Financial Planning

The “get rich quick” lie ruins lives. I once had a friend who gave up college to pursue a pyramid scheme. It didn’t work.

The other day I stumbled across the blog of a guy who spent $6,000 on e-books that promised him easy wealth. He didn’t get a dime back.

I know a family who lived in poverty because the father, usually a sensible man, refused to give up the idea that he could find a “system” to help him get rich quick. They’ll probably never get out of the hole.

These failures will continue until the individuals come to realize what it means to make money. Until they actually understand what money is, they’ll continue to waste their life in borderline poverty, bouncing from one scheme to the next. But if they recognize what it really means to “make” money, they’ll never be the same; success will be simply inevitable.

How to MAKE Money — Literally

The “get rich quick” theory implies that random amounts of money naturally float from one person to another. Money is an automatic current that just weaves its way through society. If you can just figure out a way to point the money stream to you, you’ll be rich!

But that’s not how money works.

Have you ever wondered why money is referred to as being “made?” You have to -make- money. Money is an idea — it’s a representation of work, creation and value.

You see, when you have 20 bucks, you have a contract with society. The contract says that you have a certain entitlement to a certain amount of the labor of others.

You can go to a store and cash in on this entitlement. You can use the money and require a bag of grocery’s worth of labor from farmers in Florida, ranchers in Texas and factory workers in Arkansas. But that money is still about work.

Someone has to work for you to spend money; someone has to work for you to make money. Money is created — money is made.

Money is the paper representation of work, natural resources, and rational innovation. It makes bartering between working individuals easier. But money is always about work.

That means that no matter what, making money is about working. It’s about creating something of value, whether that’s just labor, a product or something else. You can’t make money without offering some sort of work on some level.

When a carpenter buys an apple from an old farmer’s fruit stand, both individuals had to work in order to reap the benefits of the exchange. The carpentar had to build houses for the money to spend, and the farmer had to raise crops for the money to make.

Of course, there are plenty of rich people who didn’t exactly get there by the sweat of their brow. What about them? That’s where the get-rich-quick mentality comes from.

How to GET Money — Literally

Getting money is a lot different than making money. Thieves can “get” money. Tyrants can “get” money. Spoiled rich kids can “get” money. Lotto winners can “get” money.

The difference between making money and getting money is this: when someone makes money, everyone benefits. Both sides did a bit of work, created something of value, and traded it.

But when someone gets money, it’s a one-way street. Someone loses. Thieves can get money; someone loses property. Tyrants can get money; citizens must suffer. Gamblers can make money; someone loses their shirt.

Whenever someone uses the word “get” when talking about money, and not “make” … run for your life. They know exactly what they’re talking about, and it’s heap bad medicine, chief.

Don’t Be Fooled

This is why the get-rich-quick schemes almost always fail. Usually, the only person who makes money is the guy who sells the “system.” In a sense, he’s a thief, peddling a product with dishonest claims. Someone loses.

Don’t aid the schemes. Don’t sell them. Certainly don’t buy them, even if the offer is incredibly appealing.

So What Now?

If you’re looking for a way to make money, here’s a quick nugget of truth (no, I’m not selling anything):

Wealth can only be made through creativity on the part of someone. Make sure that someone is you, and you’ll always make money. It’s impossible to not to make money when you focus on creation.

You don’t have to sell your soul to make money — the very opposite occurs, if your actually creating wealth. Don’t join the ranks of the soulless “haves” without earning your way there.

• Be the most productive one at the office.

• Always have a creative idea for every meeting.

• Find one thing that you do inefficiently. Fix it.

• Find one thing that you do right. Do it better.

• Focus on helping everyone else, and you’ll succeed.

• Focus on your worth, not on your paycheck.

• Focus on your work, not your money.

The above list is the epitome of the worker who has the ultimate level of financial security. You’ll never get laid off if you’re a creative worker. The only thing you’ll “get” is a well-deserved raise.

Conclusion

“Get” rich quick schemes are based on leaching from the economy. They’re for people who don’t want to earn money. They aren’t for you — you should focus on creation. If you focus on creation, you can’t fail.

Go out and become a creator. Become the most productive person you know. Meet you at the top.