreaming about sitting around the house all day in
your underwear, making the big bucks with the computer and the
telephone, orders coming in over the FAX machine and your e-
commerce enabled websites. Your mail carrier’s going to get a hernia
stuffing your mailbox with all of those checks. You’ve read thousands
of articles about how to do it. It’s easy! Millions of people have done it.
You can do it too, right?
(Now I’ve got you in a headlock, knocking noogies on your head)

Reality check! Reality check! Earth to dreamer! Come in dreamer.
Chances are you’ll never even try to start your own business; and if
you do, you’re probably going to fail anyway. Mathematically,
statistically, you’re doomed before you begin. If you’re like most
people, you haven’t even got a quantified, measurable, written goal.
Where’s your business plan? That’s pitiful. Look at you sitting there
reading this book while you’re hanging on to some flimsy pipe dream.
Maybe you haven’t got any real substance at all. Maybe you’re just all
talk and smoke. It’s takes a lot of nerve to jump out there and start a
business on your own; and, as of yet, you haven’t proved to yourself or
anybody else for that matter whether or not you’ve got what it takes. If
you’re getting angry now, remember, I’m just holding up a mirror here.
If you don’t like what you see, are you honestly willing to do what it
takes to change it? Before you quit your job and jump out there
without a parachute it might be a good idea to do a little honest,
realistic self evaluation. If none of this applies to you, then excuse me,
I just had to run it by you to see if it fit.
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I want everything
If you really knew my history, the complex reasons I am successful
would be obvious to you. Growing up financially challenged in a rough
neighborhood, at the bottom of the middle-class, with only a high
school education; I was one of three children, the son of an enlisted
man in the U.S. Navy. Continuously employed since I was fourteen
years old, I have always held down two or three jobs at the same time
for most of my life. Early on, I realized if I was ever going to have
anything in this world I’d have to work hard and go out there and get it
for myself.
My salvation was in the fact I really did want all of those things I didn’t
have. I lived in pain because of my parents’ ‘lack mentality’. It was
painful dressing in the kind of clothes we could afford, I felt left out and
‘uncool’. There were so many times I was ashamed or embarrassed
because I wanted to have all of those things the Preppy Kids and their
families had. This pain became a powerful motivator.
“I am where I am in my life because I am willing to do those

things that other people are not willing to do to get what they say
they want”
--James A. Ziegler, CSP, HSG 2000-
When I became an adult, I wanted even more…all of those wonderful

things I’d never experienced like expensive new cars and a big
beautiful home in an upscale neighborhood…financial security and the
freedom to make my own decisions. I wanted to be able to eat in the
very best restaurants and never look at the prices on the menu before
ordering. I wanted to wear nice, name-brand clothes and fine jewelry
and to be able to provide the very best for my family. Luxury vacations
and first-class travel, I wanted to experience it all, the very best of
everything without limitations, and I was willing to pay the price to have
those things. I was willing to invest in myself.
Today I have all of those things and more. One of my favorite sayings
is… I am where I am in my life because I am willing to do those things
that other people are not willing to do to get what they say they want.
My dad
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His name was James Edward Ziegler; we always just called him Chief.
After thirty-four years of service to his country, thirteen cruises on

aircraft carriers and four wars, we buried the old Chief in his uniform
back in May of 1991. Chief was a big guy, a tough man, standing six
three with a commanding presence and an electric intensity that made
him a leader. His formidable demeanor created an aura of power that
made other men respectful. My father was a Chief Petty Officer in the
U.S. Navy, one of the very first E-9s, an aviation jet engine mechanic.
Most of his career he was the Leading Chief, in charge of the
squadron. One of his favorite sayings was...“Chiefs run the Navy”.
As I write these words, there’s a portrait of my father on the bookshelf

here in my office. There’s never a day I don’t think about him. In the
portrait he’s wearing his dress uniform with eight gold stripes on his
sleeve with three rows of medals, white gloves, and ribbons on his
chest covering everything beginning with World War II when he served
on the original Enterprise all of the way through when he was in The
Blockade of Cuba. He was a plank holder, sailed on the maiden
voyage, on both aircraft carrier Enterprises. The Old Man served
during Vietnam and, when we were stationed in Meridian, Mississippi,
he was Leading Chief for a training squadron, VT-9, where he became
friends with a wild young lieutenant, a student pilot named John
McCain, who is still a personal friend of my family. I used to baby-sit
for McCain’s kids when I was a teenager. We all wore McCain’s
prisoner of war bracelets after the North Vietnamese captured him
until they brought him home after the war.
My father, Chief, only had an eighth grade education but, even so, he
was one of the most brilliant and educated men I’ve ever known. He
read voraciously and was conversational in many deep, intellectual
subjects. He inspired me to learn.
An enlisted man in the Navy with a wife and three children doesn’t
make any real money. It’s a national disgrace that so many of those
who risk their lives to protect all of us, are forced to live in near
poverty.
On my honor
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Even though we didn’t have a lot of money, we were rich in many other
ways. Chief was an honest and honorable man. He taught us morals
and strong values, the meaning of right and wrong. I have to admit
that many times I’ve strayed from true north and lost my way, but, no
matter how far off-track I strayed, Chief’s influence has always
prevailed and brought me back to dead center. Very few people today
have the guts and conviction to stand up for what they believe.
The night I was awarded Eagle Scout was one of the proudest
moments in Chief’s life. Closing my eyes now, I can still see the Old
Man sitting out there in the audience smiling as I stood on the stage
with the others and raised my right hand in the Scout Sign and said
those words…“On My Honor”.
There’s another picture hanging here in my office. It’s a print of a

famous painting with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Many things in my life today have a theme centering on the principles
of honor and integrity I learned from Chief so many years ago.
I really loved that old man. No matter where I was, even when I started
traveling heavily, I called him every day of his life.
Remembering the last face-to-face conversation we had before he

died, he told me there were so many things he wished he had done.
Even though I assured him he was a success, he still looked at me
through tear-filled eyes as he thought about those things he had
always wanted to do and see and be. In spite of all of those wonderful
things he had actually accomplished, he felt he was a failure. It really
shook me up when I realized he had sacrificed his dreams until it was
too late.
It was the end of an era in my life when Chief passed away. Those
value lessons I learned from him are still engrained. The greatest
lesson of all was the last one he taught me. You’ve got to go for it.
Don’t wake up at the end of your life wishing you’d done it differently.
Personally, I will die still stretching out and reaching for that ever-
elusive next level.
It takes guts to get out of a rut
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You’ll never hit a home run if you never swing at the pitch. Don’t be
wimping, whining and complaining to me because you hate your job
and you’re not getting those things out of life you’d really like to have.
If you’re stuck in a rut and haven’t got the nerve to take the risks and
chances success demands, then you deserve not to have all of those
things you don’t have…and all of those things you’re never-ever going
to get.
Personally, I would hate to know I’d struck out in my life while I was
standing at the plate, never taking a swing at it, watching the pitches
go by.
“I Would Hate to Know I’d Struck Out in Life

Looking at the Pitches”
--James A. Ziegler 2000--
Burn all of your bridges

Clearly focused on the goal, turning back has never been an option.
Now let me warn you, before you start acting like Indiana Jones blindly
stepping off the edge of a cliff, maybe you should stop and think about
it. Do you honestly have a risk-taker mentality? Do you have a sense
of adventure? Are you ready for a no-turning-back total commitment?
Do you really have the discipline and work ethic to get you where you
say you want to be? Are you prepared to work all of the hours, make
personal sacrifices and do everything it takes to succeed?
If you want to duplicate or surpass my success, start by taking a

strong look at yourself. Do you have the drive and desire to succeed?
Don’t be too quick to answer. Actions always speak louder than words.
Success takes personal commitment, motivation and the ability to
stick in there. What’s your personal track record for hanging in when
the going gets tough?
Many people try and more than that fail because they don’t understand
the basics of what they’re getting into. Face the facts. The truth is the
majority of people who work for someone else haven’t got what it
takes to do what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Most people are
destined to be employees…not owners. You see, to become an
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independent businessman or businesswoman, you’ve got to put it all
on the line. There’s no sticking your toe in the water to see if you like
it. Once you’re in it, then you’re committed and there’s no turning
back.
Entrepreneur is a word derived from the French. It roughly translates

as opportunity taker. An Entrepreneur is a person who is not afraid to
seize the moment and to make a decision and act on it. Do you
believe you have entrepreneurial spirit?
And, above all, have you got the guts to take the Leap of Faith
required to be a success? In my mind it was never a gamble. I have
always believed in myself. The only reason Indiana Jones stepped out
into the great chasm is because he knew the rock would appear. Do
you have enough faith in yourself and step out there believing the rock
will appear?
Have you got the guts to burn all of your bridges before you start?
You’ll never be prosperous if you are not willing to take substantial
calculated risks in life. Once you’re in it, you’re in it. As I said before
there’s no turning back. Now, might be the last opportunity to re-
examine your self-doubts or insecurities. If you’re certain there’s
nothing holding you back, then read on.
Life is just a bucket of crabs

Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida I spent a lot of time playing on the
banks of the St. Johns River. I’m a bass fisherman. Even to this day
there’s nothing I enjoy more than tricking a fish with a plastic worm.
One of the happier memories of my childhood was when our whole
family would go down under the Ortega River Bridge and we would go
crabbing.
Mom and Chief both grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and we loved it

when we had the opportunity to steam up six or seven-dozen blue
crabs, Maryland style. Eating steamed crabs with salt and vinegar is
an ingrained part of my family’s Maryland heritage. We’d all just sit
around the table, which was all covered with newspaper, and the five
of us, along with two or three assorted neighbors, would go through a
two-foot pile of steamed crabs in about an hour. What a mess it was!
Oh well, what was it I talking about anyway? I seem to have gotten a
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little sidetracked down memory lane here. Oh yeah, the original point I
was building up to is that Life is like a bucket of crabs.
Let me explain. If you’ve ever been crabbing, there is an old

fisherman’s adage which says…
If you put a live crab in a bucket, you must put a lid on the bucket
because the crab can climb out, but, if you put two crabs in the
bucket, there is no need to put a lid on it because neither crab will
allow the other one to escape. They will latch onto each other tightly
and keep pulling each other back down into the bucket.
I’ve caught thousands of crabs in my lifetime and I swear to you that’s

100% true. Crabs in a bucket will grab onto each other with their claws
and not let go. They will continually keep pulling each other back down
into the bucket and will not allow each other to escape.
Life is exactly like that. There are many negative people out there who
hate your success and they will do and say everything possible to pull
you back down. They don’t want to be successful themselves but they
don’t want you to break out or succeed either. If you’re trying to
become successful or if you have a positive attitude, they’ll latch onto
you and try to drag you back down to their level. They’re the first to tell
you why you are going to fail, why it won’t work, and why you shouldn’t
do it. They’re convinced the whole world is against them and all of
their own failures and disappointments are someone else’s fault. I
estimate at least one-third of the people on this planet are Crabs.
Crabs are professional victims. They’ve always been with us and

always will be; whispering negatives in your ear, spreading infectious
defeatism, trying to pull you back down into the bucket.
The Crabs of this world have a deeply ingrained welfare mentality,

they’re spiteful and envious. Crabs externalize their failures and blame
the world for everything that’s wrong with their lives. They believe the
world owes them their existence regardless of the fact they contribute
nothing. Crabs expect their government and their employer and their
community to take care of them from cradle to grave. In their hearts
they believe you owe them something too. They are always looking for
some way to get the system or somebody else to pay for it. Don’t be
infected or sidetracked by other people’s insecurity.
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A welder on the night shift

Not all of the people who exert negative influences on your life are
Crabs. For instance, if I had listened to Mom and Chief, I would still be
a welder on the night shift.
Sometimes people who genuinely love you and care about you will
accidentally and unintentionally pull you down. My parents were
working class people with limited educations. Growing up during the
Great Depression era of American history, they were always
conservative, overly cautious and traditional. They were always afraid
about money...they were not risk-takers in any way. Needless to say, I
was one of the reasons they went prematurely gray. You really couldn’t
expect them to understand my desire to be my own boss or my
penchant for taking risks. They interpreted it as being wild and
irresponsible. Mom and Chief always played it safe. Here they were
looking forward to their own retirement and worrying about my future.
By the time I was in my early twenties, I had been a salesman at

several department stores, waited tables in a few restaurants, drove a
truck, and even worked for a short time as a child care counselor for
the juvenile shelter.
My parents wanted me to have security and a future...at least their

version of what that was. They browbeat me into taking a U.S. Civil
Service job as an apprentice sheet metal mechanic at The Naval Air
Rework Facility in Jacksonville. That job had great benefits, good
hourly pay as well as a U.S. Government retirement package. A
government job was my parents’ ultimate concept of lifetime security.
In a few short years I graduated as a journeyman in two trades.
As a journeyman aircraft sheet metal mechanic and aircraft heli-arc

welder, with coveted titanium certification, I was set for life in a good
trade. With four years of classroom and in-shop training, I was a highly
sought after commodity. I could write my own ticket, almost
guaranteed a management position. I hated it. Even though I was
good at it, I despised what I was doing.
This was during the Vietnam War. We were working ten hours a day,
six days a week, repairing aircrafts that had been damaged in combat.
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Averaging more than twenty hours a week of overtime pay for nearly
four years, the money was fabulous...at least according to my frame of
reference in those days…I thought it was fabulous.
It was a great job by many people’s standards but it just wasn’t me. It
was like being in prison. Every day was a drudge. There was no way I
could picture myself doing this for the rest of my productive years.
As Vietnam wound down and the work schedule lightened up I began

working part-time on the weekends as a rock n’ roll disk jockey at
WAPE radio. The radio job didn’t pay much but I loved it. For a poor
kid from the Westside of Jacksonville, to me the broadcast business
was glamorous and exciting. I was rapidly becoming a local celebrity.
One night, somewhere around ten o’clock, I was welding this big
aircraft assembly and I was thinking...really thinking. If you’ve ever
done any welding, you know the feeling of solitude when you are alone
with yourself inside the welding helmet. It’s totally dark except for this
bright flame, serene and surrealistic. Welding is a hypnotic
experience, a lot like meditation. You really have a lot of time to think
about a lot of things. What I was thinking about that night was how
much I really hated this job. There was this incredible struggle
happening, my mind was in turmoil. Within an hour, I walked up to the
shop supervisor, turned in my name badge and my toolbox, and went
home. It was as if the shackles had disappeared and the prison gates
were opened wide. I’m outta here. Of course, my parents never
understood. This was major disappointment to them and there were a
lot of emotions.
A career in radio
I went into the radio business full-time. I was hungry and willing to do
whatever it took to get ahead. Starting out as a disk jockey, I worked
my way up to a position created specifically for me. I became the
Promotions Director at WAPE. Basically, what the title meant was, in
addition to my air shift, I was also in charge of setting up and
coordinating all of the radio station’s listener participation promotions
like The Great Rambling Raft Race and The Great Frisbee™ Fly-in
and various station-sponsored rock concerts when the big rock groups
of the sixties came to town. I met all of them from The Monkees to
Led Zeppelin. My job was to coordinate the promotions and make sure
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we raised large crowds. I was also doing a lot of live appearances and
remote broadcasts. I was one of the judges for The Miss Jacksonville
Pageant one year and was one of the celebrity judges along with
actor, Richard Boone (Paladin) at the Fernandina Shrimp Festival,
there were also appearances at a lot of local events when the station
needed to have representation. Even though I was unaware of it at the
time, my experiential education was driving me toward destiny at warp
speed. I was doing a lot of onstage speaking on behalf of the radio
station.
The owners of the station were Stan and Sis Kaplan, two of the
greatest innovators and promoters in the history of the radio industry.
Their names are legendary in the broadcast industry. Stan Kaplan
passed away in 2003; I will be eternally indebted to him for the breaks
he gave a street tough kid from the Westside of Jacksonville and the
lessons he taught me.
At WAPE I had the privilege to work with and become lifelong

personal friends with some of the greatest rock jocks in the history of
The Golden Era of Top Forty Radio. I often joke about the fact I have
pictures of myself, on the air playing Paul Revere and the Raiders
records when they were current hits.
Being a rock jock in the sixties, trust me, it doesn’t get any better than
that. I have incredible memories of things we did back that other
people can only imagine. They say if you can remember the sixties,
you weren’t there. Well, all I can say about that is somehow I got
through it all with at least one or two brain cells still firing.
These were the years when I was really beginning to pay my dues,
working hard, paying attention, learning about advertising and
promotions and public speaking. Little did I know I was developing
skills that would help me to achieve my goals later in life. Most
importantly, for the first time in my life I was being paid for my talent
and my creativity instead of my physical skills and labor. My
intellectual contributions were being recognized and rewarded. It was
always my dream to be paid more for what I knew than for what I was
doing with my hands.
One day I approached Stan and told him I wanted be an advertising

salesman for the station. He was horrified. In those days my hobbies
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were bar-fighting and drag racing, not exactly the image he wanted
representing the station in the business community. He said no. I was
disappointed but I wasn’t done.
Over the next three years I worked for WPDQ-AM and WIVY-FM as a
salesman and on-air personality. From there I went on to the number
one adult station in the market, WVOJ, a country radio station, where I
set records in radio advertising sales in Jacksonville for the sheer
volume of spots I sold that have never been broken. I sold a quarter of
a million dollars radio adverting two years in a row at eight dollars a
spot. Eventually, I even worked my way up to sales management. In
the radio business, as with most businesses, selling is where the
money is. To me, selling is a profession, and this was when I began to
learn my trade. I am a professional salesman.
By this time I was making more money than I ever could have
dreamed of making as a welder or even as a supervisor or shop
foreman had I listened to my parents and ignored my dream. What if?
What if I had listened to Mom and Chief and never took chances? I’d
probably still be a welder on the night shift.
Who are you listening to? Never allow anyone else to tamper with your
dreams.
But, the real story here centers on my experiences in the broadcasting

industry as the foundation for my successes today. What I learned in
those early years brought me to the point where I am today. Looking
back, remembering those early days when I first broke into fulltime
professional sales, I can truthfully say I was paying my dues
experientially, developing credentials to become qualified to write this
book.
Take a look at yourself, a realistic look

