Robert Kiyosaki

Are you heading in the direction of your dreams?

Steve Jobs said, “If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?” I love this quote because it gets you thinking about where you are in your life against where you really want to be. Today, I want you all to be thinking about this. 

Right now, many of us are experiencing a financial recession mostly brought on by COVID-19. Plenty of businesses have shut their doors while many others have laid off employees, and the effects are being felt in most corners of the world. So when everything seems to be against us, is there absolutely no way to become wealthy?

In times like these, fear creeps in and further sabotages our plans for becoming economically relevant again. But there is more than one way of being smart about money during a financial crisis and ensuring that the effects of future recessions are not disastrous.

To drive home this message, we have Robert Kiyosaki, the author of the internationally bestselling book series on personal finance, Rich Dad Poor Dad, with us today. Robert is here to talk about the most challenging lessons he has learned from business and how you can thrive in the midst of a recession.

“You’re only poor if you give up. The most important thing is that you did something. Most people only talk and dream of getting rich. You’ve done something.” – Robert Kiyosaki

If you are ready to do something about your situation instead of giving up on your dreams, then you, my friend, are at the right place. But before we begin, I would quickly like to introduce you to this charismatic human — Robert Kiyosaki.

Who Is Robert Kiyosaki?

Robert Kiyosaki is an entrepreneur, investor, motivational speaker, educator, financial knowledge activist, and bestselling author who firmly believes that the world needs more entrepreneurs who can create jobs. 

Robert is the founder of Rich Global LLC and the Rich Dad Company, a private financial education company that imparts personal finance and business education to the masses through videos and books.

Robert’s internationally acclaimed book series Rich Dad Poor Dad has sold massively worldwide. It compares his two “dads” — one was his poor biological father and the other a fictitious rich dad. The poor father was very educated but had no money. In contrast, the rich father was a high school dropout and was, in fact, Hawaii’s richest man. This book is a must-read if you are starting out on your financial journey. Robert’s got a new book out — Who Stole My Pension?: How You Can Stop the Looting — which is now available online for purchase.

“I’d rather welcome change than cling to the past.” – Robert Kiyosaki

I’m so glad you’re here today to learn how to make some changes in your financial situation in a down economy by optimizing the situation. We’ve got one of the icons in this space, Robert Kiyosaki, to share his wisdom and personal perspective. Let’s begin!

The Three Kinds of People and the Opportunities That Exist

Are you afraid of dying? If you thought ‘yes,’ then Robert thinks that you are already dead. In the marines, they call such people ‘corpsmen.’ A corpsman is a person who is already dead but doesn’t know it yet. The fear of dying keeps one anxious and on their toes, mainly because they have given up. If you are not taking action to take back control of your life, health, and finances, you will never come out of the pit you are in. To understand how to get out, let’s first try to understand the three kinds of people that exist, according to Robert.

“There are three kinds of people in the world. The first kind is ‘fragile.’ … They are like champagne flutes, … you hit them, they shatter. The second kind is called ‘robust.’ A robust person is like a rock; you can pound a dump on them, they take it, but that’s all they do. … And then there is ‘antifragile,’ who is somebody … who gets smarter and better because … of the crap that is dumped on them. [Such people thrive].” – Robert Kiyosaki

The pandemic has been a testing time for all of us across the globe. The baby boomers and the older generation suffered as they lost all their pensions, health care, and more. But Robert believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented itself as an opportunity, at least for the younger generation of millennials. Are you curious to know how?

“This pandemic-induced crisis is the best thing that ever happened to [the youth]. [When] you think [of something like the] iPhone — you have more power in that iPhone than I had with my … mainframe computer. … The economy may be bad now, but this is the best time for [the millennials] because you all are tech-savvy. I’m not tech-savvy, … but you guys have got this made for you. The older generation like me are being cleaned out by the pandemic.” – Robert Kiyosaki

That’s a beautiful example of how bad times in the end almost always lead to good times. Maybe in the next 5-10 years, when you, the younger generation, sit down and think about your life, you will either think of how those years screwed you up or hurt you, or you will ponder over how to make the best of the things you have learned through all the hardships. If you find yourself in the latter, then you will always find a way to build upon your skills, get more creative and hungrier for growth, and eventually find yourself surrounded by opportunities for your taking.