《富爸爸,穷爸爸(英文版)》第28章

supervisor；　but　the　tax　man。　The　tax　man　will　always　take　more　if　you　let　him。
The　first　lesson　of　having　money　work　for　me；　as　opposed　to　working　for　money；　is　really　all　about　power。　If　you　work　for　money；　you　give　the　power　up　to　your　employer。　If　your　money　works　for　you；　you　keep　and　control　the　power。
Once　we　had　this　knowledge　of　the　power　of　money　working　for　us；　he　wanted　us　to　be　financially　smart　and　not　let　bullies　push　us　around。　You　need　to　know　the　law　and　how　the　system　works。　If　you"re　ignorant；　it　is　easy　to　be　bullied。　If　you　know　what　you"re　talking　about；　you　have　a　fighting　chance。　That　is　why　he　paid　so　much　for　smart　tax　accountants　and　attorneys。　It　was　less　expensive　to　pay　them　than　pay　the　government。　His　best　lesson　to　me；　which　I　have　used　most　of　my　life；　is　〃Be　smart　and　you　won"t　be　pushed　around　as　much。〃　He　knew　the　law　because　he　was　a　law…abiding　citizen。　He　knew　the　law　because　it　was　expensive　to　not　know　the　law。 〃If　you　know　you"re　right；　you"re　not　afraid　of　fighting　back。〃　Even　if　you　are　taking　on　Robin　Hood　and　his　band　of　Merry　Men。
My　highly　educated　dad　always　encouraged　me　to　seek　a　good　job　with　a　strong　corporation。　He　spoke　of　the　virtues　of　〃working　your　way　up　the　corporate　ladder。〃　He　didn"t　understand　that；　by　relying　solely　on　a　paycheck　from　a　corporate　employer；　I　would　be　a　docile　cow　ready　for　milking。
When　I　told　my　rich　dad　of　my　father"s　advice；　he　only　chuckled。　〃Why　not　own　the　ladder？〃　was　all　he　said。
As　a　young　boy；　I　did　not　understand　what　rich　dad　meant　by　owning　my　own　corporation。　It　was　an　idea　that　seemed　impossible；　and　intimidating。　Although　I　was　excited　by　the　idea；　my　youth　would　not　let　me　envision　the　possibility　that　grownups　would　someday　work　for　a　pany　I　would　own。
The　point　is；　if　not　for　my　rich　dad；　I　would　have　probably　followed　my　educated　dad"s　advice。　It　was　merely　the　occasional　reminder　of　my　rich　dad　that　kept　the　idea　of　owning　my　own　corporation　alive　and　kept　me　on　a　different　path。　By　the　time　I　was　15　or　16；　I　knew　I　was　not　going　to　continue　down　the　path　my　educated　dad　was　remending。　I　did　not　know　how　I　was　going　to　do　it；　but　I　was　determined　not　to　head　in　the　direction　most　of　my　classmates　were　heading。　That　decision　changed　my　life。
It　was　not　until　I　was　in　my　mid…20s　that　my　rich　dad"s　advice　began　to　make　more　sense。　I　was　just　out　of　the　Marine　Corps　and　working　for　Xerox。　I　was　making　a　lot　of　money；　but　every　time　I　looked　at　my　paycheck；　I　was　always　disappointed。　The　deductions　were　so　large；　and　the　more　I　worked；　the　greater　the　deductions。　As　I　became　more　successful；　my　bosses　talked　about　promotions　and　raises。 It　was　flattering；　but　I　could　hear　my　rich　dad　asking　me　in　my　ear：　〃Who　are　you　working　for？　Who　are　you　making　rich？〃
In　1974；　while　still　an　employee　for　Xerox；　I　formed　my　first　corporation　and　began　〃minding　my　own　business。〃　There　were　already　a　few　assets　in　my　asset　column；　but　now　I　was　determined　to　focus　on　making　it　bigger。　Those　paychecks　with　all　the　deductions　made　all　the　years　of　my　rich　dad"s　advice　make　total　sense。　I　could　see　the　future　if　I　followed　my　educated　dad"s　advice。
