to Learn - Don'

er way immediately. We sat in the lobby of a luxurious hotel, sipping coffee and discussing the purpose of my visit to Singapo

seen some of the articles she had written for the paper, and I was impressed.

id in reply. "What holds you

s that my novels are excellent, but nothing happens. So I keep my job

ins people to sell. He runs sales-training courses for many of the top corporations here

saying I should go to s

odd

t serious,

was offended by something, and now I was wishing 11 had not said anythi

al. I went to school to be trained in a profession so I would not have to be a salesperson. I hate salespeople. All they

rote. I I picked it up as well as the notes she had jotted down on

her notes. "What,"

notes. On her pad she had written "R

ing author,' not be

widened i

les school. You have a master's degree. Put them together and

how to sell. People like you have no business writing. I am a pro

she hurried out through the j, large glas

fair and favorable wr

d, educated and gifted people. We meet

e, and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes. He kn

s, great talent

ucated people who earn less than $20,000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors, dentists and chiropractors struggle financi

. I have mentioned before that financial intelligence is a synergy of accounting, investing, marketing and law. Combine those fou

Then, instead of working at the newspaper, I would seek a job at an advertising agency. Even if it were a cut in pay, she would learn how to communicate in "short cuts" that are used in successful advertising. She also would spend time learning public relations, an i

ne to my best friend. The problem is, they would expect it for free. The obnoxious title If You Want To Be Rich and Happy, Don't Go to School? was chosen because we knew it would get tons of publicity. I am pro-education and believe in education reform. Otherwi

low compared with my classmates, but it was OK for a first real job after college. My starting pay was about $42,000 a year, including overtime, and I only had , to work for seven months. I h

hs with the company and joined the Marine Corps to learn how to

re money or get promoted, you need to "specialize." That is why medical doctors immediately begin to seek a speci

ed when he eventually achieved his doctorate. He often admitted ??t

ough I would probably never have been an accountant, he wanted me to learn via "osmosis." Rich dad knew I would pick up "jargon" and a sense of what is important and what is not. I also worked as a bus boy and construction worker, as well

to resign from a career that offered high pay, great benefits, lots of time off, and opportunity for promotion. When he asked me one evening, "Why did

to my educated dad. Learning m

t and the South Pacific. Rich dad emphasized that I stay in the Pacific instead of taking ships to Europe because he knew that the "emerging nations" were in Asia, not Europe. While most of my classmates, including Mike, were partying at their frat

ned to me that the hardest part of running a company 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 learnin

Corp. I joined it for one reason, and it was not for the benefits. I was a shy person, and the thought of sell

worked with Xerox for four years until I overcame my fear of knocking on doors and being rejected. Once I could consistent

them together. My first product, the nylon and velcro wallet, was manufactured in the Far East and shipped to a warehouse in New York, n

oke before 30. "You sti

e of my 30th birthday, my

for Ne

merica, 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

fired, and owners pay just enough so that workers won't quit." And if you look at the pay

ts that reward them in the short term, but is often disastrous in the long. Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than

ters running around in those little metal wheels. Their little furry legs are spinning furiously, th

I thought most truthful. It comes from the scene where Tom Cruise is leaving the firm. He has just been fired, and he is asking the entire company "Who wa

tatement in the whole movie. It is the type o

ry year, and every year he was disappointed. So he would go back to school to earn more qu

taking you?" Just like the little hamster, I wonder if people look

ions are in a state of chaos. First of all, 50 percent of the workforce today has no pension. That alone should be of gre

met with a managing director who specializes in designing lush retirement plans for top management. When I asked her what people who

ked, 'is The S

ment 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, t

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

future or just until their next paycheck

I suggest they take a second job that will teach them a second skill. Often I recommend joining a network marketing company, also called multilevel marketing, if they want to learn sales skills. Some of these co

n response, "Oh that is too much hassle," or

50 percent of what you earn to the government'" To the other statement-"I only do what I am interested in

ment "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." Unles

fe 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 dr

d, becoming highly specialized within your field, make sure the company y

hat it was the hardest job he ever held. My rich dad, on the other hand, spent his life doing his best to keep his compani

ts 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,

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

McDonald's?" almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, "So if most

reason so many talented people are poor is because they focus on build

orney 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

t he learned, his only reply was that "advertising salespeople are crooks." I then asked him if he would be willing to take

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 selli

age me to get specialized. Educated dad then took up the cause of the teachers union, campaigning for further protection and benefits for I these highly skilled and educated professionals. We argued often, but

ake over the company. So these bright young employees do not specialize in one department; they are moved from department to department to learn all the aspects of business systems. The ric

art. Since people will skip from company to company, rather than seek greater specialization, why not seek to "lear

ent skills neede

agement of

stems (including yourse

nagement

e it a customer, employee, boss, spouse or child-that is the base skill of personal success. It is communication skills such as writing, speaking and negot

Soon after he was locked out of government work, he found out how vulnerable he really was professionally. It is like professional athletes who suddenly are injured or are too old to play. Their once hi

to work with people smarter than we were and to bring smart people together to

rketing are difficult for most people primarily due to their fear of rejection. The better you are at communicating, negotiating and handling your fear of rejection, the easier life is. Just as I advised that newspaper writer who wanted to become a "best-selling author," I advise anyone else today. Being technically specialized

uly rich, we need to be able to give as well as to receive. In cases of financial or professional struggle, there is ofte

ney. My rich dad gave lots of money away. He gave to his church, to charities, to his foundation. He knew that to receive money, you had to give money. Giving money is the secret to most great wealthy famil

as never any extra. So he worked harder to draw more money in rather than focus on the most importa

y. The other side is ': a socially responsible teacher who is deeply concerned with this ever-widening gap between t