A friend of mine went to hear legendary marketer Dan Kennedy speak at a meeting in Ohio. He said Dan gave some helpful advice on what to say when someone, whether family member, friend or complete stranger, asks you for money.
Dan said ask these two questions:
1. Do you know that libraries are free?
2. What are the last five books you’ve read to improve your lot in life?
Thirty years ago, when I was homeless and then struggling in poverty, I always went to the library. I borrowed books when I couldn’t afford to buy them. I read them. I studied them. I implemented what I learned.
As a direct result of this persistent and relentless quest to learn and grow, I’m now collecting cars and guitars, looking at multi-million dollar estates, and starting a movement to end homelessness.
But I’m not the only person to read and grow rich.
Yesterday I interviewed self-made billionaire Bill Bartmann for my Hypnotic Gold series. It was incredibly inspiring.
Bill was homeless at age 14. Yet he pulled himself up and went on to build businesses in fields where he had no education or experience. (!)
He became one of the world’s few billionaires. (There are just over 1,000 of them.)
How?
By educating himself.
This is a secret to success: Keep reading, learning, growing, risking.
Don’t ask for money.
Ask for the best books.
Read them and implement what you learn.
What were the last five books you read to improve your lot in life?
Ao Akua,
Joe
www.mrfire.com
PS — Photos of me with my 2008 Rolls-Royce Phantom and the 12-string custom made Taylor guitar are by master photographer Rodney Bursiel. (Left click on image to enlarge.)
30 Comments
Great advice Joe. It also about implementing what you read.
Ooo! I love this question! Let’s see…
I finally just read THE ONE MINUTE MILLIONAIRE and loved it. Love, love, loved. Turned right around and am re-reading it.
The Bob Burg classic, ENDLESS REFERRALS.
SECRETS OF SUCCESS: THE SCIENCE AND SPIRIT OF REAL PROSPERITY by Sandra Anne Taylor and her sister, Sharon Klinger. Really loved this one, too.
THE MONEY KEYS, by Karen Russo. Whole new ways of thinking and getting unstuck about money. (Even if you’re not stuck, it never hurts to have more tools in the toolbox.)
And of course, I always return to THE MILLIONAIRE MIND. I have it on audio because T. Harv’s a hoot to listen to.
Oh! And THE FOUR AGREEMENTS – another re-read. We should all re-read THE FOUR AGREEMENTS about every 90 days or so, I think.
Next up: Seth Godin’s latest, which I just ordered tonight. Huzzah!
I’d love to hear from others.
Hey Joe! I don’t read… I listen! I get the audiobooks. This way I listen as I walk to class. These walks used to be excruciatingly long, but now they are filled with stories, wisdom, and lots of smiles that these audiobooks have to offer.
Here are some of my recent “listens”
The Secret
The Key
Zero Limits
The Success Principles (Jack Canfield)
Happy For No Reason (Marci Shimoff)
Harmonic Wealth (James Arthur Ray)
The Law of Attraction (Esther and Jerry Hicks)
The next on my list is The Awakening Course.
Thanks for reminding us to read! (or listen, in my case). It has really changed my life!
~Sarah Kate
To Marketing Goddess:
Can you pls tell us the authors of these books you mentioned? Love to read them. Thank you.
YES!!!! Joe I could not agree more!!! i have always loved the library….like Oprah says, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give.” I LOVE to learn and implement what I have learned!!! Blessings!!!! Mike
Why has a bald guy in a blue house experienced many miracle this year? You guessed it. Reading and implementing. Constantly!. I am so grateful for all of your writings. They have helped me immensly.
The last 5 books that I have read are
1. A Happy Pocket Full of Money by David Cameron Gikandi
2. Then-The Oracle(Vol. I, The Dialogues) by Max de Jong
3. re-read Your Portable Empire by none other than Pat O’Bryan
4.The Power of Giving by Azim Jamal & Harvey McKinnon
5.How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
I am now reading Conversation with the Heart by Dr. Lise Janelle. She was fantastic on Saturday night.
Learning…Enjoying…Sharing
David
P.S. Hey Joe you were also fantastic on Saturday night. I will be reading Expect Miracles next.
Five books I’ve recently read include:
Obvious Adams by Robert Updegraff (look on ebay)
Through the Open Door: Secrets of Self Hypnosis by Kevin Hogan & Mary Lee LaBay
The Law of Attraction by Michael Losier
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg & John David Mann
The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle
I’m currently reading:
Get the Life You Want by Richard Bandler
Half of those I found at the library.
