《富爸爸穷爸爸》第38章

ne　time　in　our　lives；　some　more　than　others。
Peter　Lynch　of　Fidelity　Magellan　mutual　fund　fame　refers　to　warnings　about　the　sky　falling　as　〃noise；〃　and　we　all　hear　it。
〃Noise〃　is　either　created　inside　our　heads　or　es　from　outside。　Often　from　friends；　family；　coworkers　and　the　media。 Lynch　recalls　the　time　during　the　1950s　when　the　threat　of　nuclear　war　was　so　prevalent　in　the　news　that　people　began　building　fallout　shelters　and　storing　food　and　water。　If　they　had　invested　that　money　wisely　in　the　market；　instead　of　building　a　fallout　shelter；　they"d　probably　be　financially　independent　today。
When　the　riots　broke　out　in　Los　Angeles　a　few　years　ago；　gun　sales　went　up　all　over　the　country。　A　person　dies　from　rare　hamburger　meat　in　Washington　State　and　the　Arizona　Health　Department　orders　restaurants　to　have　all　beef　cooked　welldone。　A　drug　pany　runs　a　national　TV　mercial　showing　people　catching　the　flu。　The　ad　runs　in　February。　Colds　go　up　as　well　as　sales　of　their　cold　medicine。
Most　people　are　poor　because　when　it　es　to　investing；　the　world　is　filled　with　Chicken　Littles　running　around　yelling；　〃The　sky　is　falling。　The　sky　is　falling。〃　And　Chicken　Littles　are　effective　because　everyone　of　us　is　a　little　chicken。　It　often　takes　great　courage　to　not　let　rumors　and　talk　of　doom　and　gloom　affect　your　doubts　and　fears。
In　1992；　a　friend　named　Richard　came　from　Boston　to　visit　my　wife　and　me　in　Phoenix。　He　was　impressed　with　what　we　had　done　through　stocks　and　real　estate。　The　prices　of　real　estate　in　Phoenix　were　depressed。　We　spent　two　days　with　him　showing　him　what　we　thought　were　excellent　opportunities　for　cash　flow　and　capital　appreciation。
My　wife　and　I　are　not　real　estate　agents。　We　are　strictly　investors。　After　identifying　a　unit　in　a　resort　munity；　we　called　an　agent　who　sold　it　to　him　that　afternoon。　The　price　was　a　mere　42；000　for　a　twobedroom　townhome。 Similar　units　were　going　for　65；000。　He　had　found　a　bargain。　Excited；　he　bought　it　and　returned　to　Boston。
Two　weeks　later；　the　agent　called　to　say　that　our　friend　had　backed　out。　I　called　immediately　to　find　out　why。　All　he　said　was　that　he　talked　to　his　neighbor；　and　his　neighbor　told　him　it　was　a　bad　deal。　He　was　paying　too　much。
I　asked　Richard　if　his　neighbor　was　an　investor。　Richard　said　〃no。〃　When　I　asked　why　he　listened　to　him；　Richard　got　defensive　and　simply　said　he　wanted　to　keep　looking。
The　real　estate　market　in　Phoenix　turned；　and　by　1994；　that　little　unit　was　renting　for　1；000　a　month2；500　in　the　peak　winter　months。　The　unit　was　worth　95；000　in　1995。　All　Richard　had　to　put　down　was　5；000　and　he　would　have　had　a　start　at　getting　out　of　the　rat　race。　Today；　he　still　has　done　nothing。　And　the　bargains　in　Phoenix　are　still　here；　you　just　have　to　look　a　lot　harder。
Richard"s　backing　out　did　not　surprise　me。 It"s　called　〃buyer"s　remorse；〃　and　it　affects　all　of　us。　It"s　those　doubts　that　get　us。　The　little　1　chicken　won；　and　a　chance　at　freedom　was　lost。
