Orrin Woodward on LIFE & Leadership

Inc Magazine Top 20 Leader shares his personal, professional, and financial secrets.

  • Orrin Woodward

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    Former Guinness World Record Holder for largest book signing ever, Orrin Woodward is a NY Times bestselling author of And Justice For All along with RESOLVED & coauthor of LeaderShift and Launching a Leadership Revolution. His books have sold over one million copies in the financial, leadership and liberty fields. RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions For LIFE made the Top 100 All-Time Best Leadership Books and the 13 Resolutions are the framework for the top selling Mental Fitness Challenge personal development program.

    Orrin made the Top 20 Inc. Magazine Leadership list & has co-founded two multi-million dollar leadership companies. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the Board of the LIFE. He has a B.S. degree from GMI-EMI (now Kettering University) in manufacturing systems engineering. He holds four U.S. patents, and won an exclusive National Technical Benchmarking Award.

    This blog is an Alltop selection and ranked in HR's Top 100 Blogs for Management & Leadership.

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Trim Tabs, Tug-of-Wars, and Ocean Ships

Posted by Orrin Woodward on March 31, 2017

To ensure the safety of the passengers and cargo, the captain of the ship must somehow steer his vessel, a vessel that can weigh upwards of 150,000 metric tons, to ensure it stays in deep water. For this reason, every large ocean going ship has a steering system, consisting of several parts working within a system, including a Trim Tab, designed as a rudder for the rudder which then turns the craft.  The Trim Tab is designed to allow the captain to do systematically what is impossible to do physically, apply enough force to turn the megaton ships and fulfill his role efficiently and effectively in a predictable fashion.After all, not only is the amount of force it would take to turn one of the large ships beyond the strength of the strongest person, even the force to turn the rudder of one of these ships is beyond his strength. And yet, due to the leverage of systems, the ship turns on the Captain’s command.  

In a similar vein, every successful business applies a Trim Tab designed to produce results systematically that are impossible individually. As discussed more fully in the systems chapter of RESOLVED, the concept of Trim Tabs allows what appears to be unbelievable to become predictable, if not even mundane.  In LIFE, for instance, the leader (captain) steers his ship by growing numbers, numbers that expand by running the play that scores every time (Power Player), a play made possible by the leaders building depth. If no depth is built, however, no one goes Power Player, and thus, numbers do not grow within the community.  A non-depth building leader, referring back to the ship analogy, is like a non-steering captain of a ship, practically worthless because the craft is beached somewhere in the shallows going nowhere.

In consequence, the true objective in any profession is to determine the Trim Tab activities and master them. To be sure, the captain could have many other great qualities, friendly, loyal, and a communication skills, but he will still run the ship aground if he does not use the trim tab to turn the rudder to steer the ship. Indeed, this is why I disagree with the statement, “Don’t sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff,” for this is a recipe for disaster. Instead, I suggest, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, but sweat every detail of the important stuff (the Trim Tab actions).” Success hinges upon nothing less than identifying and mastering the Tim Tab activities.

Several months back, I did a talk where I explained depth building to be like pulling the rope in a tug-of-war – the winning side must want it so bad that he/she will do everything legally, morally, and ethically, to obtain victory. Then, last week, a video surfaced from a tug-of-war contest that highlighted the importance of knowing the Trim Tab behaviors (pulling the rope) and staying focused. There was a young boy who simply refused to surrender, encouraging his whole team by his example to keep fighting and stay focused regardless of the setbacks and later exhaustion. This is impressive Trim Tab tenacity, to say the least.

Where is this type of focus, determination, and drive today that this young boy displays? Why do so many people, even those who know the proper Trim Tab activities, simply give up when the going gets tough? Laziness is not the proper response when one’s dreams are on the line; unfortunately, in contrast to the young boys persistence, quitting seems to be the most popular response in today’s pampered age. Nevertheless, as the video teaches, there is a point in every person’s life where he has to determine whether he will do whatever it takes to win or simply be content with losing.

Perhaps this is why basketball great, Kobe Bryant, minced no words when he stated, “I can’t relate to lazy people. We don’t speak the same language. I don’t understand you. I don’t want to understand you.”  The Green Box community has declared war on lazy (lazy habits, lazy excuses, lazy thinking) and replaced it with winning habits, winning reasons, and winning thinking. I simply cannot comprehend why a person would make excuses when others are counting on him. While the movie Bleed is mediocre at best, near the end it had one of the best lines on success I have ever heard. Below is the dialog between the reporter and the three-time world boxing champ, Vinny Pazienza, on the biggest lie ever told about success:

Reporter: So what would you say the biggest deception was? What was the biggest lie you were told?

Vinny Pazienza: It is not that simple.

Reporter: Why not?

Vinny Pazienza: No that is the biggest lie I was ever told.” It is not that simple” and it is a lie they tell you over and over again.

Reporter: What is not simple?

Vinny Pazienza: Any of it. All of it. It is how they get you to give up, they say, “It is not that simple”

Reporter: So what is the truth?

Vinny Pazienza: That it is. That if you just do the thing that they tell you “you cannot” then it is done. and you realize it is that simple and that it always was.

