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ccess　and　retirement。
2。　You　work　for　the　government。　The　government　takes　its　share　from　your　paycheck　before　you　even　see　it。　　By　working　harder；　you　simply　increase　the　amount　of　taxes　taken　by　the　government　…　most　people　work　from　January　to　May　just　for　the　government。
3。　You　work　for　the　bank。　After　taxes；　your　next　largest　expense　is　usually　your　mortgage　and　credit　card　debt。
The　problem　with　simply　working　harder　is　that　each　of　these　three　levels　takes　a　greater　share　of　your　increased　efforts。　You　need　to　learn　how　to　have　your　increased　efforts　benefit　you　and　your　family　directly。
Once　you　have　decided　to　concentrate　on　minding　your　own　business；　how　do　you　set　your　goals？　　For　most　people；　they　must　keep　their　profession　and　rely　on　their　wages　to　fund　their　acquisition　of　assets。
As　their　assets　grow；　how　do　they　measure　the　extent　of　their　success？　When　does　someone　realize　that　they　are　rich；　that　they　have　wealth？　As　well　as　having　my　own　definitions　for　assets　and　liabilities；　I　also　have　my　own　definition　for　wealth。　Actually　I　borrowed　it　from　a　man　named　Buckminster　Fuller。　　Some　call　him　a　quack；　and　others　call　him　a　living　genius。　　Years　ago　he　got　all　the　architects　buzzing　because　he　applied　for　a　patent　in　1961　for　something　called　a　geodesic　dome。　But　in　the　application；　Fuller　also　said　something　about　wealth。　　It　was　pretty　confusing　at　first；　but　after　reading　it　for　awhile；　it　began　to　make　some　sense：　Wealth　is　a　person's　ability　to　survive　so　many　number　of　days　forward。。。　or　if　I　stopped　working　today；　how　long　could　I　survive？
Unlike　net　worth…the　difference　between　your　assets　and　liabilities；　which　is　often　filled　with　a　person's　expensive　junk　and　opinions　of　what　things　are　worth…this　definition　creates　the　possibility　for　developing　a　truly　accurate　measurement。　　I　could　now　measure　and　really　know　where　I　was　in　terms　of　my　goal　to　bee　financially　independent。
Although　net　worth　often　includes　these　non…cash…producing　assets；　like　stuff　you　bought　that　now　sits　in　your　garage；　wealth　measures　how　much　money　your　money　is　making　and；　therefore；　your　financial　survivability。
Wealth　is　the　measure　of　the　cash　flow　from　the　asset　column　pared　with　the　expense　column。
Let's　use　an　example。　Let's　say　I　have　cash　flow　from　my　asset　column　of　S〃J；000　a　month。　And　I　have　monthly　expenses　of　52；000。　What　is　my　wealth？
Let's　go　back　to　Buckminster　Fuller's　definition。　Using　his　definition；　how　many　days　forward　can　I　survive？　And　let's　assume　a　30…day　month。　By　that　definition；　I　have　enough　cash　flow　for　half　a　month。
When　I　have　achieved　2；000　a　month　cash　flow　from　my　assets；　then　I　will　be　wealthy。
So　I　am　not　yet　rich；　but　I　am　wealthy。　　I　now　have　ine　generated　from　assets　each　month　that　fully　cover　my　monthly　expenses。　If　I　want　to　increase　my　expenses；　I　first　must　increase　my　cash　flow　from　assets　to　maintain　this　level　of　wealth。　Take　notice　that　it　is　at　this　point　that　I　no　longer　am　dependent　on　my　wages。　　I　have　focused　on　and　been　successful　in　building　an　asset　column　that　has　made　me　financially　independent。　　　If　I　quit　my　job　today；　I　would　be　able　to　cover　my　monthly　expenses　with　the　cash　flow　from　my　assets。
My　next　goal　would　be　to　have　the　excess　cash　flow　from　my　assets　reinvested　into　the　asset　column。　　The　more　money　that　goes　into　my　asset　column；　the　more　my　asset　column　grows。　The　more　my　assets　grow；　the　more　my　cash　flow　grows。　And　as　long　as　I　keep　my　expenses　less　than　the　cash　flow　from　these　assets；　I　will　grow　richer；　with　more　and　more　ine　from　sources　other　than　my　physical　labor。
As　this　reinvestment　process　continues；　I　am　well　on　my　way　to　being　rich。　　The　actual　definition　of　rich　is　in　the　eye　of　the　beholder。　You　can　never　be　too　rich。
Just　remember　this　simple　observation：　The　rich　buy　assets。　The　poor　only　have　expenses。　The　middle　class　buys　liabilities　they　think　are　assets。　So　how　do　I　start　minding　my　own　business？　What　is　the　answer？　Listen　to　the　founder　of　McDonald's。

