The Most Important Things in Life

For years I’ve preached over and over about the basic and best formulas for going out in the world to get and keep lots of money and so, of course, I think that’s very important. Succeeding in financial matters really can improve and lift your life and your loved ones’ lives.  But, never let that going for the money thing get in between you and the ones you love.

Every day, all over the world, terrible things happen to everyday people. I’m thinking of the school shootings and even the bombings in all those war torn areas we hear about on the news. They have a different perspective than many of us because of what they’ve been through.

I remember reading about that huge mine disaster that trapped 33 miners for 69 days, back in 2010 in Chile. When those survivors finally escaped that pit of hell, what they said was very instructive for those who would listen and learn from their experience. 

Did any of them think about their houses or their money while they hoped and waited to be rescued?  No, they did not.  Their minds and hearts were fixated on their loved ones—their wives, kids, parents and other people they loved. When our lives are on the line, most everyone realizes what the most important part of our existence is, and money is quickly and easily pushed out of our heads by thoughts of those that we love and those that love us. But we don’t need to wait until something terrible happens to remember what really matters.

Back when I was giving seminars, I used to ask the audience to show me, by raising their hands, how many of them would like to make and have a net worth of one million dollars. Just about every hand in the audience went up.  I would follow that question with several similar questions but with higher numbers: Who would like 10 million? Who wants to be worth 100 million dollars? About the same number of hands went shooting into the air each time.

Then I would ask the same type of question with an even bigger number but with a much bigger difference: How many people here would like to make and have a billion dollars in net worth, but when you got to the top of that huge financial mountain, you found you didn’t have any friends or relatives that liked you, much less loved you, and you would be totally cut off from everyone you once cared for? There were always a few hands that were raised, very few, but all of those that had their hands in the air were, well, teenagers.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t set your goals high, go after your fortune, and keep on building it bigger and bigger. Just keep an eye on the big picture and don’t push for that wealth at the cost of friends and family. If you are going to grow great wealth, you should also think about all the good you can do in the world with that fortune. That’s not only the right thing to do, it’s going to help you keep and lift up the most precious things you have in life—the people you love.

Always, always, always remember that giving and receiving love is infinitely more important and lifts your soul and your happiness in life to a much higher level than any amount of money ever could. You don’t have to give up one to have the other. You just have to remember to live your life with a focus on the things that really matter as well as your big financial goals.

Lifting Spirits with Nature and Smiles

There is something magical about the great outdoors and for me it’s even more magical in the mountains or on the beach. I don’t know what it is but I’m sure scientists have an explanation for what nature does to our brains that lifts and jumpstarts our spirits to a much higher level. If you don’t believe me, the next time you are a bit down in the dumps, just take a walk outside, preferably in the mountains, on the beach, or at least out in the countryside, and see if you don’t find your mood changed.

For me there is an extra boost to my mind, mood, and spirit when I hike trails where others are hiking. I especially love to drop $2 dollar bills on the trail when I see a father or mother hiking with small children, ideally in that 6 to 10 age range. If you give a 3 year old a $2 dollar bill they don’t know what it is and often drop it a little while later. They need to be old enough to understand what they’ve found.

My normal routine is to say to the parents as they are approaching, “Hey, have you taught your kids to pick up litter when they see it on the ground?” and then I drop the money and keep walking. I hear the kids shouting out in delight and then they almost always scream out a big “Thank you!”

Wow. Does that ever warm my heart! The kids love it, but I think I love it more and get more out of it than they do.

I also love to meet people when I am out on a hikes. I have some standard lines that I use over and over because they usually work to start a short conversation or a quick exchange of pleasantries. For instance, as I am approaching couples, whether young or old, with the guy in front and the gal behind, I say to the guy as I pass, “Hey, don’t look now but there’s a beautiful lady following you.” That always brings big smiles and an exchange of upbeat comments. They love it and so do I.

With these few words and small gestures, spirits are lifted, and the hike becomes something special for all of us. Plus, it sometimes leads both parties to stop and have a short upbeat chat.

I have another line I like to use when I’m going uphill on a particularly steep part of the hike and others are passing by coming back down. I simply ask “Hey, how much further to the 7-11?” It usually brings a big laugh, but I remember one time when it led to a conversation and a big coincidence.

Some years back, I used this line on two ladies coming downhill. I noticed, as they laughed at my comment, that the younger woman had a French accent so I asked her where she was from. After telling me she lived a couple hundred kilometers north of Paris, I told her how my wife and I love France and have a very, very good friend from Normandy by the name of Franchoise who is married to the skiing legend Stein Eriksen.

When I mentioned this, the older lady said “Hey, I know who you are. You’re Mark Haroldsen, the author. And I know Franchoise. Her son plays tennis with my son.” What a great surprise! That brief encounter resulted in a really nice conversation and a fun coincidence, and we all walked away with big smiles on our faces.

The world seems so divided in many ways these days and maybe it’s because we just haven’t gotten to know each other. The more people we get to know, the more we’ll see that we are all just human beings who want to smile and enjoy life, the same as we ourselves do. And being out in the beautiful, calming natural world is the perfect place to do more of that.

So, all of us should get out in nature as much as we can as well as going out of our way to meet other human beings.  It’s a win-win and, as I preach this to you, believe me, I am preaching it to myself as well!