I remember about two years ago when I went to the Learning Annex in Chicago, when I met Robert Kiyosaki and then reading his books. When reading his book; Rich Dad, Poor Dad, he talked about how education that is provided from schools, while it is not bad, but it does not touch on the aspect of money. Institutions that teach our children and the people that want to become successful in their lives are not teaching them how to use their money, which is sad because being that the United States has the most successful economic system, no school is teaching people about how it works. I mean, all colleges really teach people one thing and one thing only; to help them get a job. When I first heard this, I got really upset about it because it felt like I was lied to my entire life. My parents, relatives, and even acquaintances of mine always told me this in order to be successful; go to school, get good grades, don’t get into debt, and keep your nose clean from the law. If you do all of that, you will become successful in life. Now after hearing what Mr. Kiyosaki said, and then after cooling off, I began to think about the education I got. After reading more, and them more, it started to click in me, yes, education that is provided in all our institutions really do not teach you how to become financially successful, which is a vital aspect in life, regardless of what people say. If you think about it, the teachers that taught you do not make a lot of money. For instance, a high school teacher makes an average of between $20,000 to $25,000 a year, and a college professor makes an average of $35,000 to $50,000 a year. Now look at the averages for high school educated people and college educated people, there almost identical with each other. The teachers that taught you are only able to teach you how to make what they make, not make more than them. Now, some of you may say, “Well, I make almost $100,000 a year and I was college educated”, that maybe so, but I did say I was going by the averages. If you make more than average, then it means you are either very lucky, you worked your tail off, or you had what I want to discuss about; a mentor. Robert Kiyosaki’s “Rich Dad” was actually his mentor, one of his friend’s father. He was a man that did not graduate Junior High, dropping out of school at an eight grade level, but became one of the wealthiest men in the history of Hawaii. Now, I am not saying you should just shun college, or high school, because that education is important, all I am saying that it is not the education that will make financially independent. If you want an education that will provide such information, you must find it with a someone that is financially independent. First off, though, there are books, many, many books on that subject. Acquire those books, read them, and read them again, apply the knowledge you get from them. Then, start associating yourself with people that are in that position of being financially independent, and start learning from them if they let you. Only the most truthfully successful people in that realm will share with you that information. I have a mentor, actually I have many mentors, which I have learned more about being financially well than what any college professor that taught me, and I was a Accounting major! In truth, there are two kinds of education; the first is education to get a job, which you can get at any college, and then there is education to be financially free, which you can acquire from a mentor. When I say financially free, I mean financially free without a job, because I am going to be serious with you, even if you make $100,000 a year, if you don’t sign the paychecks, you do not have control of your finances. You may think you do, but you don’t, because that job can let you go at any time, either by lay off or by termination from some petty cause. If not those, what about getting ill, say, like finding out you have cancer, or having heart problems, whatever that can keep you from working. A job will not pay you while you’re away because you’re sick, if they do, it’s only going to be a limited amount of time, say, if your job lets you build up sick days if not taking them. Anyway, the best education you can get however is experience. Over a college professor and even a mentor, experience will always be the best teacher in your life, but a mentor can guide you through the rough waters while you’re gaining the experience. If you want to know some books to read on the subject of becoming financially successful, just let me know, and I’ll give you a list of them. But even after I become financially successful, I will be going back to school, but going to pursue what I really want to do; study literature and Irish History. I may go for a Bachelor’s in Accounting and get my CPA just for kicks as well. However, when I do go back to school, I will know one thing; that the education I am getting is only good to get me a job.
