So the rich dad decided to create a course that mirrored life and pushed the boys around a little. Robert asked what lesson he’d learned, other than that his rich dad was cheap and exploited his workers. The rich dad challenged him on this, saying that most people blamed others when in fact their attitude was the problem.
What would solve the problem? His brain, Mike’s dad told him. He wanted Robert to learn how money worked so he could make it work for him. He was also glad that Robert was angry, because anger combines with love to create passion—a key component of learning.
Money wouldn’t solve people’s problems, he went on. Many people who have a high-paying job still struggle with money problems—like Robert’s poor dad—because they didn’t know how to make money work for them.
He said that the emotions Robert had felt working for those 10 cents an hour—disappointment and feeling like it wasn’t enough—was what he’d feel like his whole life if he didn’t learn this lesson now. He introduced Robert to the concept of taxes, explaining that the poor and middle class allow the government to tax them, but the rich don’t.
He asked if Robert still had a passion to learn. When he said yes, his rich dad told him he was going to stop paying him for the work at the store. He told Robert to use his head to figure it out.
Robert and Mike worked for free for three weeks. Mike’s dad showed up and took them outside for a talk, asking if they’d learned anything yet. They hadn’t. The rich dad told them if they didn’t learn this lesson, they’d be like most people who work hard for little money their whole lives. He offered them 25 cents an hour, which they resisted. He upped it to $1 an hour, then $2. But Robert stayed silent. A final offer of $5 an hour—a princely sum at that time—solidified for Robert that he wouldn’t be bought.
The rich dad said it was good they didn’t have a price. Most people did, because their lives are controlled by fear and greed. Fear of being without makes them work hard and earn a paycheck, but once they have that money, greed gets them thinking about all the things they could buy. Which makes them need more money, which makes them spend more. It’s what the rich dad called the Rat Race.
He told the boys that the first step was admitting to themselves what they were feeling. Too often people reacted to their emotions instead of thinking logically. They’re afraid to admit money is running their lives, and so money controls them.
It’s not just the poor who face that fear; the rich often operate from a place of fear. He wanted to teach the boys to not just be rich because money doesn’t solve the problem.
School is important, he told them, but for most people it’s the end, not the beginning. And the key for the boys was to learn to use their emotions to think, not to think with their emotions. They must learn to choose their thoughts.
He told them to keep an eye out for ways to make money, saying, “The moment you see one opportunity, you’ll see them for the rest of your life.”
The boys did, and soon they saw an opportunity in creating a library where kids could pay an admission fee and read as many comic books as they could in two hours—unsold comic books that otherwise would’ve been thrown away from the convenience store.
They made a great profit, and the business did well for about three months until a fight in the library shut it down. But they’d learned the first lesson of making money work for them, even when they weren’t physically present. They were ready to learn more, and Mike’s dad was ready to teach them.
Left-hemisphere moment: Despite having a high-paying job, people like Robert’s poor dad struggled to make ends meet.
Right-hemisphere moment: Looking at the discarded comic books in a new, creative way led to a business opportunity.
Subconscious moment: People let the emotions of fear and greed rule their lives.
What Was Robert Saying
Now it’s time to reflect. Ask yourself, “What is Robert saying in this quote?” And, “Why does he say that?” In this section you do not need to agree or disagree with Robert. The goal is to understand what Robert is saying.
Remember, this curriculum is designed to be cooperative and supportive. Two minds are better than one. If you do not understand what Robert is saying, do not shy away from it. Ask for help in understanding. Take the time discuss each quote until you understand it:
“The poor and the middle class work for money. The rich have money work for them.”
“Life pushes all of us around. Some people give up and others fight. A few learn the lesson and move on. They welcome life pushing them around.”
“Stop blaming me and thinking I’m the problem. If you think I’m the problem, then you have to change me. If you realize that you’re the problem, then you can change yourself, learn something, and grow wiser.”
“When it comes to money, most people want to play it safe and feel secure. So passion does not direct them. Fear does.”
“Most people, given more money, only get into more debt.”
“It’s fear that keeps most people working at a job: the fear of not paying their bills, the fear of being fired, the fear of not having enough money, and the fear of starting over. That’s the price of studying to learn a profession or trade, and then working for money. Most people become a slave to money—and then get angry at their boss.”
“Most people do not know that it’s their emotions that are doing the thinking.”
“A job is really a short-term solution to a long-term problem.”
“It’s just like the picture of a donkey dragging a cart with its owner dangling a carrot just in front of its nose. The donkey’s owner may be going where he wants to, but the donkey is chasing an illusion. Tomorrow there will only be another carrot for the donkey.”
Additional Questions
Now it’s time to take the stories in this chapter along with the understanding of what Robert was saying and apply them to you and your life. Ask yourself the questions below and discuss them with your study partner. Be honest with yourself and your partner. If you do not like some of the answers you are giving, ask yourself if you are willing to change and accept the challenge to change your thoughts and mindset:
1. How common is the approach to money taken by Robert’s poor dad?
2. Robert’s rich dad said true learning takes energy, passion, and a burning desire. What are examples of when this has proven true in your life? What’s one lesson you never forgot, and why?
3. Would the pay rate of 10 cents an hour—and then nothing an hour—have stirred in you the same reaction as Robert?
4. Is it fear that drives most people to work? Are there other factors at play?
5. Is the temptation strong to think that more money will soothe that fear? Why is that such a common reaction?
6. What’s an example from your life when you reacted with your emotions? What’s a time when you were able to observe your emotions instead and choose your thoughts?
7. Are the rich or the poor more susceptible to those controlling emotions of fear and greed? Why do you think that is?
8. Do you think most people realize they are stuck in the Rat Race? Why or why not?
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