This book is about the story of Kiyosaki who has two fathers. The poor dad was his biological father, and the rich dad was the father of his childhood best friend, who taught him the financial education to become rich.
Day 9 of the 28 Day Self-Growth Plan
Rich Dad Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki
Today’s read is on of the two this week that I have not read previously in their entirety. I have always intended to. It just wasn’t one of those things I ever got around to.
I still won’t after reading the summary. Again, there are great reviews and Kiyosaki has way more money than me and keeps making more money so again, I am going to blame it on the summary and you please feel free to pick up the book if it moves you. I am going to take a minute and talk about why things just don’t have to be that way.
The summary (if perhaps not the book itself) goes to great lengths to convince the reader that a regular job (think W-2) is the devil and that we must be willing to take risks (1099 and Schedule B). I mean, it gets pretty combative:
You do all the work, and your employer, the government and your bills take the rewards leaving you with little or nothing to save.
Once you’re stuck in the rat race, your boss, not you, will get rich from your hard work.
People who are stuck in this never-ending race often don’t seem to be happy while they rush to work, scared of getting there too late and getting fired.
Rat racers are stuck in the rut of doing what they were conditioned to do.
After having studied and gotten good grades, they now have a job paying well. But despite having followed all the conventional advice from teachers, family, and society, they don’t experience financial growth.
Really?
So, I have employees and I am not rich. I also didn’t just go, “hey, I’m tired of working and I just want to make a bunch of money so how about I hire some dumbass rat racers so I don’t have to do shit ever except be rich.” Entrepreneurship doesn’t work that way.
It’s working all day every day so you can keep a regular job while building the side hustle. It’s about wearing out the soles of shoes pacing over the decision to quit that paycheck job and go out on your own. It is second guessing everything you have ever done. It is balancing your checkbook. Every. Single. Day because you can’t afford one more overdraft fee. It is taking over the dining room because you aren’t at the point where you can afford a proper office. It’s shuffling money so the lights don’t get turned off, the car stays in the driveway, and kids eat well enough so they don’t know how hard it really is.
It is agonizing over the first hire because holy shit this person is counting on you to make sure you are successful enough to be able to write their paycheck come Friday because they are shuffling money so the lights don’t get turned off, the car stays in the driveway, and kids eat well enough so they don’t know how hard it really is.
So take all the seats with that “the boss is the man and stepping on the necks of the entitled.” I made more money in my W-2 job than others with the same job because I earned it. I make more money than others working in my company for the same reason.
Speaking of which – I was no better or worse a professional when my money was reported to the government via W2 or 1099. Both of those roads are admirable. Hospitals, protection services, educational centers are full of W2 employees. Bankruptcy courts see 1099 folks all the time. To attempt to attach a value of worth on where a person chooses to plot their course is the worst type of hype baiting.
It just doesn’t have to be that way.
Here’s an idea. How about we just pass on all the neat information we have learned without creating demons where they aren’t needed? Seriously. If I look at you and say, “If I showed you some information that could make you more financially savvy and possibly more financially secure, would you be interested?” are you gonna say no? Probably not and I didn’t have to tack on the finger wagging “because you know other people are pieces of shit for making money off of you and other people are pieces of shit for making money.” Not true and not necessary.
And maybe you are one of those folks who really just don’t care a whole lot about money and say, “nah fam, I appreciate it but I’m good.” Then the whole “people are pieces of shit” commentary still isn’t any good because that’s not even the point now anyway.
I get so frustrated with the bumper sticker environment that reduces complex ideas to Side A and Side B with arguments that are not true at best and fabricated at worst – and all for the benefit of the person. That’s not just dishonest – it’s selfish. You’d rather be right, be on the right side – even when there is no such thing. We literally make something wrong just so that we can be right. Villainize so we can be heroes. Demonize so we can be righteous. And if you think I am just talking about W-2s and 1099, I can assure you I am not.
It just doesn’t have to be that way. Life is too sweet, short, and complex to insist on being indignant and disgusted, pulled around by the nose by the avis du jour.