All we’ve talked about so far is your attitude, beliefs and mindsets. All
of these must be faced and dealt with before you will ever be able to
break out and shed whatever shackles are holding you back. What I
am really asking you to do is to make a sincere commitment to the
rest of your life...asking you to make some deep, convicted decisions
here.
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As we dive deeper into The Prosperity Equation, I’ll specifically explain
these techniques as I have employed them and why they work.
Eventually, we’re going to get into the nuts and bolts of creating and
building a business but before we get to that, we need to talk about
first things first.
Everything you’ve read so far is designed to shake you up and to

cause you to realize nothing is beyond your reach. In these initial
pages I’m attempting to get you to concentrate, think and dream and
focus on your future as it can be...as it should be. You deserve
prosperity. To realistically map out a course to where you are going,
we need to stop and take inventory and quantify the value of your past
and of your personal experiences.
Life is no more than a collection of your personal experiences. All of

these adventures I’ve lived over the course of my entire life have
become an investment I made years ago paying the price to develop
the skills that are paying off today. Your life and everything you’ve
learned from your experiences, good and bad, has collateral value you
are putting in the bank today.
Leverage other people’s experience

The ability leverage the experience of others is one of those
cornerstone principles of The Prosperity Equation.
Thinking back, countless times an older person has said to me, “If I
knew only then what I know now, I would be a millionaire.”
Unfortunately, that’s so painfully true. Life plays many cruel jokes on
most of us. By the time you figure it all out by yourself, it’s too late.
There just isn’t enough time for most people to get there before the
final curtain falls on their lives. Don’t waste any amount of that
precious time reinventing what already exists and figuring out what is
already known. Build on the knowledge others have given us.
Could you imagine where you would be if you had to discover the
principles simple math or had to invent the written word all by
yourself? I am sort of glad someone else invented the automobile
before I was born so I didn’t have to do it myself. In other words, to be
a success you have to leverage other people’s knowledge. We all go
through life flipping light switches although very few of us could
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actually make a light bulb or create electricity...nor do we want to have
to do that. We just appreciate the fact we can thoughtlessly flip a
switch and light happens. The invention of the light bulb and the
production of the electricity, I prefer to leverage the experience of
whoever did that for me and just flip the switches. It frees up my time
for more important stuff. So it is in business. You don’t have to
reinvent the wheel. How many times have you heard that cliché? Find
out who’s already done it, whatever it is, and use their experience to
go to the highest level.
Another part of the bedrock foundation of The Prosperity Equation is

you should surround yourself with successful people. You should seek
out those who know what you don’t know and can do what you haven’t
learned to do. Absorb the knowledge of others who have been there
before you. In Think and Grow Rich Napoleon Hill made references to
the concept of building a ‘Mastermind Group’.
Saturate your mind with success

Some people who know me will tell you I am obsessed with success. I
talk about it continually. There are actually those who are offended by
it although, after further analysis; I usually find out the type of people
who are offended by my success obsession are offended because it
interferes with their frustration about their failure obsession.
Remember, early on I said success is a thought process. It happens in

your head. From the vision...to realization...from the decision...to
actualization, there is a natural progression when you bring thoughts,
dreams and concepts into reality.
I made a commitment to saturate my mind with success. Later on, I’ll

describe exactly how I discovered this important concept when I began
building the framework of my fortune.
The marketable value of experience
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“You are the result of everything that you

have ever experienced and that point to
which it has brought you.”
--Dr. Frederick S. Perls
1970ish--
As a consultant, professional speaker, and now, as a writer, the only

value I have to those people who pay for my services is my ability to
give to them the benefits of things I’ve experienced over the course of
my life and career. Who ever thought I’d be quoting Fritz Perls in a
business book?
The reason you paid for this book is because I am sharing secrets and
techniques that made me successful. You are paying for the meat and
substance of what I’ve seen and done, what I have been, where I’ve
gone, and what I’ve touched in my life. You’re not paying for some
ethereal theories I learned in school, read about, or heard about, but
never actually experienced first-hand in real life.
When people find out that I am often paid more than ten-thousand
dollars plus first-class travel for a one-hour speech they are often
shocked or amazed. People often comment that’s a lot of money for
one hour’s work. When I hear that I always smile and explain that I am
not paid ten-thousand dollars for the one hour I stood on the platform
speaking, but rather for the thirty years of self development it took for
me to learn what to say.
As a professional speaker or an author people are paying for the value
of your experience regardless of the time it took to deliver the
message.
“Education is not a qualification, it is only a

credential”
--James A. Ziegler 2000--
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I haven’t got a lot of patience when I’m dealing with the intelligentsia.
Those snooty self-absorbed denizens of the snobby elitist world of
academia usually make me want to throw up. I can’t tell you how many
times I’ve been forced to interact with overly-self-impressed, non-
functional people with huge superiority complexes based solely on the
fact they’ve lived their entire lives in an artificial academic
environment.
So many people rely on their educational credentials as if that alone

guarantees them success in life and business. From real-world, been-
there and done-that experience, I can say without reservation that a
person’s experience is the only true and valid qualification. I’ve met so
many frustrated PhD’s who are totally unemployable to the point of
being useless because they’ve no real-world, real-life experience
base, which, in turn, equates to zero marketable value. Remember
this and believe it; your education is not a qualification it is only a
credential.
We’ve all heard the old joke that PhD really means Pizza Hut Delivery.
The designations I use in my correspondence and on my business

card following my name are CSP, which stands for ‘Certified Speaking
Professional’…and HSG, which stands for ‘High School Graduate’.
I take great pride in the fact that I haven’t been handicapped with an
advanced formal education.
Perhaps you’ve heard the expression Thinking Outside of the Box? In
my travels I’ve met so many people who lack the ability to create
anything original because their college education bred conformity and
rigid thinking. Their advanced education took away their ability to go
outside of the box. Excuse me; I’ll say this repeatedly... your school is
the box.
Our Business Schools today are turning out armies of middle

managers with semi-worthless, cookie-cutter educations, when in
truth; most wealthy and prosperous people are free-spirited
entrepreneurs with limited formal educations.
If you really want to impress me, tell me about the events, the skills,
and the experiential knowledge you’ve gathered over the course of
your life. Personally, I judge a person’s value by the depth of their
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personal character and the value of their personal experiences. Don’t
be whining to me about why life isn’t fair because here you’ve got this
advanced degree and you still ain’t getting any cheese.
A welfare mentality
So, you’re not getting all of those things you want out of life? It just
doesn’t seem fair, does it? So what!
The world doesn’t owe you a living, much less prosperity. The United
States of America only guarantees Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of
Happiness. Happiness is not a constitutional right; you only have the
right to be allowed to go for it. Nobody owes you happiness or
success. And, if you’re a failure, it’s neither my fault nor is it my
responsibility. Don’t stack your wimpy baggage on my doorstep.
If you’re not happy or prosperous, then whose fault is it anyway? So

many people on this planet actually prefer to wallow in self-pity and
excuse-making. Personally, I will never accept guilt or blame…and I
will certainly never apologize to anyone for what I have legitimately
earned. How could anyone ever expect to become prosperous or
wealthy when they’re refusing to accept responsibility and take charge
of their own lives?
Road kill strewn across life’s highway! Yes, the highways of our lives
are spattered with flattened carcasses of wimps and whiners and other
varieties of assorted losers who will envy your successes and
automatically assume they’ve got a right to what you’ve legitimately
earned. Remember this; you have a constitutional right to be
successful, happy and prosperous. There’s always going be those
nasty small-minded crabs lurking in the shadows of life waiting for an
opportunity to take a shot at you. They don’t want to succeed
themselves or to better their own lives. It is their sole purpose and
primary mission to drag you back down. Misery loves company.
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Life ain’t fair and so what

