Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #10 Rich People are Excellent Receivers

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #10:

Rich People are Excellent Receivers.

Poor People* are Poor Receivers.

Harv Eker says, “If I had to nail down the number one reason most people do not reach their full financial potential, it would be this: most people are poor ‘receivers.’” What does he mean? First, what the heck are poor receivers? A poor receiver, according to Harv, is a person that cannot receive well. So far so good. What do we receive? We receive praise, affection, money, gifts, etc. Many of us have trouble receiving such things. The author told a story from himself: “It’s funny, when I was broke and I saw a penny on the ground, I would never stoop so low as to pick up a lowly penny. Now that I’m rich, however, I pick up anything that even looks like money. Then I give it a kiss for good luck and declare out loud, ‘I am a money magnet. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’”

So obvious, T. Harv Eker has developed into a money magnet, a great receiver. Most of us though, have trouble receiving. Where does that come from? Why are we poor receivers? The author simply states that we are conditioned that way. Many (yes, including me) grew up and heard things like “That’s wrong”; “You’re not making it right”; “What did you do?” These sentences all strengthen the feeling of not being good enough. And not feeling good enough is one reason why we are poor receivers. “If you say you’re worthy, you are. If you say you’re not worthy, you are not,” reasoned Eker, “Either way you will live into your story.” No wonder we are poor receivers if we don’t feel worthy… Here some sage advice: Stop buying into that ‘worthiness’ or ‘unworthiness’ crap and start taking the actions you need to take to get rich!

The second major reason most people have a problem with receiving is that they have bought into the adage: “It’s better to give than to receive.” I don’t believe in that statement. The whole idea is pious but pitiful. I believe that giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin. Eker said, “For every giver, there must be a receiver, and for every receiver, there must be a giver.” Giving and receiving are equally important – if you are not willing to receive, then you are ‘ripping off’ those who want to give to you. That’s the main difference between rich and poor people*: Rich people are willing to receive while most poor people are not. It’s not that there would not be enough for everybody, there is. Money is definitely in abundance… it only goes to whoever will take it. So, you and I must be willing to open and be receivers.

Many poor people actually believe they are better people because they are poor. Somehow they think they’re more pious or spiritual or good. Not so! Eker puts it this way, “Money will only make you more of what you already are. If you’re mean, money will afford you the opportunity to be meaner. If you’re kind, money will afford you the opportunity to be kinder… If you’re generous, more money will simply allow you to be more generous.” From now on, take everything (good) someone offers to you (use your mind wisely, of course). If someone tells you you’re looking good then say, “Thank you” instead of “What? No… I look horrible today.” It’s simple as that: Just say “Thank you” and receive your blessings. Let’s say you take time to comment me below and appreciate what I’m doing here, I will definitely say, “Thank you.”

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have A Millionaire Mind!

Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #9 Rich People are Bigger than Their Problems

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #9:

Rich People are Bigger than Their Problems.

Poor People* are Smaller than Their Problems.

The size of the problem is never the issue, what matters is the size of you! Harv Eker said, “If you have a big problem in your life, all that means is that you are being a small person!” Either you are whining about the problem or you are working on the solution. This is straight to the point: It’s all about you! Whatever happens in your life, be it good or bad, interesting or boring, tough or easy, what matters is how you get affected by it. What matters is you! There are no problems, there are only situations. We then make them a problem. Respectively, some people make it a problem, others don’t even get affected or realize it. How can that be?

Good question, right? How can it be that the exact same situation is a problem for one but not for another? It depends on the person, you may say – and you’re right. It depends on you. I remember when I went to work from KL Central to Times Square. Monorail KL would take people every five minutes or so. At times, these trains were crazily crowded (especially on weekends). You see in the faces of people how they felt about the situation. And interestingly, some people got negatively affected by the crowded train EVERY SINGLE DAY. Why? Are you that small of a person that a crowded train is a problem for you? And even if it is (e.g. due to claustrophobia, fear of being in closed/crowded places), you do have other options such as go earlier, go by bus or bike, use a taxi or Grab, or walk…

Do you see my point? You can either whine about the situation (make it a problem) or work on the solution. Eker says it over and over again, “What matters is the size of you.” The more you work on yourself, the fewer the problems there will be – you’ll be bigger than any problem. So, don’t be the person whining about the crowded train… that’s NOT a problem! “It’s not what happens to you,” said the wise Epictetus, “but how you react to it that matters.” Say this to yourself…

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have A Millionaire Mind!

Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #8 Rich People Are Willing to Promote Themselves and Their Values

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #8:

Rich People Are Willing to Promote Themselves and Their Values.

Poor People Think Negatively about Selling and Promotion.

