Don't Chase Money, Seek Opportunities

People tell you "Don't chase money" but they never tell you how to make money.

If you follow the 2500 years old ancient Chinese philosophy of Sun Tzu, in his Art Of War, he would tell you,

Don't chase money; instead, seek out opportunities.

Why?

No matter how hard you chase, if the door of opportunity is not open you will not make money.

The more you chase, the more you get tired and get burnout.

Here are 3 ways of chasing money and why it does not work and what should we do instead.

1. Chasing business relationships. Instead, you could position yourself and bring value to attract the right relationships that are meaningful to you.

   
   

2. Chasing more business by pestering or constantly asking people to buy your product or service. Instead, you could create a product and find the right people who like your product. This will attract people to buy your product.

   
   

3. Chasing advancement in your career. Instead of job hopping your way to the top, which may work in the short term, focusing on developing the right skills and producing excellent results will bring your career to even greater heights, and your top position can be maintained.

Here is a wise word from 2,500 years ago that we can learn from. This philosophical quote is from Sun Tzu, who wrote "The Art of War." He said,

Hence to fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consist in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.

This means that fighting and conquering takes a lot of energy and resources. You will lose your men and resources, and that does not guarantee you victory.

Sun Tzu states that victory should be achieved without "fighting."

To Sun Tzu, fighting is like pursuing the enemy to secure a win. True victory should arise from exploiting opportunities when the enemy is negligent or makes mistakes.

As Sun Tzu said,

A strong defense lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.

Don't chase money; instead, build a strong defense by focusing on positioning yourself to attract success and develop skills that bring value to whom you want to attract, and opportunities will come naturally.

Be patient. Focus on oneself through preparation and seek the opportunity. Only when the opportunity arises should you chase and grab the opportunity.

Wisdom quotes from the past and present advises against chasing money.

1. Charlie Munger said,

Real wealth is created not through buying and selling, but through waiting. This involves having the patience to hold onto cash and wait for outstanding, high-quality opportunities instead of taking action just to feel "busy".

2. Benjamin Franklin, US Founding Father,

Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has, the more he wants. Instead of filling a vacuum, it creates one.

Chasing money frequently leaves you feeling more empty, as you will always striving for the next goal, which results in greater stress.

True fulfillment arises when you have a purpose and practice moderation, rather than from amassing possessions.

3. Jim Rohn, who is Tony Robbins' mentor, emphasizes that wealth should not be chased, but rather attracted through personal development and the value one brings to the marketplace. His core teaching is that

Money is usually attracted, not pursued.

4. Tony Robins, said that money is a tool and a byproduct of providing value, not the end goal itself.

Money is a Result, Not a Cause.

The only way to become wealthy, and stay wealthy, is to find a way to do more for others than anyone else is doing in an area that people really value.

If you should not chase money then what?

By putting your focus not on chasing money, but on things like value and the activities you need to do to bring you the results you want.

Money comes from opportunity. Opportunity comes from bring value and being patient.

We can learn a lot from history on famous people who pursued wealth and success. Instead of seeking answers alone, we can gain wisdom from the wise.

MrArtOfWar.com is the best Art Of War program/course online audiobook that teaches you the strategy to win in life, career, and business. Discover more on how to get what you wnat in life.