I’m sincerely sorry so many people find solace and security in the
excuses they’ve manufactured as to why it is okay to fail because life
has dealt them a bad hand. I’m amazed to see so many people have
given up and accepted less than they deserve out of life because they
believe the world has conspired against them. I see all of the excuse-
makers who’ve justified their failures and shortcomings. They take
comfort in the flawed thinking that it’s impossible for them to succeed
because of factors they perceive to be beyond their control. Some
people’s bad attitudes predestine them to be stuck at the bottom of
every pile and the end of every line. I am sick of catering to life’s
losers, whiners and professional victims. It appears as if some people
might actually enjoy whining more than winning.
Yes, I agree, there’s discrimination, prejudice and injustice in the world

and it’s wrong. There’s so many people out there filled with mindless
hate and jealousy. But just because some people are mean spirited
and bigoted is no excuse for you to wallow in your own self-pity. Don’t
justify your failures because of something you perceive the world’s
doing to you. The prejudice of others may be an obstacle but you
should never allow it to become an unbreakable barrier. That would
then be your choice.
Some people have been festering inside, wallowing in self-pity and

justifying their failures for so long they may never find their way back.
The real hope is in being sure we don’t pass this infectious negativity
on to other generations. It starts with educating fresh, unspoiled
minds. All children deserve a head start. They need the education and
the emotional tools to break out and succeed.
When I talk about losers, whiners, wimps and crybabies, I’m

describing people who justify failure by blaming external forces in their
lives. I am talking directly about and directly to those people who
believe they have a right to give up and lay down because they think
life isn’t fair.
What is…is
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Doctor Frederick S. Perls was responsible for another quote I’ve
stored away deep in the back recesses of my mind. It’s one of those
remnants left over from all of those get-your-stuff-together self-
awareness seminars in the big hotel ballrooms that I sat through back
in the seventies.
It goes something like this… “What is…is…and what ain’t…ain’t…

and so what!”
I’ve always called this particular Fritz Perls quote the theory of reality.
Life isn’t perfect but it is what it is and it ain’t what it ain’t. Period! End
of discussion! You can’t change ‘what is’ by wishing that ‘it wasn’t’.
Things are the way they are. Change only takes place in the future,
never in the present.
Why would anyone go through life hiding behind built in excuses

telling everyone why their life isn’t working? If someone can justify all
of their failures and non-accomplishments with the pride of knowing
it’s not their fault, then what’s the point? If any of these things sound
familiar, stop blaming your problems and failures on other people,
circumstances, and those things that are beyond your control. One
thing prosperous people have in common is they’ve taken charge of
their lives. No excuses!
Successful people must be prepared to be

disliked
In the book ‘Think and Grow Rich’, Napoleon Hill lists the fear of
criticism as one of the biggest single reasons many people do not
achieve wealth and prosperity. Looking back through my personal
experiences, over the course of my entire life, I’ve found this to be
true. With most of us, it started when you were a teenager and peer
pressure began to control your life. You can probably remember doing
some incredibly ‘stoopid’ jackass things in an attempt to be accepted
by the other kids. You didn’t want to be criticized. This mentality has
now spilled over into our adult lives and, subconsciously, it rules and
still holds us back.
A common characteristic shared by most of the worlds’ wealthiest and

most successful people is they’re different than other people. The
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quickest route to failure is conformity. Don’t expect to become wealthy,
prosperous, and successful doing what everyone else is doing. Some
things should be obvious. If you really want to become wealthy, do
things differently.
A person operating with a winning mindset must be light on your feet

and able to go with your gut instinct. Once you’re totally tuned in, you’ll
make decisions quickly and, usually, accurately. People not used to
operating on a higher level will call you impulsive. Personally, I have
limited patience with slow-thinkers and indecisive people. I agonize
when I see people in restaurants who can’t make a menu decision.
Quick-thinking is a key ingredient in creating a dynamic power

posture. In other words, don’t be indecisive and waste time trying to
get everything perfect. Make a decision, go with it and then adjust on
the run. It doesn’t always have to be perfect the first time.
When you begin to process information more rapidly in your mind, I

believe your mind begins to grow stronger something like an athlete
exercising. Quick and accurate decisions are the trademark of a
disciplined mind. The executive mind learns to go with instinct in most
situations.
Sometimes making the right decisions are painful and you must be
prepared to do the right thing even if it is unpopular.
Have no envy
I don’t want anything you have and I will waste no energy trying to take
it away from you or bring you down. There’s no time in my life for those
petty intrigues and jealousy. I genuinely want you to achieve the
ultimate levels of success. Nothing would please me more than if you
were to read this book and, as a result, become extremely wealthy,
prosperous and successful. Actually, it would make me extremely
happy if your achievements in life and prosperity were to surpass
mine.
Personally, we should all thrill in other people’s successes. Over the

last decade I’ve legitimately helped many people to get started. Deep
in my heart, I swear to you this is the truth; I’ll celebrate your success
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and will be enthusiastically happy for you when you have it. I will
always be your greatest cheerleader!
Celebrate the achievements of others. Support them. Don’t envy

winners in life or resent them for it. It is so ironic when you take pause
and realize, almost everyone on the face of the Earth would love to be
rich. If the pursuit of happiness is an American Dream, then why do so
many people dedicate so much energy attacking wealthy people as if
we’ve done something wrong by getting here?
Think about it. In the movies, television and literature wealthy people
seem to always be portrayed as scheming, conniving and devious…
downright evil people. The best example might be the programming
most of us were exposed to in the movie Titanic.
In Titanic we saw poor Leonardo DiCaprio partying down with the fun-
loving virtuous ‘good people’ down in steerage while that evil rich
bastard so-sadistically well played by Billy Zane was doing despicable
and rotten things…as in he couldn’t be trusted, had no honor, and his
word was no good. Remember when he grabbed a child pretending to
be the father so he could get on the lifeboat when men weren’t being
allowed. The carefully crafted subliminal message throughout the
movie was that rich people suck…and it’s good to be poor.
Politicians have a field day with their Tax the Wealthy platforms.
Religious zealots try to make you feel guilty for having it, while, at the
same time, they’re picking your pocket.
When you catch yourself taking unreasonable shots at wealthy people,

remember this, they’re only doing what you’d love to be able to do
yourself. If life is truly a bucket of crabs, try not to become one of
them. You’ll never reach the lofty levels of personal prosperity if you
are continually wasting positive energy by negatively pulling other
people down.
See each person as an individual

I’ve had to change many things about myself in my quest for success.
Prejudice and intolerance is a major roadblock on the road to riches.
When I first began to see every person as a unique individual, not as
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part of a race, nationality or group, it was one of the most important
revelations of my life. It’s an essential element of The Equation.
We live in a diverse world, and, whether you like it like it not; you have
to be able to interact with a broad variety of different people of different
races, religions and nationalities. This was really hard for me. Growing
up in Jacksonville, I’d developed an extensive, long laundry list of
exactly what type of people I didn’t like. I’d even developed priority
categories of which kind of people I liked less than other kinds.
This was among my most difficult challenges. It was a major mind shift
for me when I made a conscious decision to evaluate each individual I
meet on his or her own personal qualities and values instead of seeing
them as part of a larger group. Sometimes when I am making a
judgmental decision about someone, I just look at them and think to
myself, “They’re just doing the best they can.” Everyone is just trying
to be happy, and I can’t begrudge them the opportunity to go for it. I’ve
learned to celebrate everyone’s victories and to reach out to them.
Now, don’t get me wrong. There are losers in every group, every race,
every religion, and every nationality. I still reserve the right to dislike
people who have criminal values. I still have no use for wimps and
whiners and losers of any description, no matter what their race,
nationality or religion happens to be. It usually makes me angry when
people tend to be clannish. If people of a particular religion or group
exclude me as a person, I have a big problem with that. Most of us
generally have a tendency to dislike people who dislike us. In other
words, I have learned to despise racists, no matter what race they
happen to belong to themselves. My newfound desire for tolerance is
all about genuinely giving everyone a chance as an individual, instead
of blindly categorizing him or her by stereotype as part of a group.
Prejudice is destructive. It holds you back and limits opportunities.

Many of the people who knew me thirty years ago are still solidly stuck
in their old paradigms. They’re actually amazed to find out I have
friends from foreign countries, other races and other cultures. I have
developed friendships and business relationships with all types of
people.
If your personal paradigm involves intolerance, you’ll never advance to

the highest levels of The Prosperity Equation. You must force your
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mind open and make a sincere commitment to understand where
other people are coming from and to see every situation in life from
their point of view. Until you’re able to crash through your personal
barriers, you’ll never be able to move on to achieve the greater levels
of success. Dedicate all of your energy toward positive goals
eliminating barriers and distractions.
The bottom line is all about the bottom line. In today’s world chances
are you’ll never be prosperous or successful if you’ve built walls
between you and other people. Reach out and embrace diversity and
you’ll find out those people are really not much different than you are.
Get out of my way!

