《富爸爸穷爸爸》第42章

Those　are　my　deepseated；　emotional　reasons。　What　are　yours？　If　they　are　not　strong　enough；　then　the　reality　of　the　road　ahead　may　be　greater　than　your　reasons。　I　have　lost　money　and　been　set　back　many　times；　but　it　was　the　deep　emotional　reasons　that　kept　me　standing　up　and　going　forward。　I　wanted　to　be　free　by　age　40；　but　it　took　me　until　I　was　4？　with　many　learning　experiences　along　the　way。
As　I　said；　I　wish　I　could　say　it　was　easy。　It　wasn"t；　but　it　wasn"t　hard　either。　But　without　a　strong　reason　or　purpose；　anything　in　life　is　hard。
IF　YOU　DO　NOT　HAVE　A　STRONG　REASON；　THERE　IS　NO　SENSE　READING　FURTHER。　IT　WILL　SOUND　LIKE　TOO　MUCH　WORK。
2。　I　CHOOSE　DAILY：　The　power　of　choice。　That　is　the　main　reason　people　want　to　live　in　a　free　country。　We　want　the　power　to　choose。
Financially；　with　every　dollar　we　get　in　our　hands；　we　hold　the　power　to　choose　our　future　to　be　rich；　poor　or　middle　class。 Our　spending　habits　reflect　who　we　are。 Poor　people　simply　have　poor　spending　habits。
The　benefit　I　had　as　a　boy　was　that　I　loved　playing　Monopoly　constantly。 Nobody　told　me　Monopoly　was　only　for　kids；　so　I　just　kept　playing　the　game　as　an　adult。　I　also　had　a　rich　dad　who　pointed　out　to　me　the　difference　between　an　asset　and　a　liability。 So　a　long　time　ago；　as　a　little　boy；　I　chose　to　be　rich；　and　I　knew　that　all　I　had　to　do　was　learn　to　acquire　assets；　real　assets。　My　best　friend；　Mike；　had　an　asset　column　handed　to　him；　but　he　still　had　to　choose　to　learn　to　keep　it。　Many　rich　families　lose　their　assets　in　the　next　generation　simply　because　there　was　no　one　trained　to　be　a　good　steward　over　their　assets。
Most　people　choose　not　to　be　rich。　For　90　percent　of　the　population；　being　rich　is　〃too　much　of　a　hassle。〃 So　they　invent　sayings　that　go；　〃I"m　not　interested　in　money。〃 Or　〃I"ll　never　be　rich。〃　Or　〃I　don"t　have　to　worry；　I"m　still　young。〃 Or　〃When　I　make　some　money；　then　I"ll　think　about　my　future。〃 Or　〃My　husband/wife　handles　the　finances。〃　The　problem　with　those　statements　is　they　rob　the　person　who　chooses　to
think　such　thoughts　of　two　things：　one　is　time；　which　is　your　most　precious　asset；　and　two　is　learning。　Just　because　you　have　no　money；　should　not　be　an　excuse　to　not　learn。　But　that　is　a　choice　we　all　make　daily；　the　choice　of　what　we　do　with　our　time；　our　money　and　what　we　put　in　our　heads。　That　is　the　power　of　choice。　All　of　us　have　choice。　I　just　choose　to　be　rich；　and　I　make　that　choice　every　day。
INVEST　FIRST　IN　EDUCATION： In　reality；　the　only　real　asset　you　have　is　your　mind；　the　most　powerful　tool　we　have　dominion　over。　Just　as　I　said　about　the　power　of　choice；　each　of　us　has　the　choice　of　what　we　put　in　our　brain　once　we"re　old　enough。　You　can　watch　MTV　all　day；　or　read　golf　magazines；　or　go　to　ceramics　class　or　a　class　on　financial　planning。　You　choose。　Most　people　simply　buy　investments　rather　than　
first　invest　in　learning　about　investing。
A　friend　of　mine；　who　is　a　rich　woman；　recently　had　her　apartment　burglarized。　The　thieves　took　her　TV　and　VCR　and　left　all　the　books　she　reads。　And　we　all　have　that　choice。　Again；　90　percent　of　the　population　buys　TV　sets　and　only　about　10　percent　buy　books　on　business　or　tapes　on　investments。
