Yesterday I posted a note about the books that made the most difference to marketer Seth Godin (as told to the Sun-Herald newspaper). Today I want to share with you the book that most changed my life. Now, I’m an avid reader with bookshelves overflowing with great business and personal-development books. There is hardly a novel in sight (except for any bought while on vacation). And, I have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of authors and speakers through my career. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki.
Now, the book has sold move 20 million copies around the world, Robert was a household name in Australia through the early part of this decade and the book sat on the New York Times bestseller list for 5 years. In fact a business that I owned from 1998-2008 (Rich Dad Australia) published over 1.2million copies of the Rich Dad books here in Australia and in New Zealand. So, I know the book (and the Rich Dad material) pretty well. What was life-changing for me was that I knew nothing about how money and investing really worked (nor did I think I wanted to know) but what happened when I read the book is that my paradigm around what was possible for myself changed and my partner PJ and I began to put in place the fundamental principles of the book (as well as attending seminars around the world to better understand how investing works). Robert Kiyosaki once said to me:
“You know the problem with you*. You’re not money-focused, you’re mission-focused”.
What he (lovingly) meant was that money would never be the driver for me in life – a mission, a purpose – that is what would drive me. And he was right in that while financial freedom is very important to me – it’s come from study and learning, implementing, making mistakes and trying again – and I continue to encourage (especially women) to get some education about money and investing – what really matters to me is that I’m living a life that I love, doing what I love and making a difference where it matters to me.
Robert and Kim Kiyosaki were great mentors to both me and PJ for a long time. I’m forever grateful for what I learned from them. If you haven’t yet read Rich Dad Poor Dad then make it one that is a must for you for 2009.
