Developing a strong character as the central underpinning of all your actions in this world is a sure way of achieving every single goal that you set out for yourself. This wealth of character is helpful in winning friends, developing business partners and in keeping loyal customers. This is true wealth that no one can steal from you, and that lives with you until your dying day. Even in a field as impersonal as the stock market, a strong moral compass to your character helps you avoid the contagions of mass fear and mass greed, even as you learn to think for yourself, keeping your values as the center of your life.

A person can be classified as being wealthy with regard to his or her character if he/she has:

• Honesty - towards themselves and towards those whom they come in contact with
• Integrity - always being true to their words, and never sacrificing themselves or others for worldly gain
• Responsible - discharging their duties admirably and with happiness

Add to that the ability to look at the future and be a visionary, and you have the makings of an extremely successful person - someone whom the world would look up to for guidance.

It is important to remember that no one, absolutely no one, is served by your trying to be average. You don't benefit (you will always feel that you never pushed your abilities), your family does not benefit (when you are not performing at your peak potential, the affect is felt by all around you), your company does not benefit, and society does not benefit. But when you click things into a high gear, everyone gets to enjoy the net results. And an important ingredient towards your moving into the next level is a strong, resilient character.

If you develop this primary wealth, you will find the goddess of good fortune herself waiting to serve you. Dissipate this wealth, and you will find yourself in a place of hard knocks.

To be sure, character alone is not sufficient to become wealthy. And yes, there are many individuals of a rather poor character who are quite wealthy. But that is not the path for you and me. We are seekers of all that is the best in us and in all of humanity and soaring to meet it at its highest level of expression.

That is our destiny.

Let us lay this foundation stone of a great, strong ethical character, and begin building our future dreams on top of it - with persistence and with passion. Jewels yet undreamt of lie awaiting us - come, let us begin the journey.