This is IT! Vinny, in a nutshell, is saying find the Trim Tab and do it regardless of how many failed captains, the ones who refuse to steer their ships, tell you bad advice. When Laurie and I discovered the Trim Tab we simply did it – we did it when everyone told us we were crazy; we did it when we physically didn’t feel like it; we did it when no one else believed. We simply did what others said could not be done and then realized how much easier doing it was than thinking about doing it while justifying why it wasn’t working.

The difference between winners and wannabes is captured in the two quotes above, namely, quit listening to those who haven’t gone where you are going and then start (and never stop) walking while everyone else is talking. No wonder why my favorite action quote is, “When all is said and done, much more is said than is ever done.” 🙂

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Posted in Finances, Freedom/Liberty, Leadership/Personal Development, LIFE Leadership, Orrin Woodward | 27 Comments »

Why the Green Box Matters

Posted by Orrin Woodward on March 23, 2017

Life without purpose, a purpose that gives meaning to the mundane tasks of life, is merely endless ennui, a meaningless series of Sisyphean tasks where one rolls a rock uphill only to watch it roll back down. Thankfully, however, Christians are told that everything they do has meaning because it ties into the greater purpose of giving God glory through reflecting the Light of Christ in everything we do. Christians, after all, are called to be like Christ and when our actions mirror those of Christ Himself, we know we are on the right track.

Perhaps nothing drove this point home to me more than the Biblical verses in Luke where Jesus announced his public ministry. Although I have read and studied these verses before, these verses speak to me like never before now that I see them through the Financial Matrix lens. Whereas I started community building to live financially free, and kept doing it because I realized I could help others, I now realize that every Christians is called to serve others in this fashion. In other words, I realized that what I do matters, not just financially, but also mentally, and spiritually, because Christ came to set the captives free.

When people ask me why Laurie and I do what we do, I answer by turning them to Luke 4:18-20, which reads:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed

Financial Fitness Pack

These verses are stunning to me. First, just as Christ has the Spirit of the Lord, so too do Christians receive the Holy Spirit to lead and guide them; similarly, just as Jesus was anointed by God to fulfill his purpose, so too are we anointed to fulfill ours. Second, Jesus proclaimed spiritual “good news” to the poor and healed the brokenhearted, and the Financial Fitness Program (the Green Box) proclaims financial “good news” to the poor and helps heal those brokenhearted under debt and stress. Of course, the trust gained by serving in the financial area leads to great conversations in the spiritual areas as well.

Third, Jesus proclaimed spiritual liberty to the captives and recovery of sight (both physical and spiritual) to the blind; in a similar fashion, the Green Box sets financial captives free and gives sight to those who were blind and bound in the Financial Matrix. Finally, Jesus came to set at liberty those who are oppressed and what better purpose can LIFE have than to do similarly by setting at liberty those who are oppressed in the debt and depression of the Financial Matrix, trapped without hopes and dreams.  I know of no vehicle that allows servants to interact with the world in such a win-win way to lead people to truth financially, mentally, and spiritually.

I say all this to communicate one simple truth, namely, what we do matters. Certainly, a person doesn’t have to be a Christian to participate in LIFE, but it certainly helps when he sees a bigger picture than just making money and getting out of debt personally. Indeed, one of the greatest lessons that leaders learn is that the treasures built in heaven, by fulfilling their purpose, matter much more than the profits, praise, and promotions they accumulate on earth.  The Green Box community is unlike any other because it isn’t just about reducing one’s debt, making more money, or even living one’s dreams – it’s about modeling, messaging, and mentoring to others who seek to escape financial bondage. Needless to say, so long as the Banking elites are intent upon enslaving billions of people within the Financial Matrix system, we will always have people to serve. 

This is the foremost reason, among many others, why Laurie and I do what we do. I cannot imagine anything more enjoyable than fulfilling my destiny by helping set the captives free from the financial, political, and spiritual matrices. How about you? I believe every month you are a Green Box Go-Getter, you are not only restoring your treasures on earth, but also building treasures in heaven.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Posted in Finances, Freedom/Liberty, Orrin Woodward | 25 Comments »

The Green Box Revolution

Posted by Orrin Woodward on March 7, 2017

Have you heard about the Green Box Revolution? If you haven’t, you will because it’s transforming the finances of so many of your friends and family. The Green Box contains the plan to play Financial Defense and Offense to escape the Financial Matrix. In my completely revised version of The Financial Matrix book, I describe the four responses each family makes to finances, termed the Financial Matrix Quadrants. In short, it boils down to the household’s response to playing Financial Defense and Offense and the consequences of those decisions. To change one’s financial results, in other words, a person must change his financial responses on Defense, Offense, or more likely, both.

In less than two years, the Green Box Revolution has eliminated over $10 million in debt and flowed that previously lost income back into the household.  That’s a ton of debt wiped out in a short time, merely by applying the principles captured in the Green Box. Now the reader understands why we have termed it a revolution.  The old saying, “if you want some things to change, you are going to have to change some things,” has never been truer than today. Finances don’t just change, a person’s financial habits change and this changes everything. Thankfully, the Green Box Revolution comes with a community of like-minded people, who also want to change financially. This creates a positive environment for people to dare to do something different and the encouragement to continue, even if at first, it’s not comfortable.