“Resending promotion is one of the greatest obstacles to success,” said Harv Eker. “Rich people are almost always excellent promoters.” If you believe that what you have to offer can truly assist people, it’s your duty to let as many people as possible know about it. In this way, you not only help people, but you also get rich! How can you become rich if you don’t let people know about what you have to offer? How are they going to find out about you? How are you going to sell your product if nobody knows about it? Nobody buys a product he doesn’t even know about! Eker puts it this way: “If you don’t sell, you don’t earn a darn thing!”

If you believe that what you have to offer can truly assist people, it’s your DUTY to let as many people as possible know about it. That’s clear as water. You can help people – that’s great! Everybody wants to help other people, so, let them know about your value. That’s the coolest thing on earth: You help people AND you get rich! Eker shares about some reasons why poor people* have a problem with promotion and/or selling:

#1 They had a bad experience in the past with people promoting and lied to them. This will hold them back.

#2 They had a disempowering experience when they tried to sell something and maybe they experienced total rejection. They still fear failure… they need to let the past be the past.

#3 They probably have been conditioned that maybe they heard it’s impolite to ‘toot your own horn.’ In the real world though, if you don’t ‘toot’ you own ‘horn,’ nobody will…

#4 They maybe feel that promotion is not so important. The problem is that nobody is going to find them as nobody knows about them.

If you don’t like selling and promotion for whatever reason, just swallow it. If you want to become rich, you need to promote your value with passion and enthusiasm. Simple as that. Sell yourself! Be authentic. Be passionate about what you have to offer. If you absolutely can’t be passionate, then probably what you have to offer does not have much value… It is indispensable that what you offer needs to have value. Yet, the biggest value is useless if you don’t promote it! Who should be enthusiastic about your product if you not? Step out and promote what you have to offer – your skills, services, products – with passion and enthusiasm. If you believe in your value, how could it be appropriate to hide it from people who need it?

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have A Millionaire Mind!

Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #7 Rich People Associate with Positive, Successful People

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #7:

Rich People Associate with Positive, Successful People.

Poor People Associate with Negative or Unsuccessful People.

Why reinvent the wheel? “The fastest and easiest way to create wealth,” said Eker, “is to learn exactly how rich people, who are the masters of money, play the game.” If you want to fly with eagles, don’t swim with the ducks! Why reinvent the wheel? The logic is simple: If your goal is to be rich, then study the rich people. Do what they do. There is a reason why they are rich. The easiest way of studying them is being near to them. It’s simple. It’s similar to entering the corridor (refer to the previous post) to get to know the business. From the inside, you learn much, much more in much, much less time. Again, if you want to be rich, model rich people. If you want to be a great leader, for another example, then model great leaders! This is logic: If you take the exact same actions and have the exact same mindset, chances are good you will get the exact same results.

Another way to say this wealth file is associated with people who have achieved what you want to achieve. They know a lot. They know how to act and what to do. They have the skills needed to succeed. Associate with them, study them. Let’s take an example from the animal kingdom if a chicken just swims with the ducks, how is it going to learn how to fly like an eagle? Guess what, it’s not… and the same holds true for you. If you hang out with poor people* only, you’re never going to be rich (By hangout with the rich, this can also mean ‘hangout’ with their books, videos, and podcasts). Talking of birds, you’ve probably heard the saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” This saying basically says that people of the same kind often hang out together. People spend time with people who are similar or they become the people they hang out always. What’s first come to your mind: Do you flock together because you are similar or do you become similar because you flock together?

Jim Rohn once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time.” Have you read this quote? Yes? Good. No? Read it. Jim Rohn just gave the answer to my question. What matters is who you spend MOST time with (of course you may hang out with anyone you like, no discrimination). If the people you hang out with are positive, chances are high you’re positive too. If they’re complaining, chances are high that you complain too. “Rich people hang around with winners. Poor people* hang around with losers. Why? It’s a matter of comfort,” said Eker, somewhat hard-truth, “Rich people are comfortable with other successful people. They feel worthy of being with them. Poor people are unfordable with highly successful people. They’re either afraid they’ll be rejected or feel as if they don’t belong. To protect itself, the ego then goes into judgment and criticism.” Either you agree or disagree with Eker’s statement, this principle remains solid: If you want to get rich, model and associated with rich people. If you don’t have rich friends (like me, not yet so far), read their books – the books that they wrote or the books that they read or both. Or watch their videos on YouTube or listen to their talks and interviews on podcasts. Do it!

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have A Millionaire Mind!

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #6 Rich People Admire Other Rich and Successful People (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #6:

Rich People Admire other Rich and Successful People.