CHAPTER　FOUR　
Lesson　Three：　Mind　Your　Own　Business

In　1974；　Ray　Kroc；　the　founder　of　McDonald's；　was　asked　to　speak　to　the　MBA　class　at　the　University　of　Texas　at　Austin。　A　dear　friend　of　mine；　Keith　Cunningham；　was　a　student　in　that　MBA　class。　After　a　powerful　and　inspiring　talk；　the　class　adjourned　and　the　students　asked　Ray　if　he　would　join　them　at　their　favorite　hangout　to　have　a　few　beers。　　Ray　graciously　accepted。
〃What　business　am　I　in？〃　Ray　asked；　once　the　group　had　all　their　beers　in　hand。
〃Everyone　laughed；〃　said　Keith。　〃Most　of　the　MBA　students　thought　Ray　was　just　fooling　around。〃
No　one　answered；　so　Ray　asked　the　question　again。　〃What　business　do　you　think　I'm　in？〃
The　students　laughed　again；　and　finally　one　brave　soul　yelled　out；　〃Ray；　who　in　the　world　does　not　know　that　you're　in　the　hamburger　business。〃
Ray　chuckled。　〃That　is　what　I　thought　you　would　say。〃　He　paused　and　then　quickly　said；　'ladies　and　gentlemen；　I'm　not　in　the　hamburger　business。　My　business　is　real　estate。〃
Keith　said　that　Ray　spent　a　good　amount　of　time　explaining　his　viewpoint。　　　In　their　business　plan；　Ray　knew　that　the　primary　business　focus　was　to　sell　hamburger　franchises；　but　what　he　never　lost　sight　of　was　the　location　of　each　franchise。　He　knew　that　the　real　estate　and　its　location　was　the　most　significant　factor　in　the　success　of　each　franchise。　Basically；　the　person　that　bought　the　franchise　was　also　paying　for；　buying；　the　land　under　the　franchise　for　Ray　Kroc's　organization。
McDonald's　today　is　the　largest　single　owner　of　real　estate　in　the　world；　owning　even　more　than　the　Catholic　Church。　Today；　McDonald's　owns　some　of　the　most　valuable　intersections　and　street　corners　in　America；　as　well　as　in　other　parts　of　the　world。
Keith　said　it　was　one　of　the　most　important　lessons　in　his　life。　Today；　Keith　owns　car　washes；　but　his　business　is　the　real　estate　under　those　car　washes。
The　previous　chapter　ended　with　the　diagrams　illustrating　that　most　people　work　for　everyone　else　but　themselves。　They　work　first　for　the　owners　of　the　pany；　then　for　the　government　through　taxes；　and　finally　for　the　bank　that　owns　their　mortgage。
As　a　young　boy；　we　did　not　have　a　McDonald's　nearby。　Yet；　my　rich　dad　was　responsible　for　teaching　Mike　and　me　the　same　lesson　that　Ray　Kroc　talked　about　at　the　University　of　Texas。　　It　is　secret　No。　3　of　the　rich。
The　secret　is：　〃Mind　your　own　business/'　Financial　struggle　is　often　directly　the　result　of　people　working　all　their　life　for　someone　else。　Many　people　will　have　nothing　at　the　end　of　their　working　days。
Again；　a　picture　is　worth　a　thousand　words。　　Here　is　a　diagram　of　the　ine　statement　and　balance　sheet　that　best　describes　Ray　Kroc's　advice：

