《富爸爸穷爸爸》第39章

fix　toilets　either；　I　figured　out　how　to　buy　more　real　estate　and　expedite　my　getting　out　of　the　rat　race。　The　people　who　continue　to　say　〃I　don"t　want　to　fix　toilets〃　often　deny　themselves　the　use　of　this　powerful　investment　vehicle。　Toilets　are　more　important　than　their　freedom。
In　the　stock　market；　I　often　hear　people　say；　〃I　don"t　want　to　lose　money。〃　Well；　what　makes　them　think　I　or　anyone　else　likes　losing　money？　They　don"t　make　money　because　they　chose　to　not　lose　money。　Instead　of　analyzing；　they　close　their　minds　to　another　powerful　investment　vehicle；　the　stock　market。
In　December　1996；1　was　riding　with　a　friend　past　our　neighborhood　gas　station。　He　looked　up　and　saw　that　the　price　of　oil　was　going　up。　My　friend　is　a　worry　wart　or　a　〃Chicken　Little。〃　To　him；　the　sky　is　always　going　to　fall；　and　it　usually　does；　on　him。
When　we　got　home；　he　showed　me　all　the　stats　as　to　why　the　price　of　oil　was　going　to　go　up　over　the　next　few　years。　Statistics　I　had　never　seen　before；　even　though　I　already　owned　a　substantial　share　block　of　an　existing　oil　pany。　With　that　information；　I　immediately　began　looking　for　and　found　a　new　undervalued　oil　pany　that　was　about　to　find　some　oil　deposits。　My　broker　was　excited　about　this　new　pany；　and　I　bought　15；000　shares　for　65　cents　per　share。
In　February　1997；　this　same　friend　and　I　drove　by　the　same　gas　station；　and　sure　enough；　the　price　per　gallon　had　gone　up　nearly　15　percent。　Again；　the　〃Chicken　Little〃　worried　and　plained。 I　smiled　because　in　January　1997；　that　little　oil　pany　hit　oil　and　those　15；000　shares　went　up　to　more　than　3　per　share　since　he　had　first　given　me　the　tip。　And　the　price　of　gas　will　continue　to　go　up　if　what　my　friend　says　is　true。
Instead　of　analyzing；　their　little　chicken　closes　their　mind。　If　most　people　understood　how　a　〃stop〃　worked　in　stockmarket　investing；　there　would　be　more　people　investing　to　win　instead　of　investing　not　to　lose。　A　〃stop〃　is　simply　a　puter　mand　that　sells　your　stock　automatically　if　the　price　begins　to　drop；　helping　to　minimize　your　losses　and　maximize　some　gains。　It"s　a　great　tool　for　those　who　are　terrified　of　losing。
So　whenever　I　hear　people　focusing　on　their　〃I　don"t　wants；〃　rather　than　what　they　do　want；　I　know　the　〃noise〃　in　their　head　must　be　loud。　Chicken　Little　has　taken　over　their　brain　and　is　yelling；　〃The　sky　is　falling　and　toilets　are　breaking。〃　So　they　avoid　their　〃don"t　wants；〃　but　they　pay　a　huge　price。　They　may　never　get　what　they　want　in　life。
Rich　dad　gave　me　a　way　of　looking　at　Chicken　Little。 〃Just　do　what　Colonel　Sanders　did。〃　At　the　age　of　66；　he　lost　his　business　and　began　to　live　on　his　Social　Security　check。　It　wasn"t　enough。　He　went　around；　the　country　selling　his　recipe　for　fried　chicken。　He　was　turned　down　1；009　times　before　someone　said　〃yes。〃　And　he　went　on　to　bee　a
multimillionaire　at　an　age　when　most　people　are　quitting。 〃He　was　a　brave　and　tenacious　man；〃　rich　dad　said　of　Harlan　Sanders。
So　when　you"re　in　doubt　and　feeling　a　little　afraid；　just　do　what　Col。　Sanders　did　to　his　little　chicken。　He　fried　it。
Reason　No。　3。　Laziness。　Busy　people　are　often　the　most　lazy。　We　have　all　heard　stories　of　a　businessman　who　works　hard　to　earn　money。　He　works　hard　to　be　a　good　provider　for　his　wife　and　children。　He　spends　long　hours　at　the　office　and　brings　work　home　on　weekends。　One　day　he　es　home　to　an　empty　house。　His　wife　has　left　with　the　kids。　He　knew　he　and　his　wife　had　problems；　but　rather　than　work　to　make　the　relationship　strong；　he　stayed　busy　at　work。　Dismayed；　his performance　at　work　slips　and　he　loses　his　job。
Today；　I　often　meet　people　who　are　too　busy　to　take　care　of　their　wealth。　And　there　are　people　too　busy　to　take　care　of　their　health。　The　cause　is　the　same。　They"re　busy；　and　they　stay　busy　as　a　way　of　avoiding　something　they　do　not　want　to　face。　Nobody　has　to　tell　them。 Deep　down　they　know。　In　fact；　if　you　remind　them；　they　often　respond　with　anger　or　irritation。
If　they　aren"t　busy　at　work　or　with　the　kids；　they"re　often　busy　watching　TV；　fishing；　playing　golf　or　shopping。　Yet；　deep　down　they　know　they　are　avoiding　something　important。 That"s　the　most　mon　form　of　laziness。　Laziness　by　staying　busy。
So　what　is　the　cure　for　laziness？　The　answer　is　a　little　greed。
For　many　of　us；　we　were　raised　thinking　of　greed　or　desire　as　bad。　〃Greedy　people　are　bad　people；〃　my　mom　use　to　say。　Yet；　we　all　have　inside　of　us　this　yearning　to　have　nice　things；　new　things　or　exciting　things。　So　to　keep　that　emotion　of　desire　under　control；　often　parents　found　ways　of　suppressing　that　desire　with　guilt。
〃You　only　think　about　yourself。　Don"t　you　know　you　have　brothers　and　sisters？〃　was　one　of　my　mom"s　favorites。　Or　〃You　want　me　to　buy　you　what？〃　was　a　favorite　of　my　dad。 〃Do　you　think　we"re　made　of　money？ Do　you　think　money　grows　on　trees？　We"re　not　rich　people；　you　know。〃
It　wasn"t　so　much　the　words　but　the　angry　guilttrip　that　went　with　the　words　that　got　to　me。
Or　the　reverse　guilttrip　was　the　〃I"m　sacrificing　my　life　to　buy　this　for　you。　I"m　buying　this　for　you　because　I　never　had　this　advantage　when　I　was　a　kid。〃　I　have　a　neighbor　who　is　stone　broke；　but　can"t　park　his　car　in　his　garage。　The　garage　is　filled　with　toys　for　his　kids。　Those　spoiled　brats　get　everything　they　ask　for。 〃I　don"t　want　them　to　know　the　feeling　of　want〃　are　his　everyday　words。　He　has　nothing　set　aside　for　their　college　or　his　retirement；　but　his　kids　have　every　toy　ever　made。　He　recently　got　a　new　credit　card　in　the　mail　and　took　his　kids　to　visit　Las　Vegas。 〃I"m　doing　it　for　the　kids；〃　he　said　with　great　sacrifice。
Rich　dad　forbade　the　words　〃I　can"t　afford　it。〃
In　my　real　home；　that"s　all　I　heard。　Instead；　rich　dad　required　his　children　to　say；　〃How　can　I　afford　it？〃　His　reasoning；　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　ou