Poor People Resent Rich and Successful People.

Poor people* often look at other people’s success with resentment, jealousy, and envy. “You have to realize that if you view rich people as bad in any way, shape, or form, and you want to be a good person, then you can never be rich,” writes Eker, “It’s impossible. How can you be something you despise?” That’s an easy psychological truth: You become rather like someone you admire than like someone you resent. Keep that in mind. From now on, when you see something you (secretly) want, may it be a nice house or a dream car or someone who is wise, admire what you see. Admire the house and also admire the owner. Admire the car and also the brain. Don’t be jealous, don’t be envy, admire them. Bless them. Love them. Practice the Huna philosophy: “Bless that which you want.”

Why do people resent rich people? Why do people think that poor people are in some way better spiritually than the rich? To put it bluntly – that’s just stupid! There is absolutely no reason to think worse about the rich than about the poor. Of course, there are some rich people who don’t act morally and ethically right, but that same holds true for some poor people. No doubt there are always exceptions to any rule, but for the most part, who do you have to be to succeed at anything? Try some of these characteristics: positive, reliable, focused, determined, persistent, hardworking, energetic, good with people, a competent communicator, intelligent, an expert in at least one area, etc. What does it take to get rich and successful? How can someone become successful? Some or all of the above? Does negativity, laziness and being average at everything make you a success?

The answer to the last question is crystal clear – NO! If you want to become successful, you need powerful traits that make you who you are. Rich people are rich because they have the character it needs to get rich. Being rich is nothing to do with being lucky, acting mean or morally wrong, being a bully, using people or whatsoever. So why would you resent someone who actually worked a lot for his or her success? Who was persistent? Who always tried to be his best? Who is reliable and focused? Why would you resent someone when you’d secretly want to be like that person?

To put it clearly, when you resent the success of others, you’re not going to get any… When you resent your friend for having a girlfriend, you’re not going to get one. When you resent someone for having a Mercedes, you’re not going to have one. When you resent a rich person for his or her money, you’re NOT going to get ANY MONEY. “Act like rich people and admire what you want. Bless what you want. Love what you want,” Eker emphasized. Yes, love what you want, love what you want, LOVE WHAT YOU WANT!

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have A Millionaire Mind!

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #5 Rich People Focus on Opportunities, Poor People Focus on Obstacles

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #5:

Rich People Focus on Opportunities.

Poor* People Focus on Obstacles.

Poor people’s primary mindset is “What if it doesn’t work?” or more often, “It won’t work.” Rich people, on the other hand, take responsibility for the results in their lives and act upon the mindset, “It will work because I’ll make it work.” Rich people expect to succeed. These are completely opposite mind-sets. Poor people see obstacles while rich people see opportunities. Poor people focus on the risks while rich people focus on the rewards. No risks, no rewards. Harv Eker states that as soon as there is an opportunity, rich people gather as much knowledge as quickly as possible to make their decision. They go for it or not. Poor people claim to be preparing but what they’re usually doing is stalling. They’re scared and wait until the opportunity has gone along the way.

“The idea is to get in the game with whatever you’ve got, from wherever you are. I call this entering the corridor,” says Eker. The point is that no luck – or anything else worthwhile – will come your way unless you take some form of action. “I call this being an ACTION-TAKER.” The author advises us to enter the corridor and then correct along the way. So, act and enter the corridor before you feel perfectly prepared. You will never be perfectly prepared, never! Entering the corridor means getting into a business, learning about a business, not from the outside (Yes, I will have my first small business with my partner next year! Yea!). So, if you want to become a hotelier, for example, it is wise to visit a hotel first. And also, work in a hotel first. Get to know how a hotel works from the inside. From the outside, you don’t see a thing…

If you really want to learn a business, get into it, says Eker, “You don’t have to own the darn thing from day one.” If you remember Harv Eker’s motto: Action always beats inaction. And don’t be the poor person who is still preparing, planning, analyzing and waiting… If you’re always “preparing” and “getting ready,” it’s like you’re waiting for someone else to take the chance. Don’t wait and see but act and see. You can still do some corrections along the way, it doesn’t need to be perfect from day one. If you’re like me, a guy, you’ve probably been in a situation like this (if you’re a lady, imagine): You’re out with your friends and there is a girl you like in the same bar. You wait and wonder what you’re going to say to her – you’re preparing (but you’re also stalling because you’re afraid of rejection or whatever). Suddenly, Bang! There’s another guy with her. You’ve just missed the damn chance! That guy is not better than you, he just took action. That’s the difference! You've outwaited the opportunity.

