E-M8 Entrepreneurial Management for Eternal Mission

Supremacy of Pursuit of Happiness
 

Pursuit of Happiness is a mindset
The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence states that the role of government is to secure the unalienable rights: life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.  It is quite clear what life is and what is liberty. But what is the pursuit of happiness?  Since 1884, the legal definition stands as proposed by United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen Johnson Field: “engaging in a lawful business in order to increase prosperity and develop abilities, so as to gain the desires of their heart.” While life is essential and liberty is useful, it is the pursuit of happiness that can enrich, fulfill, empower and secure both life and liberty. 

Pursuit of happiness is a mindset that is essential for us to master. Yet, until we have secured our Life we cannot effectively pursue our Liberty. Having attained both we will still be in the Pursuit of Happiness. So, it is the lot of the poor to always struggle just to survive. The middle class works hard just to gain the illusion of the freedom. Yet, the wealth is built by going beyond our own needs and wants and creating value for those around us. The true wealth is the wealth of the people who invest their time and money in organizations that serve others. These few who pursue happiness are the real wealth builders. Most of us do not know how to live in this way and so we continue to struggle.

What’s wrong with just living
So why do poor struggle? They consume all of their resources. Poor are primarily concerned with getting food, shelter and entertainment. The Bible refers to this behavior as eat, drink and be merry. There is nothing inherently wrong with eating, drinking or having fun. However, the problem with poverty is that all of the resources and time are spent on just that. As a result, there is no safety net. There is no accumulation of resources that is a necessary step to getting out of poverty.

Any time that there is a resource shortfall poor become the victims. Being a victim perpetuates itself. As more and more time is devoted to responding to life, less and less time can be spent on proactive activities that could change life. So as a person focuses on things that they cannot control, more and more things become uncontrolled. This is directly opposite of those accumulating wealth, who primarily focus on things they can control and by doing that gain more and more control of the life around them. The victim can only play the blame game, and is incapable of taking responsibility for taking steps that would make a difference in the situation. Poor are worried about the future, because the future is not secure, but by that very worry, they reduce their ability to do something about it.

Poverty breeds mistrust and lack of cooperation, which in turn result in more poverty. After all, if everyone is just grasping at straws to survive and livelihood of one gets in the way of the livelihood of another, there simply might not be an option that will satisfy everyone. 

Why is Liberty not enough
Why does the middle class work long hours just to keep up? They consume some of the resources, while being busy to preserve others. Their activities revolve around the Liberties they have. Middle class living goes beyond the basic survival. A large portion of the income still goes to food, drink and entertainment, but some of the income is used to buy a house, put away for retirement or to get an education. Middle class enjoys more than just bare life, they are striving for liberty. The freedom to be able to do what one wants does not come free, though. Every vacation, TV, car or a boat comes with a price tag which can eat in to saving and may even bring a person to poverty. Unlike the poor, who have no choice of what they will be consuming, the middle class has a choice, or at the very least the illusion of it. The middle class has some measure of peace about the future. Yet, they often are also the victims of their circumstances. This is because they, having some resource accumulation and having had the freedom to make some life choices, want to preserve the past or live in regrets of things they did not do. Yet, the past cannot be preserved or changed and any attempts to do that are just waste of time.

Middle class enjoys some level of cooperation and trust. They have something to lose and are eager to protect what they have. That requires cooperation. Not surprisingly, they are able to get loans from the bank at a reasonable rate of interest. The banks trust them to repay their debts. But this trust and cooperation is limited, since there is no overriding goal or objective beyond basic wealth preservation.

Yet, fundamentally no matter how hard a person in middle class works, or how much they tighten their belt to preserve their wealth, they are not going to be truly rich. Just like the poor the middle class is entangled in to dividing the limited resources. They may rely on cooperation as well as competition to achieve their purposes, but dividing an ever shrinking pie is always frustrating.

Necessity of pursuit of happiness
True wealth goes beyond wealth preservation. So, why do the rich grow rich? They are busy creating resources and use most of their resources to create additional resources. They are engaged in the pursuit of happiness.

Contrary to popular belief, the lifestyle of the people that are growing rich is rarely the constant drunken orgy. Indeed, that is more common of the people that have money, but still think like the poor.

Instead, the wealthy are busy creating and financing organizations that create value. They are busy producing food, clothing, houses, entertainment and many other things for everyone’s consumption. They donate their time and money to the causes about which they feel strongly, and yet they continue to accumulate wealth. This is because the principle is at work that wealth generates wealth and trust generates trust.