Financial Fitness Pack

Regrettably, this message infuriates the financial elites, for they do not want anything to change financially because they benefit from the status quo. Indeed, the Financial Matrix is designed for elite profits through leveraging the financial illiteracy of the masses. The elites gain wealth, power, and control while the masses lose wealth, liberty, and peace of mind. The real question is why do the masses allow this egregious situation to continue, some even fighting for their own enslavement, instead of simply demanding financial justice? As absurd as this sounds, the elites have made the masses complicit in their own slavery, selling them pots of porridge (trinkets on credit) for their birthright to liberty. Whereas many have no idea the system is rigged against them and need to read The Financial Matrix (or other books on the Fractional Reserve Banking (FRB) system) to comprehend the fraudulent nature of the money system, the worst part is many others know it is wrong, and yet, strangely, still solicit the Financial system’s services.

While this seems insane, it is, nonetheless, the truth. (Caution: a truth bomb is coming, and since only the truth will set the captives free, please brace yourself) How does a person fight against a fraudulent financial injustice when he has borrowed money from it?  This is hardly less hypocritical than demanding an end to prostitution while still seeking its services?  If the financial system is fraudulent, after all, then why should we borrow from it at all? The goal should be to end our association with this financial entity as quickly as possible. Needless to say, this is why we launched the Green Box Revolution, a revolution that allows people to make moral stands without being complicity in the immoral behavior, a behavior that enslaves themselves and others.

If someone hasn’t shared with you the plan to financial freedom through the Green Box Revolution, then feel free to reach out and I will ensure you are in the know. The only thing you have to lose is your debt and the invisible chains that come with it.

 

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Posted in Finances, Freedom/Liberty, Orrin Woodward | 20 Comments »

Vacations: Play, Plans, and Preparation

Posted by Orrin Woodward on February 21, 2017

On the “Road to Hana”

Vacations, that bizarre ritual, where perfectly sane people invest money to travel away from perfectly good homes to play, plan, and prepare (the 3 P’s of proper vacationing), are a vital aspect of the success process. Of course, as is true of almost everything in life, vacations must be taken in moderation, paid for without borrowing, and balanced by seasons of high-intensity effort and achievement. Perhaps no one has explained this balance any better than Chris Brady, one of the top 200 most influential authors in the world, who, in his classic book, A Month in Italy, outlined how to enjoy the “sharpening the saw” times without regret or guilt.

This is exactly what Laurie and I did during our recent Maui, Hawaii vacation. The Woodwards and Bradys, as we do several times a year, headed to another exotic location to execute the 3 P’s. Naturally, the Play part was easy, for we went to Maui to experience some of the best “whale watching” in the world and a whale actually surfaced right next to the boat, an awe-inspiring moment, to say the least! Further, Maui has the “Road to Hana”, one of the most beautiful trails to experience God’s creation in person. Finally, after a ten year hiatus, the Woodward boys were ready to challenge their dad’s Grand Prix title, a race we started in 2001 by racing around the numerous connected pools at the Grand Wailea resort. The play part, in other words, was fully covered and I cannot imagine a vacation that packed more fun into the time allotted.

 

The plan part of vacation, perhaps the most ignored part in most vacations, was also fulfilled. I cannot explain it, but for some reason when I travel, my mind thinks differently, almost as if the new surroundings create new thoughts. Indeed, some of the best ideas I have ever had were on vacation down times, where I was able to get  quiet time with the Lord to reveal His plans for my life. In Maui, I had the added benefit of masterminding with my amazing wife Laurie, the CEO of LIFE, Chris Brady, and his amazing wife, Terri. Chris and I celebrated LIFE’s roaring start in 2017 and planned our next steps. After chatting with Chris over several days, we realized we were on the cusp of doing something others would say is impossible, namely,  “run the table” in 2017.

Similar to Aaron Rodgers bold statement that the 4-6 Green Bay Packers could “run the table” and win all their remaining games (which they did) to make the playoffs, we believe LIFE can do similarly in 2017 and double our revenue from 2017 by growing double digits every month. In reality, a 6% growth per month would double the revenue for the year, so by having a double digits growth per month goal, we will easily hit the yearly goal if we hit the monthly goals. Jim Collins explained that goals that take your breath away are BHAGS (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) and doubling a company’s total revenue is certainly a BHAG. Nonetheless, the January and February numbers are coming in higher than our monthly goals and the momentum across the organization, thanks to the powerful messaging of the “Green Box,” shows no signs of slowing down.  I LOVE big dreams because they have the power to stir the soul! If you are going to have a dream, then make it a big dream, because the worst thing that can happen with small dreams is they come true. J

Finally, a great vacation is a time of preparation. What do we need to do when we return home to crank up our goals and dreams to the next level? I studied my numbers extensively, while sitting out on the patio overlooking the ocean, and I prepared my action steps (who I would mentor, depth calls to do, better messaging to sell more Green Boxes) to pour even more fuel on the fire. Most people fail in life because they were not prepared for the opportunities when they appear. I believe a person’s habits will eventually be revealed. If good habits, they will produce great results with time, but if bad habits, they will produce bad results with time. The old boy scout motto “Be Prepared” has never been truer than it is today. Are you preparing for your future success or are you hoping to get lucky? I have found luck to be a false friend (it comes and goes), but habits to be faithful for they do not depart when the going gets tough.

