So many people say, “Oh, I’m not interested in money.” Yet they’ll work at a job for eight hours a day.
“So what do we do?” I asked. “Not work for money until all traces of fear and greed are gone?”
“No, that would be a waste of time,” said rich dad.
“Emotions are what make us human. The word ‘emotion’ stands for ‘energy in motion.’ Be truthful about your emotions and use your mind and emotions in your favor, not against yourself.”
“Whoa!” said Mike.
“Don’t worry about what I just said. It will make more sense in years to come. Just be an observer, not a reactor, to your emotions. Most people do not know that it’s their emotions that are doing the thinking. Your emotions are your emotions, but you have got to learn to do your own thinking.”
“Can you give me an example?” I asked.
“But people do need money if they have bills to pay,” I said.
“Sure they do,” smiled rich dad. “All I’m saying is that it’s fear that is all too often doing the thinking.”
“I don’t understand,” said Mike.
“For example,” said rich dad. “If the fear of not having enough money arises, instead of immediately running out to get a job, they instead might ask themselves this question: ‘Will a job be the best solution to this fear over the long run?’ In my opinion, the answer is no. A job is really a short-term solution to a long-term problem.”
“But my dad is always saying, ‘Stay in school and get good grades, so you can find a safe, secure job,’” I interjected, somewhat confused.
“Yes, I understand he says that,” said rich dad, smiling. “Most people recommend that, and it’s a good path for most people. But people make that recommendation primarily out of fear.”
“You mean my dad says that because he’s afraid?”
“Yes,” said rich dad. “He’s terrified that you won’t earn enough money and won’t fit into society. Don’t get me wrong. He loves you and wants the best for you. I too believe an education and a job are important, but it won’t handle the fear. You see that same fear that makes him get up in the morning to earn a few bucks is the fear that is causing him to be so fanatical about your going to school.”
“So what do you recommend?” I asked.
“I want to teach you to master the power of money, instead of being afraid of it. They don’t teach that in school and, if you don’t learn it, you become a slave to money.”
It was finally making sense. He wanted us to widen our views and to see what the Mrs. Martins of this world couldn’t see. He used examples that sounded cruel at the time, but I’ve never forgotten them. My vision widened that day, and I began to see the trap that lay ahead for most people.
“You see, we’re all employees ultimately. We just work at different levels,” said rich dad. “I just want you boys to have a chance to avoid the trap caused by those two emotions, fear and desire. Use them in your favor, not against you. That’s what I want to teach you. I’m not interested in just teaching you to make a pile of money. That won’t handle the fear or desire. If you don’t first handle fear and desire, and you get rich, you’ll only be a highly paid slave.”
“So how do we avoid the trap?” I asked.
“The main cause of poverty or financial struggle is fear and ignorance, not the economy or the government or the rich. It’s self-inflicted fear and ignorance that keep people trapped. So, you boys go to school and get your college degrees, and I’ll teach you how to stay out of the trap.”
The pieces of the puzzle were appearing. My highly educated dad had a great education and a great career, but school never told him how to handle money or his fear of it. It became clear that I could learn different and important things from two fathers.
“So you’ve been talking about the fear of not having money. How does the desire for money affect our thinking?” Mike asked.
“How did you feel when I tempted you with a pay raise? Did you notice your desires rising?”
We nodded our heads.
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