Permission to Prosper: Flip the Script and Write Your Own Wealth Story

For years, I lived under the tyranny of people-pleasing. I wanted to be liked. To be approved. To fit a mold that was never made for me in the first place.

And it cost me. It cost me moments with my wife. It cost me having fun and laughing. It cost me joy because I was so worried about everyone else and their feelings and being liked and doing what was right, even if it wasn’t what was best for me.

Because here’s the deal most people miss: you don’t get what you want in life. You get what you think you deserve.

If you believe money is bad, guess what? You’ll sabotage it. If you think prosperity is reserved for “those” people over there, you’ll repel it. If guilt and shame are your financial GPS, don’t be surprised when you’re driving in circles.

Permission to Prosper isn’t just an idea. It’s a movement. A battle cry. A call to action. This is your invitation to break free from the lies we inherited, the scripts we memorized, the memes that rule our life, the scarcity we swallowed whole.

The False Scripts We Inherited

There are myths that keep people broke: the finite pie, the long haul, high risk equals high returns. But beneath every one of those myths is a more dangerous belief:

“I don’t deserve prosperity.”

Somehow, we’ve been conditioned to think that suffering is noble, that wealth is suspect, and that joy should be postponed until retirement—if we even make it there.

That mindset is a cage. And most people are in it, rattling the bars, wondering why freedom feels so far away.

What Is Prosperity, Really?

Being rich means you have money. Being prosperous means you have it all.

It doesn’t mean life is perfect. I mean, it’s perfect in that everything’s happening for you to learn. It’s happening for you, not to you. But it’s not perfect in that everything goes according to plan. That’s not how life works.

Prosperity is the alignment of your purpose, your passion, your profits. It’s building a life you love so much that you don’t need an escape plan or a retirement countdown.

Sure, there will be difficulties along the way. Those are the harsh nudges to get you back on track, if you listen. If you don’t, you sacrifice, you suffer.

You Hold the Pen

A while back, I had dinner with two of my spiritual mentors Brian and Jim. They asked me a simple question: “What do you want?”

I answered with something like, “To serve. To live my divine purpose.”

They pushed back. “That sounds like the answer you’d give us. But what do you really want?”

So I told them: “I want to be the most influential financial teacher for entrepreneurs. I want to grow my social following by 5 million people. I want to bring humor to money. I want to have fun.”

They smiled. “That’s it. That’s you.”

Too often, we’re waiting for someone to validate our dreams. To give us a gold star or a blue ribbon. To say, “It’s okay to want what you want.”

But you hold the pen. You get to write the script. And the script can be whatever you want, including one that is profitable and filled with purpose.

The Seinfeld Strategy

There’s a classic scene from Seinfeld where George decides to do the opposite of every instinct he has—and his life immediately gets better.

George: “It’s not working. It’s just not working.”

Jerry: “What is it that isn’t working?”

George: “Every decision I’ve ever made in my entire life has been wrong. My life is the complete opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have, in every aspect of life… it’s all been wrong.”

Jerry: “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.”

And just like that, George flips his entire approach—and things start working.

Sometimes, prosperity requires the same. The wealthy don’t do things differently; they do the opposite.

Here’s an example:

  • When people say it takes money to make money—it never takes their money to make money. Wall Street makes money on your money.
  • When banks say, “Put away your money into savings,” they need to deploy that money to create cash flow. So we’re being trained to accumulate while they’re creating cash flow.
  • When Wall Street says, “Take risk to get return,” they pass the risk onto us—they do the exact opposite.

It’s not different. It’s the opposite.

If you feel stuck, broke, or burned out, maybe it’s time to do the opposite:

  • Say no instead of yes.
  • Ask for help instead of hiding.
  • Raise your rates instead of discounting your worth.
  • Build the life you love now, not someday.

Conversations That Create Wealth

In 2023, I was facing insomnia. My kidneys were failing. I had just exited a company I founded. I was grieving a partnership that dissolved. And the internal conversations in my head were brutal:

“Am I going to be a burden to my family if my kidneys fail? Will I have to go on dialysis? Will I need a transplant? I won’t be able to serve—I’ll be taking from the people I love.”

“How did I end up in a business that was making money, but I didn’t like one partner that I worked with, someone toxic? Why did I stay so long? Why did I let it go on that far? Why didn’t I stand up for and protect everyone else?”

“How did I lack the leadership to change it? What is wrong with me? I should have known better.”

There was so much judgment. And then came the jealousy. Comparing myself to people who hadn’t made the same mistakes or more money than me.  

I “should” all over myself. And let me tell you, 2 a.m. in the dark with those thoughts is not where prosperity lives.

Isolation is the enemy of abundance. So I started having new conversations. With myself. With mentors. With people who cared.

