INSCRIPTION: HOW TO GIVE YOUR WAY TO THE TOP

THE DIFFERENCE ONE LIFE CAN MAKE: JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER; THE REVEALING STORY OF THE FIRST BILLIONAIRE IN THE WORLD

Giving is living; loving is living. A life of meaning is living with purpose and living with purpose is living to give and living to give is made possible by living to love.

A lifestyle of contribution makes for a lifetime of relevance and a lifetime of relevance makes for a timeless legacy for generations to reckon with; benefit from and be inspired by.

John Rockefeller’s life on earth eclipses the principles of rising in the world and sustaining destiny in its ever-heightening peak. Be inspired to a life of relevance as we uncover the prime story of the first-ever billionaire on the planet…

RECAP:

• The richest man in the world.
• The first billionaire in the world.
• Controlled one of the largest oil refineries in the United States of America at age 25
• The world’s largest refiner at age 31.
• Commanded 90% of the oil refined in the United States at age 38.
• The richest man in the United States and retired at age 58.
• The richest man in the world at the time of his death at age 98.

HUMBLE BEGINNING AND APPLIED PRINCIPLES

When John D. Rockefeller was earning a meager income of $3.75 per week as a clerk, he began saving 20 percent of his paycheck. He gave 50 percent of his salary to his church for charity and lived on the remaining 30 percent.

THE PRINCIPLE:

Success in life is not an accidental occurrence but rather it is aligning your thoughts, words, and actions with Success Principles which are no respecter of persons, race, gender, status, or background.

MAKING PRINCIPLE-CENTERED DECISIONS IN BUSINESS

In time, he established Standard Oil, the largest oil company in America, while he continued to exhibit the giving spirit. Moreover, when the markets inflated the price of oil in order to make an exorbitant profit; Rockefeller would pump increased fuel into the market in order to force the fuel price to lower again.

THE PRINCIPLE:

When you have a mutually beneficial agenda in your business dealings, your business blooms; when you have a self-serving agenda in your business dealings, your business is doomed.

PRINCIPLES NEGLECTED; CONSEQUENCES SETS IN:

Unfortunately, Rockefeller did not continue to heed the principle that had once put him on top. He stopped living to give; worry, greed, and fear wrecked his health. At age 53, he became ill. His body became inflicted with pain and he lost all his hair. Even though he could buy any food he wanted to eat in the world; he could digest only milk and crackers. An associate revealed, “He could not sleep, would not smile and nothing in life meant anything to him.” His personal highly skilled physician asserted he would die within a year.

As Rockefeller drew closer to death’s door as the days went by, he awoke on his bed, and he started to change the pattern of his thoughts as he considered the vague remembrances of a dream about not being able to take any of his successes with him into the world beyond. He began to think of the various ways he could use his money to elevate humanity rather than how much money he could accumulate for himself. He channeled his finances to hospitals, research, and mission work. And as he began giving in the spirit of love, miraculously, his health was restored. At age 53, he had been a “walking corpse”; but he lived to age 98.  He was actively engaged in working for God in the church; cleaning the house of God until he died.

Before his death, he wrote in his diary:

”I was early taught to work as well as play. My life has been one long, happy holiday, full of work and full of play-I dropped worry on the way-

And God was good to me every day.

• JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER.

Selfishness leads to the dungeon of existence but the spirit of gratitude, love, and generosity is health to the body; gives joy and peace of mind and prolongs a life worth living and a life worth giving away.

LEGACY:

John D. Rockefeller is considered as one of the most respected philanthropists in history and one of America’s leading businessmen and is credited for helping to shape the U.S. into what it is today. He channeled part of his finances for the creation of the University of Chicago (1892), to which he gave more than $ 80 million before his death. He also channeled his wealth into helping establish the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (later named Rockefeller University) in New York and the Rockefeller Foundation.

John D. Rockefeller contributed more than $530 million to various causes that helped in elevating humanity.

This new direction eventually led to the discovery of penicillin, cures for malaria, tuberculosis, and diphtheria.