What's your "why"?

[tranquil43]

Everyone here is obviously interested in becoming wealthy. I definitely am. But to be honest, the amount of money I desire has substantially reduced today compared to the amount I wanted when I was younger.

When I was younger, I dreamt of the big houses, fast cars, beautiful women, all that "good" stuff. The prestige and adulation that accompanies wealth seemed enticing as well, almost as a validator of sorts. My "why", the reason I wanted to become extremely wealthy was so I can enjoy really nice things and be held to high regard by society.

Another part of my "why" back then was to avoid corporate drudgery. I grew up in a household with a mother who worked for a very large investment bank, but practically made peanuts as lowly data entry clerk. My mother used to to come home crying because she was denied a small raise because office politics dictated she receive an average review. Her life was forever altered (for the worse in my opinion) when she got laid off in 2000. I never wanted to be part of that world. So that was my "why", wanting the adulation, the nice toys, and the avoidance of corporate drudgery.

However, I can tell you that today, at age 30, my "why" is a lot different. My "why" in wanting to become wealthy has a lot less to do with wanting adulation, really fancy stuff, or anything like that. I'm not knocking any of those things, but I don't think I personally need them in order to find joy in life. I still despise corporate drudgery (which I am unfortunately part of) and want to become wealthy so that I never have to deal with it again. But the other part of my "why" is wanting to have freedom. Freedom to spend time with the people that I love, freedom to spend more of my time truly helping others in a meaningful way. The freedom to donate a lot of money. The freedom to see the world. The freedom to look back at my life and think to myself that I had the privilege of building something great, something that helped people, and something that put me in a financial situation that allowed me to surround myself with those that I love. I honestly couldn't care less about big mansions or status symbols anymore. As long as I have a decent place to live and have enough money to spend on gadgets like digital cameras or video games, I'm happy.

So that's my "why". What is yours?

 

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[Capital]

Why not?

 

[Bigguns50]

My 'whys' really aren't so much about me and what I want.

More time with my Daughter...and my Mother who has Alzheimers.
To help my family members who could use some $$ for good reasons.
To take my Daughter on incredible family vacations...something she loves but which we haven't been able to do much of.
There's more, but yes..freedom and $$. Because these things will impact people in my life that I love.

I also love solving problems...I just didn't know how to make $ at it until now.

 

[Texan]

Why? Because I would love to travel with my wife and kids to places in the States and be able to stay there for a few weeks or months at a time....because I would love to spend my time with them and work on my hobbies without any worries....and because there is a lot of good you can do in the world if you have the money to do it!

 

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[yahdmon]

Its kind of funny... I just revisited the "why" this week and have found that my reason for wanting more than enough has changed.

For me, it is not about the money for me per se, instead it is so that I can have the money I need to do more of my business ideas. After just completing one product and putting it in the market, I have found already that my ideas are beginning to cost more and so I have to be wealthy. Sure, I would like a nice home, an airplane (not necessarily a jet), nice car and motorcycle (again) but of all my desires, my free time is what I desire most. I spent one week on a cruise and I thought -- this is the life I want.

So that is what I am working towards now and will have after not too long.

 

[RogueInnovation]

I believe in everyone living better lives

And I can't stand shmuckery

 

[Vidar]

One word: Freedom.

 

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[Deleted17383]

Off topic: "why" is also important within your business. See this amazing Ted talk

[video]http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html[/video]

 

[Victor Santiago]

I want to be free.

I wanna be able to go wherever I want, whenever I want to.

 

[decaobr]

Why not?

my thoughts exactly.

 

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[NVaz]

One word: Freedom.

^^ +1

 

[AmyQ]

1. Security
2. Freedom
3. I owe a debt that I need to repay. I was raised by a single mother for the first 8 years of my life. She sacrificed a lot to provide me with everything she possibly could. Then, she re-married a wonderful man who adopted me. They both sacrificed a lot to provide me with everything they possibly could. They would tell you I don't owe them a dime, but the truth is I owe them more than I can ever re-pay.
4. Water. I take it for granted. I rinse my dirty dishes with potable water. So many people in this world don't even have ready access to clean drinking water, but I do simply because I won the sperm lottery by being born in a wealthy nation. I do percentage based giving, so the more money I can make, the more people I can help.

