"Or if you're the kind of person who has no guts, you just giye_up_eyery time lifejxishes vou. If you're that kindofperson. you'll live all your life playing it safe, doing the right things, saving yourself for some event that neveTTiapehs.Then, you die a boring old, man. You'll haveloTs of friends who really like you be- cause you were such a nice hard-working guy. You spent a life playing it safe, doing the right things. But the truth is, you let life push you into submission. Deep down you were terrified of taking risks. You really wanted to win, but the fear of losing was greater than the excitement of win- ning. Deep inside, you and only you will know you didn't goTor it. You chose to play it safe." Our eyes met again. For ten seconds, we looked at each other, only pulling away once the message was received. "You've been pushing me around?" I asked. "Some people might say that," smiled rich dad. "I would say that Ljust gave you a taste of life." "What taste of life?" I askecTTstiTTangry, but now curious. Even ready to learn. "You boys are the first people that have ever asked me to teach them how to make money. I have more than 150 employees, and not one of them has asked me what I know about money. They ask me for a job and a paycheck, but never to teach them about money. So most will spend the best years of their lives working for money, not really understanding what it is they are working for." I sat there listening intently. "So when Mike told me about you wanting to learn how to make money, I decided to design a course that was close to real life. I could talk until I was blue in the face, but you wouldn't hear a thing. So I decided to let life push you around a bit so you could hear me. That's why I only paid you 10 cents." "So what is the lesson I learned from working for only 10 cents an hour?" I asked. "That you're cheap and exploit your workers?" Rich dad rocked back and laughed heartily. Finally, after his laughing stopped, he said, "You'd best change your point of view. Stop blaming me, thinking I'm the problem. If you think I'm the problem, then you have to change me. If you realize that you're the problem, then you can change yourself, learn something and grow wiser. JVlost people want everyone else in the world to change but themselves. Let me tell you, it's easier to change yourself than every- one else." "I don't understand," I said. "Don't blame me for your problems," rich dad said, growing impatient. "But you only pay me 10 cents." "So what are you learning?" rich dad asked, smiling. "That you're cheap," I said with a sly grin. "See, you think I'm the problem," said rich dad. "But you are." "Well, keep that attitude and you learn nothing. Keep the attitude that I'm the problem and what choices do you have?" "Well, if you don't pay me more or show me more re- spect and teach me, I'll quit." "Well put," rich dad said. "And that's exactly what most people do.