The Maui vacation was a HUGE success because we played, we planned, and we are prepared to RUN THE TABLE in 2017. The real question is the reader’s preparation for 2017? What is your financial dream? What is your plan? Are you prepared? A person will never rise higher than his daily habits; therefore, all true change begins with a change in a person’s daily habits. I thank God I learned the daily habits of reading, listening, and associating. In fact, while writing this article, I have been listening to Rascal Radio, learning from Chris Brady how to win financially. The bottom line it doesn’t matter how high you rise, because you start falling the moment you think you are too big to do the basic habit that made you rise initially. There is no such thing as shortcuts of the shortcuts – read, listen, and associate with those you desire to be like.

Interestingly, this is why so many one-time winners end up failing – they stop doing the daily habits that made them great originally. Winners gather together to fuel hope, while losers gossip together to fuel hate. Which group are you a part of? I choose to win and ONLY associate with winners who want to talk ideas and strategies to bless others. If someone wants to gripe, gossip, or gloat, then they will have to do so without me. Life is full of drama because sinful people refuse to accept responsibility, but winners think differently, rejecting the drama, they focus, instead, upon their dreams by associating with other dreamers. You are responsible because you are the one who must live with the consequences of your choices. 

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Posted in Fun, Leadership/Personal Development, Orrin Woodward | 32 Comments »

Rascal Radio: The Future of Personal Development

Posted by Orrin Woodward on February 4, 2017

Rascal Radio

Rascal Radio, the Pandora of Personal Development, is launching a revolution, a revolution in the cost and quality of personal improvement. Who has ever heard of thousands of audios on numerous subjects, ranging across practically every subject needed to improve one’s life today, for the absurdly low price of $12 per month! LIFE is serious about impacting culture, and by sharing its best content on a downloadable app for use on any smart phone, it is quickly claiming a leading role in the leadership revolution.

But don’t just take my word for it, try it for yourself by receiving a seven day FREE trial! After seven days, I know you will agree that Rascal Radio is simply the highest quality, best value, and easiest to use, personal development app on the market. Tens of thousands are already enjoying the benefits of Rascal Radio across the globe and the goal is for millions more to experience the leadership difference. Click here to enjoy your FREE seven day trial. Below is a video describing the details.

I love sharing leadership truths on this blog. Now, the readers can learn and apply truths daily right from the convenience of their smart phones.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Posted in Leadership/Personal Development, Orrin Woodward | 6 Comments »

Financial Fitness is a System

Posted by Orrin Woodward on January 26, 2017

There are two major paths to financial failure, paths that trap a person in increasing debt and decreasing dreams. The first is to spend money when one should be saving. The second, paradoxically, is to save money when one should be investing. Indeed, practically every financial fitness principle taught in the Financial Fitness Program (FFP) is summarized within these two principles. These concepts that are simple to comprehend, yet much more difficult to implement consistently, for financial fitness isn’t as simple as reading a blog article. In reality, only 1 out of 100 people live financially free (no debts with paid for assets) even though the concepts are straightforward and only demand the discipline to implement. The process of creating wealth (spend less than one makes and accumulate it over time) has been readily available, if not intuitively obvious, since Ben Franklin spelled it out in Poor Richards Almanac. More recently, Warren Buffett, the world’s greatest investor, has taught his principles of financial success (which are captured under the Defense and Offense headings of the FFP) –  1) Defense: “I think the biggest mistake is not learning the habits of saving properly early b/c saving is a habit . . . if you’re smart you’re going to make a lot of money without borrowing,” and 2) Offense:  “The best investment you can make is in yourself . . . the more you learn, the more you’ll earn.”

Financial Fitness Pack

Simple, practical, and available principles from the best of the best and yet repeatedly ignored by 99 out of 100 people, leaving most more financially upside down today than ever before. What is the root of this fiscal malaise?  The answer, after 25 years of mentoring people, and teaching thousands of families how to live their dreams debt free, has become clear to me. For one thing, information without inspiration simply won’t do the job, a job that demands consistent and persistent financial effort, similar to the focus a marathon runner has on the finish line. To make matters worse, for a person who wishes to escape the Financial Matrix, he must run against the grain, enduring the disapproval, mockery, and laughter of the crowd glorifying in their financial enslavement. Perhaps boxer Mike Tyson, although not usually thought of as a philosophical thinker, shared the best wisdom on the subject when he stated, “everyone has a strategy until he is punched in the face.”  Wow! Tyson’s message is spot on to most people’s financial situations, where they have a strategy until life punches them in the face.  Then, the strategy is thrown out the window and debt is used as a drug to temporarily alleviate the financial pain; however, since the debt drug is highly-addictive, before the person realizes it, he is drowning in debt and despair with little hope of realizing his dreams.

