富爸爸穷爸爸-第4章

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pting　or　rejecting　a　single　point　of　view。
One　of　the　reasons　the　rich　get　richer；　the　poor　get　poorer；　and　the　middle　class　struggles　in　debt　is　because　the　subject　of　money　is　taught　at　home；　not　in　school。　Most　of　us　learn　about　money　from　our　parents。　So　what　can　a　poor　parent　tell　their　child　about　money？　They　simply　say　〃Stay　in　school　and　study　hard。〃　The　child　may　graduate　with　excellent　grades　but　with　a　poor　person's　financial　programming　and　mind…set。　It　was　learned　while　the　child　was　young。
Money　is　not　taught　in　schools。　Schools　focus　on　scholastic　and　professional　skills；　but　not　on　financial　skills。　This　explains　how　smart　bankers；　doctors　and　accountants　who　earned　excellent　grades　in　school　may　still　struggle　financially　all　of　their　lives。　Our　staggering　national　debt　is　due　in　large　part　to　highly　educated　politicians　and　government　officials　making　financial　decisions　with　little　or　no　training　on　the　subject　of　money。
I　often　look　ahead　to　the　new　millennium　and　wonder　what　will　happen　when　we　have　millions　of　people　who　will　need　financial　and　medical　assistance。　They　will　be　dependent　on　their　families　or　the　government　for　financial　support。　What　will　happen　when　Medicare　and　Social　Security　run　out　of　money？　How　will　a　nation　survive　if　teaching　children　about　money　continues　to　be　left　to　parents…most　of　whom　will　be；　or　already　are；　poor？
Because　I　had　two　influential　fathers；　I　learned　from　both　of　them。　I　had　to　think　about　each　dad's　advice；　and　in　doing　so；　I　gained　valuable
insight　into　the　power　and　effect　of　one's　thoughts　on　one's　life。　For　example；　one　dad　had　a　habit　of　saying；　〃I　can't　afford　it。〃　The　other　dad　forbade　those　words　to　be　used。　He　insisted　I　say；　〃How　can　I　afford　it？〃　One　is　a　statement；　and　the　other　is　a　question。　One　lets　you　off　the　hook；　and　the　other　forces　you　to　think。　My　soon…to…be…rich　dad　would　explain　that　by　automatically　saying　the　words　〃I　can't　afford　it；〃　your　brain　stops　working。　By　asking　the　question　〃How　can　I　afford　it？〃　your　brain　is　put　to　work。　He　did　not　mean　buy　everything　you　wanted。　He　was　fanatical　about　exercising　your　mind；　the　most　powerful　puter　in　the　world。　〃My　brain　gets　stronger　every　day　because　I　exercise　it。　The　stronger　it　gets；　the　more　money　I　can　make。〃　He　believed　that　automatically　saying　〃I　can't　afford　it〃　was　a　sign　of　mental　laziness。
Although　both　dads　worked　hard；　I　noticed　that　one　dad　had　a　habit　of　putting　his　brain　to　sleep　when　it　came　to　money　matters；　and　the　other　had　a　habit　of　exercising　his　brain。　The　long…term　result　was　that　one　dad　grew　stronger　financially　and　the　other　grew　weaker。　It　is　not　much　different　from　a　person　who　goes　to　the　gym　to　exercise　on　a　regular　basis　versus　someone　who　sits　on　the　couch　watching　television。　Proper　physical　exercise　increases　your　chances　for　health；　and　proper　mental　exercise　increases　your　chances　for　wealth。　Laziness　decreases　both　health　and　wealth。
My　two　dads　had　opposing　attitudes　in　thought。　One　dad　thought　that　the　rich　should　pay　more　in　taxes　to　take　care　of　those　less　fortunate。　The　other　said；　〃Taxes　punish　those　who　produce　and　reward　those　who　don't　produce。〃
One　dad　remended；　〃Study　hard　so　you　can　find　a　good　pany　to　work　for。〃　The　other　remended；　〃Study　hard　so　you　can　find　a　good　pany　to　buy。〃
One　dad　said；　〃The　reason　I'm　not　rich　is　because　I　have　you　kids。〃　The　other　said；　〃The　reason　I　must　be　rich　is　because　I　have　you　kids。〃
One　encouraged　talking　about　money　and　business　at　the　dinner　；table。　The　other　forbade　the　subject　of　money　to　be　discussed　over　a　meal。
One　said；　〃When　it　es　to　money；　play　it　safe；　don't　take　risks。〃　The　other　said；　〃Learn　to　manage　risk。〃
One　believed；　〃Our　home　is　our　largest　investment　and　our　greatest　asset。〃　The　other　believed；　〃My　house　is　a　liability；　and　if　your　house　is　your　largest　investment；　you're　in　trouble。〃
Both　dads　paid　their　bills　on　time；　yet　one　paid　his　bills　first　while　the　other　paid　his　bills　last。
One　dad　believed　in　a　pany　or　the　government　taking　care　of　you　and　your　needs。　He　was　always　concerned　about　pay　raises；　retirement　plans；　medical　benefits；　sick　leave；　vacation　days　and　other　perks。　He　was　impressed　with　two　of　his　uncles　who　joined　the　military　and　earned　a　retirement　and　entitlement　package　for　life　after　twenty　years　of　active　service。　He　loved　the　idea　of　medical　benefits　and　PX　privileges　the　military　provided　its　retirees。　He　also　loved　the　tenure　system　available　through　the　university。　The　idea　of　job　protection　for　life　and　job　benefits　seemed　more　important；　at　times；　than　the　job。　He　would　often　say；　〃I've　worked　hard　for　the　government；　and　I'm　entitled　to　these　benefits。〃
The　other　believed　in　total　financial　self…reliance。　He　spoke　out　against　the　〃entitlement〃　mentality　and　how　it　was　creating　weak　and　financially　needy　people。　He　was　emphatic　about　being　financially　petent。
One　dad　struggled　to　save　a　few　dollars。　The　other　simply　created　investments。
One　dad　taught　me　how　to　write　an　impressive　resume　so　I　could　find　a　good　job。　The　other　taught　me　how　to　write　strong　business　and　financial　plans　so　I　could　create　jobs。
Being　a　product　of　two　strong　dads　allowed　me　the　luxury　of　observing　the　effects　different　thoughts　have　on　one's　life。　I　noticed　that　people　really　do　shape　their　life　through　their　thoughts。
For　example；　my　poor　dad　always　said；　〃I'll　never　be　rich。〃　And　that　prophesy　became　reality。　My　rich　dad；　on　the　other　hand；　always　referred　to　himself　as　rich。　He　would　say　things　like；　〃I'm　a　rich　man；　and　rich　people　don't　do　this。〃　Even　when　he　was　flat　broke　after　a　major　financial　setback；　he　continued　to　refer　to　himself　as　a　rich　man。　He　would　cover　himself　by　saying；　〃There　is　a　difference　between　being　poor　and　being　broke。　…　Broke　is　temporary；　and　poor　is　eternal。〃
My　poor　dad　would　also　say；　〃I'm　not　interested　in　money；〃　or　〃Money　doesn't　matter。〃　My　rich　dad　always　said；　〃Money　is　power。〃
The　power　of　our　thoughts　may　never　be　measured　or　appreciated；　but　it　became　obvious　to　me　as　a　young　boy　to　be　aware　of　my　thoughts　and　how　I　expressed　myself。　I　noticed　that　my　poor　dad　was　poor　not　because　of　the　amount　of　money　he　earned；　which　was　significant；　but
because　of　his　thoughts　and　actions。　As　a　young　boy；　having　two　fathers；　I　became　acutely　aware　of　being　careful　which　thoughts　I　chose　to　adopt　as　my　own。　Whom　should　I　listen　to…my　rich　dad　or　my　poor　dad？
Although　both　men　had　tremendous　respect　for　education　and　learning；　they　disagreed　in　what　they　thought　was　important　to　learn。　One　wanted　me　to　study　hard；　earn　a　degree　and　get　a　good　job　to　work　for　money。　He　wanted　me　to　study　to　bee　a　professional；　an　attorney　or　an　accountant　or　to　go　to　business　school　for　my　MBA。　The　other　encouraged　me　to　study　to　be　rich；　to　understand　how　money　works　and　to　learn　how　to　have　it　work　for　me。　〃I　don't　work　for　money！〃　were　words　he　would　repeat　over　and　over；　〃Money　works　for　me！〃
At　the　age　of　9；　I　decided　to　listen　to　and　learn　from　my　rich　dad　about　money。　In　doing　so；　I　chose　not　to　listen　to　my　poor　dad；　even　though　he　was　the　one　with　all　the　college　degrees。

