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es。　I　also　was　partying；　but　it　was　not　in　any　frat　house。　I　grew　up　rapidly。
Educated　dad　just　could　not　understand　why　I　decided　to　quit　and　join　the　Marine　Corps。　I　told　him　I　wanted　to　learn　to　fly；　but　really　I　wanted　to　learn　to　lead　troops。　Rich　dad　explained　to　me　that　the　hardest　part　of　running　a　pany　is　managing　people。　He　had　spent　three　years　in　the　Army；　my　educated　dad　was　draft…exempt。　Rich　dad　told　me　of　the　value　of　learning　to　lead　men　into　dangerous　situations。　〃Leadership　is　what　you　need　to　learn　next；〃　he　said。　　〃If　you're　not　a　good　leader；　you'll　get　shot　in　the　back；　just　like　they　do　in　business。〃
Returning　from　Vietnam　in　1973；1　resigned　my　mission；　even　though　I　loved　flying。　I　found　a　job　with　Xerox　Corp。　I　joined　it　for　one　reason；　and　it　was　not　for　the　benefits。　I　was　a　shy　person；　and　the　thought　of　selling　was　the　most　frightening　subject　in　the　world。　Xerox　has　one　of　the　best　sales…training　programs　in　America。
Rich　dad　was　proud　of　me。　My　educated　dad　was　ashamed。　Being　an　intellectual；　he　thought　that　salespeople　were　below　him。　　I　worked　with　Xerox　for　four　years　until　I　overcame　my　fear　of　knocking　on　doors　and　being　rejected。　　Once　I　could　consistently　be　in　the　top　five　in　sales；　I　again　resigned　and　moved　on；　leaving　behind　another　great　career　with　an　excellent　pany。
In　1977；1　formed　my　first　pany。　Rich　dad　had　groomed　Mike　and　me　to　take　over　panies。　　So　I　now　had　to　learn　to　form　them　and　put　them　together。　My　first　product；　the　nylon　and　velcro　wallet；　was　manufactured　in　the　Far　East　and　shipped　to　a　warehouse　in　New　York；　near　where　I　had　gone　to　school。　　My　formal　education　was　plete；　and　it　was　time　to　test　my　wings。　　If　I　failed；　I　went　broke。　Rich　dad
thought　it　best　to　go　broke　before　30。　　〃You　still　have　time　to　recover〃
was　his　advice。　On　the　eve　of　my　30th　birthday；　my　first　shipment　left　　　　；；
Korea　for　New　York。
Today；　I　still　do　business　internationally。　And　as　my　rich　dad　encouraged　me　to　do；　I　keep　seeking　the　emerging　nations。　Today　my　investment　pany　invests　in　South　America；　Asia；　Norway　and　Russia。　There　is　an　old　cliche　that　goes；　〃Job　is　an　acronym　for　'Just　Over　Broke。'〃　And　unfortunately；　I　would　say　that　the　saying　applies　to　millions　of　people。　Because　school　does　not　think　financial　intelligence　is　an　intelligence；　most　workers　〃live　within　their　means。〃　They　work　and　they　pay　the　bills。
There　is　another　horrible　management　theory　that　goes；　〃Workers　work　hard　enough　to　not　be　fired；　and　owners　pay　just　enough　so　that　workers　won't　quit。〃　And　if　you　look　at　the　pay　scales　of　most　panies；　again　I　would　say　there　is　a　degree　of　truth　in　that　statement。
The　net　result　is　that　most　workers　never　get　ahead。　They　do　what　they've　been　taught　to　do：　〃Get　a　secure　job。〃　Most　workers　focus　on　working　for　pay　and　benefits　that　reward　them　in　the　short　term；　but　is　often　disastrous　in　the　long。　Instead　I　remend　to　young　people　to　seek　work　for　what　they　will　learn；　more　than　what　they　will　earn。　Look　down　the　road　at　what　；　skills　they　want　to　acquire　before　choosing　a　specific　profession　and　before　getting　trapped　in　the　〃Rat　Race。〃
Once　people　are　trapped　in　the　lifelong　process　of　bill　paying；　they　1　bee　like　those　little　hamsters　running　around　in　those　little　metal　wheels。　Their　little　furry　legs　are　spinning　furiously；　the　wheel　is　turning　furiously；　but　e　tomorrow　morning；　they'll　still　be　in　the　same　cage：　great　job。
In　the　movie　Jerry　Maguire；　starring　Tom　Cruise；　there　are　many　great　one　liners。　Probably　the　most　memorable　is　〃Show　me　the　money。〃　But　there　is　one　line　I　thought　most　truthful。　It　es　from　the　scene　where　Tom　Cruise　is　leaving　the　firm。　He　has　just　been　fired；　and　he　is　asking　the　entire　pany　〃Who　wants　to　e　with　me？〃　And　the　whole　place　is　silent　and　frozen。　Only　one　woman　speaks　up　and　says；　〃I'd　like　to　but　I'm　due　for　a　promotion　in　three　months。〃
That　statement　is　probably　the　most　truthful　statement　in　the　whole　movie。　　It　is　the　type　of　statement　that　people　use　to　keep　themselves
　
