What would happen to you if you were out of work for five weeks
like me?
Three years ago someone loaned me a book from a series called
Rich Dad Poor Dad. I have to admit my eyes were opened. I was in
graduate school and I thought that an academic education was the
key to financial success. I was wrong. Today, I have three
college degrees and I still struggle to make ends meet. In 2002,
I was hopelessly stuck in what Rich Dad calls "the rat race" and
I didn't even know it. I now realize that good grades and hard
work DO NOT guarantee finanical success. In fact, in 2002 I
began to understand that I was financially illiterate! I am
still in the rat race today and have over twenty thousand
dollars in student loan debt. But thanks to Rich Dad, I have
started a different education that includes paper investing,
real estate, and business building.
I knew that it wouldn't be easy - learning about starting a real
business, real estate, the stock market, and increasing my
financial IQ. I began my financial journey in 2002 - learning a
ton along the way but having little to show for it financially.
I was still a student and worked part-time so I didn't have alot
of "financial study time." I also didn't have much money. Most
books I've read in-store because I didn't have enough money to
buy them! Then it happened...
One Monday night in 2004, my skin began to tingle from my chest
to my toes. Like a typical man, I thought it would go away. It
just got worse...when I went to the doctor a few days later they
admitted me the same day. It was a spinal tumor! It looked bad,
at one point I was told that there was a 99% chance of cancer.
Emergency surgery was the only option. Thankfully, the tumor was
benign and the surgery was a success! However, I was out of work
for five weeks!
I didn't go to work so I didn't get paid! What would happen to
you if you were out of work for five weeks?
I had insurance so the hospital stay and surgery were covered,
but I had no income. This experience reminded me that I was
still in the rat race. Five days a week, I have to be at work
when my employer tells me to be there. I work really hard and in
return I get a paycheck. However, after my recovery from my
surgery, I restarted with fresh enthusiasm my journey to learn
how to make my money work hard for me.
In the Rich Dad series, there is a book called The Business
School For People Who Like Helping People. Robert Kiyosaki and
Sharon Lechter (the authors of Rich Dad Poor Dad) highlight "the
eight hidden values of a network marketing business, other than
making money." Yes, I was skeptical at first. Networking
marketing companies come and go all the time and most seem to be
a waste of time and money - some even break the law. However,
there are many legetimate companies and many people building
serious incomes from home. Income that will continue for years
whether they are in the hospital, on a mission trip, or just
taking a break from work. In addition to income, these people
are getting a financial education that they can apply to other
areas of investing. Anyway, Rich Dad convinced me to give
network marketing a try.
Network marketing may or may not be right for you. What can you
do today to improve your financial health tomorrow? Imagine if
you were out of work for three months, six months, or even a
year? Would you have enough income coming in to pay your bills
and insurance premiums? The key is education but not from a
university. Start studying something today whether it is network
marketing, stock options, real estate, precious metals or
whatever investment may be right for you.