The Rich Don't Work For Money

This is a summary of Rich Dad Poor Dad Chapter 2

In this chapter, Kiyosaki reveals the first lesson that he received from Rich Dad. The lesson is that the rich don't work for money. This is generally a tough concept for people to grasp because working for money is what they have been taught to do their entire lives. It's also mind boggling when you consider the fact that you really need money to live nowadays. There were times when this was not the case. People used to be able to live off of their land and were even able to hunt for food. People also used to be much more entrepreneurial in spirit when it was a necessity of life. However, since the industrial age, people have become overly dependent on their employers and the government. Now, it has gotten so bad that people barely use their minds to consider what is best for their financial situation. This is because their lives are run by two emotions: fear and greed.

Fear is the emotion that most people are reacting to when they wake up and rush out of the house for work every morning. This is what Rich Dad had to say about the effects of fear:

"Instead of telling the truth about how they feel, they react to their feeling, fail to think. They feel the fear, they go to work, hoping that money will soothe the fear, but it doesn't. That old fear haunts them, and they go back to work, hoping again that money will calm their fears, and again it doesn't. Fear has them in this trap of working, earning money, working, earning money, hoping the fear will go away. But everyday they get up, and that old fear wakes up with them. For millions of people, that old fear keeps them awake all night, causing a night of turmoil and worry. So they get up and go to work, hoping that a paycheck will kill that fear gnawing at their soul. Money is running their lives and they refuse to tell the truth about that. Money is in control of their emotions and hence their souls."

As you can see, fear is an emotion that can trap you into a hopeless, financial struggle. Desire is the other major emotion that drives people into this trap. It is natural for a person to long for the material, luxurious things that come with money. However, the pleasure that one receives from money is generally short lived. Afterwards, the void is still there and the person only desires more money. In this quote, Rich Dad talks about the solution for handling fear and greed:

"By not giving into your emotions, you are able to delay your reactions and think. That is most important. We will always have emotions of fear and greed. From here on in, it is most important for you to use those emotions to your advantage and for the long term, and not simply let your emotions run you by controlling your thinking."

By "not working for money," Kiyosaki is simply talking about the mindset that you have about money. You cannot allow the emotions related to money to control your thinking and your life. Instead of hastily reacting to your feelings, you should take the time to be truthful about how you feel and ask yourself if what you are doing is the best solution. At the end of the day, you need to figure out how to make money work for you. There are also endless opportunities for the accumulation of money, but most people cannot see them while they are blinded by fear and greed. When you are able to overcome these emotions and use your mind to think about the best financial solutions, a whole new world of opportunities will open up for you.

Note: This is just a summary of rich dad poor dad. You should read the book yourself for full understanding. It is not possible for me to cover every important concept or provide in-depth explanations on everything. Truthfully, I can only give you a taste of what you'll experience by reading the real book. Follow this link to find Rich Dad Poor Dad on Amazon for a good price!