CHAPTER 6 | Change the Rules

"Have you ever seen a hamster running on a wheel inside a cage?
Hamster wheels allow rodents to run even when their space is
confined. They keep running and running and make no progress. Yes,
they get exercise, but they do not travel any distance. For many, their
finances are like the hamster on the wheel. They keep chugging
along, spinning their wheels, and making little to no progress. Why is
this?

Many are programmed to live life by the rules of the world. Often I see
people base their spending rules on how much income they make.
The more they make, the more they spend. The true reality of wealth
creation is that how much you earn has very little to do with your
ability to build wealth. How much you spend is far more critical.

Many falsely believe that the key to getting out of their financial holes
is to add more income. Why, then, do people who add more income
still live paycheck to paycheck? Why do most lottery winners end up
dead broke even after winning millions? If income was the solution,
why couldn't everyone just find better jobs to make more money? The
reality is that unless there is a change in spending habits, these
people will remain trapped on the same financial wheel--spinning but
going nowhere. You must change your rules."

CHAPTER 9 | Perfect Complements

"The reality is that either you are willing to stand for what you believe
or you can fall victim to the almighty dollar. You can choose wealth at
any price, but the price is often one you cannot afford to take: the dad
who works endless hours to build his business yet neglects his family,
the entrepreneur who cuts corners to make more profits, the
ballplayer who takes steroids to get a bigger salary, or even the
greedy executive who commits fraud to increase shareholder returns.
Is the gain worth the price?

Money can become a god. People give it more power than the true
God above. They cling to materialism over spiritualism. Those who
answer to a higher power will eventually be faced with judgment. Did
you give in to your every desire no matter the cost, or did you follow a
guiding set of principles and hold to those principles even though you
could have made more profits? What if it does cost something to
follow those principles? God appreciates sacrifice as it shows your
heart's true intentions."