A　Lesson　From　Robert　Frost

Robert　Frost　is　my　favourite　poet。　Although　I　love　many　of　his　poems；　my　favorite　is　The　Road　Not　Taken。　I　use　its　lesson　almost　daily：

The　Road　Not　Taken

Two　roads　diverged　in　a　yellow　wood；　And　sorry　I　could　not　travel　both　And　be　one　traveler；　long　I　stood　And　looked　down　one　as　far　as　I　could　To　where　it　bent　in　the　undergrowth；
Then　took　the　other；　as　just　as　fair；　And　having　perhaps　the　better　claim；　Because　it　was　grassy　and　wanted　wear　Though　as　for　that　the　passing　there　Had　worn　them　really　about　the　same；
And　both　that　morning　equally　lay　In　leaves　no　step　had　trodden　black。　Oh；　I　kept　the　first　for　another　day！　Yet　knowing　how　way　leads　onto　way；　I　doubted　if　I　should　ever　e　back。
I　shall　be　telling　this　with　a　sigh　Somewhere　ages　and　ages　hence；　Two　roads　diverged　in　a　wood；　and　I　took　the　one　less　traveled　by；　And　that　has　made　all　the　difference。
Robert　Frost（1916）

And　that　made　all　the　difference。
Over　the　years；　I　have　often　reflected　upon　Robert　Frost's　poem。　Choosing　not　to　listen　to　my　highly　educated　dad's