The stronger it gets, the more money I can make." He believed that au- tomatically saying "I can't afford it" was a sign of mental laziness. Although both dads worked hard, I noticed that one dad had a habit of putting his brain to sleep when it came to money matters, and the other had a habit of exercising his brain. The long-term result was that one dad grew stronger financially and the other grew weaker. It is not much different from a person who goes to the gym to ex- ercise on a regular basis versus someone who sits on the couch watching television. Proper physical exercise in- creases your chances for health, anTproperjnental exer- cise increases you7Fahce?ToT'wearth. laziness decreases both health and wealth.--"~ My two dads had opposing attitudes in thought. One dad thought that the rich should pay more in taxes to take care of those less fortunate. The other said, "Taxes punish those who producejmd reward those who don't produce." One dad recommended, "Study hard so you can find a good company to work for." The other recommended, "Study hard so you can find a good company to buy." One dad said, "The reason I'm not rich is because I have you kids." The other said, "The reason I must be rich is be- cause I have you kids." One encouraged talking about money and business at the dinner table. The other forbade the subject of money to be discussed over a meal. One said, "When it comes to money, play it safe, don't take risks." The other said, "Learn to manage risk." One believed, "Our homejsour largest investment and our greatest asset." The other believed, "MyjiouseMS_aJia- bility, and if your house is your largest investment, you're inlxouble." Both dads paid their bills on time, yet one paid his bills first while the other paid his bills last. One dad believed in a company or the government tak- ing care of you and your needs. He was always concerned about pay raises, retirement plans, medical benefits, sick leave, vacation days and other perks. He was impressed with two of his uncles who joined the military and earned a retirement and entitlement package for life after twenty years of active service. He loved the idea of medical ben- efits and PX privileges the military provided its retirees. He also loved the tenure system available through the univer- sity. The idea of job protection for life and job benefits seamed more important, yimeMharijheJob. He would often say, "I've worked hard for the government, and I'm entitled to these benefits." The other believed in total financial self-reliance. He spoke out against the "entitlement" mentality and how it was creating weak and financially needy people. He was emphatic about being financially competent. One dad struggled to save a few dollars. The other sim- ply created investments. One dad taught me how to write an impressive resume so I could find a good job. The other taught me how to write strong business and financial plans so I could create jobs.