I sincerely hope everyone in the world gets everything they want out of
their lives. My wish is for your life to turn out exactly the way you want
it to be. My sincere and heartfelt desire is for you to have everything
you’ve ever wished for. I wish you the absolute best, no matter who
you are. As long as you stay out of my way!
I have many personal friends who fall into some of the categories and
mentalities I’m describing in this book. There’s nothing wrong with
anyone choosing to be any way they want to be as long as they
respect my right not to be like them. A simple philosophy left over from
the seventies still guides my judgment...You have the right to do
whatever you want as long as it doesn’t interfere with the rights of
others.
I get up every morning feeling alive and free. I am totally in charge of

my destiny. Let me be who I am and, in return, I will respect your
dreams and your lifestyle.
Clinging to a retirement dream

Right now, I want you to stop; put the book down…go out and pick up
this morning’s newspaper…or go to the electronic version on the
internet. Now, click on the business section. It really doesn’t matter
what day it is, some major corporation, somewhere, just announced
plans to lay off hundreds or even thousands of people, right? Turn on
the television at six o’clock. Read Business Week Magazine or Time
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or Newsweek, the news is the same. The one thing most of those laid-
off people have in common is they trusted and depended on their
company and their government to take care of them for the rest of
their lives. They have what I describe as a retirement mentality.
Laid off, downsized and discarded

One of life’s greatest human tragedies is the laid-off executive who
relied on his/her education and the years they invested with the
company to get them through all of the way to the end of their life.
Now, here they find themselves downsized and discarded, bitter, out-
of-work, laid-off, middle-aged, and starting over. Corporations throw
away people as if they were discarding old dishrags. Most of these
people don’t have a Plan B.
A core philosophy essential to The Equation is to saturate your mind

with success. Well, that being said I have become a student of
everything associated with ground level, in the trenches,
entrepreneurism. I subscribe to literally every magazine and E-zine
associated with starting or growing an entrepreneurial business.
Recently, an article in Fortune Magazine rocked my world. The title of

the article was…‘50 and Fired’. Fortune dedicated eight pages of the
magazine to detailing how older workers in today’s society are usually
laid off first and why most of them find themselves involuntarily
permanently retired. In other words, no matter how solid your resume’
and track record appears to be; chances are you’ll not find a
replacement position. Sure there are laws but there are just as many
ways for corporations to get around the laws under the guise of
legitimate business purposes.
The article in Fortune appeared to be well researched (most of their

stuff is highly credible) and their conclusions made sense to the
informed mind. In today’s environment it appears that youth will prevail
over time-proven, seasoned professionals when cuts and layoffs
happen. Rapidly changing technology being integrated into the
workplace definitely gives them the edge.
Unfortunately, the youth of today rapidly find themselves becoming the

50 year-olds of tomorrow…and, trust me, it happens suddenly.
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The one thing in that article that jumped off of the pages and grabbed
me by the throat was on the last page. The author(s) quoted an
outplacement job counselor from Dallas, Texas, John McDorman. His
recommendation was for these corporate executives to consider
abandoning their job searches and investigate the possibility of
acquiring or starting their own business.
The only thing you can count on is yourself

My father gave thirty-four years of his life to the United States Navy in
return for promises and covenants made to him by the U.S.
Government. In his twilight years those promises were broken
repeatedly as Congress chipped away at earned military retirement
benefits. That’s when I first began to solidify the philosophy...there’s no
external security. I made a decision. This unit is self-sufficient.
Here in the early years of the new millennium, most of the work force
will consists of people in their late twenties through their early forties…
Generation X employees…these people can expect to experience
multiple job changes over the course of their lifetime. In the modern
workforce, neither the employees nor the employers view their
employment contract as a lifelong relationship. For most of the people
who are still running in the twenty-first century rat race, it’s going to be
a bumpy ride. You must take control of your destiny. Even if you’re
young and optimistic, chances are the retirement income you were
counting on will never materialize. That’s why it makes so much sense
for younger people to grab hold of their destiny and start planning to
own their own business now.
We’ve seen our corporations and our government continuing to export

the best jobs to foreign countries. Young people today are faced with
dwindling opportunities in the job market. Once again, the choices
appear to be obvious, you can either start your own, highly profitable
business now…or learn to supersize fries.
Just last week I read an article predicting a record 1.4 million

Americans will declare personal bankruptcy in this coming year. It’s a
fact the individual standard of living in The United States has
separated our society into two classes. The middle-class is rapidly
disappearing.
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There’s no security
There are no guarantees in life. Don’t count on Social Security. It
probably won’t be there for you. Politicians have gutted the Social
Security fund. They’ve borrowed trillions against your money to fund
other programs.
I am a fifty-nine year old man, a Baby Boomer. Well, guess what

folks? My generation is waking up to the realization that most of us are
going to be totally screwed. Life is about to become very difficult for
many of those who were born in the forties, fifties and sixties. There
isn’t enough money to retire and the government will not be able to
support you. I envision many of my lifelong friends living out their final
years in poverty.
People looking for security and guaranteed retirement in today’s world

are probably going to suffer major disappointments. They will go to
their graves bitter, broke, and disillusioned; still blaming their company
and their government for not taking better care of them. But in truth,
it’s their own fault because they never grabbed for the wheel and took
control of steering their own destiny.
Me, Retire? Never!

I fully intend to die on the speaker’s platform
----James A. Ziegler, CSP, HSG
People often ask me, “What do you like to do for fun?”
I always answer, “Everything!”
Personally, I’ll never retire. I’m having too much fun. The very concept
of retirement horrifies me. What a repulsive idea. I already have a
Gold Watch and, if I really wanted another one, then I’d just go out and
buy one, or two, or three, or four more.
My ultimate goal is to die on the speaker’s platform during a wild

standing ovation from four thousand cheering people directly after I
performed the most magnificent speech of my entire career. I’ll be up
there standing on the speaker’s platform, smiling, taking bows, waving
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at the crowd, soaking up the applause and then, suddenly, a weird
confused look will appear on my contorted face…I’ll grab my chest
and go…“Argh-gh-gh-gh”…my eyes will roll up in my head ... then I’ll
fall straight backwards...thud…one last wheezy exhale and then…
curtains…the end! I intend to go out with style.
Retirement is only a goal for bored people who hate their work. People
who genuinely love what they do would never want to retire. I prefer to
die working, vibrant and alive rather than to die miserable, sitting
around waiting for death. One thing you can be sure of is I’ll be alive
until the very moment I die.
If you’ve got a retirement mentality, starting your own business is a

probably a bad idea anyway. You’re going to have a massive heart
attack, a stroke, or a nervous breakdown or something. Don’t do it!
This isn’t for you. Relax, put the book down and go fishing. Take a tai-
chi course at the Junior College or something.
It all boils down to priorities. Some of us are destined to grab for the
golden ring while others are destined to play shuffleboard at the home.
Personally, I intend to die while I’m still making a significant difference.
There are those people who may be content to retire and get a part-
time job handing out the carts at Wal-Mart. Well, if that’s what you
want, go for it. I suppose that’s a beautiful thing too.
Vacation mentality
Have you been infected with the disease I call the vacation mentality?
If you live to play, if you’re one of those people who are continually
planning your next vacation, forget it!
People with an employee mindset spend more time planning their

weekends than they do planning their lives. That’s certainly not an
entrepreneurial or business owner’s mindset. Entrepreneurs are
driven people. Yes, there’s a time to party down. All I’m saying is don’t
preoccupy yourself with frivolity.
Vacation mentality people are always looking for a day off and can
hardly wait for five o’clock to roll around. They’re still lobbying for the
four-day workweek. Every Friday by two o’clock, they’re already down
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the road off for the weekend. Vacation mentality people always show
up late and leave early.
It never ceases to amaze me when I’m interviewing prospective

employees to work for my company just how many people have no
drive whatsoever. I immediately eliminate applicants when they inquire
about how much time off they’re going to get before they ask
questions about the position, the money, or the advancement
opportunities.
“Those people who are always telling me to

stop and smell the roses probably can’t
afford to buy any damn roses.”
---James A. Ziegler, CSP, HSG 1982—
Have you ever noticed the overwhelming majority of people who are
lecturing you about ‘money isn’t everything’ don’t have any?
Remember this, the Crabs in your life have one goal, and it is to drag
you down to their level so they can justify to themselves their own lack
of success. The overwhelming majority of people who put down wealth
don’t have it…they never will have it…and they are mentally,
emotionally, and intellectually incapable of ever attaining it. Never take
financial advice from people who don’t have any.
What motivates you?

