If an average person wanted to become truly wealthy, what would the very first three baby steps be he or she would have to take?

There are only 4 steps. They're simple but they're not baby steps. That is why most people don't do them - because they look really difficult. The good news is that the difficulty is all in your head. The really bad news is that the difficulty is all in your head and so it will only go away by determined effort on your part to overcome your poverty thinking.

1. Understand "Wealth has use value. Money has exchange value". Repeat it to yourself regularly. Make it your mantra. It's a tiny concept but it's a massive paradigm shift. You must stop thinking of wealth and money as the same thing and start thinking of them as two mountaineers helping each other climb - or two legs helping you walk if you prefer. So wealth allows you to create money. In turn, money allows you to create more wealth.

2. Write a list of all the wealth items you have and what money exchange rate you can get for them. If you haven't fully understood step 1, you will find this step hard because you will only think in terms of conventional "wealth" like property, silver and gold or high valued antiques. If you do that, you will miss out on a monstrous number of wealth items that have you have that that much higher exchange values than those things.

3. Work with the one that gives the best exchange rate.

4. Periodically, re-check because things change. If something else is giving a better exchange rate, change to that. At least twice a year. But also whenever an opportunity arises that changes things - because opportunities will always arise

That's it.

No rocket science. No complicated mathematics. As old as the pyramids. As new as the Cloud. Never changing. Always the same. But always fresh

I don't care where you are in the world but right here and right now, you're surrounded by wealth opportunities if only you would focus on them

"But Phil I live in the middle of a desert"

Sand.

As sand, it has a use value as a component in concrete.

Now turn it into glass. All of a sudden, it has a different use value and a different exchange value

Now turn it into silicon microchips. Once again, a different use value and a whole different exchange value.

And all we started with was sand

When you focus on "Use Value", you will suddenly discover that you're a shopkeeper with a massive shop stocked to the ceiling with saleable items. In fact, you'll find yourself with so much stuff to sell that you won't have the time to sell it all which is why I advise selling the most valuable stuff first.

The real skill in wealth building is to find those wealth items in your possession that have a low use value and transform them into a higher use value then sell them on. But that's what step 4 is all about. As you discover new uses, your stock will have to be re-valued