Lately, I feel like Dear Abby.  Because I can be found under the search term “The Richest People in America”, I get a lot of emails requesting help, usually requesting money.  This week there have been several including from somone who I imagine to be from a Developing World Country. He didn’t mention his country in the email but I would guess based on both how he wrote and what he said he lived in a very poor area. Those who contact me erroneously assume me to be a person of great material wealth. Alas, I am just a person who defines RICH a bit differently.  I was encouraged that he had a great goal even if he felt challenged by his ability to achieve it.  He asked for advice and below are the suggestions I gave him. As I re-read it, I wondered what some of my contemporaries would have suggested. I would love to know what you would have told him. (you can reach his email below - just as he wrote it). Here’s what I wrote followed by his intial email:

Dear Z (short for his real name):

I applaud your dreams/aspirations.  Below are a few suggestions:
1) Network with other like-minded, positive people. Sometimes the people who you associate with can determine your demise or your destiny.

2) Read uplifting, positive books every day (The Power of Positive Thinking, Think and Grow Rich, The Greatest Salesman in the World, and the Bible - even if you aren’t Christian, the principles in Psalms and Proverbs are universal and very wise words.

3) Write down you goals every night before you go to sleep and tackle the toughest one first the next day. Don’t ever feel like the number of goals you have is important. Keep it manageable but stretch yourself too.

4) Never give up -it’s when things they most dire that it is more important than ever to keep trying. The last few strides before the finish line is a great time to really kick it up a notch.

5) Realize that every step (even baby steps) you take toward you goal with more you in the right direction.
Dear Sir/Madam,

I am very happy when i read about your hand works in term of helping societies that  need  help  so much.
I am a young man of 27 years old and frankly speaking has a great deal of interest in helping the venerable and  needy  in my  society  and  beyond. It will be my greatest joy to one day have all it takes to be able to achieve something of the sort. It is an instinct that existed deep inside me that any time i see people in trouble due to the fact  that they are street children, it made me cry. I think God blesses us so that we can also be blessing to others who can not afford.

I am very serious about this project and will not hesitate to start it if the means is available.

The following are my Plans for the future.

* Build a Church and attach to the Church will be a School for the Orphans and street children in my society in the whole country. The School will be from the Kindergarten to  Senior  Secondary  Level and  the  School should  be in position to sponsor the qualified ones to the University level.
* Form a Football Club purposely for the Orphans and the Street Children From Second Division  to the  Premier  Division  level  in order  to build the hidden talent they have inside them and other sports will also be considered.
* Build a hostel as from the beginning to contain about  500 to 800 people and the School Class rooms also the same.

Sir/Madam, the problem I have is that i am not doing the best of work to see myself achieving all this very easily, meanwhile, it haunt me all day long to strive hard in order to be able to achieve all this plans. What  i am trying to say Sir, is that i am not asking you to give me money to do this projects but what i am trying to say is, that i need a push to be able to achieve it.

At the moment, my interest is in Football Development and any help from you to begin something that will help me to accomplish this mission sooner or later will very well be respected

Thank you very much for your anticipated reaction in this regard.

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, healthcare, and financial services. He is founder of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com