As a manager and later, as a business owner, author and public
speaker, I’ve had the opportunity to observe many people during their
less guarded moments. If you’re preparing to start a business of your
own, do you have the courage to examine your motives?
This is experience talking now. I’ve known many people who just jump
out there and start a business because they think it’s going to be easy.
Believe me; whatever you are doing right now is probably a whole hell
of a lot easier than starting and running your own business.
Many businesses fail because brand new entrepreneurs were not

mentally or emotionally prepared for uncertainty and insecurity. Those
things go with the territory. The first bump in the road was devastating
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for them. They weren’t prepared, they didn’t have the right
temperament, and they went into it for all of the wrong reasons from
the offset.
Owning your own business and being your own boss is not for
everyone. It takes a certain type of person. Regardless, if you buy into
my observations about this or not, this chapter should be insightful
when you are dealing with others. Through the years of interacting
with my fellow human beings in assorted situations and
circumstances, I have developed the nasty habit of categorizing
everyone I meet. After I have gotten to know them, I can usually
categorize just about everyone’s personality into to one of these
niches... stuffing them into one box or another.
As a professional business consultant, I’ve developed a reputation

among my clients for being a ‘quick read’. What this means is I can
literally walk through someone’s company, talk to a few employees,
look at a few situations, ask a couple of questions and then turn
around and immediately suggest dramatic changes in the way they do
business. I’m paid an incredible amount of money because I possess
this talent.
Everyone, to some degree, spends their entire life portraying

themselves to others as if they were actors in a stage play. They
assume the role in life of trying to become who they think they are and
who they think they’re supposed to be. Sometimes the other
supporting actors in their lives convince them their character is
doomed to fail in life. So they write it into their script and make sure
they live their lives in such a way as to fit the fate of the character they
have created for themselves.
Read this next chapter with a fully opened mind and see if you can
spot yourself and some of the other supporting actors in your life.
Money motivated people

Money motivated people are life’s bottom feeders. People who really
are money motivated are the scum of the earth. They’ve got no
character, no sense of honor, no depth, and no loyalty. You can never
trust them. They lack ethics and moral values. These people make
excellent hookers, pawnbrokers and ghetto loan sharks.
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To me, money is important but it’s just one of the ways winners keep
score.
Are you money motivated? I certainly hope not. In my experience,

money motivated people are life’s losers. I’ve often heard sales
managers say they wish they could hire more sales representatives
who are more money motivated. Of course, they don’t really mean
money motivated. In fact, the qualities they should be looking for in
their applicants should center on achievement oriented people.
Recognition Motivated People

A Labrador Retriever is recognition motivated. Give her a pat on the
head, rub her stomach, and throw her a few bones and she’s happy.
Recognition motivated people are the exact opposite of money
motivated people. They’d prefer a title on their business card or a
management promotion instead of a financial reward. Recognition
motivated people have a desperate need to be featured in the
spotlight and prefer a pat on the back, public applause, and an
honorable mention in the newspaper. Throw ‘em a few bones and
they’re happy.
Recognition motivated people make great volunteers. They also rate

very low on my respect meter. Most recognition motivated people
began their quest for acceptance back in elementary school when they
first volunteered to become Hall Monitors and School Crossing
Guards.
Everyone needs some recognition for his or her accomplishments and

achievements. Successful and prosperous people need positive
feedback. When I am discussing recognition motivated people, I am
talking about those people who prefer to be poorly paid big shots and
authority despots. Everyone has encountered these stuffed shirt
personalities who believe their title alone makes him or her out to be
somebody important.
Leadership Motivated People
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Of course you might be one of those leadership motivated people.
This is a close relative of that recognition motivated wimp I described
in the previous paragraph.
If you are truly leadership motivated, all you need to be completely

happy is to be in charge. The most notable example of a leadership
motivated personality that immediately springs to mind is Deputy
Barney Fife of Mayberry.
Creativity motivated people

Of course, you might be one of those artsy-craftsy folks. Maybe you’re
one of those intellectuals who wear Birchenstocks with shorts and
socks. Many people choose to be creativity motivated.
There is clearly a need in this world for the artists and the entertainers.
I sincerely love these people! It’s perfectly wonderful. They dance to
their own music. If this is the way they’ve chosen to live their lives, I’m
in total accord with them. I am only pointing out the obvious. They
rarely make good business people. It’s something about which side of
the brain their life is operating out of. Anyway, I don’t have anything
against them and many of them actually do become wealthy. They just
don’t fit into the entrepreneurial profile described in this forum.
Of course, many people are philosophic, idealistic, and artistic. They’ll

be the first to tell you there are more important things in life than
money and success and all of those things I live and breathe every
day of my life.
Maybe you’re personally prepared to sacrifice your whole life for a

cause or an organization or a charity. Well God bless you. I would
never put you down for dedicating your life to a noble cause. But, if
that’s where you’re coming from, allow me to ask you a question?
“Why in the Hell did you buy this book?”
As a footnote here, it has also been my experience that martyrs don’t

usually fit into the entrepreneurial profile either.
Average people
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The most pitiful examples of people who choose to be predestined to

failure are those people who are satisfied and justified by the fact that
they’re average. Whenever you suggest they could do better, they
start to recite statistics or refer to any documentation they can find to
prove their performance is ‘average’. Well…let me hit you with one of
my favorite original ‘Zieglerisms’ from my speeches and seminars…
“Average is the exact point where ‘sucks’ begins.”
“Average is the exact point where ‘sucks’

begins.”
---James A. Ziegler, CSP, HSG---
Success motivated people

Maybe, just maybe, you might be one of those rare success motivated
individuals who have the drive, the ambition and the talent to succeed.
A strong work ethic is essential. There’s no vacation mentality spoken
here.
Success motivated people will have the money, the recognition, and
the quality time those other shallow, frustrated, personalities only
dream about. Success motivated people are true leaders because
success draws others to you. There’s even a little artistic side to them
because you must be extremely creative to achieve. Success
motivated people are naturally charitable and giving. They’re always
reaching out and helping others to achieve. Success motivated people
have strong ethics and morals, ideals and loyalty. They’ve no time to
become ensnared in petty intrigues and other insignificant distractions
in their lives. They’re totally focused on goals and principles. And, as
you may have already guessed, success motivated people are the
leaders, looked up to and recognized by others. And yes, they’re
artistic and imaginative.
Real winners in life are sensitive and caring about those who have
less. Remember, poverty is not a virtue and being poor is not noble.
The best way to help the poor is not by supporting them for the rest of
their lives or, worse yet, by becoming one of them. Now please, don’t
misinterpret what I’m trying to say here. I’m not putting down poor
people. And, yes I do have compassion and there’s charity in my
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heart. I clearly make a distinction in my mind and I am always ready to
help those who truly are in need.
Competition Motivated People

Successful people are competitive by nature. Every morning when I
first wake up and look in the mirror, face-to-face, one-on-one, alone
with myself, I look into my own eyes and remind myself …“Today I’m
going to win.” I always show up to play with my ‘game face’ on.
I always show up with my game face on…if

I’m in the game I came to win.
---James A. Ziegler, CSP, HSG December 2006---
A person’s competitive nature is a fundamental human instinct. It’s a

basic survival thing. Close your eyes for just a moment and picture
this…Planet Earth several million years ago. A cave man wakes up at
the first light of dawn. He looks down at his family still sleeping near
the smoldering ashes of last night’s fire. He slings his heavy club over
his shoulder and walks out of the cave to meet the rising sun with
these words on lips… “Today I am going to kill something!”
Sometimes you eat the bear...sometimes the

bear eats you
Of course that was way back there at a time when man really was a
hunter…a time when the animals actually did have a sporting chance.
Cavemen had to be faster and smarter than the prey and there was
always the risk he would end up becoming prey himself. There was
always a possibility he would come home with nothing and his family
would not eat.
Cavemen and cavewomen were entrepreneurs out of necessity. We

have strong evidence that early man bartered and traded. We know
they were forced to be at the top of their game every day just to
survive. They were in competition with nature and the elements as
well as other tribes. From birth they were taught to survive in a hostile,
competitive world.
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My personal opinion of the public school system is admittedly
negative. Excuse me; I feel our young people are being systematically
deprogrammed. Our public institutions train children to become just
another ant on the anthill. Our ‘alleged’ educational system injects our
children with ever-larger doses of conformity...systematically
assassinating young competitive spirits.
Of course, I would never condemn the work of all of the teaching

professionals. Were it not for the patience and the dedication of some
really great teachers, I would not be able to express these thoughts on
paper today. I’ll readily admit there are many wonderful, professional
teachers out there who really do care.
Schools are the box