So, from now on – TAKE ACTION. Get in the corridor when there’s an opportunity. Action always beats inaction. Don’t wait for the opportunity to pass. Place your hand on your heart and say, “I focus on opportunities over obstacles,” “I get ready, I fire, I aim!”

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have A Millionaire Mind!

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #4 Rich People Think Big, Poor People Think Small (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #4:

Rich People Think Big.

Poor* People Think Small.

“The Law of Income: You will be paid in direct proportion to the value you deliver according to the marketplace,” said Harv Eker, “The key word is value. It’s important to know that four factors determine your value in the marketplace: supply, demand, quality, and quantity.” This makes sense. The more you offer, the more you get paid. This is a fair law. You offer a higher value and get paid more than someone who offers a lower value. Who do you think should be paid more, a good lawyer or a bad lawyer? A good footballer or a bad footballer? A good actor or a poor actor? The answers are obvious…

I’m not going to explain the concept of supply and demand here, as it’s not what the book is about. The major struggle people have with offering more value is the quantity. The quantity factor simply means how much of your value do you actually deliver to the marketplace? Most people play small because #1 They are scared of failure, and #2 They feel small and unworthy. “But hear this,” Eker emphasized, “Your life is not just about you. It’s also about contributing to others. It’s about living true to your mission and reason for being here on this earth at this time. It’s about adding your piece of the puzzle to the world. Most people have stuck in their egos that everything revolves around me, me, and more me. But if you want to be rich in the truest sense of the word, it can’t be about you. It has to include adding value to other people’s lives.”

Let’s assume that what you have to offer actually has a high value to other people and helps them. Now, should you offer that value to one person or to ten? Or to a hundred? A thousand? Thousands? Yes! Yes, Yes, Yes! You definitely should offer that value to as many people as possible. Don’t hold it back. It is your DUTY to offer it to as many people as possible. This is what THINK BIG is all about. Many, many people need what you have to offer – offer it to them and get paid proportionally. “The by-product is that the more people you help, the ‘richer’ you become, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and definitely financially.”

It’s time to stop hiding out and start stepping out. Most people think small. And guess what, they will achieve relatively little. On the other hand, if you THINK BIG, you can achieve much more! You can help thousands and thousands of people. That shall be the goal. Eker concluded: “In the end, small thinking and small actions lead to being both broke and unfulfilled. Big thinking and big actions lead to having both money and meaning. The choice is yours!”

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have A Millionaire Mind!

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #3 Rich People Are Committed to Being Rich, Poor People Want to Be Rich (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #3:

Rich People are Committed to Being Rich.

Poor People* Want to Be Rich.

“The number one reason most people don’t get what they want is that they don’t know what they want,” said Harv Eker. Do you know what you want? What do you want? Who do you want to be? How do you want your life to look like? Why do you read this summary? I guess you at least know the answer to the last question. Our world, or better, our society provides uncountable choices. It is then a common problem that we don’t really know what we want.

How are we going to get what we don’t know we want? Does that make no sense? You get the point (I hope). If we don’t know what we want in life, how are we going to get it? We won’t… If I asked you if you wanted to be rich, you’d probably think “What a stupid question…” and say, “Of course I want to be rich.” The truth, however, as Eker points out in this book, is that most people don’t really want to be rich. Why? “Because they have a lot of negative wealth files in their subconscious mind that tell them there is something wrong with being rich. That’s how we’ve been conditioned… and most of us have mixed internal messages about wealth.” One part within us says, “I’ll be able to travel the world.” Then the other part chirps in, “Yeah, people will think that you’re show off.” These mixed messages (mine) may seem innocent enough, but in reality, they are one of the major reasons most people never become rich.

Again, mixed internal messages (at least subconsciously) about wealth is the major reason we’ll never get rich. Eker highlights: “If you are not fully, totally, and truly committed to creating wealth, chances are you won’t.” Sound crazy, yet that’s the power of our mind. How can we develop clear internal messages about wealth? The author states that there are Three (3) Levels of Wanting:

#1 I Want to Be Rich. “This won’t bring you anywhere as billions of people want (or at least claim that they want) to be rich, but relatively few are.”

#2 I Choose to Be Rich. “Choosing is much stronger than wanting because you take responsibility for creating your own reality.”

#3 I Commit to Being Rich. “That’s the highest form of wanting. You devote yourself unreservedly. You give 100% to achieve wealth. There are no excuses. Failure is not an option. I will be rich or I will die trying. That’s commitment and that’s necessary for true success!”

