《富爸爸,穷爸爸(英文版)》第30章

Once　we　leave　school；　most　of　us　know　that　it　is　not　as　much　a　matter　of　college　degrees　or　good　grades　that　count。　In　the　real　world　outside　of　academics；　something　more　than　just　grades　is　required。　I　have　heard　it　called　〃guts；〃　〃chutzpah；〃　〃balls；〃　〃audacity；〃　〃bravado；〃　〃cunning；〃　〃daring；〃　〃tenacity〃　and　〃brilliance。〃　This　factor；　whatever　it　is　labeled；　ultimately　decides　one"s　future　much　more　than　school　grades。
Inside　each　of　us　is　one　of　these　brave；　brilliant　and　daring　characters。　There　is　also　the　flip　side　of　that　character：　people　who　could　get　down　on　their　knees　and　beg　if　necessary。　After　a　year　in　Vietnam；　as　a　Marine　Corps　pilot；　I　intimately　got　to　know　both　of　those　characters…inside　of　me。 One　is　not　better　than　the　other。
Yet；　as　a　teacher；　I　recognized　that　it　was　excessive　fear　and　self…doubt　that　were　the　greatest　detractors　of　personal　genius。 It　broke　my　heart　to　see　students　know　the　answers；　yet　lack　the　courage　to　act　on　the　answer。　Often　in　the　real　world；　it"s　not　the　smart　that　get　ahead　but　the　bold。
In　my　personal　experience；　your　financial　genius　requires　both　technical　knowledge　as　well　as　courage。　If　fear　is　too　strong；　the　genius　is　suppressed。　In　my　classes　I　strongly　urge　students　to　learn　to　take ？risks；　to　be　bold；　to　let　their　genius　convert　that　fear　into　power　and　brilliance。　It　works　for　some　and　just　terrifies　others。　I　have　e　to　realize　that　for　most　people；　when　it　es　to　the　subject　of　money；　they　would　rather　play　it　safe。　I　have　had　to　field　questions　such　as：　Why　take　risks？　Why　should　I　bother　developing　my　financial　IQ？　Why　should　I　bee　financially　literate？
And　I　answer；　〃Just　to　have　more　options。〃
There　are　huge　changes　up　head。　Just　as　I　started　with　the　story　of　the　young　inventor　Alexander　Graham　Bell；　in　the　ing　years　there　will　be　more　people　just　like　him。　There　will　be　a　hundred　people　like　Bill　Gates　and　hugely　successful　panies　like　Microsoft　created　every　year；　all　over　the　world。　And　there　also　will　be　many　more　bankruptcies；　layoffs　and　downsizing。
So　why　bother　developing　your　financial　IQ？　No　one　can　answer　that　but　you。　Yet；　I　can　tell　you　why　I　myself　do　it。 I　do　it　because　it　is　the　most　exciting　time　to　be　alive。　I"d　rather　be　weling　change　than　dreading　change。 I"d　rather　be　excited　about　making　millions　than　worrying　about　not　getting　a　raise。　This　period　we　are　in　now　is　a　most　exciting　time；　unprecedented　in　our　world"s　history。　Generations　from　now；　people　will　look　back　at　this　period　of　time　and　remark　at　what　an　exciting　era　it　must　have　been。　It　was　the　death　of　the　old　and　birth　of　the　new。　It　was　full　of　turmoil　and　it　was　exciting。
So　why　bother　developing　your　financial　IQ？　Because　if　you　do；　you　will　prosper　greatly。　And　if　you　don"t；　this　period　of　time　will　be　a　frightening　one。　It　will　be　a　time　of　watching　people　move　boldly　forward　while　others　cling　to　decaying　life　rings。
Land　was　wealth　300　years　ago。　So　the　person　who　owned　the　land　owned　the　wealth。　Then；　it　was　factories　and　production；　and　America　rose　to　dominance。　The　industrialist　owned　the　wealth。　Today；　it　is　information。　And　the　person　who　has　the　most　timely　information　owns　the　wealth。　The　problem　is；　information　flies　all　around　the　world　at　the　speed　of　light。　The　new　wealth　cannot　be　contained　by　boundaries　and　borders　as　land　and　factories　were。　The　changes　will　be　faster　and　more　dramatic。　There　will　be　a　dramatic　increase　in　the　number　of　new　multimillionaires。　There　also　will　be　those　who　are　left　behind。
Today；　I　find　so　many　people　struggling；　often　working　harder；　simply　because　they　cling　to　old　ideas。　They　want　things　to　be　the　way　they　were；　they　resist　change。 I　know　people　who　are　losing　their　jobs　or　their　houses；　and　they　blame　technology　or　the　economy　or　their　boss。　Sadly　they　fail　to　realize　that　they　might　be　the　problem。　Old　ideas　are　their　biggest　liability。 It　is　a　liability　simply　because　they　fail　to　realize　that　while　that　idea　or　way　of　doing　something　was　an　asset　yesterday；　yesterday　is　gone。
One　afternoon　I　was　teaching　investing　using　a　board　game　I　had　invented；　CASHFLOW；　as　a　teaching　tool。　A　friend　had　brought　someone　along　to　attend　the　class。　This　friend　of　a　friend　was　recently　divorced；　had　been　badly　burned　in　the　divorce　settlement；　and　was　now　searching　for　some　answers。　Her　friend　thought　the　class　might　help。
The　game　was　designed　to　help　people　learn　how　money　works。　In　playing　the　game；　they　learn　about　the　interaction　of　the　ine　statement　with　the　balance　sheet。　They　learn　how　〃cash　flows〃　between
the　two　and　how　the　road　to　wealth　is　through　striving　to　increase　your　monthly　cash　flow　from　the　asset　column　to　the　point　that　it　exceeds　your　j　monthly　expenses。　Once　you　acplish　this；　you　are　able　to　get　out　of　the　〃Rat　Race〃　and　out　onto　the　〃Fast　Track〃。
As　I　have　said；　some　people　hate　the　game；　some　love　it；　and　others　miss　the　point。　This　woman　missed　a　valuable　opportunity　to　learn　something。　In　the　opening　round；　she　drew　a　〃doodad〃　card　with　the　boat　on　it。　At　first　she　was　happy。 〃Oh；　I"ve　got　a　boat。〃　Then；　as　her　friend　tried　to　explain　how　the　numbers　worked　on　her　ine　statement　and　balance　sheet；　she　got　frustrated　because　she　〃had　never　liked　math。　The　rest　of　her　table　waited　while　her　friend　continued　explaining　the　relationship　between　the　ine　statement；　balance　sheet　and　monthly　cash　flow。 Suddenly；　when　she　realized　how　the　numbers　worked；　it　dawned　on　her　that　her　boat　was　eating　her　alive。　Later　on　in　the　game；　she　was　also　〃downsized〃　and　had　a　child。　It　was　a　horrible　game　for　her。
After　the　class；　her　friend　came　by　and　told　me　that　she　was　upset。　She　had　e　to　the　class　to　learn　about　investing　and　did　not　like　the　idea　that　it　took　so　long　to　play　a　silly　game。
Her　friend　attempted　to　tell　her　to　look　within　herself　to　see　if　the　game　〃reflected〃　on　herself　in　any　way。　With　that　suggestion；　the　woman　demanded　her　money　back。　She　said　that　the　very　idea　that　a　game　could　be　a　reflection　of　her　was　ridiculous。　Her　money　was　promptly　refunded　and　she　left。
Since　1984；　I　have　made　millions　simply　by　doing　what　the　school　system　does　not。　In　school；　most　teachers　lecture。