Joe one thing you forgot to mention is that the library is a great environment for getting rich.
1. Awaken the giant within
2. Think and grow rich
3. The science of getting rich
4. The science of being great
5. The richest man in babylon
Hi Joe,
A very inspiringful writings.
Now, just get to ACTION.
Regards,
Juri Maruli P. Saragih
http://www.BisnisAir.com
Excellent point about the power of reading, well, powerful material.
I got five books this week; 2 on marketing, 2 in self-help/spiritual, 1 fiction. I like a good mix, keeps you grounded.
Three of them I can really, really highly recommend:
1. Ready, Fire, Aim – Zero to $100 Million in No Time flat (by Michael Masterson)
2. The Instruction – Living the Life Your Soul Intended (by Ainslie McLeod)
3. The Key – The Missing Secret for Attracting Anything You Want (one J. Vitale)
Getting into The Key right now… 😉
GREAT photo with the Rolls, by the way… really makes ME smile about how that must feel…
I wish I could find that statistic the media keeps sending out about the percentage of people that read books every year. The one surprising one was how low the percentage is for people who actually go into a bookstore or library during the year. My bookcase is so full that I have piles laying around half finished – just like you have shown in one of your pictures – all over the house.
Hi Joe,
What a great, great post……
Something I realized late teens, was knowledge is the most valuable thing I can give myself. So I have read many wonderful books through the years. Uplifting and valuable personal growth books, AudioCDs and dvds are in my library.
Last ones are (books):
Money, and, the Law of Attraction (reading now) by Abraham-Hicks
Harmonic Wealth By James Arthur
Law of Attraction by Michael Losier
Attracting Abundance with EFT by Carol Look
The Jesus Code by John Randolph Price
Audio CD: The Missing Secret by Joe Vitale (This week Listening and doing workbook)
DVD:
Install & Transcend the secret By Joe Vitale
Try it on Everything-The Revolution Starts Within
You can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
The Secret
The law of Attraction in Action
Introducing Abraham – The Secret behind The Secret
Thank You for letting me share and I love everyone else’s lists too. Now I can check out other books I haven’t read. 😀
Thank You and I Love You,
Rev. Mary Madeline
Last 5 books I have read.
1. Your Portable Empire by the one and only Pat o Bryan-Numerous Times
2. Think and Grow Rich by Nap Hill
3. Personal Power by Tony Robbins
4. The Key by Joe Vitale
5. Moonlighting On The Internet by Yanik Silver
6. The E Code by Joe Vitale
Recommended “The Greatest Salesman In The World” by Og Mandino.
and “Autogiography of a Yogi” by Paramahansa Yogananda
Yes I have taken action. It was hard, but fun to learn. Continued Action.
Look at that Rolls…
Dont’ forget to watch “What The Bleep Do We Know.”
also the double slit experiment.Cool Quantum Stuff. Both on You Tube!
The books I finished reading are;
%100 Mind Power – Jack Addington
Stop Worrying and Start Living – Dale Carnegie
Think & Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
The Secret
How to win friends and influence people – Dale Carnegie
The Circle – Laura Day
Quantum Leap Thinking – James Mapes
The Law Of Attraction – Esther & Jerry Hicks (my personal favorite)
Attractor Factor – Joe Vitale
The Key – Joe Vitale (my personal favorite)
Zero Limit – Joe Vitale (reading only once is not enough for that kind of book)
Advanced Maya Texturing & Lighting – Lee Lanier (ehem this one is related with my 3D work =P)
I have 24 more books waiting for me to read in that genre…
I hope you find me a good student
by the way – joe-cool.jpg is really cool
Statistics show that after high school, people read less than 1 book a year and by the time they reach age 65, they’re dead broke. Reading is not only fundamental, it can eliminate poverty. Joe Vitale and Robert Kiyosaki are my favorite authors.
Wow! Such wonderful and inspirational book lists from all the comments! I was so inspired that I immediately ordered two books by Pat O´Bryan that I have been thinking of for a while.
Of course Joe’s book are among my favorites, no need to mention them again.
Other favorites that I truly recommend are all the Dreamhealer books by Adam.
I’m looking forward to next Hypnotic Gold and the interview with Bill Bartmann.
Love, Light and Peace to Joe and all of you!
@Sarah Kate – I’m with you on the audio books. My car is full of them. I was excited when my commute became longer because it meant more time with my favorite teachers.
