Real Deal REInvestor Network

P.T. Barnum’s The Art of Money Getting is an excellent book.  It’s concise and full of great insight.  It reminded me of the book of Proverbs.  The author lays out 20 “golden rules” that he has discovered one must abide by in order to be successful and make money.  In the information age, it seems that we as a society are constantly bombarded with marketing pieces from someone trying to sell us something that promises to hold the secrets to wealth and success.  When in reality, as P.T. Barnum points out, the path to wealth is quite simple really: Always spend less than you make and you will one day be wealthy.  The things that lead to wealth and success are in many ways common sense, but common sense isn’t that common now, is it?  

The author starts with the very basics.  He encourages the reader to examine himself and figure out what he is naturally good at and enjoys doing and to focus on developing his vocation around those strengths.  Then he goes a step further and reminds the reader that his location is almost just as important as his vocation.  You can have great talent, but if your location doesn’t value that talent, you will have a very hard time building wealth and being successful.  Common sense, right?  But, again how many people actually step back and take a look at their lives this way?  Have you?  

One of the next things that stood out to me was the need to take action. “Fortune always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself.”  The author shares an old maxim that really spoke to me: “Be cautious and bold.”  At first this appears to be contradictory, but he goes on to explain that one should be cautious in making his plans, but that he should be bold in implementing them.  This requires a balance.  If one is only cautious, he will never take action and never be successful.  If one is only bold, he will be hasty and doomed to fail.  Both caution and boldness are required to be successful.

Perseverance is also necessary to be successful.  “How many have almost reached the goal of their ambition, but, losing faith in themselves, have relaxed their energies, and the golden prize has been lost forever.”  The goal should always be to be the best at what you do.  If you have that attitude, it doesn’t matter what profession, career, or business you choose, there will always be room for you to succeed.  If you focus on providing excellence in everything that you do, you will not have to worry about wealth or success, they will both naturally follow.

I’ve only shared a few of the “nuggets” that I picked up out of the 20 “golden rules” that the author shares in this great book.  If you’ve enjoyed what I’ve shared, and would like to read the book yourself, you can download or print it here for free: http://www.hisrealestatenetwork.com/userfiles/P_T_-Barnum-The-Art-of-Money-Getting-Free-Ebook.pdf