Recently, someone
came up to me on a plane to KL and looked rather shocked. He asked, ‘How come a
millionaire like you is traveling economy?’ My reply was, ‘That’s why I am a
millionaire. ‘ He still looked pretty confused.
This again confirms
that greatest lie ever told about wealth (which I wrote about in my latest book
‘Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires’ ). Many people have been brainwashed to
think that millionaires have to wear Gucci, Hugo Boss, Rolex, and sit on first
class in air travel.
This is why so many
people never become rich because the moment that earn more money, they think
that it is only natural that they spend more, putting them back to square one.
The truth is that
most self-made millionaires are frugal and only spend on what is necessary and
of value. That is why they are able to accumulate and multiply their wealth so
much faster.
Over the last 7
years, I have saved about 80% of my income while today I save only about 60%
(because I have my wife, mother in law, 2 maids, 2 kids, etc. to support).
Still, it is way above most people who save 10% of their income (if they are
lucky).
I refuse to buy a
first class ticket or to buy a $300 shirt because I think that it is a complete
waste of money. However, I happily pay $1,300 to send my 2-year old daughter to
Julia Gabriel for Speech and Drama c lasses without thinking twice.
When I joined the
YEO (Young Entrepreneur’ s Organization)a few years back (YEO is an exclusive
club open to those who are under 40 and make over $1m a year in their own
business), I discovered that those who were self-made thought like me. Many of
them with net worth well over $5m,travelled economy class and some even drove
Toyotas and Nissans – not Audis, Mercs, BMWs.
I noticed that it
was only those who never had to work hard to build their own wealth (there were
also a few ministers’ and tycoons’ sons in the club) who spent like there was
no tomorrow. Somehow, when you did not have to build everything from scratch,
you do not really value money. This is precisely the reason why a family’s
wealth (no matter how much) rarely lasts past the third generation.
Thank God my rich
dad foresaw this terrible possibility and refused to give me a cent to start my
business.
Then some people ask
me, ‘What is the point in making so much money if you don’t enjoy it?’ The
thing is that I don’t really find happiness in buying branded clothes, jewelry
or sitting in first class. Even if buying something makes me happy it is only
for a while; it does not last. Material happiness never lasts, it just gives
you a quick fix. After a while you feel lousy again and have to buy the next
thing which you think will make you happy. I always think that if you need
material things to make you happy, then you live a pretty sad and unfulfilled
life..
Instead, what makes
me happy is when I see my children laughing and playing and learning so fast.
What makes me happy is when I see my companies and trainers reaching more and
more people every year in so many more countries.
What makes me really
happy is when I read all the emails about how my books and seminars have
touched and inspired someone’s life. What makes me really happy is reading all
your wonderful posts about how this blog is inspiring you. This happiness makes
me feel really good for a long time, much much more than what a Rolex would do
for me.
I think the point I
want to put across is that happiness must come from doing your life’s work (be
it teaching, building homes, designing,trading, winning tournaments etc.) and
the money that comes is only a by-product. If you hate what you are doing and
rely on the money you earn to make you happy by buying stuff, then I think that
you are living a life of meaninglessness.