 

[Kak]

I want to be filthy rich. Why? How about why not?

Edit: sorry capital aready covered it

 

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[Rawr]

I want to be filthy rich. Why? How about why not?

Look I know you are excited, but you might wanna think about this "F*ck you" attitude a bit. "How to be rich" by Dennis Felix is a really good read. And the reason for "why not" is right in there... his main point, actually.

Cheers

 

[liquidglass]

Your "why" will always change. Either because you achieved previous 'whys' and set new ones, or you've had life changes that dictate as such.

My mentors "why" (I use him because of his length of experience) occurred when he went to a conference and a speaker talked about how wonderful it was to have his wife at home raising his children rather than a minimum wage employee spending 40 hours a week with them. At the time he was living in a single wide mobile home, his office was also his mother in-laws bedroom (desk in the corner). He put a picture of the house he wanted on the fridge, had his wife quit her $50,000/yr job to take care of their two children (which was a big blow financially) remember this was over 20 years ago so $50k was worth more. And he worked his a$$ off to achieve other "whys" he now has all his "whys" plus others he never dreamed of, and has new mind blowing 'whys'.


Enough story time haha. My "whys" are short and long term.
- I enjoy taking my wife on no-budget trips anywhere in the world, to continue to do so is my why.
- The house I've picked out is my why.
- Freedom is my why.
- A G5 is my why
- employing and enriching thousands of lives is my why
- making a difference in the world is my why


It's a long list, but I'll stop there. Figure out the Why and you'll figure out the How.

 

[tranquil43]

Look I know you are excited, but you might wanna think about this "F*ck you" attitude a bit. "How to be rich" by Dennis Felix is a really good read. And the reason for "why not" is right in there... his main point, actually.

Cheers

This right here. Rawr, you stole the words right out of me. I wanted to say the exact same thing but decided not to as I didn't want to stir the pot.

 

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[libertad1312]

My why is to 90% about my family. My parents have done enough and deserve to enjoy better health and to be able to follow their childhood dreams. I want to retire them early and buy them houses in exotic places where they can enjoy their second half of their lifes. My sister has rheuma and when she will follow her hard job in a cold country and try to heal it with toxic drugs instead of (being able) to change her lifestyle then she will be a wrack in 10-20 years.
Also I want to spend my energy in social programs, but this only really works once I am financially independent.
For myself I don't really like owning things or spending money. I have reached most of my goals I had 10 years ago and never really needed to have much money for this. Even though I would like to be able to spend more money on healthy food recently.

 

[theag]

[video=youtube;Humfsis-QLI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Humfsis-QLI[/video]

 

[Ikke]

If someone else can do it, why shouldn't I do it?

 

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[kyled427]

1. I feel it is my responsibility. I feel like I have too much potential and that if I just allowed myself to be average then I would be doing a great disservice to the people that believe in me so much.

2. My mother and father worked their asses off to make sure I always had anything/everything I ever needed (needed... not wanted.) I was never in a situation where I wondered if I would miss a meal. They sacrificed their entire adult lives working at a bank and a grocery store to make sure me and my brother never went without. They have since found themselves in a much better financial position than those times, but my biggest motivator is retiring them within 5 years. They deserve it.

3. For every person in point number one that believes in me, there are two that doubt me. I mostly focus on the positive motivations, but would be lying if I claimed it didn't give me a little spark when I think back to the people that doubt me.

4. Freedom. Freedom is a lot more important to me than fancy cars and a huge house. Sure, I want those things, but they aren't nearly as important as the fulfillment of building something yourself and giving back to the people that sacrificed so that you could be in position to accomplish greatness.

 

[Will B. Rich]

1) There are plenty of sidewalkers and slowlaners with “needs” to be filled! I was at the bank gathering information on business accounts when outside walked a young woman close to my age – early 20s. She was walking a dog, talking on an ipone, drinking her starbucks, and wearing clothes and accessories worth over $250. She is personally contributing to the fastlane lifestyles of MULTIPLE people/businesses. I want to be the next beneficiary.

2) My parents unfortunately proved the slowlane fallacy when disabilities crept up early in life and derailed their ability to contribute to the grind of their jobs.

3) Freedom. I want to live my life on offense instead of defense.