《富爸爸,穷爸爸(英文版)》第40章

ng；　the　words　〃I　can"t　afford　it〃　shut　down　your　brain。　It　didn"t　have　to　think　anymore。　〃How　can　I　afford　it"〃　opened　up　the　brain。　Forced　it　to　think　and　search　for　answers。
But　most　importantly；　he　felt　the　words　〃I　can"t　afford　it〃　were　a　lie。　And　the　human　spirit　knew　it。 〃The　human　spirit　is　very；　very；　powerful；〃　he　would　say。 〃It　knows　it　can　do　anything。〃　By　having　a　lazy　mind　that　says；　〃I　can"t　afford　it；〃　a　war　breaks　out　inside　you。　Your　spirit　is　angry；　and　your　lazy　mind　must　defend　its　lie。　The　spirit　is　screaming；　〃e　on。　Let"s　go　to　the　gym　and　work　out。〃　And　the　lazy　mind　says；　〃But　I"m　tired。　I　worked　really　hard　today。〃　Or　the　human　spirit　says；　〃I"m　sick　and　tired　of　being　poor。 Let"s　get　out　there　and　get　rich。〃　To　which　the　lazy　mind　says；　〃Rich　people　are　greedy。 Besides　it"s　too　much　bother。
It"s　not　safe。　I　might　lose　money。 I"m　working　hard　enough　as　it　is。　I"ve　got　too　much　to　do　at　work　anyway。　Look　at　what　I　have　to　do　tonight。　My　boss　wants　it　finished　by　the　morning。〃
〃I　can"t　afford　it〃　also　brings　up　sadness。　A　helplessness　that　leads　to　"　despondency　and　often　depression。　〃Apathy〃　is　another　word。　〃How　can　I　afford　it？〃　opens　up　possibilities；　excitement　and　dreams。　So　rich　dad　；　was　not　so　concerned　about　what　you　wanted　to　buy；　but　that　〃How　can　"f　j　I　afford　it？〃　created　a　stronger　mind　and　a　dynamic　spirit。
Thus；　he　rarely　gave　Mike　or　me　anything。　Instead　he　would　ask；　〃How　can　you　afford　it？〃　and　that　included　college；　which　we　paid　for　ourselves。　It　was　not　the　goal　but　the　process　of　attaining　the　goal　we　desired　that　he　wanted　us　to　learn。　The　problem　I　sense　today　is　that　there　are　millions　of　people　who　feel　guilty　about　their　greed。　It"s　an　old　conditioning　from　their　childhood。　Their　desire　to　have　the　finer　things　that　life　offers。　Most　have　been　conditioned　subconsciously　to　say；　〃You　can"t　have　that；〃　or ；
〃You"ll　never　afford　that。〃
When　I　decided　to　exit　the　rat　race；　it　was　simply　a　question。 〃How　can　I　afford　to　never　work　again？〃　And　my　mind　began　to　kick　out　answers　and　solutions。　The　hardest　part　was　fighting　my　real　parents"　dogma　of　〃We　can"t　afford　that。〃　Or　〃Stop　thinking　only　about　yourself。〃　Or　〃Why　don"t　you　think　about　others？〃　and　other　such　words　designed　to　instill　guilt　to　suppress　my　greed。
So　how　do　you　beat　laziness？　The　answer　is　a　little　greed。 It"s　that　radio　station　WII…FM；　which　stands　for　〃What"s　In　It…For　Me？〃　A　person　needs　to　sit　down　and　ask；　〃What"s　in　it　for　me　if　I"m　healthy；　sexy　and　good　looking？〃 Or　〃What　would　my　life　be　like　if　I　never　had　to　work　again？〃　Or　〃What　would　I　do　if　I　had　all　the　money　I　needed？〃　Without　that　little　greed；　the　desire　to　have　something　better；　progress　is　not　made。　Our　world　progresses　because　we　all　desire　a　better　life。 New　inventions　are　made　because　we　desire　something　better。　We　go　to　school　and　study　hard　because　we　want　something　better。 So　whenever　you　find　yourself　avoiding　something　you　know　you　should　be　doing；　then　the　only　thing　to　ask　yourself　is　〃What"s　in　it　for　me？〃　Be　a　little　greedy。　It"s　the　best　cure　for　laziness。