Look, 2023 wasn’t all bad. I sold over 8,500 books by delivering 17 talks. I traveled with my son. I gave the best speech of my life.  I had some epic date nights and a trip to Spain with my family.  

I can list a lot of great things. But I also had high blood pressure, felt fatigued, and wasn’t happy.
But at the end of that year, I had to ask: What was the cost of not addressing these conversations earlier? What did it cost me not to stand for my value? What was the sacrifice of being in my head instead of connected with my family just because I don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings or I am afraid of the confrontation?

So yes, I had successes—but I also lived in sacrifice. And here I was, writing a book about not being in sacrifice. That was quite the quandary. It was fucking annoying.  

So I wrote. I processed the emotions. I invested in the internal work. Talked weekly to mentors, peers, and my team.  I allowed others to support me, to hold space for me.

The real question I had to confront was: What will be my vision moving forward? What do I really want? And what am I capable of? What could I dedicate the next 20 years or more of my life to?  What matters and is important?  

Who am I, really?

Flip the Script

If you’re playing the martyr, or waiting for someone to save you, or hoping to get lucky with investments, it’s time to flip the script.

Because the truth is: no one is coming.

You are the author. You are the hero. You are the visionary.

Permission to Prosper means giving yourself full authorization to:

  • Own your desires
  • Stand for your value
  • Love yourself unapologetically
  • Profit from your purpose

Prosperity is spiritual. It’s personal. It’s powerful. And it’s your birthright.

The Parable of the Talents

Remember the parable? The master gives talents (money) to his servants. Two invest. One buries it. The ones who invest are rewarded. The one who hides his gift is chastised.

What’s the lesson?

We are stewards of our gifts. We’re meant to multiply them. We’re designed to create. We aren’t built to cut back and live small. To bury our talents to protect our savings.  That isn’t the way to prosper.  

If you’re hiding your talent out of fear, guilt, or shame, stop. Bring it into the light. Share it. Expand it. Let it bless others and prosper you in the process.

Who Are You Waiting For?

When I was at Notre Dame, a Catholic school in Price, Utah, I went there from grades 1st through 8th. In junior high, I got into a fight with a kid named Max.

Coach Phil broke us up and said, “Hey, don’t fight—you’ll get suspended. Go home, get these permission slips signed. I’ll put boxing gloves on you, and we’ll let everybody watch. You can duke it out tomorrow.”

Now that we had a permission slip, we could go all out. And we did. We fought, and afterward? We were fine.

Without a permission slip, there’s consequence. No license to drive, no permit to operate—there are penalties. A lot of people are living without the permission slip to prosper. They never signed it. They’re waiting.

But the only permission you need? It’s from you.

Permission to prosper. Permission to be wealthy. Permission to enjoy life along the way. Permission to love your life.

No one is going to knock on your door with a permission slip that says, “You may now prosper.”

That slip? You write it. You sign it. You live it.

Surround yourself with people who challenge you, inspire you, and support your vision. Invest in conversations that build wealth. Redefine what success looks like on your terms.

And if you’re still unsure, just start here:

  • What do you really want?
  • What lights you up?
  • What makes you feel most alive?

Answer those, and you won’t need a plan B. Because plan A will be so aligned, so compelling, so damn fun that you’ll realize—you’ve already won.

Final Thought

Tell me what you want. What you really, really want. (Yeah, I just went Spice Girls on you.)

If you weren’t worried about what others thought or how it would pay off… what would you do?

That answer? That’s your compass.

Permission to Prosper isn’t just about money. It’s about meaning. It’s about merging your gifts, your joy, and your genius into something you can’t not do.

This is your permission.

Now go prosper.

2 thoughts on “Permission to Prosper: Flip the Script and Write Your Own Wealth Story

  1. Coming from the bottom of the bottom I do believe that part of your philosophy I have integrated in my way of approaching wealth building. I do believe there is some virtue in working and doing things that might not align with your vision for some period of time as I think it creates some level of grit and resilience to your character. Even with you doing business with some guys that weren’t aligned with your vision for the company doesn’t mean you didn’t bring value to people or put your self in a position for your family to be set. In many cases holding out and learning how to work along people who don’t align with you can both tangible and intangible benefits. I am starting my wealth journey from negative net worth and zero cash flow so me personally I’m ok with doing things that don’t align with my bigger vision now because I believe it takes time to get to that level were you profits , purpose , passion are all aligned and can allow for you to live a life of abundance. I’m just looking for every lesson and ability I can gain from were I’m at in the moment. I don’t think you just start that way … I think you personally build towards that. But when I read your content it always reminds me to get laser focused on what a win looks like now and in the future and I am grateful for your work for that reason in particular .

    1. We all have our own journey and different phases and stages. Do what it takes to create the life you love and want. Develop skills. Do the work. Learn and grow. Thanks for reading and sharing.

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