Many　employers　feel　that　advising　their　workers　to　mind　their　own　business　is　bad　for　business。　I　am　sure　it　can　be　for　certain　individuals。　But　for　me；　focusing　on　my　own　business；　developing　assets；　made　me　a　better　employee。　I　now　had　a　purpose。　I　came　in　early　and　worked　diligently；　amassing　as　much　money　as　possible　so　I　could　begin　investing　in　real　estate。 Hawaii　was　just　set　to　boom；　and　there　were 4　fortunes　to　be　made。　The　more　I　realized　we　were　in　the　beginning　stages　of　a　boom；　the　more　Xerox　machines　I　sold。　The　more　I　sold；　the　more　money　I　made；　and；　of　course；　the　more　deductions　there　were　from　my　paycheck。　It　was　inspiring。　I　wanted　out　of　the　trap　of　being　an　employee　so　badly　that　I　worked　harder；　not　less。　By　1978；I　was　consistently　one　of　the　top　five　salespeople　in　sales；　often　No。　1。　I　badly　wanted　out　of　the　rat　race。
In　less　than　three　years；　I　was　making　more　in　my　own　little　corporation；　which　was　a　real　estate　holding　pany；　than　I　was　making　at　Xerox。　And　the　money　I　was　making　in　my　asset　column；　in　my　own　corporation；　was　money　working　for　me。 Not　me　pounding　on　doors　selling　copiers。　My　rich　dad"s　advice　made　much　more　sense。 Soon　the　cash　flow　from　my　properties　was　so　strong　that　my　pany　bought　me　my　first　Porsche。　My　fellow　Xerox　salespeople　thought　I　was　spending　my　missions。　I　wasn"t。　I　was　investing　my　missions　in　assets。
My　money　was　working　hard　to　make　more　money。 Each　dollar　in　my　asset　column　was　a　great　employee；　working　hard　to　make　more　employees　and　buy　the　boss　a　new　Porsche　with　before…tax　dollars。 I　began　to　work　harder　for　Xerox。　The　plan　was　working；　and　my　Porsche　was　the　proof。
By　using　the　lessons　I　learned　from　my　rich　dad；　I　was　able　to　get　out　of　the　〃proverbial　rat　race〃　of　being　an　employee　at　an　early　age。　It　was　made　possible　because　of　the　strong　financial　knowledge　I　had　acquired　through　these　lessons。　Without　this　financial　knowledge；　which　I　call　financial　IQ；　my　road　to　financial　independence　would　have　been　much　more　difficult。　I　now　teach　others　through　financial　seminars　in　the　hope　that　I　may　share　my　knowledge　with　them。　Whenever　I　do　my　talks；　I　remind　people　that　financial　IQ　is　made　up　of　knowledge　from　four　broad　areas　of　expertise。
No。　1　is　accounting。　What　I　call　financial　literacy。　A　vital　skill　if　you　want　to　build　an　empire。　The　more　money　you　are　responsible　for；　the　more　accuracy　is　required；　or　the　house　es　tumbling　down。　This　is　the　left　brain　side；　or　the　details。　Financial　literacy　is　the　ability　to　read　and　understand　financial　statements。　This　ability　allows　you　to　identify　the　strengths　and　weaknesses　of　any　business。
No。　2　is　investing。　What　I　call　the　science　of　money　making　money。　This　involves　strategies　and　formulas。　This　is　the　right　brain　side；　or　the　creative　side。
No。　3　is　understanding　markets。　The　science　of　supply　and　demand。　There　is　a　need　to　know　the　〃technical〃　aspects　of　the　market；　which　is　emotion　driven；　the　Tickle　Me　Elmo　doll　during　Christmas　1996　is　a　case　of　a