TQM WEALTH PARTNERS, LLC
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

(one of my all-time favorites), he says “It is impossible to help someone without helping yourself, or to harm another without harming yourself.” It was with this in mind that I thought about a group of young adults that I met a few years ago at , a Boston organization that “empowers low-income young adults to go from poverty to professional careers in a single year." The students I met back then gave me a great gift. Year Up had asked me to speak to these students about my personal and professional story hoping it would resonate with them because I am of Hispanic descent and I work in finance, one of Year Up’s industries of focus. I thought that accepting the invitation was a nice opportunity to “give back.” I am not unique in that it took some courage to be vulnerable and share my story with them, or in feeling that an experience like this one was totally worth it. Like most of you at one time or another, I felt the satisfaction that comes from doing something that can make a difference in someone else’s life. But wait, there’s more… when the young adults at Year Up honored me with their attention and their interest in what I had to say, they made a huge deposit in my spiritual bank account. I can’t thank them enough. After all, those kinds of deposits often pay the highest dividends. Think about how much wealth you’d like to create in 2017. I don’t mean only financial wealth. Total wealth encompasses human, social, and spiritual wealth, in addition to financial wealth. By being thankful for “helping yourself as a result of helping others” I believe you will enjoy creating more wealth of all kinds. Here is why: describes the benefits of spiritual wealth in terms of a prosperity “that brings with it serenity, peace of mind, clear thinking, and a profound connection to something greater than yourself. Kindness, tolerance, patience, and wisdom are the acquisitions of spiritual prosperity.” Nice to know that giving can help you gain that kind of wealth. When it comes to giving I like to highlight reciprocity as a game changer because it helps us realize that those on the receiving end are our equals. They are often giving us something more valuable than what we are doing for them, be it our children, spouse/partner, extended family, friends, employees, clients, neighbors, or strangers. This type of awareness levels the playing field, especially between high-income and low-income or “advantaged” and “disadvantaged” individuals, potentially leading us to look at charity with new eyes. In her recent article at CNN.com titled Boston College Professor Tiziana Dearing (@Tiziana_Dearing) talks about giving in terms of solidarity instead of charity “Solidarity calls us to be in ‘right relationship’ with each other, recognizing that each other's fortunes affect our own, and we are implicated in the injustices that affect another's pain, suffering or basic human dignity. It's a heavy term but also a liberating one when practiced in love,” says Dearing. I believe that looking at charitable giving that way also helps us understand that we all “put our pants on one leg at a time,” to say it one way. It is always someone’s responsibility to provide for the home, but it is also important to give our time, attention, knowledge, guidance, and companionship to those we know and love before giving it to others. Being fed and clothed, even in the fanciest attire, and being well-educated and having the latest gadgets is not everything. In fact, studies have proven that too much “stuff” and not enough “people time” (be it with parents or spouses/partners) often leads to a sense of emptiness. To state the obvious (which is so often easily overlooked), good relationships of every kind require an investment of time, whether it is in helping or having fun with others. (one of my all-time favorites), he says “It is impossible to help someone without helping yourself, or to harm another without harming yourself.” It was with this in mind that I thought about a group of young adults that I met a few years ago at , a Boston organization that “empowers low-income young adults to go from poverty to professional careers in a single year." The students I met back then gave me a great gift. Year Up had asked me to speak to these students about my personal and professional story hoping it would resonate with them because I am of Hispanic descent and I work in finance, one of Year Up’s industries of focus. I thought that accepting the invitation was a nice opportunity to “give back.” I am not unique in that it took some courage to be vulnerable and share my story with them, or in feeling that an experience like this one was totally worth it. Like most of you at one time or another, I felt the satisfaction that comes from doing something that can make a difference in someone else’s life. But wait, there’s more… when the young adults at Year Up honored me with their attention and their interest in what I had to say, they made a huge deposit in my spiritual bank account. I can’t thank them enough. After all, those kinds of deposits often pay the highest dividends. Think about how much wealth you’d like to create in 2017. I don’t mean only financial wealth. Total wealth encompasses human, social, and spiritual wealth, in addition to financial wealth. By being thankful for “helping yourself as a result of helping others” I believe you will enjoy creating more wealth of all kinds. Here is why: describes the benefits of spiritual wealth in terms of a prosperity “that brings with it serenity, peace of mind, clear thinking, and a profound connection to something greater than yourself. Kindness, tolerance, patience, and wisdom are the acquisitions of spiritual prosperity.” Nice to know that giving can help you gain that kind of wealth. When it comes to giving I like to highlight reciprocity as a game changer because it helps us realize that those on the receiving end are our equals. They are often giving us something more valuable than what we are doing for them, be it our children, spouse/partner, extended family, friends, employees, clients, neighbors, or strangers. This type of awareness levels the playing field, especially between high-income and low-income or “advantaged” and “disadvantaged” individuals, potentially leading us to look at charity with new eyes. In her recent article at CNN.com titled