8 Secrets of Truly Rich - Chapter 14

8 Secrets of the Truly Rich

By: Bo Sanchez
Buy your own copy at any National Bookstore Outlet

Train Them While They're Young
The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.
-Dennis Waitely

One day, when my son was five years old, he wanted to buy a toy - a Power Rangers robot.
"Will you buy this for me, Daddy? he asked.
I shook my head. "You need to earn money to buy that."
"How?"
"Set up a business," "What can you sell?"
His face lit up. "I'll sell bangus. I saw him writing , Lola Linda, Ninong Robee, Cousin Denise..." and seven other names of family members.
Meanwhile, I typed up a list of the bangus products and printed a leaflet.
Bene grabbed a yellow necktie, wore it over his sando and shorts, and scooted out the door - with leaflet in hand. He rode his little three-wheel bike to his Lola's house, gave the leaflet to her, and said, "Just call anytime!"
For the next few days, my son kept giving his leaflets away.
In the first week, he sold P3,000 worth of bangus.
Let me remind you how old my saon was: five years old.
He also told me he's giving a tithe to the Lord and share with the poor.

I don't know how long his bangus business will last.
But this I know: The lessons he's learning will last a lifetime. He's learning that it's OK to have lots of money (LEsson #1). He's learning that in the real world, you don't get toys for free (Lesson #2). You earn it. You work for it. He's also learning that it's easy to earn money it you focus on it (Lesson #3). (This is shocking to some people. More on this later.) He's also learning that earning profits is better than earning a salary (Lesson #4) For example, I've never paid him for chores. I'm programming him to have an entrepreneur's mindset. And he's learning that there's no shame in selling - that it's a fantastic way to serve (Lesson #5).
Yesterday, Bene told me,"I want to sell another product." (How manyof you know of other five-year-olds who use the word, "product, "?)
I asked, "What son?"
"My CD," he smiled, "I'll sing my songs."
From bangus dealer to rock star.
To a five-year old, almost everything is possible if you believe.
Gosh. We need to learn that lesson again.

Train them while they're young.