Too　much　greed；　however；　as　anything　in　excess　can　be；　is　not　good。　But　just　remember　what　Michael　Douglas　said　in　the　movie　Wall　Street。　〃Greed　is　good。〃　Rich　dad　said　it　differently：　〃Guilt　is　worse　than　greed。
For　guilt　robs　the　body　of　its　soul。〃　And　to　me；　Eleanor　Roosevelt　said　it　best：　〃Do　what　you　feel　in　your　heart　to　be　right…for　you"ll　be　criticized　anyway。　You"ll　be　damned　if　you　do；　and　damned　if　you　don"t。〃
Reason　No。　4。　Habits。　Our　lives　are　a　reflection　of　our　habits　more　than　our　education。　After　seeing　the　movie　Conan；　starring　Arnold　Schwarzenegger；　a　friend　said；　〃I"d　love　to　have　a　body　like　Schwarzenegger。〃　Most　of　the　guys　nodded　in　agreement。
〃I　even　heard　he　was　really　puny　and　skinny　at　one　time；〃　another　friend　added。
〃Yeah；　I　heard　that　too；〃　another　one　added。 〃I　heard　he　has　a　habit　of　working　out　almost　every　day　in　the　gym。〃
〃Yeah；　I"ll　bet　he　has　to。〃
〃Nah；〃　said　the　group　cynic。 〃I"ll　bet　he　was　born　that　way。　Besides；　let"s　stop　talking　about　Arnold　and　get　some　beers。〃
This　is　an　example　of　habits　controlling　behavior。　I　remember　asking　my　rich　dad　about　the　habits　of　the　rich。　Instead　of　answering　me　outright；　he　wanted　me　to　learn　through　example；　as　usual。
〃When　does　your　dad　pay　his　bills？〃　rich　dad　asked。
〃The　first　of　the　month；〃　I　said。
〃Does　he　have　anything　left　over？〃　he　asked。
〃Very　little；〃　I　said。
〃That"s　the　main　reason　he　struggles；〃　said　rich　dad。 〃He　has　bad　habits。〃
〃Your　dad　pays　everyone　else　first。　He　pays　himself　last；　but　only　if　he　has　anything　left　over。〃
〃Which　he　usually　doesn"t；〃　I　said。　〃But　he　has　to　pay　his　bills；　doesn"t　he？　You"re　saying　he　shouldn"t　pay　his　bills？〃
〃Of　course　not；〃　said　rich　dad。 〃I　firmly　believe　in　paying　my　bills　on　time。　I　just　pay　myself　first。 Before　I　pay　even　the　government。〃
〃But　what　happens　if　you　don"t　have　enough　money？〃　I　asked。　〃What　do　you　do　then？〃
〃The　same；〃　said　rich　dad。 〃I　still　pay　myself　first。　Even　if　I"m　short　of　money。　My　asset　column　is　far　more　important　to　me　than　the　government。〃
〃But；〃　I　said。 〃Don"t　they　e　after　you？〃
〃Yes；　if　you　don"t　pay；〃　said　rich　dad。 〃Look；　I　did　not　say　not　to　pay。　I　just　said　I　pay　myself　first；　even　if　I"m　short　of　money。〃
〃But；〃　I　replied。 〃How　do　you　do　that"〃
〃It"s　not　how。　The　question　is　"Why；"〃　rich　dad　said。
〃OK；　why？〃
〃Motivation；〃　said　rich　dad　〃Who　do　you　think　will　plain　louder　if　I　don"t　pay　them…me　or　my　creditors？〃
〃Your　creditors　will　definitely　scream　louder　than　you；〃　I　said；　responding　to　the　obvious。　〃You　wouldn"t　say　anything　if　you　didn"t　pay　yourself。〃
〃So　you　see；　after　paying　myself；　the　pressure　to　pay　my　taxes　and　the　other　creditors　is　so　great　that　it　forces　me　to　seek　other　forms　of　ine。　The　pressure　to　pay　bees　my　motivation。　I"ve　worked　extra　jobs；　started　other　panies；　traded　in　the　stock　market；　anything　just　to　make　sure　those　guys　don"t　start　yelling　at　me。　That　pressure　made　me　work　harder；　forced　me　to　think；　and　all　in　all　made　me　smarter　and　more　active　when　it　es　to　money。　If　I　had　paid　myself　last；　I　would　have　felt　no　pressure；　but　I"d　be　b