Several times I’ve mentioned the conceptual idea of thinking outside
of the box; once again, I submit to you that our schools, especially our
universities, are the box. Beginning in Kindergarten we teach
uniformity and complacency instead of innovation and creativity.
Despite the fact many schoolteachers are dedicated and professional,
there are ever so many more that are inept, apathetic and unqualified.
Children are born fearless, assuming they’re bulletproof, invisible and

totally indestructible. Small children have incredible imaginations with
absolutely no capacity to envision they could possibly fail at anything.
They have a natural capacity for thinking big. It’s the adults, the
teachers, and other assorted institutional Crabs who are beating down
their imaginations and killing their dreams. We aggressively
systematically reprogram their minds replacing curiosity with
mediocrity. We reward conformity and punish individuality. Our
children are treated like prisoners in a penitentiary with unreasonable
little nit-picky rules and inane teachers who lack the ability to
communicate on an adult level. Many of these teachers are power-
hungry tyrants with severe personal issues. They rule their tiny
kingdoms with absolute power.
Excuse me, this is The United States of America, and, as Americans,

we are born competitors with a history of winning.
Okay, here’s an example to illustrate the point. I remember, years ago,

when my son, Zachary, was playing Tee-Ball. If you don’t have
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children, Tee-Ball is beginner’s baseball for five and six year-old
children (mostly boys). Instead of having a pitcher, the little kid stands
at the plate and hits a ball off of a tee.
Those games are hilarious. At that age, children are not yet
completely focused and, one might guess, they tend to be somewhat
uncoordinated. Truthfully, if one of the kids were to hit the ball directly
to the pitcher, the kid who stands where a pitcher would have been if
there was a pitcher, it would probably be an infield homerun.
Tee-Ball is one of those events where young kids are supposed to

begin to learn skills and teamwork and the importance of winning, or,
at least, that’s the way I pictured it.
Well, the year Zach played; they threw this big pool party for the team
at the end of the season. All of the little kids and their parents showed
up and had hot dogs and Cokes® and party games. Basically,
everyone said his or her good-byes until next season.
Then the coach gathered up the team one last time and conducted a
little ceremony where he said something memorable about each one
of the kids…and then he gave each kid on the team a trophy. He
even gave a trophy to the little kid who urinated right in the middle of
center field during a Saturday game. You heard me; he urinated right
in front of all of the parents and spectators. We’re talking about the
same little kid who liked to sit in center field during a game and fill his
glove up with dirt and throw it up in the air.
Watching the coach give that particular little kid a trophy sent me into
orbit. You will rarely ever see me as angry as I was on that occasion.
My kid was a fairly good little Tee-Ball player; he worked hard and
practiced a lot to earn it. He certainly deserved his trophy. But why
were we giving a trophy to this little kid? I’m sorry. I just don’t get it. I
never will understand the concept of rewarding losers just because
they showed up.
Excuse me, I really don’t care, take this anyway you want...little loser
kids don’t deserve a trophy. What kind of message is that? Did that
child learn anything about teamwork or winning? Twenty years later
he’ll show up in the work force, still goofing off, still losing and still
expecting a free trophy. I’m sorry.
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Did you ever wonder why so many young people aren’t able to
function in today’s society? They’re not being taught pride in personal
achievement and personal accomplishment. Could it be because
they’ve never been taught to respect winning? Is it any wonder so few
people develop the entrepreneurial mindset?
Then again, a few years later, I refused to let Zach play soccer in the
community soccer league because some of the mothers had gotten
together and voted not to keep score during the games. I interpreted
this message we were sending to the kids to mean... “We endorse
losing.”
It’s sad. These kids will go through life with minimal accomplishments,
aiming at low goals. No one kept score because we didn’t want to
embarrass the little loser kids. They’ll never realize the feeling of
exhilaration for being a winner at anything. If you’ve ever wondered
why more and more kids today appear to be low achievers, well,
maybe you’re right. They’re systematically programmed to accept that
losing is okay. That’s the way we raise them these days.
An immigrant coming to this country has an overwhelming statistical

edge over those of us who were born here? I read somewhere that
immigrants have a 72% greater probability of becoming a millionaire
than a native born American Citizen. Could it be the reason they have
a statistically greater probability of success is perhaps because so
many of them have known hardship and suppression. Maybe, they
came from a place where they didn’t have this abundance of freedom
and opportunities. Maybe they’re aggressively building their futures
and working hard instead of waiting around for something to be given
to them. Maybe they don’t expect to be rewarded for failure or average
performance. Maybe, just maybe, wherever they came from only the
winners got the trophies.
The rock climbing wall

There’s one of those new Mega-Superstore Sporting Equipment
places, a big store in the big new mall near my home. They’ve got this
really challenging, extremely difficult rock-climbing wall. Every
Saturday, fifty-two weeks a year, there are dozens of people waiting in
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line to challenge the wall. Sometimes it may be more than two hours
after you signed up initially before you even get a shot at it. Young kids
and adults, men and women, boys and girls, very few people make it
even half way up before they become fatigued. One after another, they
fall off of the wall and are lowered down by their safety harnesses.
When he was only twelve years old I’m proud to say my son, Zachary,
made it to the top of the wall and rung the bell at the top on four
different occasions; which, by the way, is every time he ever attempted
it. They gave him a tee shirt that says, I Climbed the Wall. That shirt
was like a trophy, one of his proudest possessions. He wore it until it
virtually fell apart. I would doubt if even one person out of fifty who
sets out to climb the wall ever makes it to top even once in their
lifetime, much less four times. Zach was not particularly athletic then
but strength alone is not what gets you to the top. My son got to the
top of the wall four times because there was no other option in his
mind but to make it all the way. He willed his way to the top when
others gave up. There were many people who made an attempt to do
it, who were physically able, but they weren’t committed enough and
their character was not strong enough to get there. They could have
done it but they gave up. I have taught my son to have heart.
Eagle Scout
I’m fairly certain most of you are not going to lay this book down right
now and run out and join the Scouts. If you have children, I strongly
advise you to get them involved in Scouting.
In my Prosperity Seminars, I try to get people to see the value of

raising children to appreciate entrepreneurial values. There are many
activities and organizations which will prepare children to develop
focus and character. For me it was The Scouts.
When I was a kid, becoming an Eagle Scout was one of my all-

consuming goals. Scouting taught me some of the most valuable,
enduring lessons of my entire life. The values of honor and integrity
are at the heart of the Scouting philosophy. To me Scouting is a
blueprint and a foundation for successful living. Today, I still list the
fact I am an Eagle Scout very high on my resume’ as one of my life’s
proudest accomplishments.
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New Millennium
Sometimes during my seminars I’ll ask for a show of hands. “How
many of you were in scouting when you were a kid?”
On occasion maybe as many as twenty men will raise their hands.

Then I’ll ask the follow up question… “How many of you achieved the
rank of Eagle Scout?”
At that point it is rare that even one hand will remain raised.
You see, many people get into Scouting when they are young but very
few see it all of the way to the goal.
Yes, even back when I was a young teenager Scouting was

considered nerdy and uncool in many circles. Peer pressure was
against it. But, you know what? I see many of those same kids
today…grown up now…and I also see how their lives have turned out.
Whether it’s Scouting or any other ‘achievement oriented’ activity;
there will always be non-achievers who feel threatened and will
ridicule those who go for it.
Ross Perot, Sam Walton, Gerald Ford and many others; some of the
wealthiest and most successful people of our time, some of our
greatest leaders, were also Eagle Scouts. I am proud to be associated
with this often maligned fraternity of achievers.
The Last Gladiator

Most of us have heard the legend about Babe Ruth and the called
shot. They say the great Babe Ruth stepped to the plate and pointed
to the right field fence. He called his shot. And when the ball sailed
over the right field fence the crowd went wild.
Winning is important. If you have children, now is the time to start

developing their minds and attitudes. Attitude is everything. It is the
essential ingredient to winning.
Personally, I’m a competitor. As I often tell my audiences, I am the last

gladiator. When you see me in the game, you can bet your life I came
to win. I play everything in my life that way. Competition is total
commitment to winning. If I don’t win, it’s okay as long as I know I went
for it. Part of The Prosperity Equation is to live with intensity.
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New Millennium
Something incredible just happened as I was writing this chapter. Stop

the presses! Wow! This is absolutely ironic. Eerie! I have to believe
this is an omen. You may not tend to believe what I am about to write.
If I were reading this, I’d have to be skeptical myself, eyebrow raised,
but I swear to you, this is not something I am putting into the book just
to make it more colorful. This is really happening.
It’s a Sunday afternoon here in Atlanta as I am writing these words.

