What we really want to do is what we are really meant to do. When we do what we are meant to do, money comes to us, doors open for us, we feel useful, and the work we do feels like play to us.

—Julia Cameron

Vash Young—You probably never heard of him.

But in the early 1930s he wrote one of the most influential self-help books of the time: A Fortune to Share. Young made a fortune in the life insurance business—during the Great Depression, mind you, when others struggled and starved and some committed suicide—and wrote his books to teach people how to care about others, be happy now, and truly serve. His books are still readable and relevant today, though Young has long gone.

Bruce Barton was once called “the man everybody knows.”

An early “Mad Man” who was not mad. He was a popular advertising genius, cofounder of BBDO in 1919, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, and a best-selling author, as well. His books, such as The Man Nobody Knows, revealed Jesus as a businessman who took 12 people and transformed the world. My own book on Barton, The Seven Lost Secrets of Success, reveals a man in love with principle over profit.

Mary Kay Ash: “A mediocre idea that generates enthusiasm will go further than a great idea that inspires no one.”

She inspired women. She awarded pink Cadillacs for top sellers of her beauty products. She was on a mission to make a profit from her passion to help women find their independence.

Allen Carr tried to stop the world from smoking cigarettes.

Carr had been a chain smoker who discovered and developed a “talking cure” that worked. He spent the rest of his life teaching his Easy-Way method to the world. Celebrities to regular folks next door heard his presentation and stopped smoking. Ironically, Carr died of lung cancer. He allowed smokers to listen to this talk, smoking as he spoke. As a result, he breathed second hand smoke and became ill. When he learned of this, Carr said, “It was worth it.” His message was that important to him. He was on a mission.

Debbie Ford: bringing light to dark.

She wrote books that awakened people to their hidden weaknesses, so they could regain their power and achieve their dreams. The Dark Side of the Light Chasers helped people who were deceiving themselves to see their hidden beliefs and break free. She appeared on television, in movies, and spoke around the world, to people everywhere.

What do they have in common?

They were all Awakened Millionaires.

They don't have an organization or a club. They don't swarm together for annual summits. They don't have a term for themselves. In many cases, they may not even be aware of what they are.

They just are.

These practical visionaries live by an odd creed…only odd because we'll be startled by its formula. It is a complete break from what we've considered fact with such tired conviction that we see nothing but dense fog.

The formula is simple.

Soul + Money = More Soul + More Money

Soul plus money, equals greater soul and more money.

Our first instinct is to reject this formula entirely.

The love of money is evil. Money destroys. It corrupts. It blinds. It certainly does not enhance the soul. What we consistently observe is that money kills the soul.

But…to consider that money and soul not only work together in harmony, but yield more of both as a result seems like madness.

Yet, we have living examples of this way of living, this very different relationship with money, this vision of passion and purpose.

We have the Awakened Millionaires—and each step they take reinforces this formula.

They are not supernatural creatures. They are not the heroes of legend. They live very real lives that might seem simple or unexceptional to the casual observer. But it is when we peel back the layers that we see the inner workings of this new paradigm waiting for the rest of us.

It is not the love of money that drives them. It is a singular vision.

It is not the desire for more money that inspires them. It is the desire for sharing their passion.

It is not the grounding of comforts that holds them steady. It is the grounding of purpose.

It is not the light of shiny objects and flashy new toys that guides them. It is the light of a mission.

This may read like the laundry list for a saint, but this is not about sainthood.

Awakened Millionaires have some form of spirituality at their core. Whatever form that spirituality may take stems entirely from the individual, as it must. Whether they connect themselves to a specific higher power, or have some sense of something powerful outside themselves.

It may or may not be connected to religion. More often than not, the Awakened Millionaires have their own connection to the Great Something that is unique to them. They have a personal relationship with their own sense of source.

Where they walk, they are in church.

When they speak, they are praying.

When they work, they are practicing devotion.

Again, each person decides what their spirituality is, which may or may not include participating with a particular religion. Being awakened, they realize that they are the spirituality they seek.

Awakened Millionaires are not just soulful beings. Awakened Millionaires are soulful beings who wield money as a tool for executing their mission.

Money, a tool of the soul.

Money, a collaborator with the soul.

Money, a funnel that directs the broad light of one's soul into the tangible world, with tangible consequences.

While Awakened Millionaires find that money flows to and from them with ease, they do not earn and spend for themselves or their family alone. Behind their passion, behind their purpose, and behind their mission—actualized with money and execution—is a solemn awareness that they can now accomplish what drives them.

Our passion is the strong, amorous feelings stirring within us. It is our profound desire.

Our purpose is not simply what we want, but touches on the reason for our existence.

And our mission is a profound purpose accompanied by a passionate conviction. It is our calling.