American comedian Jack Benny was a major influence on the sitcom genre in the US. He was famous for his comic timing and his depiction as a miser. In one of his episodes, he’s ambushed by an armed robber, who threatens him saying, “Don’t make a move, this is a stickup. Now, come on. Your money or your life.” When Benny fails to respond, the mugger repeats the demand: “Look, bud! I said your money or your life!” Benny replies: “I’m thinking it over!”
Benny’s predicament may seem exaggerated but money does lead people astray. If there’s one thing almost everyone is confused about, it is money. How to earn it? How to spend it? How to invest it? How to divide it? How to part with it? Whether you have lots of it or none at all, money is a mystery that everyone wants to solve—but very few have managed to get around. Whether you have lots of it or none at all, money is a mystery that everyone wants to solve—but very few have managed to get around.
In spite of it being such an important aspect of our lives, we grow up learning very little about the real meaning and role of money. What we’re taught leaves us more confused than clear and we spend a better part of our lives trying to figure out how this energy called money really flows. No wonder, nearly everyone misunderstands it. Many cultures even go to the extent of labelling is as a necessary evil.
This month’s cover story is an attempt to demystify the enigma of money so that you can begin to enjoy a healthy and happy relationship with it. Robert Kiyosaki, author of the best-selling Rich Dad Poor Dad series, takes us on a wonderful voyage where we learn—or better still, unlearn—a whole lot about money. “Our true wealth is found only in what we know,” he says as he explains why a new, more inclusive approach to creating wealth is needed.
He also busts the myth that money is evil. “It is simply a tool, just as a pencil is a tool. A pencil can be used to write a beautiful love letter or a memo firing someone from a job,” he writes.
Kiyosaki’s no-nonsense tone works to drive home the urgent importance to re-orient our education system’s attitude towards money. But any change must start with the self. This story lays a perfect foundation for big changes. Think of it as ploughing for a rich harvest. Then get going…
Read the full story here.