富爸爸、穷爸爸(英文版)-第23章

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others。　I　have　come　to　realize　that　for　most　people；　when　it　comes　to　the　subject　of　money；　they　would　rather　play　it　safe。　I　have　had　to　field　questions　such　as：　Why　take　risks？　Why　should　I　bother　developing　my　financial　IQ？　Why　should　I　become　financially　literate？
And　I　answer；　〃Just　to　have　more　options。〃
There　are　huge　changes　up　head。　Just　as　I　started　with　the　story　of　the　young　inventor　Alexander　Graham　Bell；　in　the　coming　years　there　will　be　more　people　just　like　him。　There　will　be　a　hundred　people　like　Bill　Gates　and　hugely　successful　companies　like　Microsoft　created　every　year；　all　over　the　world。　And　there　also　will　be　many　more　bankruptcies；　layoffs　and　downsizing。
So　why　bother　developing　your　financial　IQ？　No　one　can　answer　that　but　you。　Yet；　I　can　tell　you　why　I　myself　do　it。　　I　do　it　because　it　is　the　most　exciting　time　to　be　alive。　I'd　rather　be　welcoming　change　than　dreading　change。　　I'd　rather　be　excited　about　making　millions　than　worrying　about　not　getting　a　raise。　This　period　we　are　in　now　is　a　most　exciting　time；　unprecedented　in　our　world's　history。　Generations　from　now；　people　will　look　back　at　this　period　of　time　and　remark　at　what　an　exciting　era　it　must　have　been。　It　was　the　death　of　the　old　and　birth　of　the　new。　It　was　full　of　turmoil　and　it　was　exciting。
So　why　bother　developing　your　financial　IQ？　Because　if　you　do；　you　will　prosper　greatly。　And　if　you　don't；　this　period　of　time　will　be　a　frightening　one。　It　will　be　a　time　of　watching　people　move　boldly　forward　while　others　cling　to　decaying　life　rings。
Land　was　wealth　300　years　ago。　So　the　person　who　owned　the　land　owned　the　wealth。　Then；　it　was　factories　and　production；　and　America　rose　to　dominance。　The　industrialist　owned　the　wealth。　Today；　it　is　information。　And　the　person　who　has　the　most　timely　information　owns　the　wealth。　The　problem　is；　information　flies　all　around　the　world　at　the　speed　of　light。　The　new　wealth　cannot　be　contained　by　boundaries　and　borders　as　land　and　factories　were。　The　changes　will　be　faster　and　more　dramatic。　There　will　be　a　dramatic　increase　in　the　number　of　new　multimillionaires。　There　also　will　be　those　who　are　left　behind。
Today；　I　find　so　many　people　struggling；　often　working　harder；　simply　because　they　cling　to　old　ideas。　They　want　things　to　be　the　way　they　were；　they　resist　change。　　I　know　people　who　are　losing　their　jobs　or　their　houses；　and　they　blame　technology　or　the　economy　or　their　boss。　Sadly　they　fail　to　realize　that　they　might　be　the　problem。　Old　ideas　are　their　biggest　liability。　　It　is　a　liability　simply　because　they　fail　to　realize　that　while　that　idea　or　way　of　doing　something　was　an　asset　yesterday；　yesterday　is　gone。
One　afternoon　I　was　teaching　investing　using　a　board　game　I　had　invented；　CASHFLOW；　as　a　teaching　tool。　A　friend　had　brought　someone　along　to　attend　the　class。　This　friend　of　a　friend　was　recently　divorced；　had　been　badly　burned　in　the　divorce　settlement；　and　was　now　searching　for　some　answers。　Her　friend　thought　the　class　might　help。
The　game　was　designed　to　help　people　learn　how　money　works。　In　playing　the　game；　they　learn　about　the　interaction　of　the　income　statement　with　the　balance　sheet。　They　learn　how　〃cash　flows〃　between
the　two　and　how　the　road　to　wealth　is　through　striving　to　increase　your　monthly　cash　flow　from　the　asset　column　to　the　point　that　it　exceeds　your　j　monthly　expenses。　Once　you　accomplish　this；　you　are　able　to　get　out　of　the　〃Rat　Race〃　and　out　onto　the　〃Fast　Track〃。
As　I　have　said；　some　people　hate　the　game；　some　love　it；　and　others　miss　the　point。　This　woman　missed　a　valuable　opportunity　to　learn　something。　In　the　opening　round；　she　drew　a　〃doodad〃　card　with　the　boat　on　it。　At　first　she　was　happy。　　〃Oh；　I've　got　a　boat。〃　Then；　as　her　friend　tried　to　explain　how　the　numbers　worked　on　her　income　statement　and　balance　sheet；　she　got　frustrated　because　she　〃had　never　liked　math。　The　rest　of　her　table　waited　while　her　friend　continued　explaining　the　relationship　between　the　income　statement；　balance　sheet　and　monthly　cash　flow。　　Suddenly；　when　she　realized　how　the　numbers　worked；　it　dawned　on　her　that　her　boat　was　eating　her　alive。　Later　on　in　the　game；　she　was　also　〃downsized〃　and　had　a　child。　It　was　a　horrible　game　for　her。