Fortunately, the reader does not have to follow the crowd over the financial cliff, nor does one have to live without dreams to stay out of debt; instead, he can pick up the Financial Fitness Program “Green Box” and learn how to escape the Financial Matrix (the playing field designed to profit banks and pauper the people) by playing Defense (spend less than one makes), Offense (increase leadership to make more money) and join a community of like-minded people who follow the “Green Box” principles to financial freedom. There is NO other program on earth that provides all four essential features to achieve financial freedom. After all, most financial programs only teach the Defensive principles, selling tons of programs but falling short of the advertised results because partial information, insufficient inspiration, and a non-existent community is a recipe for failure. As a matter of fact, even if another program did exist that taught the Financial Matrix playing field and the Defense/Offense, it would still fall way short of the mark because it lacks the “secret sauce” essential for any programs that requires habit changes, namely, a community of like-minded people going in the same direction.

Think about it. Why is Weight-Watchers so effective? Does anyone truly think they have discovered the philosopher’s stone of weight loss? Practically everyone understands that if a person burns more calories than he consumes, he will lose weight. Nevertheless, millions struggle to lose the extra weight and this is where Weight-Watchers comes in, providing a community for association, accountability, and acclamation to build hope that people can complete the process together that overwhelm them alone. Community, in other words, is the secret to success in any information program that demands discipline to follow through consistently. Sadly, many organizations fail, who have good programs, but lack the leadership necessary to build and sustain the proper culture within the community to produce the desired results. This is why information must be supported with daily inspiration and weekly association to help the people maintain accountability to their dreams and goals.

To be sure, there are examples of highly-disciplined people going it alone and achieving results, but they would miss out on one of the greatest blessings in life, namely, the joy of community and the association, accountability, and acclamation that is included when connected with others on a similar journey. While a person can achieve independence by himself, he only achieves the leadership level of interdependence through community involvement. What make the Financial Fitness Program so effective is it’s the only program that has an ongoing community, where one can set financial goals with mentors, attend get-togethers to gain more information and celebrate each other’s achievements to fuel the inspiration to apply the principles. This is the power behind the “Green Box” financial revolution that is setting people free! Why live life in quiet financial desperation when one can purchase the “Green Box” and learn the information, live the inspiration, and love the association within the community escaping the Financial Matrix.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward: LIFE Chairman of Board

LIFE Financial Convention

Posted in Finances, Freedom/Liberty, Orrin Woodward | 14 Comments »

Get the Green Box: Financial Fitness Program

Posted by Orrin Woodward on January 4, 2017

The Financial Matrix graph displays the four ways people can respond to the Defensive and Offensive principles needed for financial success. Strangely, most people, through a combination of ignorance, apathy, and arrogance, ignore these financial laws and suffer in consequence. 2017, however, is a new year, a year to erase past failures and replace them with future victories. This can be achieved through the Financial Fitness Program, the greatest financial game-changer on the market! But before I get ahead of myself, let’s examine the Financial Matrix quadrants to determine where the reader resides currently to ensure we develop the best personalized plan for the future.

The Financial Matrix Graph

Let’s start with the Broke quadrant, the one where people play neither Defense nor Offense. Disastrously, over 50% of households in the USA fall into this quadrant, service debts higher than current incomes and thus falling further and further behind every year. Moreover, they have little Offensive wherewithal to expand incomes and thus are stuck in a situation where they have more outgo than income with little hope of changing it.  The 45 Year Plan for the Broke group, those who have no net worth (assets minus debts), displays expenses higher than incomes and debt loads increasing until they are rejected for further loans (debt maxes out around 3 to 5 times total household income). Needless to say, this is the worst spot in the Financial Matrix, because it maximizes debts and minimizes dreams. The Broke quadrant pays the price for revolving interest, penalty fees, and stress because they lack financial literacy. They live lives of quiet desperation with no assets, massive debt, and little hope to change unless they can access new information and inspiration. The most common expression one hears from the Broke quadrant is, “I owe; I owe; it’s off to work I go,” while the most common attitude is hopelessness because they see no way out of the Financial Matrix.

The Tightwad quadrant, on the other hand, plays Defense (expenses below incomes with decreasing debts), but doesn’t play Offense (little ability to increase incomes). The 45 Year Plan for Tightwads shows expenses under incomes with little debt to service.  Although debt free (or at least progressing towards debt freedom), they only accomplish this by reducing their dreams. This is why most people HATE to talk about finances because they believe it’s just a plan to budget someone out of their dreams. While nothing could be further from the truth in the Financial Fitness Program, to be fair, this is where most financial gurus live. They spend hours talking about how to reduce debt and very little discussing how to increase incomes. As a result, most people do not follow apply Defensive principles because to do so results in them giving up their dreams to be out of debt.  While this, to be sure, is better than remaining in the Broke quadrant, this Financial gurus are only teaching half the story, at best.  For when a person surrenders his dream, a dream that drives his personal growth, he has thrown the baby out with the bath water. Sure, being debt free is a good, but the biggest enemy of great is good and I refuse to sacrifice the great on the altar of the financial gurus good! Why settle for debt-free without dreams when one can learn how to live dreams debt-free. The most common expression in the Tightwad quadrant is, “No thank you. We cannot afford this.” Naturally, after years of self-denial with little to show for it, the most common attitude that results is bitterness, a bitterness caused by repeatedly saying “no” to their dreams.