While the poor are busy trying to live and the middle class is busy trying to be divide wealth, the few gain long term prosperity by creating wealth. It is the only way known to man to gain wealth and still have a clear conscience. By the very definition, this is the only truly unlimited source of wealth. Imagination, trust and vision are the currency of this realm.

There is a common misconception that people are in business to make money. Money is necessary to operate a business and is both a product and a measure of successful business operation, but it cannot be the goal of being in business any more than miles driven cannot be the goal for a truck driver. Unless there is a value created, or in case of a truck driver product moved, there can be no money. Making money in it of itself is not and should not be the desire of the businessmen’s heart. It is the pursuit of happiness that breathes life into any venture.

Happiness is created by doing something well. It is created by doing it in the company of people that we enjoy. Happiness is created by creating something new and unique. Happiness is about others: providing for others, taking care of others, spending time with others. Pursuit of happiness causes us to do more, push further, and go beyond just our needs.

Pursuit of happiness creates trust. After all, it is hard not to trust somebody who does things to benefit those around them. The lending institutions are happy to finance clearly defined projects of people that have proven themselves to be the people who create value.

Pursuit of happiness is very active, current and outward looking. Creative wealth is wonderfully proactive, as it can only be done by focusing on the one thing that can be changed – right now. After all, the Maker of this world is not called I was or I will be, but I AM and the beast that defies Him is called the one who was, and is not, and will be. God is the God of the present. Happiness is very fleeting, and so our constant pursuit of happiness forces us in to the present. Present is the place where encounters with God are possible and that may in itself be the true secret of happiness and it’s never ending pursuit.

Is Pursuit of Happiness for everyone?
Does one have to already be rich to engage in the pursuit of happiness? Not really. It is by doing things with others, for others that one can gain wealth. It is not necessarily wealth measured in dollars, though often it is. But the relationships, friendships, respect, wisdom and emotional stability that you gain is more important than the wealth that is measured in dollars.

Pursuit of happiness benefits everyone: both the people who pursue happiness and the world that is changed by their pursuit. Yet, few of us know how to pursue happiness. This is not a skill that was taught in school, nor did most of us see too many examples of such pursuit in the families around us. In fact, in many places around the world, and in most families anybody who goes out to change themselves and the world around them, is not looked upon too kindly. All of our lives we’ve been taught to survive and to be content with what we have. Yet, Pursuit of happiness embodies the secret to wealth. Moreover, a country where Pursuit of Happiness is neglected is going to grow. The citizens of such a country become susceptible to the oppression of both life and liberty.

Many people have not even mastered Life and Liberty, so to them Pursuit of Happiness appears foolishness and waste of precious resources. The disciples of Jesus could not understand why perfume that was worth year’s worth of wages was poured out on Jesus rather than sold and given to the poor, precisely because they did not understand the pursuit of happiness. All of our life we have been conditioned to live in a world of limited resources that define the poor and middle class. Yet, true wealth is unlimited.

Spiritual Dimension
It is pointless and impossible to secure our Life and gain Liberty apart from God. God is Life. In God there is Liberty. Pursuit of God is the purpose and the meaning of everything in the Universe, and thus to have a pursuit of Happiness that is divorced from God is futile and meaningless. God grants us Life and Liberty, but it is up to us to pursue Him, and through that pursuit to discover happiness. If you are unsure about this whole God thing, stick with us and hopefully you will soon be introduced to a living and breathing Maker of the Universe.

Getting ready to pursue Happiness
Budget, the first preparation step
As much as we’d like to jump in to pursuit of Happiness, first we have to secure our life. Otherwise our survival will continue to distract us from that pursuit. Sometimes, it is just a matter of learning to trust God to take care of our Life, but more often there are other practical steps we must do. Since, life primarily deals with consumption; the best way to get some level of control over our life is through a budget. Many people have a budget and are still poor, yet we will apply a couple wealth building rules to our budget.

Making a budget is a relationship building activity, so do it with your family, if you are familiar with God ask for his input as well. Do it regularly, at least once a month, but as often as your financial circumstances change.

Start with creating a realistic estimate of your income. Getting a job is often the first step to generating this stable income. You do not need to like your job but, a job can and should be a place where we can develop relationships and learn the skills necessary for the pursuit of happiness.

Income is only part of the equation. We must also consider our costs. Before we get to costs, remove 30% off your after-tax income. At least until it becomes the second nature, it is a good idea to physically separate the money as it comes in by moving the 30% in to three different bank accounts or putting them in separate envelopes according to the money’s purpose.