Rich people are committed enough to do whatever it takes. Period. What about you? Are you willing to work longer hours a day? Rich people are. Are you willing to sacrifice seeing your family, your friends, and give up your recreations and hobbies? Rich people are. Are you willing to do whatever it takes? Rich people are (in the long-term, however, I disagreed with all of these ‘sacrifices.’ If you read Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki will surely disagree too. But for the initial periods, you must willing to sacrifice all of these – mindfully, morally and responsibly – for the greater good in the future). You need to fully, truly and totally committed to creating wealth. You choose wealth over mindless-hangouts with friends; you choose wealth over getting too many loans; you choose wealth over expensive car (for now). Sure, you need to find balance in everything. Most importantly though, Eker reminds us, “You need to want to be wealthy bad enough so that you commit to being wealthy. Otherwise you just won’t get rich. Simple as that.”

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have a Millionaire Mind!

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #2 Rich People Play the Money Game to Win, Poor People Play to Not Lose (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #2:

Rich People play the Money Game to Win.

Poor People play the Money Game to Not Lose.

Poor people’s* primary concerns are “survival and security” instead of creating wealth and abundance said Eker. The goal of truly rich people is to have massive wealth and abundance. Not just some money, but lots of money. “If your goal is to be comfortable, chances are you’ll never get rich,” Eker reasoned, “But if your goal is to be rich, chances are you’ll end up mighty comfortable.” He reminds us of the power of intention. When your intention is to have enough to pay the bills, that’s exactly how much you’ll get – just enough to pay the bills and not a dime more.

Think about this: If your goal is to have just enough money to pay the bills, how much money do you think you’ll get? Exactly! Just enough to pay the bills… You get what you truly intend to get. And that’s what so many people strive for: “I just want enough to pay the bills.” “I just want to live a moderate life and go on vacation once a year” (maybe this is my dream: to live moderately but slightly rich, and go on vacation at least twice a year) “I just want my steady income and make ends.” Well, if that’s what you want, that’s what you get. You may have enough to pay for the bills, but guess what? “You won’t have a dime more,” says Eker. That’s how it works, he said. You get what you truly intend to get.

Harv Eker advises us that our goal should be to become a millionaire and more: “If you shoot for the stars, you’ll at least hit the moon… If you want to get rich, your goal has to be rich. Not to have enough to pay the bills, and not just to have enough to be comfortable. Rich means rich!” So, say to yourself, “My goal is to become a millionaire and more!” and do what rich people do – play the money game to win. Win! Win! Win! Decide now that you commit to being rich.

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have a Millionaire Mind!

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Wealth File #1 Rich People Believe "I Create My Life." Poor People Believe "Life Happens to Me" (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Wealth File #1:

Rich People believe “I Create My Life.”

Poor People believe “Life Happens to Me.”

If you want to create wealth, says Eker, it is imperative that you believe that you are at the steering wheel of your life, especially your financial life. You have to believe that you are the one who creates your success, that you are the one who creates your mediocrity, and that you are the one creating your struggle around money and success. Consciously or unconsciously, it’s still you. Instead of taking responsibility for what’s going on in their lives, poor people* choose to play the role of victim.

This is important. If you feel like ‘Life just happens to me, I can’t do anything about it,’ then how are you going to change? What kind of life do you live? “I can tell you,” said Eker, “you live the life of absolutely no purpose. Completely unconsciously and meaningless…” That’s definitely NOT how you want to live. This is the first Wealth File for a good reason. If you don’t think “I create my life” then you can’t change anything. Eker points out: “You must realize that you are the creator! You must sit at the steering wheel of your life. You make the choices. And you take responsibility for your life. Basically, you are the BOSS of your life. Yes, you are!” (This is where my faith conflict with Eker’s teaching about we are the creators. But based on the context, what he really means is that we can change or not our belief system. We can create or uncreate our own beliefs).

The author states that poor people* play the role of victim. They often BLAME other people. It’s never their fault, it’s always the fault of others. Poor people also often COMPLAIN. When you are complaining, you become a living, breathing “crap magnet.” That’s the worst thing you can do. So, never whine, bitch or complain. Poor people also JUSTIFY their situation. They say things like, “Money is not that important.” If you don’t think money is important, you simply won’t have any. Put this in perspective: “Money is extremely important in the areas in which it works, and extremely unimportant in the areas in which it doesn’t.” But the poor people will argue (and this is a brilliant but funny quote by Eker): “’Well, money isn’t as important as love.’ Now, is that comparison dumb or what? What’s more important, your arm or your leg? Maybe they’re both important.” It’s funny and it makes sense. So, don’t play the role of the victim and start take responsibility and steer your life to success!

[*I need to note that the Harv Eker makes it clear in this book that he does not mean to degrade poor people. He does not think that rich people are better than poor or middle-class people. They’re just richer.]

I Have a Millionaire Mind!

