Rich Dad Poor Dadspirit says, “I’m sick and tired of being poor. Let’s get out there and get
rich.” To which the lazy mind says, “Rich people are greedy. Besides it’s
too much bother. It’s not safe. I might lose money. I’m working hard
enough as it is. I’ve got too much to do at work anyway. Look at what
I have to do tonight. My boss wants it finished by morning.”
“I can’t afford it” also causes sadness, a helplessness that leads
to despondency and often depression. “How can I afford it?” opens
up possibilities, excitement, and dreams. So rich dad was not so
concerned about what we wanted to buy as long as we understood that
“How can I afford it?” creates a stronger mind and a dynamic spirit.
Thus he rarely gave Mike or me anything. He would instead ask,
“How can you afford it?” and that included college, which we paid
for ourselves. It was not the goal, but the process of attaining the goal
that he wanted us to learn.
The problem I see today is that there are millions of people who
feel guilty about their desire or their “greed.” It’s old conditioning
from their childhood. While they desire to have the finer things that
life offers, most have been conditioned subconsciously to say, “I can’t
have that,” or “I’ll never be able to afford that.”
When I decided to exit the Rat Race, it was simply a question
of “How can I afford to never work again?” And my mind began to
kick out answers and solutions. The hardest part was fighting my real
parents’ dogma: “We can’t afford that.” “Stop thinking only about
yourself.” “Why don’t you think about others?” and other similar
sentiments designed to instill guilt to suppress my “greed.”
So how do you beat laziness? Once again, the answer is a little
greed. It’s that radio station WII-FM, which stands for “What’s In
It For Me?” A person needs to sit down and ask, “What would my
life be like if I never had to work again?” “What would I do if I had
all the money I needed?” Without that little greed, the desire to have
something better, progress is not made. Our world progresses because
we all desire a better life. New inventions are made because we desire
something better. We go to school and study hard because we want
something better. So whenever you find yourself avoiding something