Why This Column, Why Now
Posted on April 21, 2006
Why This Column? Why now?
I believe that the greatest injustice successful people can do to their fellow man is to go to their graves and take with them the knowledge that brought them success. This is the main reason I joined my good friend Roger Dawson, the country’s leading trainer of negotiating skills, in creating the Weekend Millionaire book series (McGraw-Hill Publishing). I come from a humble background; have limited formal education, yet I have been blessed with a good life and much financial success.
Success means different things to different people. To some it is social status, to others it is relationships with family and friends, and to still others it may be a certain standard of living or financial status. There are those who would measure success in terms of spiritual involvement, musical ability or athletic talents. In the future, I will not use this space to debate the definition of success; I’ll just tell you now that this column will be about making money, managing finances and building wealth; things that when done honestly and effectively can enhance all other aspects of life.
People “work” for different reasons. If you’re a wage earner, you know first and foremost that you work to provide the basics of life; food, clothing and shelter. Everyone needs these basics to survive, but beyond them lies a world of possibilities that can either inspire optimism or produce pessimism. How one views the future probably has as much to do with his or her happiness and success as any other factor. Granted, difficulties and disappointments of the past can affect the way you see things, but until you realize that your attitude and actions can’t change the past, they can only impact the future, it’s easy to fall into an “Oh woe is me!” frame of mind that can ruin the rest of your life.
From past experience, I’ve learned that people you meet on the ladder of success fall into one of two categories. One, if they’re above you, they’re trying to stomp your fingers and loosen your grip on the ladder and if they’re below you they’re pulling your ankles and trying to drag you down a few rungs. The other, can’t wait to give you a boost up to make more room for themselves on the next rung or if they’re above you, they’re reaching down to help you up so you can give them a boost. Which type are you? Are you open to learning or are you jealous and envious around successful people? Do you believe financial success is something you create or do you think it is something that must be taken from someone else?
In this great country of ours, I believe anyone can achieve financial success if they really want it. Life hands all of us problems; the question is do you treat these as impediments to success or opportunities for accomplishment? When you encounter difficulties does your rigid thinking turn them into excuses to fail or do they open your mind to seek the knowledge required to overcome them and keep you moving ahead? Do you measure your success against the success of others or do you measure it against how you performed yesterday. In other words, are you getting better or not?
If I measured my financial success against that of Bill Gates, Donald Trump, or Warren Buffet, I’d probably consider myself a miserable failure. However when I measure it against what normally would be expected from a kid who grew up in a broken home in the poverty-stricken coalfields of Southern West Virginia. One who didn’t get a college degree, and had to make it on his own from the tender age of fifteen; I stack up pretty well. I’ve gone from wondering where I would get my next meal to enjoying a comfortable retirement by age fifty and I’ve done it without partners or investors. By these standards, most anyone would have to agree that I’ve learned a lot along the way.
Over the coming weeks and months, you’ll find this space packed with ideas and tips on how ordinary working people can achieve extraordinary success. You’ll learn the difference between building wealth and earning a living. You’ll learn about real estate, the greatest wealth builder of all times. You’ll discover the value of patience and persistence. You’ll pick up ideas on how to make your current income go further, plus find ways to increase it. You’ll learn about destructive debt, the proper way to use credit, and how to get out of debt. I’ll cover all this and more.
I want “Tips for Financial Success” to be my contributions to helping you climb the ladder of success, but if you’re already well up that ladder, I hope it encourages you to help others improve their lives. That’s why I’m committed to making each tip simple, doable and profitable. Here’s to a brighter future for all of us!
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