444. Sharing Wisdom and Success from Two Cultures

Ron’s talent for helping people find their life purpose springs from his own challenges as a thirteen-year-old immigrant to Australia from India. His parents’ Indian culture, which highly values academic achievement, never appealed to him. “It was too structured, too rigid. Everyone was just complying and going through the motions. I had a rebellious streak in me, so I struggled with that system and refused to embrace it. I didn’t want to be just another nerd who went to school, did years of education, then went into the corporate world and worked 30 years for a boss.”

Coming from a country with a lot of poverty, Ron took to the more affluent lifestyle of Australia. He was fascinated by money and the reasons behind the gap between the haves and have-nots. He took a job at a bank, because the money was there, and soon discovered he wasn’t good at counting cash, but he did have the gift of gab and an interest in people. After a short time as a financial planner, he realized he was just selling products, not offering wise counsel. He became disillusioned. This launched him on a journey of self-discovery. “I started to define myself based on my strengths, values and vision. I discovered my passions and purpose. Once I became clear on exactly who I was, I started to make really smart decisions about my life and career.”

“Ultimately all human beings just want to feel valued. If we don’t know how to get to a point where we feel that we matter, we are at risk of making all the wrong decisions. We go for all the things we think are going to make us matter. Soon enough, I realized living from the outside-in instead of from the inside-out was never going to make me feel happy.”

1. Learn to use your heart’s intelligence, not just your head’s.

2. Make it your top priority to discover who you truly are.

3. Recognize that all wisdom comes from connecting with your true self.

4. The best way to make money is to add value to other people.