As a matter of fact, right now I am spending my commute with Mr. Fire himself! I just purchased The Key from Amazon and I am in love! Joe was one of my favorite teachers on The Secret, which I also listen to in my car, so I was more than happy to buy The Key. Soon as I’m finished with a few listens I’m gonna be getting me some Zero Limits on CD:grin:
Hi Joe
1. Your Attractor Factor
2. How to talk to God
3. On the Path to Love
4. E Myth
5. Zero Limits
Thank you so much for being motivational and opening our minds. I would not have the success or be where I am, if it was not for you. So thank you!
It’s a great story. I’ve heard part of it before and I can relate to the very human tendancy to drive life in a direction we think it needs to go, even if the direction is very damaging.
Everyone can learn from this if they’ll be honest with themselves. I think most of us sabotage ourselves in one way or another in an effort to “script the movie of our life”.
You know like…
I’m a single mom so it has to be hard finding good work.
I’m a recovering addict so of course nobody wants to trust me.
I’m an entrepreneur so naturally times are tough now and then.
And blah blah blah. I believe we can evolve past this bizarre need for drama but it’s kind of cool hearing the confession coming from one of my professional heroes Joe. 🙂
g,day guy,s lets see the last real book was, 1.the one command, 2,think & grow rich 3,bill harris thresholds of the mind, 4,john burley,s books 5,e-myth thats last week this week it,s simple-olegy course 101,102 and an interesting one recomended by JOE, THE LOST ART OF PELMANISM,book 1-12 e-books time flys
p,s MAN IS THAT A COOL ROLLOR YEA! GO JOE!!!THAT,S GOING IN MY MINDMOVIE THANKS AGAIN
Greetings Dr. Joe Vitale,
First I would like to say thank you to all the things you do for the communities and the people from everywhere around the globe. I lived a nice childhood and my parents where poor (very). At the age of 12 I had the chance to go to a private school with a gift from the nunes. At the age of 16 I quited school to go work and make money by working in restaurants and stuff I really did not liked. My health was suddenly droping. At those time I did not suffered from love because I had mostly the choice of who I would be with. Then at the age of 22 I did stoped smoking and my health was regaining energies, in that same year I did a travel across France by couch surfing with friends . I did not had the money so I worked on the Foreign Legion of France for one week but that was not enough to buy a plane ticket to go back to Canada. When I came back to Quebec with the help of my mother, I had so many problems on mental health and stuff like that because I was living still with my mother and had no job, I even slept on the streets in Vancouver in another travel. In 2006 I met the mother of my child, a very wonderful mother but we had no more love to each other because I realized that she was not my type of woman. Now since the lost of 4 family members in two years (cancer 🙁 ), I am in a 3D class and I do what I love in life, I have a fantastic child that I love and make enough money to buy me what I like. It is for sure that in the future it will be better but for now it is good like that… my goal is not to be billionaire, my goal is to live properly without ”needs”. I know that needs always grows more…. I will always think : ” What do I REALLY need” instead of just paying a lot for luxury need… that way I dont spend the money of others badly and I have my need satisfied. Thank you very much Dr. Vitale
I am so grateful I received all of these reminders today that it is not enough to just read all these amazing books I have to apply what you learn to every area of your life! every day… sometimes I do slip back into that old worry mode and then everything is drained, ever so quickly! energy and money! thank you for taking the tiime to share. I’m off to read and write and apply! May your day by filled with Joy, Laughter and Happiness.
VERY GRET YOUR CONCENTRATION
WELL DONE YOU HELPED MEANY PEOPLE TO LIVE IO THINK
GOD HELPS YOU TO BE STAR FOR OTHERS
Wow, books are by best friends. They find me. People gift them to me or I attract the right book at the right time. Listing the latest 5 books in my life is hard. I’d like to include many more. But here is the list:
Expect Miracles by Joe Viltale
The Celestine Vision by James Redfield
The Moses Code by James Twyman
Golf for Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra
You Can Be Happy No Matter What by Richard Carlson
Taming Your Gremlin by Rick Carson
Zero Limits by joe Vitale
My favorite part of having read a good book is to gift it on to someone else.
Thanks joe for creating so many great books for millions of people who no doubt treasure the miracles that are attracted by your wisdom and compassion for mankind.
Happy, Happy reading to all.
Merilee A. Warde
Certified Miracles Coach in California