You are probably asking about the first 30%.  Those thirty percent will become the foundations of your financial stability. If you are in credit card debt, use it to pay the highest interest debt first, while also covering minimum payments on other loans and credit cards. Assess what got you in to debt and put an action plan in place to prevent it from happening again. Stop using credit cards for anything that you will not be able to pay for by the end of the month. Pay off your everyday credit card in full every month, even if it means pulling money out of your reserve funds. If you are in debt, you are a slave to that debt. Your life is not your own.  Do not worry about helping others, do not have fun, and do not do anything until the debt is under control, in other words, there is a clear path for paying it off.

After you are no longer bound by high interest credit card debt here is what you do with that thirty percent: Ten percent you give away to others, if you want to give it to some organization, I guess that is OK. But even better if instead of being a passive giver you would use it to take care of the needs and projects in which you are personally involved. That way money is less likely to be mismanaged and you will learn something. Buying lunch for a homeless is way more meaningful than giving the same five bucks to the food pantry. Money can be as harmful as it can be useful, so by learning how to manage the giving, you will be acquiring practical skills that you will need in the pursuit of happiness. Besides, giving time is at least as meaningful and valuable as giving money. It is through this kind of active giving that you may discover your path for the pursuit of happiness.

The next ten percent are to spend on yourself and your friends, this is your entertainment budget and it should never be exceeded. Even if you can barely make ends meet, it is important to do something special once in a while, even if you have to pinch pennies for it all year. With a little-bit of thought ten percent can take you quite a ways. After all, there are many inexpensive or even free things one can do that are fun. Use this money to develop relationships with those who are close to you.

 Finally, the last ten percent is for the rainy day. It could be your retirement fund, or just some money you have for emergencies, but it is important that only true emergencies, i.e. things that threaten your life and livelihood, qualify for this money. It is not a bad idea to have your employer deduct the money directly off your payroll in to a retirement account, especially if the employer matches some of that money. Once again, rather than having this money sit passively, this is an opportunity to learn the basics of investing and to have that money working for you.

Finally, we can consider all other expenses such as rent, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, etc. What if there is no way to cover them with what’s left? In the long run there are only so many hours a person can healthily work, so that means you need to consider other options. Can you move to a cheaper place to live, stay with friends, family, or get a room-mate? Can you eat for less by cooking your own meals? It may be very harsh to live on 70% of your income, but it is necessary to build the foundation from which you can grow. It may also force you to band together with people around you which, while often stressful, is a great training ground for learning how to deal with people. If you end up getting along with your new partners, the possibilities are endless. Even if they are the worst thing that can happen to human being, you will have learned something and will be even more motivated to become successful enough so that you are no longer a victim of your environment.

Being able to stick to a budget is a stepping stone to pursuing Liberty. Even, if there are days when you go to sleep hungry, at least you are now treading water; at least you are starting to build up a safety cushion. If however you are failing at managing your money, find somebody who will manage it on your behalf. Do what ever it takes to stick to your budget. If that means having 30% of your paycheck electronically deposited in somebody else’s name, that that is what you need to do.

The key to establishing our baseline income is that it would be a very stable, predictable, low risk income. There will be time for taking risks, but for now we need to play it safe. We also have to insure that any surprises are reduced. This means not doing anything that would get you in to legal trouble. It also means buying insurance to cover your belongings and yourself from harm. It is not easy to cover all the bases, but it is necessary foundation for the pursuit. 

Personal development, second preparatory step
Stick with it and start working on your Liberty. In the world today, there is so much that we can do that Liberty becomes a responsibility to pick wisely what we may pursue. The key to being successful in pursuing Liberty is to focus on quality rather that quantity, being able to get the most of our money. Yes, we have freedom, but let’s use it wisely. We do not want our freedom to be the trap that enslaves us. Rather we do want to use our freedom to preserve and manage our wealth for the benefit of us and those around us. We may use our liberty to find jobs that better fit our lifestyle, or to have more time for our family. We may use our new found liberty to pursue education and learning skills, or we could develop a hobby, any of which can help us better define our path to pursuit of happiness. 

How to actually engage in the pursuit of happiness
   If you follow the advice you’ve just received, you should soon engage in the pursuit of happiness. It does not mean that you are perfectly secure, or have your wants satisfied, but you have achieved a measure of stability in both of those levels of your life that allows you to give your undivided attention to the pursuit of happiness, while maintaining Life and Liberty on autopilot.

So how do we pursue happiness? To answer that question we have designed our E-M8 training program. In this way we can walk through that pursuit step by step and experience it together. As we develop organizations that serve our communities, as we focus on changing the things that we can change we grow in influence and are able to affect even more of the world around us.  As we work together, we get to know the Maker of the Universe and learn to enter in to His happiness.

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