The television playing in the background across the room here in my
office is tuned to the TBS Super Station. The movie Rocky II is
playing. Here’s where it becomes surreal. In the movie Adrian
(Rocky’s wife) is waking up, just coming out of a coma in the hospital.
They’ve just seen their new son for the first time and then she asked
Rocky to come closer and she looked into his eyes and said… “I want
you to win.”
Imagine that, just as I was writing this chapter about winning and
competition, Rocky II comes on the television and Adrian tells Rocky
to go for it. Of all of the movies that could possibly enhance the mood
as I am writing a chapter about the importance of winning and the
competitive spirit, Rocky II has got to be the epitome of metaphors.
You know, this may sound funny to you, but right now, at this very
moment, as I am writing these words; tears are rolling down my face
and I’m laughing out loud.
I’ve seen every one of the Rocky movies at least a zillion times and
still, it never ceases to affect me this way. Right now, I’m still watching
the movie as Rocky is training, lifting weights, doing one-arm pushups
and running through the streets of Philadelphia. The Rocky theme
music is playing and here I am, sitting at my desk, in front of the word-
processor, emotionally involved…cheering and laughing out loud. This
is the same incredible feeling I always feel when it gets to this part of
the movie. I love winners, especially underdogs. Winning feels good!
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New Millennium
Know God
If you’re ever going to be truly prosperous, you’ve got to believe in a
power bigger than yourself. Yes, it’s true; many rich people do not
have a relationship with God. None of this will make sense to you until
you realize that Prosperity means more than money and material
wealth. This concept is a key philosophy, a requirement; you must
have a relationship with God before you can unlock the vault. It’s a
basic non-negotiable element in The Equation.
Prosperity is spiritual
I believe everyone has to have a fundamental Spiritual Base. There is
a God. Personally, I choose to be a Methodist but no matter what your
religion is, I believe it’s probably all about the same God anyway. I
could not envision my God, the Supreme Being, the all-knowing, all-
powerful, all-seeing, all-loving God would have created all of these
different religions. Religion is the creation of men and is the result of
men’s schemes and attempts to dominate and control other men
(women). It’s a shame to think men have created so many different
religions in an attempt to separate and control each other but,
unfortunately; that’s the way I see it. If you are to truly enjoy the
freedom of religion, you have to respect others right to believe in
whatever they choose without interference. Regardless of your
religion, whether you are a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, or of any other
faith, I am saying you must believe in something. If you are to ever
become totally successful and prosperous, there must be a higher
source in your life. In this complex and diverse world, there are
thousands of different religions and beliefs. I will never interfere with
your right to believe or not to believe in whatever you choose and I
demand you respect my right to believe and live according to my
beliefs.
The Equation demands tolerance and respect for the beliefs of others.
In order to receive unlimited abundance and true prosperity; you must

believe everything you have and everything you accomplish are gifts
from your God. You must accept as truth that God gave you the ability
to think and reason. Personally, I speak with my God every day.
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New Millennium
There’s no doubt in my mind God expects us to prosper. If you read

the New Testament Bible, in The Parable of the Talents, you’ll notice
only one servant was punished, the one who buried his talent and did
not increase his wealth.
It’s always frustrating to see and hear the same old tired,
sanctimonious crowd of modern day Pharisees trying to sell the rest of
us to buy-in on the guilt trip that there’s something unholy, sacrilegious
or unChristian about becoming a financial success.
I’ve got some severe credibility problems believing my God would

have ever selected the fat little money-grubbing redneck with the bad
hairpiece and the fat old lady with pink hair wearing too much makeup
to be His television representatives on here on Earth.
For the first twenty-five years of His life, I’m told Jesus was a
carpenter, which was among the ultimate high-tech professions of the
day. If you’ve ever visited the Holy Land, you may have noticed there
is a very noticeable scarcity of trees in that part of the world.
Jesus, the carpenter, was most likely a highly paid professional…a

businessman. He probably sold his work and He even negotiated
deals as He conducted the family business.
This short chapter is the only reference I will make to religion because
I believe your beliefs are personal to you. I’m positive you didn’t buy
this book to receive a sermon about my religion, so I won’t give you
one.
Suffice to say, I don’t believe you’ll ever be truly prosperous without

God and the ‘spiritual connection’ to The Prosperity Equation. I
couldn’t write this book without saying this. It needed to be said…I
said it…and that’s that. Now, let’s move on.
Have a lasting and meaningful relationship

If you’re just doing this by yourself, for yourself, and only for and by
yourself, it won’t really mean anything to you when you finally get
there. A stable relationship is a key element as we piece together the
puzzle. This is actually the one piece of puzzle most people overlook.
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New Millennium
A meaningful relationship with another person is essential to realizing
the full payout of The Prosperity Equation.
Sure, I was already well on the way to becoming successful before I

met my wife, but the real wealth and prosperity came later. You see it’s
possible to be wealthy without ever becoming prosperous. All of my
personal victories, my personal celebrity, and all of my business
successes have been influenced by my relationship with my wife,
Debbie. Every day as I live and breathe I’m building a legacy for my
son, Zachary. My greatest treasure in this physical plane doesn’t end
with the fact I love them; but it also lies in the fact that I am loved and
appreciated by them. The elation and euphoria driving my life is rooted
in the fact I have them to share it all with. A person’s personal legacy
that lives on after they’ve died is more than just ego; it’s passing on
the spirit of who you were and what you stood for.
Certainly there have been many people throughout history who’ve

achieved riches and substantial material wealth without having a
family or any kind of a significant relationship. You don’t have to be
loved if your goal is simply to become rich. Remember, Scrooge’s
wealth never made him happy until he shared it with people he cared
about. Financial prosperity…money…is just one of the pieces of the
puzzle. Prosperity is a total package. It’s possible to have wealth
without having prosperity. Wealth is only an ingredient. Prosperity also
requires love.
Work ethic
Time management, discipline, intensity and focus; these are basic
elements of the Equation. As I mentioned at the very beginning, when
you first picked up this book and opened it, at the exact point where
the relationship between us (you and I) was just beginning; this book
is written for those people who are willing to do those things others are
not willing to do to get what they say they want. In my experience most
of the people who say they want to be wealthy, in reality, are not willing
to pay the price.
Work Ethic is one of the four basic cornerstone pillars of prosperity.

We are living in a world where losers are looking for instant wealth,
instant success, and instant happiness with no investment of time or
energy on their part. In my experience, they’re not willing to work as
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New Millennium
hard or as long as it takes. Achieving prosperity and an abundant
lifestyle requires dedication and sacrifice. Most people would rather
wish upon a lottery ticket than to take their destiny into their own
hands.
Prosperity is about a solid, well-defined philosophy and a winning

mindset. If you’re not Success Motivated or Achievement Motivated,
don’t waste your time dreaming about financial independence. Go
home and get some rest! You’ve got a clock to punch in the morning.
Cheer up! The weekend is right around the corner. What the heck,
maybe, just maybe, if you still have the receipt, you might be able to
talk someone into giving you a refund on this book or audio set.
Unless you’ve read the first part of this book with an objective mind,
you’ll never be able to grasp the mechanics of prosperity and personal
wealth, which I am about to outline in the other parts. Success is more
about the philosophy and the mindset than it is about the mechanical
techniques for attaining wealth.
68

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THE PROSPERITY EQUATION

New Millennium Edition

Part One: Get Your Mind Right

The land of opportunity

Growing up, as an American Citizen, I was always taught that we live

The Prosperity Equation is a sincere effort to reveal to you the step-

A sliver of good news

Staying out of the poorhouse

The question you need to face, regardless of your age or current

An integral premise of The Prosperity Equation is the core belief that

Guess what? My intention is to continue to live flamboyantly and

Who does this guy think he is?

When I first made a conscious decision to become wealthy, it was

Like many successful people I’ve known, it took a catastrophic event

There’s thousands, perhaps millions, of people on the planet who are

The Prosperity Equation is written from personal experience and it’s

Every Picture Tells a Story

There’s many ways to become wealthy. I certainly don’t claim to know

Another one of those bedrock principles upon which The Prosperity

Throughout history many of the wealthiest people were great

Maybe you’re an incredible athlete or talented actor who’s just waiting

Unfortunately, I never had any great inventions or patents. I’ve never

The Prosperity Equation begins when we examine the philosophies

Am I saying The Prosperity Equation is the one and only way to

The subtitle, ‘The Entrepreneur’s Road Map to Wealth’ was actually

There are no guarantees

We’ll be discussing some very specific techniques leading to the

The purpose of The Prosperity Equation is to inspire revelations and

This is The Prosperity Equation.

Quantifying the Equation

Life is a puzzle. It takes many pieces to complete the picture. That’s

Now, of course those words standing alone without explanation and

Allow me to explain. To become truly successful and, ultimately, to

These ‘peripheral concepts’ are subcategorized as subheadings of

All of the core principles of The Equation, as well as these fine-tuned

I’ve chosen to write this book in several parts

The second part of The Prosperity Equation discusses the specifics of

This book is not for everyone

Money can buy happiness

Since we were children there’s been this continuous parade of self-

Money gives you the ability to take risks.

You don’t have to be a criminal to be prosperous, although; if that’s the

When you develop a business mindset it’s necessary to speak to

How rich is rich?

How much is enough money?

Although millionaires have become rather commonplace in today’s

Another very important thing we need to take a look at is just how

Prosperity is about the complete quality of your life. Living in a fine

Prosperity is having enough money to share your good fortune and to

Prosperity is freedom! It’s all about approaching my wife on Thursday

Success leads to excess

My answer was short and simple, “Because I can!”

I have an original saying, which is often repeated in my Prosperity

Part of the process of getting your mind in order is getting rid of

Live in the present

I sincerely believe the overwhelming majority of people on Earth are

There are so many people leading lives of desperation, stuck in jobs

It’s a fact, the majority of problems in most people’s lives and

Experientially, I’ve interacted with so many people who tend to be

Your life is the result of the choices you’ve

If your life has become reduced to a series of insignificant incidents,

I go back to when I was choosing to freak out over my divorce (25

“Very Few Prosperous People Are Employees”

Most people are destined to be employees