This is the question Hill poses, and goes on to explain that education is not the determining factor in successful wealth creation.
What is education, anyway? …
“As far as schooling is concerned, many of these men had very little. John Wanamaker once told me that what little schooling he had, he acquired in very much the same manner as a modern locomotive takes on water, by “scooping it up as it runs.” Henry Ford never reached high school, let alone college. I am not attempting to minimize the value of schooling, but I am trying to express my earnest belief that those who master and apply the secret will reach high stations, accumulate riches, and bargain with life on their own terms, even if their schooling has been meager.”
I told you before this theme would be recurring, and it will again after this.
Education Plays A Minor Role
As Napoleon Hill says, no one is arguing that education is useless, but education alone is not enough to build wealth. You must also know the important elements to successful wealth creation, those that are not taught in school. Like Napoleon Hill, we reiterate this point at Universal Wealth Creation and throughout our materials because we know that anyone has the ability to get rich and live better, and we know that you were not given the most effective education for wealth creation at school or college. And that is exactly why books like Think And Grow Rich or Mindset Mastery can be such a help to people. They have the ability to make you realize and discover the information you do need in order to find wealth and success.
I will see you back here Monday and Thursday every week for the continuation of the Mindset Mastery series.
Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
SeanRasmussen.com © 2004 – 2008
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I stumbled upon your website some time ago. I am thankful that I did. Your messages sent to my e-mail have made all the difference in my perspective lately. Your messages have given me hope and inspiration. Thank you.
Thank you, Jodie. I’m happy to help.
I had this very argument with two close friends of mine over the weekend.
One of my friends was telling a child off because they were not getting good grades.
I proceeded to ask if anyone in the room had good grades. One friend put his hand up and said I did – with which I replied, and what do you have to show for it – he said nothing!
The other frind then got angry with me, and said why do you think we are telling our kids to get good grades. At least they have a better chance; and what’s more we want them to have what we don’t.
And herein lies the problem. You can tell a child until you are blue in the face that they are better off in life if they get good grades etc, but if they can look at you and see something toally different, it wont change things.
Whether you were a flop at school and didn’t get too far, or you were good at school but struggle financially it doesn’t matter. If the child sees any form of struggle this is what they will associate with – not your words!!!
And it is this that I could not get my friends to see.
Children are bored, they listen to rap music, they get into trouble, they commit crimes, they show a lack of respect and on and on it goes – but is it any wonder. It doesn’t seem to matter if the parents had a good education or not, everyone is struggling in the eyes of our children.
This old disciplinary form of telling the kid to sit down and shut up and learn is useless. It does nothing but create a wide gap.
We need to inpire our children by focussing our efforts on being passionate in life. Live in peace with yourself, serve the world, and enjoy doing it, and the rest (financial well-being, great relationships etc) will follow.
Dean
Well said, Dean. Passion is the key – and leading by example.
Another point I’d like to share is from Dr John Demartini. He says that you need to communicate with peoples “Values”. If you can get a kid to relate learning to their value system they will all excel. If a boy is interested in riding bikes, then relate his learning to bikes. How will be be able to ride his bikes more “because” of having good grades?
Why is it a kid “diagnosed” with ADD can focus intensely on a video game for 5 hours and know everything there is to know about it? That is hardly attention disorder! The kid simply has attention for what is in his “Values”.
If you can tell the kid that and make him believe it – he will achieve it!
Education is a life-long learning process. It’s a shame that most people equate schooling with education and totally overlook other important educational inputs. The example set by their parents, where they are taken, how they are mentored, what opportunities are afforded to them and how the parent responds to the child are all aspects of education. Travel is education. So is reading and basically every new expereince that you expose yourself to is education.
the gradual process of acquiring knowledge and knowledge acquired by learning and instruction all adds to a persons education
Hi Sean,
I agree that formal education is not a guarantee to wealth and success. We are not taught how to have the right mindset to create wealth and the life of our dreams. Maybe if the success principles were taught in school, we would be more successful.
I really appreciate that books like ‘Think and Grow Rich’ and ‘Mindset Mastery’ exist and that men like you Sean, are willing to share their knowledge and experience with those of us seeking to improve our lives.
Hi Sean,
I think also that parents and possibly teachers as well gave kids negative thoughts about money. I know I had some of these when growing up, such as.
* Money is the root of all evil. (message is money is bad)
* Money doesn’t grow on trees (giving a message of scarcity)
* Your health is your wealth
* Money doesn’t buy happiness.
* Rich people are mean with money.
* People who are rich are crooks.
Negative thoughts learned as a kid about money need to be deprogrammed out of the thinking and replaced with positives thoughts on money into the subconscious.
Jill.
I can’t deny the value of a good education. It brings people out of poverty. It helps women to avoid forced marriages and unwanted pregnancies. It’s what the United Nations is working towards bringing to every child in the world because there are children who, in 2010, don’t go to school because of forced labour and other situations of poverty.
But no ONE factor, is the key to success. It’s not just having the thought. It’s not just having the faith. It’s not just the talent. And it’s not just the education. It’s a whole combination of things.
I disagree with the subheading, “Education Plays a Minor Role”. It plays a huge role. It’s easy for us to take education for granted in Australia where education is free. And where ANYONE can go to school. In this country, if you talk about education, it’s easy to say, “Well, I actually meant a formal education, like going to uni” because primary school education here is a given. And where literacy rates are so high, basic reading and writing skills are a given.
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