Join us for the first installment of a series of blog posts: Seven Proofs for Prosperity. Over the course of the series, we’re going to cover what it means to meet financial challenges with a prosperity mindset, and how that can help you and your clients. It all begins with our Seven Principles for Prosperity, from the Prosperity Economics Movement. Here at Truth Concepts, we look at the Truth in financial matters. Part of that Truth comes from applying principles that promote a prosperity mindset—flipping the script from scarcity and fear to seeing opportunities. Everyone at the top has gotten there because they look for these opportunities, and our financial calculators are a huge part of the equation. Prosperity has to begin somewhere though, and we’re going to show you exactly where to start. Prosperity begins with mindset. We’ve broken down this mindset, and really, Prosperity is dependent on seven basic principles. Can you tell we like the number seven? When you apply these seven principles to your own finances, you’ll start to see a shift in the way you live. Your clients will thank you for approaching their desires not from scarcity but from prosperity, and you’ll help them to think in a more prosperous way, too.

1. Think. Owning a prosperity mindset eliminates scarcity; scarcity thinking keeps you stuck.

It’s simple—don’t get sucked down into the mire of your financial fears. Flip the script and consider how small changes can make a big impact. You don’t have to forgo everything you desire. By being informed and taking control of one’s thought, anyone can be prosperous!

2. See. Increase your prosperity by adopting a “big picture” perspective in which you can see how each one of your economic decisions affects all the others. Avoid financial “tunnel vision.”

Consider what you really desire, and look at the way your financial decisions connect. Knowing the opportunity costs of your decisions is the first step. Connecting the dots between all of your assets is the next. A calculator like Asset Flow can show you the big picture of every asset and how they work together on a large scale.

3. Measure. Always measure opportunity costs—what your dollars could earn if you did not spend or commit them somewhere else. Awareness of opportunity costs enables you to recover them. Ignore this at your peril.

First, look at your purchases as investments. Investments in your future, your desires, and your loved ones. Then,  weigh the opportunity cost of each investment. You won’t just learn to make better decisions, you’ll also learn how to recover these opportunity costs. Even the smallest purchases can be measured in opportunity cost. How much does it really cost to go to the movies every week? Or to eat out instead of cooking? Sometimes the opportunity cost will be worth the investment. But once you begin to consider the opportunity cost of each financial decision, the decisions will begin to reflect your real desires. Truth Concepts software includes an Opportunity Cost Calculator and is great for financial decisions big and small. It can be sobering to see the real cost of buying a $20 lunch every day.

4. Flow. The true measure of prosperity is cash flow. Don’t focus on net worth alone.

5. Control. Those with the gold make the rules. Stay in control of your money rather than relinquishing control to others.

Whole Life Insurance is a great way to take control of your money; when implemented correctly, a whole life insurance policy can allow one to be their own banker. No need to take out bank loans with high interest rates, or become a stock market whiz overnight. The cash value of a life insurance policy provides liquid cash with guaranteed growth and the ability to withdraw from or borrow against the cash value. Plus there’s a guaranteed death benefit (though it’s not always fun to think about).

6. Move. The velocity of money is the movement of dollars through assets. Movement accelerates prosperity; accumulation slows it down. Avoid stagnation in assets where dollars accumulate but are not put to use.

This is one of the more advanced principles to implement, but important for anyone who wants to build and create wealth all the way through retirement. Whole Life Insurance can be a great tool for the movement of money, because of the liquidity of the cash value. Borrowing against the cash value retains what’s in the account, but offers low interest rates to be paid back to the life insurance company. And, those dollars can be put to use in any way a client wants. Policyholders can borrow against their cash value no questions asked. It’s a great strategy for real estate investors, business owners, and homeowners alike. And it’s low risk—can’t pay back the loan? The life insurance company will use the cash value as collateral.

7. Multiply. Prosperity comes readily when your money “multiplies”—meaning that one dollar does many jobs. Your money is disabled when each dollar performs only one or two jobs.

The final principle is made possible by implementing all the others. By understanding and using these principles each day, you and your clients are poised for success in multiplying your dollars.   These principles are the foundation of everything we do at Truth Concepts and are the key to achieving your desires. Implementing one or two of these principles will yield big results, and amazing things can happen when you apply all seven principles. Consider the ways that these principles can help your clients not only understand their money but actively work with you to achieve their desires? We all want to help our clients be successful, and equipping them with the principles for prosperity will help them soar. They’ll be better able to implement the strategies that you help them establish, and you will lead by example. With a prosperity mindset, everyone can win. Advisors who are interested in learning more about the Prosperity Economics Movement, and how to take part, can visit Prosperity Economics Advisors. Clients can learn more at Prosperity Peaks. Next in the series, we’ll take a look at some ways to apply these principles the PEM way.