Valorie Burton - Rich Minds, Rich Rewards: 52 Ways to Enhance, Enrich, and Empower Your Life

Contents

This book is dedicated to the memory of my
beloved grandparents. Thank you for continuing
to watch over me.

Johnny A. Burton, Sr.
19171982

Mary Arlean Burton
19191984

Pearl Greenlee Adger
19181992

Rev. W. W. Adger, Sr.
19131971

Acknowledgments

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said, Whatever you think you can do or believe you can do, begin it. Action has magic, grace and power in it. Once I began on the journey of bringing this project to life, I was amazed at the people who were placed in my path to help the project along. Life is that way. Once you commit and give your all, opportunities seem to beat a path to your door. Indeed, none of us finds success all by ourselves. And so, I would like to acknowledge the people in my life who have made this experience rewarding, exciting, and tremendously blessed.

To my parents, Johnny A. Burton, Jr., and Leone Adger Murray. Thank you for giving me life, nurturing my talents, and believing in me.

To my editor, Melody Guy. It was serendipitous that we met, and I am so appreciative of you for bringing Rich Minds, Rich Rewards to the team at Villard. Your warmth, easygoing spirit, and enthusiasm have made this project a wonderful experience.

To Emma Rodgers of Black Images Book Bazaar. You are the woman! I appreciate you and the doors of opportunity that you opened for me.

To David Hale Smith, my favorite agent from your favorite client. Thank you for your enthusiasm, guidance, and friendship.

Throughout my life, I have seen that God works through people. He has worked through these people in various ways to bless my writing and speaking career, promote my efforts, and bring this book to life: Margaret Adger Mack, my Auntie; Jacquline Anders, my friend; Michelle Martinez Metzger, my friend and managing partner of Burton-Metzger; Marla Roth and James and Betty Robison of Life Today with James Robison; Lynn Briggs, my friend and morning show host on KOAIthe Oasis; Til and Milton Pettis of Jokae's; Oscar Joyner, my friend and marketing director for the Tom Joyner Morning Show; and Jennifer Lawrence, my friend and PR assistant account executive at Burton-Metzger.

Sometimes others can see the vision for your life before you can see it yourself. I would like to thank these special people who by sharing their belief in me encouraged me to pursue my passion: Jacquline Anders, Stephen Andrews, Lynn Briggs, Sean Brown, Richie Butler, Chad Caldwell, Greg Campbell, Rev. Frederick D. Haynes, III, Wanda Lorenz, David Hale Smith and Ed Stewart.

To my brother Wade Murray, twenty years my junior, you make my heart smile and I love you so much! Thank you for spreading the word about me.

Thank you to the readers and audiences who have inspired me to continue inspiring them.

Most important, I thank God for inspiring me to write this book and for using me as a vessel to deliver this message.

Introduction

The idea for this book came to me in what I will call a revelation. It was late in the afternoon on Saturday, July 10, 1999, and I was in Seattle for a journalism convention. I was browsing through books at the Barnes & Noble in downtown Seattle. Up until that moment, I was unsure of my lifes purpose. Though I have always felt richly blessed and have enjoyed owning a public relations agency, I always felt that my purpose in life did not center around the business. The purpose did not hit me until that day, when, as I stood in front of the womens books section, an overpowering sensation came over me. In an instant, I felt the presence of God. The feeling was somewhat indescribable and I can say for certain that I had never felt that way beforeas if Gods arms were wrapped around me and I might just float away. I stood still and listenednot with my ears, but with my heart and soul. I learned my lifes purpose that day.

God said, Your purpose is to inspire people to live fulfilling lives. You will do this through writing and speaking. I remained still, enjoying this intensely personal and pivotal moment in a very public place. I stood there awestruck and excited all at once. I continued to browse and then walked back to my hotel a couple of blocks away. I began to conceptualize this book. When I returned to Dallas, I began writing with purpose. In four months, I wrote and self-published Rich Minds, Rich Rewards. The following summer, Villard Books, a division of Random House, approached me about publishing it. This book is the result.

So just what is Rich Minds, Rich Rewards all about? This book will help you experience the rich rewards that life has to offer when your mind is elevated and focused on those aspects of life that truly matter. The term rich rewards does not refer simply to financial wealth. Rich rewards refers to the benefits of living the life you really want to livea life of fulfillment, joy, love, and spiritual well-being.

When you have a rich mind, you discover your mission in life and live it on a daily basis. You enjoy what life has to offer. You dont stress over the little stuff in life that, in the grand scheme of things, really doesnt matter much.

A rich mind rises above pettiness, grudges, envy, bickering, and selfishness to strive for patience, purpose, vision, kindness, love, and fulfillment. A rich mind appreciates blessings and knows that there are more blessings pouring down from Heaven than could ever be counted.

Rich Minds, Rich Rewards is written from a very personal viewpoint. As an entrepreneur, speaker, and writer who has lived in many places (Florida, Germany, Colorado, South Carolina, California, and Texas), my experience is diverse. Through my successes and failures, I have learned that the mind is your most powerful asset for achieving any dream that you have for yourself. A rich mindnourished with positive thoughts, learning, and encouragementcan indeed reap rich rewards.

In each of the following fifty-two mini-chapters you will find simple but powerful ways to enhance your everyday life and start doing those things that will bring you the rewards you so richly deserve.

Count Your Blessings

The difference between not enough and more than enough is your attitude, noted Bishop T. D. Jakes at a conference I attended in July 1999. As we live our lives from day to day, it can be easy to take so much of what we have for granted. For example, when we are unhappy in a job and we are looking for a new one, sometimes the last thing that we think to do is to thank God for the job that we dislike. When we want to purchase a new home, it is too rare that we stop to appreciate the roof we currently have over our heads. When we are working out to get a new body, we should not fail to be thankful that the one we have right now allows us to walk, talk, and breathe. We can get so wrapped up in trying to get what we dont have that we dont take time to appreciate what we do have.

I know these things may sound very basic, but it is the most basic aspects of our lives, those things that we often dont even give a second thought to, that we should be most grateful for. It is these basic thingspeople, places, our well-beingthat it would be most devastating for us to have to live without. When you come to understand what is most important to you, and make it a priority in your life to honor and take care of those aspects of your life, then you find your center. Your center is that place you discover when your life is healthy and balanced. It takes some true soul-searching to find it, and it takes practice to maintain it. But once you find that peaceful, joyful place called your center, youll always feel off balance when you leave it.