The Status quadrant, in contrast, plays no Defense (debts increase as fast as incomes), but has an impressive Offense (incomes capable of servicing all debts). The 45 Year Plan for this group displays both incomes and debts increasing. Because they have a solid Offense, but not a corresponding Defense, the total debt loads continue to increase (usually two to five times total income). To be sure, they have enough income to stay ahead of expenses, but only so long as they continue to perform at the top of their game. This group believes it can live their dreams, expand their debts, and live the good life. However, there is a major downside to living in the Status quadrant, namely, the inherent risk that something outside one’s control may occur. Similar to a bobber floating on top of the water, just one financial tug (job loss or health challenge) can lead to the household going underwater financially. After all, if someone lives at his debt limit, he runs the risk of financial catastrophe if the Offense is interrupted unexpectedly while the debt continues to compound expectedly. Debt, to the Status group, appears to be gold – they live their dreams while servicing their debt. But in reality, it’s a golden handcuff that tightens around its unsuspecting victim. Over time, the Status group realizes they are stuck on the financial gerbil wheel, running with everything they have, without the ability to jump off. The most common expression in the Status quadrant is, “Let’s buy it now because we can afford the monthly payments.” The danger, of course, is this commonly leads to arrogance, for when a person shows it all and owes it all, if he’s not careful, he can tend to believe he knows it all.

Unfortunately, by the time the Status quadrant realizes the errors in their strategy, it’s usually too late. Once the Offense loses some of its muster, it doesn’t take long for the Status household to start missing debt payments.  Ironically, the group learning the most from the failures of the Status households is the auctioneers, who sell off the remaining assets of financially ruined families. As noted in The Millionaire Next Door, auctioneers are the profession with the highest percentage of millionaires, probably because they see and feel the pain of the families who have lost everything by playing Offense and ignoring Defense. This lesson reveals the insecurity inherent within the Status quadrant, a quadrant that believes it can outrun debt forever.  As a result, most of the Status quadrant is one economic downturn away from bankruptcy. Debt is omnipresent and compounding continuously against the household; thus, it should not be played with for similar to fire, if you play with it, you will eventually get burned.

The final quadrant, the one everyone should aspire to join, is the Financial Free quadrant. This group plays both Defense (expenses below incomes with decreasing debts) and Offense (increasing incomes). The 45 year plan for this group displays expense remaining fairly constant while the incomes consistently grow.  Debt decreases annually until it is eventually eliminated by the difference between incomes and expenses being used to wipe out the household’s debt cancer. The Financially Free group sacrifices in the short-term by living below their means and wiping out debt so they can live their dreams debt free!  This quadrant is the most secure financially because they own assets and live their dreams debt free. This gives them great strength when financial setbacks do occur because they owe no one anything. Instead of reducing their dreams to pay off debt, they increase the size of their dreams without falling into debt; rather, they use dreams to drive personal improvement (Offense) and use the increased income to pay off debt even faster. In other words, increased dreams and decreased debts. This is the Financially Free lifestyle. The most common expression for Financially Free people is, “Let’s sleep on it first. Then, if we truly want it, let’s set an Offensive goal to achieve it.”  Not surprisingly, the common attitude of this group is thankfulness because they realize they have been blessed by following certain financial principles and aim pay that blessing forward into other’s lives.

Laurie and I dreamed to escape the Financial Matrix and now dream of helping millions more do the same. The Bible teaches, “The borrower is slave to the lender,” indicating a person in debt is in bondage. If someone loves his bondage, then I am not here to argue him out of it. However, if someone recognized himself in one of the above sub-optimized quadrants and desires to live Financially Free by escaping the Financial Matrix, then he needs to get the Green Box (The Financial Fitness Pack). If a person is already Financially Free, then I ask you to get the Green Box and help me help others by teaching these financial principles to the world. In the Green Box, the person will learn the Defense, the Offense, and the pathway out of the Financial Matrix playing field. Further, he can plug into a community of winners to be held accountable to the proper financial principles, playing Defense and Offense, and referring others to do similarly.

In closing, the beginning of all breakthroughs starts the moment a person realizes the road he’s been on will not take him to the destination he desires. This was true for Laurie and me, as we lived in all three sub-optimized quadrants seeking to escape the Financial Matrix. It’s now 2017 and last year’s successes and failures are history. Now it’s time to start this year with momentum.  If a person truly wants to live the life he’s always wanted, perhaps it’s time to address the issues you’ve always avoided. 

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward: LIFE Chairman of the Board

Posted in Finances, Orrin Woodward | 45 Comments »

Merry Christmas: Spiritual, Economic, and Political Freedom

Posted by Orrin Woodward on December 24, 2016

From my perspective, a perspective developed over twenty-five years of leading communities, mankind’s thirst for freedom is unquenchable. Unfortunately, however, in an effort to quench this thirst, most people grab the freedom glass from the wrong end, inadvertently losing the liberties they long for. The people, in a nutshell, chase political freedom through political messiahs rather than start with the root ingredients, namely, spiritual and economic (financial) freedom. Despite repeated political failures, the undaunted people merely double-down, pursuing the prize with more zeal (a zeal without knowledge) until society’s freedom is poured out in an orgy of political Statism. While I am all for an honorable and just political system, I do not believe any politician, regardless of their specific political affiliation, can ensure my (or the readers) spiritual and financial freedoms. In fact, I would argue that these freedoms are precursors to political freedom and where people are enslaved spiritually and financially, inevitably, they will be in political bondage as well. 