So　what　do　I　do？　I　go　to　seminars。　I　like　it　when　they　are　at　least　two　days　long　because　I　like　to　immerse　myself　in　a　subject。　In　1973；　I　was　watching　TV　and　this　guy　came　on　advertising　a　threeday　seminar　on　how　to　buy　real　estate　for　nothing　down。　I　spent　385　and　that　course　has　made　me　at　least　2　million；　if　not　more。　But　more　importantly；　it　bought　me　life。　I　don"t　have　to　work　for　the　rest　of　my　life　because　of　that　one　course。　I　go　to　at　least　two　such　courses　every　year。
I　love　audio　tapes。　The　reason：　I　can　rewind　quickly。　I　was　listening　to　a　tape　by　Peter　Lynch；　and　he　said　something　I　pletely　disagreed　with。 Instead　of　being　arrogant　and　critical；　I　simply　pushed　〃rewind〃　and　I　listened　to　that　fiveminute　stretch　of　tape　at　least　twenty　times。　Possibly　more。　But　suddenly；　by　keeping　my　mind　open；　I　understood　why　he　said　what　he　said。　It　was　like　magic。　I　felt　like　I　had　a　window　into　the　mind　of　one　of　the　greatest　investors　of　our　time。　I　gained　tremendous　depth　and　insight　into　the　vast　resources　of　his　education　and　experience。
The　net　result：　I　still　have　the　old　way　I　used　to　think；　and　I　have　Peter"s　way　of　looking　at　the　same　problem　or　situation。　I　have　two　thoughts　instead　of　one。 One　more　way　to　analyze　a　problem　or　trend；　and　that　is　priceless。　Today；　I　often　say；　〃How　would　Peter　Lynch　do　this；　or　Donald　Trump　or　Warren　Buffett　or　Gee　Soros？〃　The　only　way　I　can　access　their　vast　mental　power　is　to　be　humble　enough　to　read　or　listen　to　what　they　have　to　say。　Arrogant　or　critical　people　are　often　people　with　low　selfesteem　who　are　afraid　of　taking　risks。　You　see；　if　you　learn　something　new；　you　are　then　required　to　make　mistakes　in　order　to　fully　understand　what　you　have　learned。
If　you　have　read　this　far；　arrogance　is　not　one　of　your　problems。　Arrogant　people　rarely　read　or　buy　tapes。　Why　should　they？　They　are　the　center　of　the　universe。
There　are　so　many　〃intelligent〃　people　who　argue　or　defend　when　a　new　idea　clashes　with　the　way　they　think。　In　this　case；　their　socalled　〃intelligence〃　bined　with　〃arrogance〃　equals　〃ignorance〃。　Each　of　us　knows　people　who　are　highly　educated；　or　believe　they　are　smart；　but　their　balance　sheet　paints　a　different　picture。　A　truly　intelligent　person　weles　new　ideas；　for　new　ideas　can　add　to　the　synergy　of　other　accumulated　ideas。　Listening　is　more　important　than　talking。　If　that　was　not　true；　God　would　not　have　given　us　two　ears　and　only　one　mouth。　Too　many　people　think　with　their　mouth　instead　of　listening　to　absorb　new　ideas　and　possibilities。　They　argue　instead　of　asking　questions。
I　take　a　long　view　on　my　wealth。　I　do　not　subscribe　to　the　〃Get　rich　quick〃　mentality　most　lottery　players　or　casino　gamblers　have。　I　may　go　in　and　out　of　stocks；　but　I　am　long　on　education。　If　you　want　to　fly　an　airplane；　I　advise　taking　lessons　first。　I　am　always　shocked　at　people　who　buy　stocks　or　real　estate；　but　never　invest　in　their　greatest　asset；　their　mind。　Just　because　you　bought　a　house　or　two　does　not　make