In an earlier article we spoke of charitable entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and John Templeton. They, together with other wealthy people, have extraordinary stories to tell about their entrepreneurial journeys. Some will tell you that they dropped out of school or were dyslexic and struggled with reading and writing. Others came from homes of poverty and then there were those born into wealthy entrepreneur families. Although they differed in their backgrounds and circumstances, what did prevail is that they all thought in a similar way. It is not circumstance that creates an entrepreneur, it is a mindset!
What we’ve come to understand is that for our family to become economically and personally free we need to throw out our conditioning around money and then reprogram our subconscious minds with a new success money mindset. The wealthy know this and have either been fortunate to have developed such a mindset from their upbringing or they have discovered for themselves (either consciously or unconsciously), a new way of thinking.
It is a fact that around 3% of the population actually do live a life of economic and personal freedom and the rest of us don’t (yes, we are definitely in that bracket). So what do the minority do that is so different to the rest of us?
More to the point… how do entrepreneurs think!
Before we look into it, consider this…
Whether we like it or not, we are being conditioned constantly to think a certain way about money. We are conditioned by our family, schools, advertising, politicians, TV and friends. Most people are tied to their jobs and to debt because the conditioning that they have received favours a money mindset of “lack”, not abundance.
Do any of the following resonate with you? …
“Money doesn’t grow on trees”
“Money is the root of all evil”
“You’ve got to work hard for your money”
“Get a good well paying job and you’ll be set for life”
“Buy a home, it will be your best investment ever”
“We can’t afford it”
“What job do you want to do when you grow up?”
“Go for the cheaper ones”
Only this morning I was listening to a friend talking with his teenage sons. He told them that they needed to get jobs. He explained that he had a job pushing shopping trolleys at their age. He even went down to the local IGA Supermarket and picked up applications for them to apply for jobs.
When I was fifteen I started out with a casual job working at a Target store. My hourly rate was $2.90 an hour!
All of the above are examples of conditioning. It is now known that much of our conditioning has been locked into our subconscious by the time we are four years old.
Our schools are designed to prepare workers for the work force; our banks make money by selling debt to people; our Government collect taxes and require people to be needy, submissive and controlled. They want people to take up jobs that only just pay enough to get by. Retail businesses make money by selling, so they condition us to spend; and our big businesses need workers to build their businesses. You see there is definitely a design to all this madness!
What our family has discovered is that our money mindsets are changing. We are learning that it is OK to accept money and to have money. In fact we deserve money! It is OK to offer something of value to others for payment. Working hard in a job is not the only pathway for young people entering our big world.
There are other ways….. ways that will allow young people to really follow their passions and dreams and allow them to make a big contribution to whatever they consider to be important! Wouldn’t it be fantastic if all our kids could achieve economic and personal freedom!
People who have achieved financial freedom through being entrepreneurial have a mindset of abundance. Their habits differ and they do think differently.
Rather than me attempting to point out and explain “How Do Entrepreneurs Think” and go about their lives, I’ll instead refer you to, what I believe to be, one of the most influential books of all time in pointing the way to personal and financial achievement.
“Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill was originally published in 1937. The author spent his life studying successful people and recording how they think and act. He himself became very wealthy by following the distinctions in his own book and by modelling himself upon his mentors.
Think and Grow Rich is pre-eminently a “what to do” and “how to do” book. In it you’ll find the magic of self direction, organized planning, auto suggestion, master-mind association, an amazing revealing system of self-analysis, detailed plans for selling your personal services, and a wealth of other understandings from experiences of successful people who have proved their value.
The thirteen steps to riches described in this book offer the shortest dependable philosophy of individual achievement that has literally changed thousands of people’s lives!
This book could be worth a million dollars to you and your kids!
Cathy is currently re-writing Napoleon Hill’s book. The book she is writing will be suitable for kids to read, with simple explanations and modern examples that they can better relate to. It is a work in progress and once finished you’ll be the first to hear about it.
The original Think and Grow Rich book can be downloaded from the internet for free. Click here to download your copy today!
We would love to hear your comments on “How Do Entrepreneurs Think?” Please leave us a comment below. In our next Enterprise for Kids edition we will check back with Amber, Kit and Chayse to see how their enterprising businesses are going.
