A couple of weeks ago I finished a book called Life Focus, written by Jerry Foster. The book is about achieving a life of purpose and influence (that's the subtitle). This has been and always will be a hot topic for people all over the world. Everyone wants to have a purpose on earth and make a dent in history. It's human nature.

There is so much in the book that I figure one measly blog summary is not going to cut it. I've decided to split up my book review in several different parts so that we can go a little more in depth on each principle.

Some of you may be wondreing, "Why in the world does Griff choose to blog about books having to do with life focus when this is a personal finance blog?" To answer your question, this blog and website is all about finding financial freedom. And I believe that the journey to financial freedom encompasses so much more than just your money. When you are financially free, you live a life of influence - influence that benefits others. Let's review the definition of financial freedom:

Believe it or not, there are plenty of charitable organizations out there who are not spending the money they receive in an efficient manner. In fact, some of these organizations start to look more like a business than a non-profit. The top staff start getting executive pay, the board of directors accept large benefits, and the organization has adopted the philosophy of "spending money to make money."

Now, this is not to say that these types of charities are not making an impact on whatever community they are serving, but it is saying that they are not using their resources as effectively as possible. Here is a list of 7 charities

Have you ever desired to be a bigger giver of your time and money? This may be the ticket to helping you do just that.

I recently read a book call The Generosity Factor, written by Ken Blanchard and S.Truett Cathy. Now, I'm a slow reader, but this book only took me about six hours to get through. In other words, I highly recommend this book, so don't let time prevent you from picking it up.

Ok, here's my summary and thoughts on The Generosity Factor.

Blanchard tells a fictional story about a wealthy young New York investment broker who feels insignificant but doesn't know why. The broker has a limousine driver who he treats very poorly. The driver is financially poor, but feels very blessed. He smiles the majority of the time, even if there is not a lot to smile about and "...wonders how anyone could live life any other way."

My wife and I just returned from a trip to India. We were in the Northeast part of the country in the state of Assam. It is located in a flood plain right at the base of the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range. (I got to see the Himalayas from the plane- They looked sweet!) We went there to share the Gospel with a people group who has never even had access to the Bible. It was an amazing experience!

That was my second trip to India, and my wife's third trip. If you have never been to India, just go watch "Slum-Dog Millionaire" and you will have a pretty good picture of what it is like. It is a land of contrast: Amazing palaces and nice hotels right next to trash-filled streets and... cows. Poverty is profound in some places, and the cast-system just adds to the confusing culture.