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Hello Financial Healers,

Knowing your purpose is key to making wise decisions. It’s much easier to choose well when you know why you exist.

To identify your purpose, use this exercise. Imagine your earliest positive memory. Discern what you were doing in that situation: teaching, creating, or protecting?

Write down some words that define your actions, then revise them into one overarching term.

For example, when I did this exercise, a memory came up of myself as a six year old boy on my uncle’s ranch. I was instructing his dog to stay off the lawn (for some silly reason).

Once I finished this memory, I came up with a few words that described my actions: instructing, caring, and teaching. I boiled these down into one noun: Teacher.

Now, for your case, write down the word(s) that best describe your memory. Settle on the term that encompasses all others.

You’ll know when you choose the right one because it gives you a positive emotional reaction.

If you need some inspiration…

… some nouns my clients have chosen are Storyteller, Warrior, Architect, or Guide. The more personal your purpose feels to you, the better!

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If you’re a premium member, join our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

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Hello Financial Healers,

This week we’ll continue to review the workshop series, and introduce one of my favorite tools: the Purpose Train.

What is the Purpose Train?

The Purpose Train is a tool that enables you discover your God-given purpose.

So many people attach their value to career success, social media influence, or wealth. But these goals, while important, lead to burn out.

Yes, you might achieve your dreams, and it might feel good, but if you don’t serve something greater than yourself, even the most amazing victories will leave you empty.

It’s much better to live in pursuit of your God-given purpose and identity.

Find out how to discover your true calling in today’s live coaching session. Download the free handout to get started.

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, join our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

Hello Financial Healers,

In today’s discussion, we’ll review the material from the past 10 weeks.

For those who are unaware, we’ve been going through my Financial Workshop Series.

This series was built off my main course, Prosperous Home Online - Basic.

The idea was to take your numbers and craft a plan that guides you through 9 assignments to heal your home or small business.

It’s part of a Financial Workshop that you can access today.

Note: if you’re a paid member, you already went through this material. Don’t buy it again!

If you have any questions regarding the new workshop, email me at [email protected].

Or become a premium subscriber today and ask me in person via our online group discussion.

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, join our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

Photo: Unsplash

Hello Financial Healers,

This week we learn about stewarding your wealth over your entire life. Most people don’t plan for tomorrow, much less the future. 

Today’s exercise will fix that by projecting your wealth all the way to age 100.

How high is your altitude?

Imagine your LGS (living, giving, saving) measured over a century. What would your altitude be? How much wealth could you leave your children’s children?

I call this exercise a bridge because it spans generations. You get to see your Financial Strategies in play, and learn how they benefit your future family.

Leaving an inheritance

The Bible is all about leaving a legacy. Consider this verse:

“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.” - Proverbs 13:22 ESV

To get the most of your journey, download today’s handout. Input your numbers. Then hop on to our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time).

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, join our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

Hello Financial Healers,

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July. 

In today’s lesson, we’ll compare your LGS plan (your living, giving, and saving) with your LGS Target (where you want to be in 1 year). The aim is to see if your goals and savings are on track.

To get started, download and complete today’s handout. Refresh yourself on Lesson 4 and 8, if needed. Then bring in your numbers to today’s live coaching session at 3:30 PM (CA time).

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, hop on to our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

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Hello Financial Healers,

In yesterday’s post, I provided a handout, which helps you identify categories where you might be wasting money (i.e., food, transportation, education). A follower on social media brought up a good point:

“the figures that the govt give for food spending etc are so far off reality though after the post Covid inflation bubble you couldn’t use the govt report in your Substack to budget. I think the Krazy coupon lady has a good handle on the true nature of food inflation.”

I checked the post, and I have to agree. Use KCL’s information, and add $1,068 to the average annual spending for food.

This means, if a household spends $5,783 annually on groceries, add $1,068 and bring that number to $6,851. This gives you a more accurate figure to compare your grocery spending to.

We can talk more about this in today’s live discussion at 3:30 PM (CA time).

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, hop on to our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

Hello Financial Healers,

Today’s topic is income. To build wealth, you need to understand all 3 kinds... and utilize them. Let’s go over each category now:

* Active income - wages and salaries.

* Passive income - assets, rent, dividends, interests, rights, and royalties.

* Value gains - capital gains, like a house or investment that gains value over time.

Active income is how most people earn their living. It’s a good foundation, but hard to scale. Most people can only handle one full time job, so supplementing with passive and value gain revenue is wise.

Passive income is easy to scale and flows in, even while you sleep. Royalties and dividends arrive whether you’re in the office or not, so find ways to add more of these revenues in your life.

To utilize value gains, put money in an investment. Watch it grow. You only get taxed once you sell, so it’s a great way to protect and build wealth.

We’ll cover more about income streams in today’s coaching session. To get started, download today’s handout and illustration. Join us live at 3:30 PM (CA time).

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, hop on to our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About the author: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

Hello Financial Healers,

Let’s build an altitude compass. This tool was made popular by Dr. Thomas Stanley in his book, The Millionaire Mind. His concept gives you the ability to track your wealth’s growth (or losses) over time.

All you need is the compass formula: Your Age + This Year’s Income x 10%

… and your personal net worth (which you calculated in Lesson 3).

Run through Stanley’s formula, and compare your answer to your current net worth. See how close or distant you are to the ideal altitude.

Now, most people who compute this discover they’re far off target. For example, if you’re 34 years old and this year’s income is $50,000, your compass goal comes out to $170,000. If your current altitude is $20,000, that’s $150,000 short.

But remember, Stanley’s idea is just a hypothesis. Don’t be discouraged if you’re lower than where you want to be.

In future lessons, we’ll build a LGS (Living, Giving, Savings) plan that brings you closer to your compass target.

To get started, download today’s handout and illustration. Join our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time).

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, hop on to our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About the author: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

Hello Financial Healers,

For today’s lesson, let’s build a financial target. The wealthy create objectives 1 to 2 to 3 years ahead, then take proactive steps to get there. It’s one of the best ways to build wealth. So, let’s act rich, and create a financial target for your home.

To get started, download my handout and sample balance sheet. Join our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time).

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, hop on to our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us every week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About the author: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]

Hello Financial Healers,

Let’s buckle up and get ready for take off. Today we calculate the difference between your assets and debts, i.e. your net worth.

What is net worth?

Net worth, or altitude, is “the total assets minus total liabilities of an individual or a company.” For instance, a real estate agent with $100,000 in savings, but credit card debts of $80,000 has a net worth of $20,000. A janitor with $40,000 in savings and 0 debts has an altitude of $40,000.

Your assets don’t mean anything if your debts outweigh them. So, let’s see what your numbers actually are.

To get started, download today’s handout, and join our live discussion at 3:30 PM (CA time).

Join us for My Money Time 👇

If you’re a premium member, hop on to our live discussion today at 3:30 PM (CA time). If you’re a free subscriber, consider upgrading so you can join us each week.

God bless your Prosperous Soul,Stephen K. De Silva

About the Author: Stephen K. De Silva is an author, speaker, and financial coach. From 1995 until 2017, he served as the CFO of Bethel Church, and a member of the senior leadership team. Stephen’s unique blend of experience, training, and gifting make him a pioneer in the subject of money. You can reach Stephen at [email protected]