5342dbee172190c875477beb4f0e0b91Be that as it may, the Christmas season is about Light shining into darkness, a season where people should pause and ponder the message of Jesus Christ. In essence, Jesus Christ is God’s Christmas gift to us, a gift of Peace with God and Freedom from Sin – the two greatest blessings God could offer mankind. Indeed, the story of Christmas is about God intervening in history to send his Son (the God-man) to earth to fulfill the law’s punishment and free ruined sinners like us. This is the true revolution unfolding within the world and it produces real change that makes society great again. It has turned the world upside down (providing freedom for mankind) everywhere Jesus Christ is worshipped as Lord and Savior.

One of the greatest questions a person ponders in life is his accountability to an Almighty God. On one hand, because God is justice, He cannot simply ignore violations against His Law, and still be just. On the other hand, because God is love, how do we experience that love if we receive what we deserve (darkness and death) rather than the mercy we need? How, in short, can God be both just and loving at the same time. The answer, an answer that turned the tide of history, is the Holiness, Grace, and Mercy of Jesus Christ, the true reason for the Christmas season. I pray that every reader, during the hustle and bustle of the CHRISTmas season, experiences the peace that surpasses understanding along with the corresponding freedom to become what God intended us to be.

This is the Gospel message – we end our rebellion against God and accept the unmerited favor of Christ’s act of grace where He freely takes our sins and we accept his righteousness through faith in Him. Who has ever heard of a love so grand, a peace so sweet, a gift of mercy so undeserved? 

Not surprisingly, the anti-Christ spirit does not want people to hear this truth. Instead, it encourages enslavement through its ubiquitous glorification of sinful passions, rather than Godly principles. Satan understands that people cannot endure conscious inconsistencies between their stated beliefs and actual behavior. Predictably, as a result, when a person’s behaviors become sinful, his beliefs will soon follow. In contrast, when a person accepts by faith the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he repents from sinful actions to follow his new world-view, sanctifying his life by following his Savior’s example.  

This is the war between the Christ and anti-Christ spirits in the world. A person is either following Light or groping in darkness. Don’t be fooled by the media’s anti-Christian lies; instead, read the Bible for yourself, preferably starting with the book of John. See for yourself how Light shined into darkness and freed the enslaved from sin. True freedom, in other words, begins with the freedom to serve God and others without guilt or shame, knowing we are sons and daughters of the King.

Needless to say, however, just because Christians have grabbed the freedom glass from the proper end, does not, by itself, indicate the war is won. If anything, the real war has just begun, for now the person must live his Faith before a watching world. After all, now that he is spiritually free, it’s time to tackle the next freedom – economic (financial) freedom. Curiously, many Christians behave as if the gift of spiritual freedom does not come with corresponding responsibilities, but the Bible teaches to whom much is given, much is required. Certainly, a spiritually free person should progress to economic and eventually political freedom, for what is the purpose of freedom if it doesn’t glorify God and serve others?

Christians must live their faith by applying Biblical principles into their personal finances and achieve financial freedom, giving them a bigger platform to serve God and man. Indeed, I believe one of the greatest indictments against the Christian church today is its failure to be Salt and Light in the world possibly because it is too much in love with the world.  The Bible does not teach Christians to immerse themselves in the world’s ways, but rather says to be in the world but not of the world, shining Light into the darkness. Sadly, many Christians have surrendered their Light to the anti-Christ agenda and entrapped themselves in the Financial Matrix despite the Biblical admonition that borrowers are slaves to the lender. Does anyone think the world will take Christians serious when the talk about Christian liberty when they sold themselves into financial slavery for material things? 

How can a spiritually free person, a Christian, believe God wants him to sell himself into the anti-Christ financial system that enslaves billions of people? This is the absurd and the epitome of the double-minded hypocritical person James reproached as unstable in all his ways. What material thing, after all, is so important that one should become a slave to own (or should I say borrow) it?  Let each reader examine himself. Debt is nothing less than a financial cancer eating away at the household’s financial health and anyone who willingly introduces cancer into his family is not leading in a Biblical fashion.

To be sure, a mortgage may be necessary temporarily to obtain a housing, but why compound the debt further by leasing cars, accumulating credit card debt, and buying other toys on credit. To be fair, I don’t believe most Christians intend to be hypocritical; instead they simply have not studied the good Book enough to realize they are violating many of the financial principles present.  Christian pastors, as a result, must not only share the good news of spiritual freedom, but also how the spiritual freedoms lead to economic freedoms, which finally produce society’s political freedoms. This is the historical path to political freedoms and repeated attempts to grab the freedom glass from the wrong end will inexorably lead to more Statist’s tyranny until the people repent of their folly.

Unfortunately, today’s Statist anti-Christ rulers have no interest in people seeing the Light and escaping the darkness because it’s the people’s uncontrolled passions that lead to the elites absolute power. This shouldn’t shock Christians, for the Bible clearly describes how the rulers conspire against God and His anointed One. Thankfully, their plans will be foiled as they break themselves upon the Rock that cannot be broken. The world, in reality, is a great cosmic drama where history unfolds between the powers of Light defeating the powers of darkness in a war with no-quarter. Each person must identify which side he is on in this war and then determine the role he has been called to play.

