Life And The Pursuit Of Cold Hard Cash

Seems like as soon as you're born you want something or other, for me as a child, I can remember pawning over the newest transformer toys.

When I would ask my parents for them what did they say? "Wait till your birthday" or "money doesn't grow on trees", so you think to yourself early on "I need money . . ."

But the problem is, you're a child and the means to earning cold hard cash doesn't come easy to an eight year old, so you ask "where does money come from, daddy?"

He tells you, when you grow up, you get a thing called a "job" and for every hour you work they give you some money. Simple enough, but how do you get the money now to get that transformer toys you so desperately need?

Your mind starts to wander and you see some of your friends get this thing called an "allowance" for doing house work, hmm . . "That's kinda like a job, and I think I can pull this off."

Back to Daddy you go and you ask him for an allowance. He says he'll think about it. After a few months of intense negotiations he decides to put you on a trial.

"Ok son, I'm going to give you $5 a week if you keep your room clean, get good grades, do the dishes, clean the bathroom, vacuum the carpet, walk the dog, and list goes on and on"

You, as a small child think, you're going to be rich. Look up with a smile and say "Deal!" You skip off to your room thinking about the candy and cool stuff you're going to buy with all your money and get to cleaning.

That first week you're good to go. You do it all and happily await your reward.

Dad comes by and inspects the work with a magnifying glass, points out what you missed and says "It's a good first try, but you missed a spot here, you didn't dust there, the mirror in the bathroom in the basement looks like its got a few toothpaste spots on it you missed. Get that fixed today and we'll check again. If it's good you'll get your allowance."

You get to work still thinking of all the cool stuff you can buy with that shinny $5 bill and the time flies by. You go for your second inspection and you pass.

You get your shiny five dollar bill and it feels as good as you thought it would. "Will I buy candy or toys?" You think for a second and you need a treat, so you decide you'll get some candy and leave the toys for next week.

Problem is, you ask dad if you can go to the candy store and he says "later." You didn't think the whole transportation thing through. You put your $5 bill in a safe place and go to sleep feeling a little empty.

A few days later, mom goes to the store and you go too. You bring your $5 so you can get some candy. Gummy bears! $1.50 spent $3.50 left . . . You're happy for a little while and your mind wanders to that toy . . .

The next week comes, you're more efficient, you get the work done fast. Cha ching another $5! You're up to $8.50 and you know you're rich!

Dad's going to the mall on Sunday for some new shoes and you tag along (so you can go to the toy store and scope out that new transformer you wanted). You get to the mall, dad parks a million miles away for no good reason, and then goes to every shoe store in the joint.

You wait patiently . . .

Your moment approaches, the next shoe store is right next to the toy store. You grab dad's hand and pull him in and go straight to the aisle where your toy is.

You grab it, look at the price tag, it's $30. You've got $8.50. You're short. You do the math and realize it's 5 more weeks of hard toil before you can get it. You want it bad so your willing to put in the time.

Weeks pass, you save your money for a while, and it's time! You've got $33.50 "Ha ha!" You can taste that toy being yours . . .

Monday comes, and at school your lunch box breaks. You go home and show your mom and she says "Let's go get you a new one", this is where that first cold hard lesson hits you.

You go in, you're picking your favorite lunch box out and mom gives you a little surprise. "You're a big boy now, you get to pay for it out of your allowance . . ."

What? You think to yourself. Before you know it $15 of your $33.50 is gone and you've now got another three weeks before you can get your dream toy. You're pissed.

The work load during that time becomes a heavy labor and you feel like you're being used. Those thoughts like "What happens if my backpack breaks? Do I have to buy one of those too?" You're not a believer anymore. The game is fixed.

Your work suffers. You make more mistakes. Your parents give you more chores, you're not happy because you're doing more but you're not gonna get anymore at the end of the week. It just doesn't seem fair.

You're eight years old, so a temper tantrum is never far away . . . Dad inspects your work one Saturday and you've missed another spot. That does it . . .

You blow up, start crying, the world isn't fair, and storm up to your room. No allowance that week.

