I’ve been doing some reading lately and that includes revisiting the Rich Dad Poor Dad Series. I love to read. You’ll find my bookshelves lined with books on Business, Raising Children, Biographies, Personal Development, Fiction. You name it and I might have it. I also love to collect old books. Especially those from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s – you know, Classics.
Well, during this revisit to Rich Dad Poor Dad I realized, the more things change the more the stay the same. The principles that Robert Kiyosaki wrote about years ago – a changing economy, more people out of work and choosing to become self-employed and struggling to figure out their best path, sounded familiar to me today in 2010 as we continue talk about “The New Economy”.
He spoke about the mentality around us and that comes from our parents.
The deal is, not everyone is cut out to be self-employed, or a business owner with employees nor is everyone to be a long term employee. The challenge is figuring out your path. Part of it is nurture and part of it is nature. Let me explain.
I grew up in a family where neither of my parents were employees – both were self-employed. Their guidance to me was always, “Go to college, get a good job”. I knew from the time I was in first grade I was going to college. That was my path. Yet, they were silently nurturing me to be my own boss as they were, that is what I grew up knowing and understanding, even though they spoke otherwise.
I started working outside of the family business at 14 and haven’t looked back. I became self-employed in the Real Estate industry during my junior year in college while I pursued my degree in Entrepreneurship. Most 20 year olds I know don’t know how to run a business – I know I didn’t. But I learned.
I educated myself through school, through books and the on the job training (i.e. mistakes and great choices). I worked with mentors who helped teach me and guide me. And I had the personal drive and dedication needed to work hard and build a business.
While I was nurtured to go to school and get a job, by watching my parents entrepreneurship became a part of my being, part of my nature is to end up willing to take the risks involved with my own businesses.
I’ve had success and I’ve had failure. If you want to be self-employed or become a business owner you have to be willing to take calculated risks and sometimes just take the leap of faith that your gut is telling you to jump.
Others people may think you’re crazy, silly or both. If you really have it in you, you cannot hold back. And yes, you can learn to be a business owner but you have to be willing to put the work in to do so.
What’s your path in 2010?