busy　working　away　to　pay　bills。　I　know　my　educated　dad　looked　forward　to　his　pay　raise　every　year；　and　every　year　he　was　disappointed。　So　he　would　go　back　to　school　to　earn　more　qualifications　so　he　could　get　another　raise；　but　again；　it　would　be　another　disappointment。
The　question　I　often　ask　people　is；　〃Where　is　this　daily　activity　taking　you？〃　Just　like　the　little　hamster；　I　wonder　if　people　look　at　where　their　hard　work　is　taking　them。　What　does　the　future　hold？
Cyril　Brickfield；　the　former　executive　director　of　The　American　Association　of　Retired　People；　reports　that　〃private　pensions　are　in　a　state　of　chaos。　First　of　all；　50　percent　of　the　workforce　today　has　no　pension。　That　alone　should　be　of　great　concern。　And　75　to　80　percent　of　the　other　50　percent　have　ineffective　pensions　that　pay　55　or　150　or　300　a　month。〃
In　his　book　The　Retirement　Myth；　Craig　S。　Karpel　writes：　〃I　visited　the　headquarters　of　a　major　national　pension　consulting　firm　and　met　with　a　managing　director　who　specializes　in　designing　lush　retirement　plans　for　top　management。　When　I　asked　her　what　people　who　don't　have　corner　offices　will　be　able　to　expect　in　the　way　of　pension　ine；　she　said　with　a　confident　smile：　　〃The　Silver　Bullet。'
〃　'What；'　I　asked；　'is　The　Silver　Bullet？'
〃She　shrugged；　'If　baby　boomers　discover　they　don't　have　enough　money　to　live　on　when　they're　older；　they　can　always　blow　their　brains　out。'〃　Karpel　goes　on　to　explain　the　difference　between　the　old　Defined　Benefit　retirement　plans　and　the　new　401K　plans　which　are　riskier。　It　is　not　a　pretty　picture　for　most　people　working　today。　And　that　is　just　for　retirement。　When　medical　fees　and　long…term　nursing　home　care　are　added　to　the　picture；　the　picture　is　frightening。　In　his　1995　book；　he　indicates　that　nursing…home　fees　run　from　30；000　to　125；000　per　year。　He　went　to　a　clean　no…frills　nursing　home　in　his　area　and　found　the　price　to　be　88；000　a　year　in　1995。
Already；　many　hospitals　in　countries　with　socialized　medicine　need　to　make　tough　decisions　such　as　〃Who　will　live　and　who　will　die？〃　They　make　those　decisions　purely　on　how　much　money　they　have　and　how　old　the　patients　are。　If　the　patient　is　old；　they　often　will　give　the　medical　care　to　someone　younger。　The　older　poor　patient　gets　put　to　the　back　of　the　line。　　So　just　as　the　rich　can　afford　better　education；　the　rich　will　be　able　to　keep　themselves　alive；　while　those　who　have　little　wealth　will　die。
So　I　wonder；　are　workers　looking　into　the　future　or　just　until　their　next　paycheck；　never　questioning　where　they　are　headed？
When　I　speak　to　adults　who　want　to　earn　more　money；　I　always　remend　the　same　thing。　I　suggest　taking　a　long　view　of　their　life。　Instead　of　simply　working　for　the　money　and　security；　which　I　admit　are　important；　I　suggest　they　take　a　second　job　that　will　teach　them　a　second　skill。　　Often　I　remend　joining　a　network　marketing　pany；　also　called　multilevel　marketing；　if　they　want　to　learn　sales　skills。　Some　of　these　panies　have　excellent　training　programs　that　help　people　get　over　their　fear　of　failure　and　rejection；　which　are　the　main　reasons　people　/j　are　unsuccessful。　Education　is　more　valuable　than　money；　in　the　long　run。
When　I　offer　this　suggestion；　I　often　hear　in　response；　〃Oh　that　is　too　much　hassle；〃　or　〃I　only　want　to　do　what　I　am　interested　in。〃
To　the　statement　of　〃It's　too　much　of　a　hassle；〃　I　ask；　〃So　you　would　；　rather　work　all　your　life　giving　50　percent　of　what　you　earn　to　the　government'〃　To　the　other　statement…〃I　only　do　what　I　am　interested　in〃…I　say；　〃I'm　not　interested　in　going　to　the　gym；　but　I　go　because　I　want　to　feel　better　and　live　longer。〃
Unfortunately；　there　is　some　truth　to　the　old　statement　〃You　can't　teach　an　old　dog　new　tricks。〃　Unless　a　person　is　used　to　changing；　it's　hard　to　change。
But　for　those　of　you　who　might　be　on　the　fence　when　it　es　to　the　idea　of　working　to　learn　something　new；　I　offer　this　word　of　encouragement：　Life　is　much　like　going　to　the　gym。　The　most　painful　part　is　deciding　to　go。　　Once　you　get　past　that；　it's　easy。　There　have　been　many　days　I　have　dreaded　going　to　the　gym；　but　once　I　am　there　and　in　motion；　it　is　a　pleasure。　After　the　workout　is　over；　I　am　always　glad　I　talked　myself　into　going。
