“That’s not for you.”
That was the refrain Burton Hughes heard throughout his childhood. Whether it was a toy, a Christmas wish, a certain snack, he and his family could rarely afford luxuries.
And the hits just kept coming. When Hughes was 12, he lost his oldest brother in a shooting that was never investigated. Hughes said that loss was such a gut-punch that it was as if somebody “stole his air.”
Despite the horrible things he saw and experienced as a child, Hughes always had an implacable faith that things would turn out better. He knew that all he needed was a spark – one small catalyst that would light up the rest of his life.
And when a catalyst didn’t happen to him, he set out to create one for himself.
Hughes’s new book, Align Your Empire: Using the Six Assets of Alignment as the Catalyst to Ignite Your Life, takes his hard-learned lessons and turns them into actionable takeaways for both individuals and businesses looking to level up. Because, he said, if he could change his life through these assets, anyone can.
How a Lifetime of Learning Became “Six Assets of Alignment”
Mindset. Faith. Family. Fitness. Finances. Network. These six “assets of alignment” became Hughes’s guiding principles. After building his life around these insights and striving to align himself with each value every day, Hughes realized that this transformative framework didn’t have to be limited to his own experience. It was something he could share with the world.
“Everyone is trying to find balance, but it doesn’t work that way,” he said. “If you’re trying to start a business, for example, other things are going to have to take a backseat. For me, it’s not about balance, it’s about alignment. That’s what I’ve always been looking for.”
Hughes then realized that people needed to act intentionally if they were going to align on these six assets. He credits learning these lessons to a never-say-die attitude that steered him through the most difficult of times.
According to Hughes, the Six Assets of Alignment are the distinct keys that everyone should master if they want to take control over their own destiny. This goes beyond monetary gain and includes elements like faith practices and family life, both of which motivate people to find deeper meaning behind what they do.
The Six Assets of Alignment aren’t randomly thrown together, either, Hughes said. Instead, they’re built on principles that are designed to create greater chances for success. What are the choices they can make that bring more alignment on certain issues? Where do their priorities lie? By asking key questions about each of the six assets, people can uncover what actions they truly value.
Making the Most of Your Assets
As Hughes likes to say, there is also a kind of “aerodynamic” improvement for someone who understands how to overcome obstacles and glide through them in a way that minimizes resistance. By getting these six areas into alignment, it becomes less about resisting obstacles and more about moving them out of the way.
The Six Assets of Alignment also help organizations and individuals set priorities. If there is only one hour to work on something, should someone focus all hour-long on one priority? Should they include another? What types of opportunities should they decline? These are the types of questions that can be answered with the Six Assets of Alignment since they help people get a better sense of where they are—and where they want to end up.
Most importantly, says Hughes, these alignment goals help people buy back their most important currency in life: time. Not everyone optimizes for time. Without a clear set of values and vision for the future, people tackle each project as it comes. But he knows better than most that the time we have on Earth is precious, and if he can equip even one person with the tools needed to succeed, he will have done the best work he can do.
“Throughout my life, even when I was really young, I always reached up,” he said. “I chose differently, and when people told me no, I decided to do it – whatever it is – anyway. And it’s easy for other people to do it too, with the right tools.”
About Burton Hughes
Burton Hughes is an author, entrepreneur, and motivational speaker and has been featured on Dare to Be Authentic Radio, Between the Lines, 365 Driven and Uninfluenced podcasts. His new book, Align Your Empire: Using the Six Assets of Alignment as the Catalyst to Ignite Your Life, equips and inspires leaders to take control of their time, lives, and businesses. For more information and to purchase the book, please visit burtonhughesofficial.com/.