offs 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 weling 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 ine 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 acplish 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 ine 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 ine 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 e 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 ine 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 plained 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 e 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 the purpose of my visit to Singapore。 I was to share the platform with Zig Ziglar。 He was speaking on motivation； and I was speaking on 〃The Secrets of the Rich。〃
〃Someday； I would like to be a best…selling author like you；〃 she said。 I had seen some of the articles she had written for the paper； and I was impressed。 She had a tough； clear style of writing。 Her articles held a reader's interest。
〃You have a great style；〃 I said in reply。 〃What holds you back from achieving your dream？〃
〃My work does not seem to go anywhere；〃 she said quietly。 〃Everyone says that my novels are excellent； but nothing happens。 So I keep my job with the paper。 At least it pays the bills。 Do you have any suggestions？〃
〃Yes； I do；〃 I said brightly。 〃A friend of mine here in Singapore runs a school that trains people to sell。 He runs sales…training courses for many of the top corporations here in Singapore； and I think attending one of his courses would greatly enhance your career。〃
She stiffened。 〃Are you saying I should go to school to learn to sell？〃
I nodded。
〃You aren't serious； are you？〃
Again； I nodded。 〃What is wrong with that？〃 I was now backpeddling。 She was offended by something； and now I was wishing 11 had not said anything。 In my attempt to be helpful； I found myself defending my suggestion。
〃I have a master's degree in English Literature。 Why would I go to school to learn to be a salesperson？ I am a professional。 I went to school to be trained in a profession so I would not have to be a salesperson。 I hate salespeople。 All they want is money。 So tell me why｜ I should study sales？〃 She was now packing her briefcase forcibly。 The interview was over。
On the coffee table sat a copy of an earlier best…selling book I wrote。 I I picked it up as well as the notes she had jotted down on her legal pad。 ｜ 〃Do you see this？〃 I said pointing to her notes。
She looked down at her notes。 〃What；〃 she said； confused。
Again； I pointed deliberately to her notes。 On her pad she had written 〃Robert Kiyosaki； best…selling author。〃
〃It says 'best…selling author；' not best 'writing' author。〃
Her eyes widened immediately。
〃I am a terrible writer。 You are a great writer。 I went to sales school。 You have a master's degree。 Put them together and you get a 'best…selling author' and a 'best…writing author。'〃
Anger flared from her eyes。 〃I'll never stoop so low as to learn how to sell。 People like you have no business writing。 I am a professionally trained writer and you are a salesman。 It is not fair。〃
The rest of her notes were put away； and she hurried out through the j； large glass doors into the humid Singapore morning。
At least she gave me a fair and favorable write…up the next morning。
The world is filled with smart； talented； educated and gifted people。 We meet them every day。 They are all around us。
A few days ago； my car was not running well。 I pulled into a garage； and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes。 He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine。 I was amazed。
The sad truth is； great talent is not enough。
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn。 I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than 100；000 a year。 I have met brilliant； highly educated people who earn less than 20；000 a year。 A business consultant who specializes in the medical trade was telling me how many doctors； dentists and chiropractors struggle financially。 All this time； I thought that when they graduated； the dollars would pour in。 It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase； 〃They are one skill away from great wealth。〃
What this phrase means is that most people need only to learn and master one more skill and their ine would jump expo