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: The Process of Manifestation T > F > A = R (Part 1 Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

Process of Manifestation: T > F > A = R

“Thoughts lead to Feelings. Feelings lead to Actions. Actions lead to Results.”

(Harv Eker)

That’s what Eker calls the Process of Manifestation. Thoughts are at the root of every result. He then goes one step further and states that we are programmed or conditioned in a certain way. That’s why we think how we think. The primary sources of this programming include mainly our parents and siblings, but also friends, teachers, and media, to name only a few. In short, our life is a reflection of our thoughts, which again come as a result of how we have been programmed.

This is important in many ways. Look at our culture: How could we survive without the knowledge of our ancestors? We’re born into a world of culture and structure: How could we survive without the knowledge we’re given from our parents? We depend on our parents for a very, very long time. We’re all born helpless. So, in a certain way this programming is a necessity, but in the case of money, it is often a burden… That’s where your money blueprint (see the previous post) comes in. A blueprint, in general, is a preset plan or design. Let’s take a blueprint for a house as an example. Before you build the house, you make an exact plan of what you want to build. And then, you build what you’ve planned. Now, and this is important, we all have a blueprint for money, our money blueprint – a preset plan of how much money we’ll have and how we can handle it. Every child is taught how to think about and act in relation to money.

Our financial blueprint consists primarily of the information or “programming” we received in the past, and especially as a young child. “Your past conditioning determines every thought that bubbles up in your mind. That’s why it’s often referred to as the conditioned mind.” First of all, Eker suggests, we need to understand how we are conditioned. We are conditioned in three (3) primary ways:

#1 Verbal Programming: What did you hear about money, wealth, and rich people when you were growing up? “Save your money for a rainy” “Filthy rich!” “Rich people are greedy” “Money doesn’t grow on trees” “Money doesn’t buy happiness” “We can’t afford it” and so on. Eker says, “I’m sure you heard at least one of them. The problem is that all these statements… remain in your subconscious mind as part of the blueprint that is running your financial life. Obviously, such statements do not support your financial well-being.”

#2 Modelling: What did you see when you were young? How did your parents manage money? Did money come easily in your family or was it always a struggle? Was money a source of joy in your household or the cause of bitter arguments? All these things matter a lot because as kids, we learn just about everything from modeling. It is important to recognize that your way of being related to one or both of your parents in the arena of money.

#3 Specific Incidents: What did you experience when you were young around money, wealth, and rich people? This is close to modeling but maybe you can think of a specific personal incident. Maybe a huge fight your parents had that seemingly led to the divorce? Maybe you can still hear your father swearing about a rich neighbor? Such experiences shape your beliefs you now live by.

These are three (3) major ways that have conditioned us in terms of money. Basically, that’s your money blueprint, your pre-set plan for success with money. Eker highlights: “Your money blueprint will determine your financial life – and even your personal life. And again, you can have all the knowledge and skills in the world, but if your ‘blueprint’ isn’t set for success, you’re financially doomed. If you think poor about the rich, how are you ever going to be rich? If money has always been a struggle, chances are high that it always will be a struggle. That’s in your subconscious mind. When the subconscious mind must choose between deeply rooted emotions and logic, emotions will almost always win.” If you want to think like rich people, you need to change that programming… how?

You need to become aware. “AWARENESS is the first step of change,” emphasized Eker. That’s where you are right now. You thought about how you grew up around money and hopefully became aware of the fact that you’ve been conditioned in a certain way. Now, you need to UNDERSTAND what effects this conditioning had and still has on your financial life (I personally had a bad programming). It’s only through the understanding of what your conditioned mind does to you that you can become able and willing to change. Do you see that your money blueprint is not you but it is only what you’ve learned? You do have the choice in the present moment to be different (Yes I can!). That’s the third step of change: DISASSOCIATION. How you have been conditioned is not how you need to be and how you need to think. You have the choice! It is imperative you choose your thoughts and beliefs wisely.

Eker concludes: “Being aware and living consciously is probably the most important ingredient for substantial change. YOU make the choices in life. YOU are at the steering wheel. YOU know that you have been conditioned in a certain way and that this lies at the roots of your financial life. Now that YOU are aware, YOU can change!”

REMEMBER: T > F > A = R

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Your Money Blueprint (Part 1 Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

“You can have all the knowledge and skills in the world, but if your ‘blueprint’ isn’t set for success, you’re financially doomed” (Harv Eker)

Who are you? How do you think? What are your habits and traits? How confident are you in yourself? Do you truly feel that you deserve wealth? What are your abilities? Can you act when you’re not in the mood? The fact that your character, thinking, and your beliefs are a critical part of what determines the level of your success (remember, to be successful it is not necessary you have to be wealthy financially, but wealthy is one of the measurements of success). Whatever results you’re getting, be they rich or poor, good or bad, positive or negative, always remember that your outer world is simply a reflection of your inner world.