As for me and my family, we have been called to set people free (spiritually, economically, and politically), knowing that spiritual freedom is the ultimate freedom. With that said, however, we have found the easiest place to start is by teaching people financial freedom. For once trusts is gained in the area by showing the effectiveness of the financial principles, the door is open to share the truths of freedom in all areas. We spend our lives teaching people about spiritual, economic, and political freedoms while encouraging others, others who are tired of living lives of quiet desperation, to do the same by coming into the Light. When enough people turn to Light spiritually and financially, the political changes needed will occur as the spiritually and financially free people demand to live politically free.

LIFE teaches people how to live financially free through utilizing our best selling product, the Financial Fitness Pack. The information inside the green box revolutionizes a person’s finances, and in the process, exposes him to truths in others areas. The goal is to set him free so he can then help others get free. Indeed, LIFE is not our business built on purpose, but rather our purpose built on business. This Christmas season, don’t just open up gifts; instead, open up the gift that endures forever, the saving faith in Jesus Christ. By grabbing the freedom glass from the proper end, freedom will prosper in all areas as we spend the rest of our lives reflecting His Light in a dark world.

The Woodward family wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and proclaims Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Posted in Faith, Freedom/Liberty, Orrin Woodward | 33 Comments »

Dream Big and Long

Posted by Orrin Woodward on November 28, 2016

Many people dream, a few dream big, but only a select few dream big and long. These select few, not coincidentally, also happen to be the ones who achieve the most in any field. Dreaming big, in other words, although a necessary ingredient to success is not sufficient in itself, for without the ability to endure the predictable ups and downs on the success journey, a person’s poor thinking will disqualify him from continuing the journey.

Indeed, this is why one of the resolutions in my Top 100 All-Time Leadership book RESOLVED is Adversity Quotient (AQ) , the ability to handle setbacks without quitting. Perseverance is a combination of knowing why one began the journey, reframing failures into teachable moments, and holding onto the success rope when everything in you wants to let go. This is what makes a champion a champion, the relentless pursuit of perfection regardless of the time and effort needed to create the desired results.

Perseverance

Perseverance

If I had a dime for every person who had what it takes to win who quit on himself, I’d double my net worth. 🙂 Talent, in other words, is rarely the problem; instead, perseverance is what separates the haves from the have-nots. No matter what the field, the resolutions of Purpose, Attitude, and AQ are all part of building the level of perseverance necessary to achieve success at the highest levels. Does the reader know why he does what he does? Has he developed the ability to reframe his setbacks into teachable moments? Can he persevere no matter how great the pain of temporary denial and frustration?

If the reader answered yes to these questions then his success clock is ticking and its only a matter of time before his internal victories are revealed externally. Yes, get a big dream, but also back it up with the AQ to dream long. Success rarely goes to the most talented, but it always goes to the one who refuses to quit until he wins! Perhaps it’s time for the readers to pick up RESOLVED again and begin building the resolutions on the inside to reveal them on the outside.

Furthermore, for advanced study, the Mental Fitness Challenge can help burn the resolutions into one’s thinking to make living them part of one’s DNA. Needless to say, the resolutions are the most predictable formula for success that I know, but they only work when the person does.

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

Posted in Leadership/Personal Development, Mental Fitness Challenge (MFC), Orrin Woodward | 9 Comments »

Here in the Real World

Posted by Orrin Woodward on October 30, 2016

Yesterday morning, I woke up with a song playing in my head, a song from country music singer, Alan Jackson, I hadn’t heard in years. Curious, I went up to my office and searched the words and realized this song fit perfectly with my studies on the Financial Matrix.  I believe more than ever that the greatest impediment to world freedom is the current money system that enslaves everyone who is tempted into debt.

My life’s purpose and the LIFE company are so closely intertwined because I want to help people live their dreams while being debt-free. Naturally, this will it take a longterm focus, disciplined effort,  and the support of a community, but the results are worth the time invested. After a few hours of playing with the lyrics, I changed the words to fit the story of the current money system. George Guzzardo’s fascinating new book The Torch of Freedom shares the story of freedom in an engaging style. To live a life of liberty, however, a person must free himself from the Financial Matrix debt system.

Play the song and read the new lyrics below to sing the new song. For that matter, if one is in a creative mood, feel free to suggest more verses that fit into the song. 🙂

Sincerely,

Orrin Woodward

“Here In The Real World”

Cowboys don’t cry, and heroes don’t die
Good conquers evil, again and again
Freedom, the sweet dream, that always comes true
Oh if life were like the movies, I’d never be blue

But here in the real world, it’s not and justice for all
Big Banks and inflation, cause real dreams to stall
The system is sad but true, making money indebting you
It’s why the people don’t ever get debt-free, here in the real world

I gave you my labor, but that wasn’t enough
To hold my income, when booms turned to busts
And tonight on that silver screen, it’ll end like it should
Light will cast out darkness, like we hoped it would

But here in the real world, it’s not that easy at all
With banks too big to fail, its real jobs that fall
And although it’s sad but true, there’s still one thing that we could do
Put an end to the Financial Matrix fraud, here in the real world

 

Posted in Finances, Freedom/Liberty, Orrin Woodward | 31 Comments »