In　another　example；　I　hold　a　small　portion　of　my　assets　in　tax　lien　certificates　instead　of　CDs。　I　earn　16　percent　per　year　on　my　money；　which　certainly　beats　the　5　percent　the　bank　offers。　The　certificates　are　secured　by　real　estate　and　enforced　by　state　law；　which　is　also　better　than　most　banks。　The　formula　they"re　bought　on　makes　them　safe。　They　just　lack　liquidity。　So　I　look　at　them　as　2　to　7year　CDs。　Almost　every　time　I　tell　someone；　especially　if　they　have　money　in　CDs；　that　I　hold　my　money　this　way；　they　will　tell　me　it"s　risky。　They　tell　me　why　I　should　not　do　it。　When　I　ask　them　where　they　get　their　information；　they　say　from　a　friend　or　an　investment　magazine。　They"ve　never　done　it；　and　they"re　telling　someone　who"s　doing　it　why　they　shouldn"t。　The　lowest　I　yield　I　look　for　is　16　percent；　but　people　who　are　filled　with　doubt　are　willing　to　accept　5　percent。　Doubt　is　expensive。
My　point　is　that　it"s　those　doubts　and　cynicism　that　keep　most　people？　poor　and　playing　it　safe。　The　real　world　is　simply　waiting　for　you　to　get　rich。 Only　a　person"s　doubts　keep　them　poor。　As　I　said；　getting　out　of　the　rat　race　is　technically　easy。　It　doesn"t　take　much　education；　but　those　doubts　are　cripplers　for　most　people。
〃Cynics　never　win；〃　said　rich　dad。　〃Unchecked　doubt　and　fear　creates　i　a　cynic。　Cynics　criticize；　and　winners　analyze〃　was　another　of　his　favorite　sayings。　Rich　dad　explained　that　criticism　blinded　while　analysis　opened　《　eyes。　Analysis　allowed　winners　to　see　that　critics　were　blind；　and　to　see　opportunities　that　everyone　else　missed。　And　finding　what　people　miss　is　｜　key　to　any　success。
Real　estate　is　a　powerful　investment　tool　for　anyone　seeking　financial　independence　or　freedom。　It　is　a　unique　investment　tool。　Yet；　every　time　I　mention　real　estate　as　a　vehicle；　I　often　hear；　〃I　don"t　want　to　fix　toilets。〃　That"s　what　Peter　Lynch　calls　〃noise。〃　That"s　what　my　rich　dad　would　say　is　the　cynic　talking。　Someone　who　criticizes　and　does　not
analyze。　Someone　who　lets　their　doubts　and　fears　close　their　mind　instead　of　open　their　eyes。〃
So　when　someone　says；　〃I　don"t　want　to　fix　toilets；〃　I　want　to　fire　back；　〃What　makes　you　think　I　want　to？〃　They"re　saying　a　toilet　is　more　important　than　what　they　want。　I　talk　about　freedom　from　the　rat　race；　and　they　focus　on　toilets。　That　is　the　thought　pattern　that　keeps　most　people　poor。　They　criticize　instead　of　analyze。
〃　"I　don"t　wants"　hold　the　key　to　your　success；〃　rich　dad　would　say。
Because　I；　too；　do　not　want　to　fix　toilets；　I　shop　hard　for　a　property　manager　who　does　fix　toilets。　And　by　finding　a　great　property　manager　who　runs　houses　or　apartments；　well；　my　cash　flow　goes　up。　But　more　importantly　a　great　property　manager　allows　me　to　buy　a　lot　more　real　estate　since　I　don"t　have　to　fix　toilets。　A　great　property　manager　is　key　to　success　in　real　estate。　Finding　a　good　manager　is　more　important　to　me　than　the　real　estate。　A　great　property　manager　often　hears　of　great　deals　before　real　estate　agents　do；　which　makes　them　even　more　valuable。
That　is　what　rich　dad　meant　by　〃　"I　don"t　wants"　hold　the　key　to　your　success。〃　Because　I　do　not　want　to　fix　toilets　either；　I　figured　out　how　to　buy　more　real　estate　and　expedite　my　getting　out　of　the　rat