Most　people　

Your　Profession　…》　Your　Ine

The　Rich


Your　Assets　…》　Your　Ine

Our　current　educational　system　focuses　on　preparing　today's　youth　to　get　good　jobs　by　developing　scholastic　skills。　Their　lives　will　revolve　around　their　wages；　or　as　described　earlier；　their　ine　column。　And　after　developing　scholastic　skills；　they　go　on　to　higher　levels　of　schooling　to　enhance　their　professional　abilities。　They　study　to　bee　engineers；　scientists；　cooks；　police　officers；　artists；　writers　and　so　on。　These　professional　skills　allow　them　to　enter　the　workforce　and　work　for　money。
There　is　a　big　difference　between　your　profession　and　your　business。　Often　I　ask　people；　〃What　is　your　business？〃　And　they　will　say；　〃Oh　I'm　a　banker。〃　Then　I　ask　them　if　they　own　the　bank？　And　they　usually　respond。　　〃No；　I　work　there。〃
In　that　instance；　they　have　confused　their　profession　with　their　business。　Their　profession　may　be　a　banker；　but　they　still　need　their　own　business。　　Ray　Kroc　was　clear　on　the　difference　between　his　profession　and　his　business。　His　profession　was　always　the　same。　　Me　was　a　salesman。　At　one　time　he　sold　mixers　for　milkshakes；　and　soon　thereafter　he　was　selling　hamburger　franchises…　But　while　his　profession　was　selling　hamburger　franchises；　his　business　was　the　accumulation　of　ine…producing　real　estate。
A　problem　with　school　is　that　you　often　bee　what　you　study。　　So　if　you　study；　say；　cooking；　you　bee　a　chef。　　If　you　study　the　law；　you　bee　an　attorney；　and　a　study　of　auto　mechanics　makes　you　a　mechanic。　The　mistake　in　being　what　you　study　is　that　too　many　people　forget　to　mind　their　own　business。　They　spend　their　lives　minding　someone　else's　business　and　making　that　person　rich。
To　bee　financially　secure；　a　person　needs　to　mind　their　own　business。　　Your　business　revolves　around　your　asset　column；　as　opposed　to　your　ine　column。　As　stated　earlier；　the　No。　1　rule　is　to　know　the　difference　between　an　asset　and　a　liability；　and　to　buy　assets。　The　rich　focus　on　their　asset　columns　while　everyone　else　focuses　on　their　ine　statements。
That　is　why　we　hear　so　often：　〃I　need　a　raise。〃　　〃If　only　I　had　a　promotion。〃　　〃I　am　going　to　go　back　to　school　to　get　more　training　so　I　can　get　a　better　job。〃　　　〃I　am　going　to　work　overtime。〃　　〃Maybe　I　can　get　a　second　job。〃　　〃I'm　quitting　in　two　weeks。　　　I　found　a　job　that　pays　more。〃
In　some　circles；　these　are　sensible　ideas。　　Yet；　if　you　listen　to　Ray　Kroc；　you　are　still　not　minding　your　own　business。　　These　ideas　all　still　focus　on　the　ine　column　and　will　only　help　a　person　bee　more　financially　secure　if　the　additional　money　is　used　to　purchase　ine…generating　assets。
The　primary　reason　the　majority　of　the　poor　and　middle　class　are　fiscally　conservative…which　means。　〃I　can't　afford　to　take　risks〃…is　that　they　have　no　financial　foundation。　　They　have　to　cling　to　their　jobs。　They　have　to　play　it　safe。　
When　downsizing　became　the　〃in〃　thing　lo　do；　millions　of　workers　　　　｜　found　out　their　largest　so…called　asset；　their　home；　was　eating　them　alive；　j　Their　asset；　called　a　house；　still　cost　them　money　every　month。　Their　car；　another　〃asset；〃　was　eating　them　alive。　The　golf　clubs　in　the　garage　that　cost　1；000　were　not　worth　51；000　anymore。　　Without　job　security；　they　had　nothing　to　fall　back　on。　　What　they　thought　were　assets　could　not　help　them　survive　in　a　time　of　financial　crisis。
1　assume　most　of　us　have　filled　out　a　credit　application　for　a　banker　to　buy　a　house　or　to　buy　a　car。　　It　is　always　interesting　to　look　at　the　〃net　worth'1　section。　　It　is　interesting　because　of　what　accepted　banking　and　accounting　practices　allow　a　person　to　count　as　assets。
One　day；　to　get　a　loan；　my　financial　position　did　not　look　too　good。　So　I　added　my　new　golf　clubs；　my　art　collection；　books；　stereo；　television；　Armani　suits；　wristwatches；　shoes　and　other　personal　effects　to　boost　the　number　in　the　asset　column。
But　I　was　turned　down　for　the　loan　because　I　had　too　much　investment　real　estate。　The　loan　mittee　did　not　like　that　1　made　so　much　money　off　of　apartment　houses。　They　wanted　to　know　why　I　did　not　have　a　normal　job；　with　a　salary。　They　did　not　question　the　Armani　suits；　golf　clubs　or　art　collection。　　Life　is　sometimes　tough　when　you　do　not　fit　the　〃standard〃　profile。
I　cringe　every　time　I　hear　someone　say　to　me　that　their　net　worth　is　a　million　dollars　or　100；000　dollars　or　whatever。　　One　of　the　main　reasons　net　worth　is　not　accurate　is　simply　because　the　moment　you　begin　selling　your　assets；　you　are　taxed　for　any　gains。
So　many　people　have　put　themselves　in　deep　financial　trouble　when　they　run　short　of　ine。　To　raise　cash；　they　sell　their　assets。　First；　their　personal　assets　can　generally　be　sold　for　only　a　fraction　of　the　value　that　is　listed　in　their　personal　balance　sheet。　Or　if　there　is　a　gain　on　the　sale　of　the　assets；　they　are　taxed　on　the　gain。　So　again；　the　government　takes　its　share　of　the　gain；　thus　reducing　the　amount　available　to　help　them　out
Of　debt。　That　is　why　I　say　someone's　net　worth　is　often　〃worth　less〃　than　they　think。
Start　minding　your　own　business。　Keep　your　daytime　job；　but　start　buying　real　assets；　not　liabilities　or　personal　effects　that　have　no　real　value　once　you　get　them　home。　A　new　car　loses　nearly　25　percent　of　the　price　you　pay　for　it　the　moment　you　drive　it　off　the　lot。　It　is　not　a　true　asset　even　if　your　banker　lets　you　list　it　as　one。　　My　400　new　titanium　driver　was　worth　S150　the　moment　I　teed　off。
For　adults；　keep　your　expenses　low；　reduce　your　liabilities　and　diligently　build　a　base　of　solid　assets。　For　young　people　who　have　not　yet