After　the　class；　her　friend　came　by　and　told　me　that　she　was　upset。　She　had　come　to　the　class　to　learn　about　investing　and　did　not　like　the　idea　that　it　took　so　long　to　play　a　silly　game。
Her　friend　attempted　to　tell　her　to　look　within　herself　to　see　if　the　game　〃reflected〃　on　herself　in　any　way。　With　that　suggestion；　the　woman　demanded　her　money　back。　She　said　that　the　very　idea　that　a　game　could　be　a　reflection　of　her　was　ridiculous。　Her　money　was　promptly　refunded　and　she　left。
Since　1984；　I　have　made　millions　simply　by　doing　what　the　school　system　does　not。　In　school；　most　teachers　lecture。　I　hated　lectures　as　a　student；　I　was　soon　bored　and　my　mind　would　drift。
In　1984；I　began　teaching　via　games　and　simulations。　I　always　encouraged　adult　students　to　look　at　games　as　reflecting　back　to　what　they　know；　and　what　they　needed　to　learn。　Most　importantly；　a　game　reflects　back　on　one's　behavior。　It's　an　instant　feedback　system。　　Instead　of　the　teacher　lecturing　you；　the　game　is　feeding　back　a　personalized　lecture；　custom　made　just　for　you。
The　friend　of　the　woman　who　left　later　called　to　give　me　an　update。　She　said　her　friend　was　fine　and　had　calmed　down。　　In　her　cooling…off　period；　she　could　see　some　slight　relationship　between　the　game　and　her　life。
Although　she　and　her　husband　did　not　own　a　boat；　they　did　own
everything　else　imaginable。　　She　was　angry　after　their　divorce；　both　because　he　had　run　off　with　a　younger　woman　and　because　after　twenty　years　of　marriage；　they　had　accumulated　little　in　the　way　of　assets。　There　was　virtually　nothing　for　them　to　split。　Their　twenty　years　of　married　life　had　been　incredible　fun；　but　all　they　had　accumulated　was　a　ton　of　doodads。
She　realized　that　her　anger　at　doing　the　numbers…the　income　statement　and　balance　sheet…came　from　her　embarrassment　of　not　understanding　them。　She　had　believed　that　finances　were　the　man's　job。　She　maintained　the　house　and　did　the　entertaining；　and　he　handled　the　finances。　She　was　now　quite　certain　that　in　the　last　five　years　of　their　marriage；　he　had　hidden　money　from　her。　She　was　angry　at　herself　for　not　being　more　aware　of　where　the　money　was　going；　as　well　as　for　not　knowing　about　the　other　woman。
Just　like　a　board　game；　the　world　is　always　providing　us　with　instant　feedback。　We　could　learn　a　lot　if　we　tuned　in　more。　One　day　not　long　ago；　I　complained　to　my　wife　that　the　cleaners　must　have　shrunk　my　pants。　My　wife　gently　smiled　and　poked　me　in　the　stomach　to　inform　me　that　the　pants　had　not　shrunk；　something　else　had　expanded　me！
The　game　CASHFLOW　was　designed　to　give　every　player　personal　feedback。　Its　purpose　is　to　give　you　options。　If　you　draw　the　boat　card　and　it　puts　you　into　debt；　the　question　is；　〃Now　what　can　you　do？〃　How　many　different　financial　options　can　you　come　up　with？　That　is　the　purpose　of　the　game：　to　teach　players　to　think　and　create　new　and　various　financial　options。
I　have　watched　this　game　played　by　more　than　1；000　people。　The　people　who　get　out　of　the　〃Rat　Race〃　in　the　game　the　quickest　are　the　people　who　understand　numbers　and　have　creative　financial　minds。　They　recognize　different　financial　options。　　People　who　take　the　longest　are　people　who　are　not　familiar　with　numbers　and　often　do　not　understand　the　power　of　investing。　Rich　people　are　often　creative　and　take　calculated　risks。
There　have　been　people　playing　CASHFLOW　who　gain　lots　of　money　in　the　game；　but　they　don't　know　what　to　do　with　it。　Most　of　them　have　not　been　financially　successful　in　real　life　either。　Everyone　else　seems　to　be　getting　ahead　of　them；　even　though　they　have　money。　And　that　is　true　in　real　life。　There　are　a　lot　of　people　who　have　a　lot　of　money　and　do　not　get　ahead　financially。


CHAPTER　SEVEN　
Lesson　Six：Work　to　Learn　…　　Don't　Work　for　Money

In　1995；1　granted　an　interview　with　a　newspaper　in　Singapore。　The　young　female　reporter　was　on　time；　and　the　interview　got　under　way　immediately。　We　sat　in　the　lobby　of　a　luxurious　hotel；　sipping　coffee　and　discussing