A few weeks ago, I was talking with my friend Patti Wood, who also is a professional speaker. We were talking about how fortunate we felt to have the circle of friends and colleagues we have in the world of motivational speaking. She told me how amazed some of her friends were that she had access to business authors, inspirational book authors, and some of the top professional speakers in the country. Both of us have friends who have authored New York Times best sellers, co-authored Chicken Soup for the Soul books, and been featured on CNN, FOX, and in newspapers like the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. One of my good speaker friends is a business speaker named Terry Paulson. He is a columnist for a newspaper in Southern California and wrote this for his column in the Ventura County Star: 

Doing good defines rich It’s not how much you earn, but how much you help By Terry Paulson, Phd

How do you define rich?

How do you define rich? Is it the one who dies with the most toys or the largest stock portfolio? Is it defined by how high you climb on the Forbes “World’s Billionaires” list? Or is it better defined by the personal riches that come by serving and making a difference for others? Recent experiences have reinforced my belief that living rich lives is far more important than merely “being rich.” The return on your life is more important than the return on your investments.
Janel Perez, a nurse practitioner here in Ventura County, recently returned from a Project Compassion medical mission trip to Huatulco, Mexico, and shared her experiences with other members at Westlake Lutheran Church. The passion and joy that radiated from her as she talked about her mission experience spoke volumes about what it is to “truly be rich.” “I received much more than I gave,” she said. “My life will never be the same. The hardest part is explaining to my husband how there is a way to use our money better than putting in a swimming pool. My priorities have changed, and my faith is so much stronger. I look forward to being able to go again.”
Tim Richardson, professional speaker and founder of “The REAL Richest People List” (http://www.TheRichestPeopleinAmerica.com), echoed Janel’s sentiments.
“I believe too much emphasis is placed on material wealth and not enough on the wealth and richness that are truly important and fulfilling,” he said. “True richness comes from the love of giving back to society and happens whether you make $10,000 or $10 million a year. It’s not just about how good you are; it’s about what good you do.”
Tim has started his “REAL Richest People List” in hopes of inspiring businesses and individuals to give more of their profits and their time in making a difference in the world. Recipients are honored not by how much they have, but by how much they give. Here’s a sampling of nominees from this year’s list.
— Carol Schillios, a credit union consultant and founder of the Fabric of Life Foundation, has helped Mali’s poorest of the poor — young begging girls — learn sewing, fabric weaving, dyeing and beading skills to generate income and break the cycle of poverty.
— John Wood, founder of Room to Read, has helped open more than 280 schools and 3,600 multilingual libraries across the developing world, distributed more than 2.8 million children’s books and supported more than 2,300 girls with long-term scholarships.
— Nancy Rivard, an American Airlines flight attendant and Founder of Airline Ambassadors, coordinates missions to hand-deliver supplies to children in need and escort children who need medical care. Nancy affirmed: “A life oriented around oneself does not ultimately bring happiness. A life oriented around others does.”
Tim is accepting nominations for next year’s list with the goal of announcing the “400 REAL Richest People in America” as Forbes releases its “Richest Americans” list. Tim is now traveling the country showing companies and organizations how to experience greater richness by supporting giving. Richardson claims that there is a direct correlation between giving and employee morale, customer loyalty and even corporate profitability.
Send in your nominations now, and if you want to explore this approach to richness further, see the movie, “The Ultimate Gift.” As you unwrap this movie gift, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll be reminded of the gifts life provides — the gifts of work, friends, family, money, learning, problems, laughter, dreams, giving, gratitude, love and the gift of a day.
This FoxFaith inspirational drama brings to life Jim Stovall’s novel and boasts a stellar cast that includes James Garner, Brian Dennehy and young Abigail Breslin, fresh off her Oscar-nominated performance in “Little Miss Sunshine.” The movie title refers to an intriguing enticement offered to a spoiled grandson by his recently deceased and extremely wealthy grandfather. Via a series of video messages, the grandfather promises the irresponsible young man that if he completes a series of tasks — “gifts” — he may receive a substantial inheritance. After enduring a series of humiliating episodes in which he experiences life as a homeless person, does backbreaking labor at a ranch and travels to South America to come to terms with the death of his father, the young man begins to change. We watch him find a life-changing relationship with a beautiful single mother and her feisty young daughter who is dying of leukemia.
Enough of the story line. This movie will challenge you to have conversations with your own children and grandchildren about the things that matter most in life. Instead of just leaving them money, you might want to leave them a few more meaningful messages. “The Ultimate Gift” will leave you thankful for the blessing life provides when lived richly.
At this tax time, take a moment to count the blessings you have received by making a difference for others. There are no taxes due on those riches.
— Terry Paulson, of Agoura Hills, is a psychologist, speaker, author and host to the PoliticalTalk Blog. Contact him at http://www.politicalassessment.com or at terry@terrypaulson.com

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com