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I love my luxuries as much as anyone else。 The difference is； some people buy their luxuries on credit。 It's the keep…up…with…the…Joneses trap。 When I wanted to buy a Porsche； the easy road would have been to call my banker and get a loan。 Instead of choosing to focus in the liability column； I chose to focus in the asset column。
As a habit； I used my desire to consume to inspire and motivate my financial genius to invest。
Too often today； we focus to borrowing money to get the things we want instead of focusing on creating money。 One is easier in the short term； but harder in the long term。 It's a bad habit that we as individuals and as a nation have gotten into。 Remember； the easy road often bees hard； and the hard road often bees easy。
The earlier you can train yourself and those you love to be masters of money； the better。 Money is a powerful force。 Unfortunately； people use the power of money against them。 If your financial intelligence is low； money will run all over you。 It will be smarter than you。 If money is smarter than you； you will work for it all your life。
To be the master of money； you need to be smarter than it。 Then money will do as it is told。 It will obey you。 Instead of being a slave to it； you will be the master of it。 That is financial intelligence。
9。 THE NEED FOR HEROES： The power of myth。 When I was a kid； I greatly admired Willie Mays； Hank Aaron； Yogi Berra。 They were my heroes。 As a kid playing Little League； I wanted to be just like them。 I treasured their baseball cards。 I wanted to know everything about them。 I knew the stats； the RBI； the ERAs； their batting averages； how much they got paid； and how they came up 1 from the minors。 I wanted to know everything because I wanted to be just like them。
Every time； as a 9 or 10 year…old kid； when I stepped up to bat or played first base or catcher； I wasn't me。 I was Yogi or Hank。 It's one of the most powerful ways we learn that we often lose as adults。 We lose our heroes。 We lose our naivete。
Today； I watch young kids playing basketball near my home。 On the court they're not little Johnny； they're Michael Jordan； Sir Charles or Clyde。 Copying or emulating heroes is true power learning。 And that is why when someone like O。J。 Simpson falls from grace； there is such a huge outcry。
There is more than just a courtroom trial。 It is the loss of a hero。 Someone people grew up with； looked up to； and wanted to be like。 Suddenly we need to rid ourselves of that person。
I have new heroes as I grow older。 I have golf heroes such as Peter Jacobsen； Fred Couples and Tiger Woods。 I copy their swings and do my best to read everything I can about them。 I also have heroes such as Donald Trump； Warren Buffett； Peter Lynch； George Soros and Jim Rogers。 In my older years； I know their stats just like I knew the ERAs and RBI of my baseball heroes。 I follow what Warren Buffett invests in； and read anything I can about his point of view on the market。 I read Peter Lynch's book to understand how he chooses stocks。 And I read about Donald Trump； trying to find out how he negotiates and puts deals together。
Just as I was not me when I was up to bat； when I'm in the market or I'm negotiating a deal； I am subconsciously acting with the bravado of Trump。 Or when analyzing a trend； I look at it as though Peter Lynch were doing it。 By having heroes； we tap into a tremendous source of raw genius。
But heroes do more than simply inspire us。 Heroes make things look easy。 It's the making it look easy that convinces us to want to be just like them。 〃If they can do it； so can I。〃
When it es to investing； too many people make it sound hard。 Instead find heroes who make it look easy。
10。 TEACH AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE： The power of giving。 Both of my dads were teachers。 My rich dad taught me a lesson I have carried all my life； and that was the necessity of being charitable or giving。 My educated dad gave a lot by the way of time and knowledge； but almost never gave away money。 As I said； he usually said that he would give when he had some extra money。 Of course； there was rarely any extra。
My rich dad gave money as well as education。 He believed firmly in tithing。 〃If you want something； you first need to give；〃 he would always say。 When he was short of money； he simply gave money to his church or to his favorite charity。
If I could leave one single idea with you； it is that idea。 Whenever you feel 〃short〃 or in 〃need〃 of something； give what you want first and it will e back in buckets。 That is true for money； a smile； love； friendship。 I know it is often the last thing a person may want to do； but； it has always worked for me。 I just trust that the principle of reciprocity it is true； and I give what I want。 I want money； so I give money； and it es back in multiples。 I want sales； so I help someone else sell something； and sales e to me。 I want contacts and I help someone else get contacts； and like magic； contacts e to me。 I heard a saying years ago that went； 〃God does not need to receive； but humans need to give。〃
My rich dad would often say； 〃Poor people are more greedy than rich people。〃 He would explain that if a person was rich； that person was providing something that other people wanted。 In my life； over all these ； years； whenever I have felt needy or short of money or short of help； I simply went out or found in my heart what I wanted； and decided to give it first。 And when I gave； it always came back。
It reminds me of the story of the guy sitting with firewood in his arms on a cold freezing night； and he is yelling at the pot…bellied stove； 〃When you give me some heat； then I'll put some wood in。〃 And when it es to money； love； happiness； sales and contacts； all one needs to remember is first to give what you want and it will e back in droves。 ？ Often just the process of thinking of what I want； and how could I give what I want to someone else； breaks free a torrent of bounty。 Whenever I feel that people aren't smiling at me； I simply begin smiling and saying hello； and like magic； there are suddenly more smiling people around me。 It is true that your world is only a mirror of you。
So that's why I say； 〃Teach and you shall receive。〃 I have found that the more I sincerely teach those who want to learn； the more I learn。 If you want to learn about money； teach it to someone else。 A torrent of new ideas and finer distinctions will e in。
There are times when I have given and nothing has e back or what I have received is not what I wanted。 But upon closer inspection and soul searching； I was often giving to receive in those instances； instead of giving to give。
My dad taught teachers； and he became a master teacher。 My rich dad always taught young people his way of doing business。 In retrospect； it was their generosity with what they knew that made them smarter。 There are powers in this world that are much smarter than we are。 You can get there on your own； but it's easier with the help of the powers that be。 All you need to be is generous with what you have； and the powers will be generous with you。
CHAPTER TEN
Still Want More？ Here are Some To Do's
Many people may not be satisfied with my ten steps。 They see them more as philosophies than actions。 I think understanding the philosophy is just as important as the action。 There are many people who want to do； instead of think； and then there are people who think but do not do。 I would say that I am both。 I love new ideas and I love action。
So for those who want 〃to dos〃 on how to get started； I will share with you some of the things I do； in abbreviated form。
？Stop doing what you're doing。 In other words； take a break and assess what is working and what is not working。 The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result。 Stop doing what is not working and look for something new to do。
？Look for new ideas。 For new investing ideas； I go to bookstores and look for books on different and unique subjects。 I call them formulas。 I buy how…to books on a formula I know nothing about。 For example； it was in the bookstore that I found the book The 16 Percent Solution； by Joel Moskowitz。 I bought the book and read it。
TAKE ACTION！ The next Thursday； I did exactly as the book said。 Step by step。 I have also done that with finding real estate bargains in attorneys' offices and in banks。 Most people do not take action； or they let someone talk them out of whatever new formula they are studying。 My neighbor told me why 16 percent would not work。 I did not listen to him because he's never done it。
？Find someone who has done what you want to do。 Take them to lunch。 Ask them for tips； for little tricks of the trade。 As for 16 percent tax lien certificates； I went to the county tax office and found the government employee who worked in the office。 I found out that she； too； invested in the tax liens。 Immediately； she was invited to lunch。 She was thrilled to tell me everything she knew and how to do it。 After lunch； she spent all afternoon showing me everything。 By the next day； I found two great properties with her help and have been accruing interest at 16 percent ever since。 It took a day to read the book； a day to take action； an hour for lunch； and a day to ac