Harv Eker makes it clear that we live in a world of cause and effect. Basically, who you are [your inner world] determines what you get [your outer world]. So whatever the results you get in any area of life that you can control, it is a mere result of your character, thinking, and habits. Whether it is how much money you have in your bank account or how healthy you feel or how you look like – it is always a RESULT, a reflection of who you are. So in term of money, a lack of money is never, ever a problem. “A lack of money,” said Eker, “is merely a symptom of what is going on underneath.”

If you want to change your outer world, as the book suggests (a lack of money in that case), you first need to change your inner world or “what is going on underneath.” Eker gives a simple example, he recalled, “Back in my time as a student I used to suffer from tense neck and back muscles. Therefore I went to see a physiotherapist twice a week to have my muscles un-tensed. I always felt better afterward, but the muscles would tense again and again. It wasn’t until I changed my behavior (mainly different sitting positions, more sleep, magnesium supplements, and less stress) that my muscle tensions would weaken… My point is that if only you treat the symptoms, you’ll always fall back. So, if you had a lack of money and I gave you some, sooner or later you would end up again with a lack of money. The problem is not the symptom, it is us… It’s our thinking, our habits, the way we act.”

To effectively change your results, symptoms or your overall life [your outer world], you first need to change yourself, your character, thinking and what you do [your inner world]. “Your income can grow only to the extent you do!” What has all this to do with your money blueprint? Well, you’ll understand it in the next post.

[To read my review of this book, CLICK THE TITLE, Secrets of Millionaire Mind Review]

To Change Your Outer World, You Need to Change Your Inner World

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (#0 Introduction)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by T. Harv Eker’s Secret of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth (2005) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

“If your subconscious ‘financial blueprint’ is not ‘set’ for success, nothing you learn, nothing you know, and nothing you do will make much of a difference” (Harv Eker)

Harv Eker used to be a financial disaster. He had ups and downs, yet for the most part, he was broke. Until one day, when a rich friend of his dad told him that rich people think a certain way and poor people think a completely different way, and those ways of thinking determine their actions and therefore determine their results. Then all you have to do is copy how rich people think. That information helped Eker to become who he is today – author, businessman and most importantly, wealth coach.

So, after he learned about the fact that rich people think differently than poor people, he started studying rich people (just like how Napoleon Hill interviewed successful people and came out with the father of self-help book, Think and Grow Rich). “Eventually, I became aware of how my own thoughts were holding me back from wealth.” He learned that is it not about the tools alone, it is mainly about the toolbox. The tools are all the knowledge and information you’ve got, the toolbox is your mind, your way of thinking. He found that when he combined the inner game (toolbox) with the outer game (the tools), everybody can succeed at the game of money.

What the author wants to teach in his book is how to master the inner game of money to win the game of money – how to think rich to get rich! Josh Billings was quoted as saying, “It’s not what we don’t know that prevents us from succeeding; it’s what we know that just ain’t so that is our greatest obstacle.” The lesson is simple: If you want to move to a higher level of life, you have to be willing to let go of some of your old ways of thinking and adopt new ones. The secret to new mindset is unlearning. We are where we are because of the things we do day in, day out. Our old ways of thinking brought us exactly to where we are. If we want something to be different in our lives, we need to do something different. Harv Eker invites us to the journey to financial freedom.

His book is split up into two parts: Part #1 Your Money Blueprint, which is about how we are conditioned concerning money, it’s about why we are who we are, and about our old way of thinking; and Part #2 The Wealth Files, which is about 17 wealth files or about how rich people think/act/live. Basically, it’s about our new way of thinking and how we should think if we want to become rich.

[To read my review of this book, CLICK THE TITLE, Secrets of Millionaire Mind Review]

Are you ready to start learning how to think like rich people? I sure do!