You see TRUTH for the first time. Like the detective from the "Usual Suspects" finally figuring out who is Kaiser Soze. You look back over all the hard work you've done, you realize you brought it on yourself. It's never going to end. You asked for the allowance and they gave it to you "if" you do your chores (the way they want them done).

Now, you've got them for life, and all you were looking for was a way to get that new Megatron transformer. You're 8 weeks into hard labor, you don't feel appreciated, you've worked more than you ever have in your life (after eight joyful years) and you still don't have your toy.

You realize it's a shame, this work thing, unless . . . you can get more money. Yeah! That's the ticket. Ask for a raise. You go to dad and ask for more, he reminds you of the little temper tantrum you threw a few weeks back and coldly denies you.

You're stuck, with a heap of chores, unexpected school boy expenses, no car to get your toy when you've got the money, no hope for a raise, and no toy.

About this time you start to think about what you're going to do when you grow up. You think to yourself "Man, if this is what it's going to be like when I grow up I need a job that makes me a lot of money."

You ask your mom "How do you make lots of money?" and she says "be a doctor or lawyer" (dad's a lawyer so you don't want to do that). You choose doctor. Mom says "If you want to be a doctor when you grow up you gotta get good grades . . ."

Now you've got more to do, your chores, and get good grades, so you can become a doctor, so you can make some good money when you grow up and not have to do this physical labor stuff forever.

Funny, how early in life, the pursuit of cold hard cash weaves its way into your head.

Life comes at you fast over the next 13 years. Chores never go away, you get older. You look up, you're out of school and it's time to get that first job.

It's not easy to find, but eventually you do.

You feel independent for a time and proud of yourself to be out on your own, but not too long after you start to feel like that little kid again. Low pay, long hours, bills you expect, bills you don't expect, things you want but can't get . . .

Really nothing's changed and you realize that your childhood chores really just prepared you for a life that would mirror those experiences. "Thanks dad!"

That's not the life you want now or in the future so you start to look around.

"Someone's got to have this stuff figured out"

You're up late and you're watching TV and you see an infomercial that you don't realize is going to change your life. It's all about getting rich, not having bills, and having total control. "Yes, that's what I want! How much?"

It's $29.95. You buy and wait for that package. It shows up and gives you an entirely new perspective. It talks about creating wealth, not just making money on the job. "Wealth, yes . . . Wealth! That's what I've been missing!"

Your eyes widen. You start to see new things for new angles.

You go to the book store and you learn about real estate, and starting your own business.

You buy, read, and learn all you can.

You're obsessed . . . "You think to yourself, I'd rather go broke trying to create wealth than work another day for those losers who don't appreciate me or pay me what I'm worth. It's time I set my own price . . ."

One day, you stumble across the internet and see regular people making money online. This idea holds special appeal. You can start for cheap and there really are people making it happen. "I'm in like Flynn!"

You pull the credit card out and try stuff, most of it doesn't pan out, but you keep going, you know your success is on the way.

Meanwhile, you're still working your job, but you're moonlighting your dreams. It's the only thing that keeps you going during the day.

Somewhere you read "to be successful you have to choose a specific group of people with a specific problem and find a way to serve them - solve that problem."

The "Usual Suspects" moment hits again . . .

That's where I went wrong! "I was trying to do everything. OK let's choose one thing."

I've tried this thing called network marketing, I love the idea of leveraged residual income - making money passively, but I sucked at it.

I think I can make it work if I figure out how to do it online, "Yes! That's going to be my one thing - Internet Network Marketing."

You focus in and not too long after you're making money. You get good and not long after you're making as much as you were on your job (but you don't quit or tell anyone).

You realize the "secret to creating wealth" is simple. Choose a group, like you, who need help. Study and get good at what they want help with. Keep going until you get good no matter what, and then be there with the solution.

You don't quit your job, but sooner or later your job quits you, but you don't care.

You've found your passion. You're serving people who truly appreciate you, you're creating wealth by doing it, and you've finally discovered the RIGHT way to pursue cold hard cash that will last you a lifetime.

Things are fair, you're happy, you're "rich" inside, millions are on the way, and all is well. So...

Why didn't dad just tell you that at the beginning?