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MUM alum helps people invest with conscience Name: Stuart Valentine Put your money where your ... heart is? According to Stuart Valentine, that's the best path to wealth and happiness. While typical investment pros spend most of their time managing their clients' investments, this socially responsible financial adviser does that and more—he helps clients define their “destiny path,” and then builds an investment portfolio to support it. “It’s fulfilling to invest in ways that are consistent with your values,” says Stuart, echoing a growing sentiment in today's business world. “And it can be very profitable, too.” Stuart is senior partner at Centerpoint Investment Strategies, a company he founded with the mission of aligning wealth acquisition with social responsibility and personal development. Stuart, who has been practicing Transcendental Meditation and the advanced TM Sidhi program for more than 30 years, sees each investment as a creative act, a vote for the kind of world you want to live in. “How many stories have you heard about cash-rich people who are living miserable lives?” he asks. “I take a different view. I see money as an opportunity for self-revelation and empowerment.” Stuart believes that every success must start within the individual—at one’s core or “center,” which is why he named his company Centerpoint. The company has been highly successful over its 25-year history, and has a significant client list. The Consciousness-Based Education Stuart received at Maharishi University of Management (MUM) has helped in many ways. "It allowed me to observe unvetted belief systems at a deep level and see business in a new light. It gave me an executive perspective into the language of business." After completing his MBA in 1986, Stuart worked in options trading, an emotionally charged, hyper-competitive battleground where he drew often on the principles of Consciousness-Based Education. "I found I could be totally clear and objective in witnessing and understanding the markets. What I learned gave me a real competitive advantage. My daily meditation practice allowed me to handle the high stress that comes with working in that environment.” Today Stuart labors in the decidedly less stressful small town of Fairfield, Iowa, creating socially responsible wealth for clients from his comfortable office on 4th Street. He gives time often to promote social responsibility in business and is a frequent speaker at alternative energy and investment forums, an oft-interviewed radio show guest, and a writer of numerous articles and white papers such as Green Investing. He is also co-director of The Sustainable Living Coalition. Does making money have to be at odds with spiritual and social development? Not at all. “I work to connect money with people’s heart field," says Stuart. "Your money is an extension of yourself. Rather than turning it over to some faceless manager on Wall Street, why not use it to create a world that charms you?”
© Copyright 2014 Maharishi University of Management
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