12 Rules for Life #12 Pat a Cat When You Encounter One on the Street (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by Jordan B. Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

“Set aside some time to talk and to think about the illness or other crisis and how it should be managed every day. Do not talk or think about it otherwise. If you do not limit its effect, you will become exhausted, and everything will spiral into the ground. This is not helpful. Conserve your strength. You’re in a war, not a battle, and a war is composed of many battles. You must stay functional through all of them. When worries associated with the crisis arise at other times, remind yourself that you will think them through, during the scheduled period”

(Jordan Peterson)

This final rule is mainly autobiographical and Peterson tells us about tragedy and pain. When tragic things are in front of us and we’re powerless, we must keep our eyes open for those little things that make life worthwhile. The title of this chapter inspired from the author’s experience of observing a local stray cat and watching it adapt to its surroundings in a harsh environment. “

When you feel that your life is crewed up there is a way to make it easier to handle until you make it back on your feet. That is to shorten your “temporal horizon.” Stop thinking about what’s going to happen in the next months. Think about what and how you can improve today’s day or maybe just the next hours. Shrink the time frame until you can eventually handle the rest of it and this is how you adjust to devastation. It’s very important to not give up even in the worst situations, even if you’re at a place you’d rather not be, always try to look for what’s meaningful and worthwhile. “When you are going for a walk and your head is spinning a cat will show up and if you pay attention to it then you will get a reminder for just fifteen seconds that the wonder of Being might make up for the ineradicable suffering that accompanies it,” wrote Peterson, “Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.”

Keep Your Eyes on What’s Meaningful and Worthwhile.

12 Rules for Life #11 Don't Bother Children When They Are Skateboarding (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by Jordan B. Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

“If you think tough men are dangerous, wait until you see what weak men are capable of”

(Jordan Peterson)

This rule is essentially about masculinity (you might not agree with me). Peterson tells us that when children do all kinds of this crazy stuff on skateboards and handrails (or in Malaysia, play in the rain or at the playground or outside the house yard), we should let them be. Of course, it might be dangerous but it’s important for them to develop masculinity, competence, take risk and face danger. Normally, a lot of rebellious behavior in school is called “toxic masculinity” but Peterson believes that the benefits are bigger than the probably problematic situations.

When people are untrammeled and feel encouraged, they prefer to live in the edge. By living this way, they can be confident in their experience and confront chaos that helps them develop and grow. They’re made for that reason, to enjoy risk (some of them more than others). Besides, if they are overprotected, they will fail when something dangerous or unexpected will suddenly occur, which inevitably will happen sometime – eventually. So why not let them develop toughness? 

Let them Play... Dangerously

12 Rules for Life #10 Be Precise In Your Speech (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by Jordan B. Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

“To be precise in your speech does two things...
it specifies your goal and it reduces uncertainty.”

(Jordan Peterson)

According to Peterson, there is an undivided connection between communication and reality. Language takes what’s unknown from chaos and gives it a name making it into a thing. Once that thing is addressed with a name then you can control it. A simple example would be the feeling of touch. Imagine that you see a pot in front of you for the first time. Without touching it you don’t know what’s wrong with it. Once you touch it you feel it’s too hot to hold it for too long. So, you give it a “name” – a hot pot. Now you can do something about it and use a pair of heatproof gloves to do your job.

On the other hand, the unnameable is terrifying, at least much more than the nameable. As an example, the movie The Ring didn’t describe and name the evil at all. Objectively speaking, in this movie the scary scenes are very few in number in comparison with other horror thrillers. It’s all about the unnameable. If you can’t name something then that makes it more terrifying to you. It also makes you feel weaker against it if you don’t actually know what it is. That’s why, according to Peterson, precise speech is important. I can bring things out of the realm of unspeakable. Words are not to be underestimated as they have a creative power. Don’t create more mark and darkness by imprecise speech!

Be Precise… Exercise, Practice… then Speak

12 Rules for Life #9 Assume that the Person You are Listening to Might Know Something You Don't (Summary)

This is a chapter-by-chapter summary of a book by Jordan B. Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos (2018) series. One chapter, one article. Read this summary, buy the book. Enjoy!

“The great majority of us could not listen; we would find ourselves compelled to evaluate because listening would seem too dangerous. So the first requirement is courage, and we do not always have it.”

(Carl Rogers)

When people argue about something, they often fall in the trap of trying to win over that argument and miss the true point of a good conversation. That is to come-out-wiser-than-you mentality when into it. First of all, winning over an argument does not necessarily mean that your thinking was smarter. If you happen to be more verbally fluent than the others, chances are against him even though he might be wiser than you, because as long as he cannot express his opinions with ease he can’t win because you don’t give him fair chances to win. And as mentioned before: “It’s not about winning.”

The best thing to do is to take a good advantage of what someone is trying to tell you. Give him or her a chance to fully explain and make you understand what he or she is exactly thinking. Who knows maybe, in the end, you could find his or her ideas or suggestions better than some of yours and prevent you from facing future problems. “If you listen, instead, without premature judgment, people will generally tell you everything they are thinking—and with very little deceit. People will tell you the most amazing, absurd, interesting things.” Peterson even says to “listen to your enemies.” Surely, they will lie about you, but also be sure that they will be frank about things that your friends might not see or don’t dare to tell you. Learn to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Beyoncé sang, “Listen!”