“Money is a game. Learn the rules and win!”
 
When I first heard that statement, I was offended! Money is too crucial to the living of life, I thought, to be treated lightly.

 

It provides the necessities to survive. It provides opportunities to enjoy life. And it also wrecks people’s lives. How can anyone call it a game?
 
Yet, I have learned the truth that it takes an understanding of money and how it works, in order to get ahead in life. Ignorance leads only to poverty, not financial freedom. And so I’ve immersed myself in education to better understand the way money works, to expand my financial context—to learn the rules of the game, if you like.
 
One of those resources is the game Cashflow 101. It is designed to learn the rules of financial success in a fun atmosphere before playing for real. Make your mistakes and learn from them in a setting that won’t actually cost you money, then apply that knowledge and those tactics in the real world. Even seasoned investors tell me they learn something new every time they play the game.
 

I’ve also devoured some of the books that have come out in recent years to help us understand, and get ahead on, the path to success. There are many financial education resources coming out these days from people committed to teaching us what, unfortunately, we never learned in school.
 
I’m becoming convinced that, with proper knowledge, discipline and motivation, anyone can become financially successful. So I’ve allocated some of my time and writing opportunities (hence, this blog post) to help others understand this, too—to grow their financial contexts, if you like, even as mine is growing.
 
So, I was intrigued when none other than Tony Robbins, one of the world’s leading personal development gurus, came out with a new book entitled, simply, Money: Master the Game. Here’s someone who has clearly mastered it himself, but who was so perturbed by what happened financially in 2008 that he determined to learn the truth about what makes the financial world tick, or crash, as the case may be. He decided not to tell his story but to interview all the greatest financial experts of our time and learn the inside secrets. Because of his reputation, he was able to get interviews that no one else gets. This is a seriously researched book! So I bought it and I’m reading it.

 

And guess what: He subtitled it “Master the game.” Early on, he defends calling it “a game” in the face of critical reviewers who questioned his use of the word. It’s accurate, he says, because that is how it is treated by the insiders of the financial world. As early as the first chapter, he gives an example that proves the point.
 
But, guess what else! He boils the topic down to a simple, readable, level, so that everyone can learn the same rules that the insiders and the experts use to win “the game.” He is committed, through this book, to help each one of us “master the game,” to make financial freedom accessible to all.
 
If money is such a powerful ingredient in our own efforts to survive, and even thrive, in this world, and to avoid the ugly pitfalls it can create, wouldn’t we all want to learn the rules?
 
Just wondering!
 
P.S. – I bought the book through Amazon.ca. You can, too.
 
Rent 2 Own tip:
When you can’t get a mortgage, it may be that you have not yet learned enough about the “game of money.” The rent 2 own route is an excellent way of learning some of the rules and mastering the discipline needed to get ahead on the journey toward financial independence. We coach you throughout the process, to help you take control of your own financial future.

 

Quote of the Week:

You’re already a financial trader. . . . if you work for a living, you’re trading your time for money. Frankly, it’s just about the worst trade you can make. Why? You can always get more money, but you can’t get more time.
– Tony Robbins