If　you　are　unwilling　to　work　to　learn　something　new　and　insist　on；　instead；　being　highly　specialized　within　your　field；　make　sure　the　pany　you　work　for　is　unionized。　Labor　unions　are　designed　to　protect　specialists。
My　educated　dad；　after　falling　from　grace　with　the　governor；　became　the　head　of　the　teachers　union　in　Hawaii。　He　told　me　that　it　was　the　hardest　job　he　ever　held。　My　rich　dad；　on　the　other　hand；　spent　his　life　doing　his　best　to　keep　his　panies　from　being　unionized。　He　was　successful。　Although　the　unions　came　close；　rich　dad　was　always　able　to　fight　them　off。
　Personally；　I　take　no　sides　because　I　can　see　the　need　for　and　the　benefits　of　both　sides。　If　you　do　as　school　remends；　bee　highly　specialized；　then　seek　union　protection。　For　example；　had　I　continued　on　with　my　flying　career；　I　would　have　sought　a　pany　that　had　a　strong　pilots　union。　Why？　Because　my　life　would　be　dedicated　to　learn　a　skill　that　was　valuable　in　only　one　industry。　If　I　were　pushed　out　of　that　industry；　my　life's　skills　would　not　be　as　valuable　to　another　industry。　A　displaced　senior　pilot…with　100；000　hours　of　heavy　airline　transport　time；　earning　150；000　a　year…would　have　a　hard　time　finding　an　equivalent　high…paying　job　in　school　teaching。　The　skills　do　not　necessarily　transfer　from　industry　to　industry；　because　the　skills　the　pilots　are　paid　for　in　the　airline　industry　are　not　as　important　in；　say；　the　school　system。
The　same　is　true　even　for　doctors　today。　With　all　the　changes　in　medicine；　many　medical　specialists　are　needing　to　conform　to　medical　organizations　such　as　HMO's。　Schoolteachers　definitely　need　to　be　union　members。　Today　in　America；　the　teachers　union　is　the　largest　and　the　richest　labor　union　of　all。　The　NEA；　National　Education　Association；　has　tremendous　political　clout。　Teachers　need　the　protection　of　their　union　because　their　skills　are　also　of　limited　value　to　an　industry　outside　of　education。　So　the　rule　of　thumb　is；　〃Highly　specialized；　then　unionize。〃　It's　the　smart　thing　to　do。
When　I　ask　the　classes　I　teach；　〃How　many　of　you　can　cook　a　better　hamburger　than　McDonald's？〃　almost　all　the　students　raise　their　hands。　I　then　ask；　〃So　if　most　of　you　can　cook　a　better　hamburger；　how　e　McDonald's　makes　more　money　than　you？〃
The　answer　is　obvious：　McDonald's　is　excellent　at　business　systems。　The　reason　so　many　talented　people　are　poor　is　because　they　focus　on　building　a　better　hamburger　and　know　little　to　nothing　about　business　systems。
A　friend　of　mine　in　Hawaii　is　a　great　artist。　He　makes　a　sizable　amount　of　money。　One　day　his　mother's　attorney　called　to　tell　him　that　she　had　left　him　35；000。　That　is　what　was　left　of　her　estate　after　the　attorney　and　the　government　took　their　shares。　　Immediately；　he　saw　an　opportunity　to　increase　his　business　by　using　some　of　this　money　to　advertise。　Two　months　later；　his　first　four…color；　full…page　ad　appeared　in　an　expensive　magazine　that　targeted　the　very　rich。　The　ad　ran　for　three　months。　　He　received　no　replies　from　the　ad；　and　all　of　his　inheritance　is　now　gone。　He　now　wants　to　sue　the　magazine　for　misrepresentation。
This　is　a　mon　case　of　someone　who　can　build　a　beautiful　hamburger；　but　knows　little　about　business。　When　I　asked　him　what　he　learned；　his　only　reply　was　that　〃advertising　salespeople　are　crooks。〃　I　then　asked　him　if　he　would　be　willing　to　take　a　course　in　sales　and　a　course　in　direct　marketing。　His　reply；　〃I　don't　have　the　time；　and　I　don't　want　to　waste　my　money。〃
The　world　is　filled　with　talented　poor　people。　All　too　often；　they're　？poor　or　struggle　financially　or　earn　less　than　they　are　capable　of；　not　　　　　　f　because　of　what　they　know　but　because　of　what　they　do　not　know。　They　focus　on　perfecting　their　skills　at　building　a　better　hamburger　rather　than　the　skills　of　selling　and　delivering　the　hamburger。　Maybe　McDonald's　does　not　make　the　best　hamburger；　but　they　are　the　best　at　　f　selling　and　delivering　a　basic　average　burger。
Poor　dad　wanted　me　to　specialize。　That　was　his　view　on　how　to　be　paid　more。　Even　after　being　told　by