The 800-pound gorilla -- aka The connection we're not making...

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by -TW

America is one of the few places on earth where a person CAN change their socio-economic status within their lifetime.

And they can do it, basically, under their own control.

They can decide to do it, and then do it!

But... part of that equation is: They must (first?) develop the ability to clearly see what WILL propel them upwards, and what will NOT.

My point was that it's NOT really a spectrum. There's an EMPTY SPACE between Low-Level Land and REAL SUCCESS (read: majorly big bucks).

Doing low-level stuff does not lead to the big time. Doing LOTS of low-level stuff probably won't even TOTAL big time level success.

Hi TW,

What you wrote made me think of what's been called the "Up Series" of documentary movies...

This is a remarkable series - I highly recommend it! The first program was called "7 Up". They took a bunch of British school kids, who were age 7 in 1964, and interviewed them. The kids were chosen to be from a wide range of socio-economic classes - from the very poor (e.g. kids in an orphanage) to the very rich. One of the guys behind this program was a young Michael Apted (who has gone on to direct films like "Gorillas in the Mist", and the James Bond film, "The World is Not Enough").

What's remarkable is, 7 years later, when the kids were age 14, they went and did a followup program.

Then another, and another... when the "kids" were aged 21, 28, 35, 42, and the latest installment is these individuals at age 49 !

You get the see the "life trajectory" of these individuals! That in itself is remarkable... But...

Given what we're usually interested in on this forum, there's one guy I think who's worth pondering over who is "followed" in this series of documentaries...

That's Tony.

Tony was a poor kid from the East End of London - a poor area with a high crime rate. But, since he was a kid, he had a bit of a "go getter" attitude about him... He dreamed of being a jockey.

Tony did become a jockey for a short time. By age 21, he was working as a runner for a bookie. The director, Michael Apted, apparently later confessed (to Roger Ebert) that he thought Tony would end up becoming a criminal.

However, it turned out that by age 28 Tony had become a taxi driver, owning his own taxi. By age 49, he now owns 3 homes, including a holiday home in Spain.

While that may not be fabulously wealthy, that is quite comfortable!

Anyway, it's a good series of movies... More info here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_series

You'll be amazed when you see the trajectory of these people's lives (both good and bad)...

Best wishes,

Dien

I saw a documentary in the UK about the "Millionaire Mind."

They made the point that the millionaire mind is almost identical to the criminal mind, in many ways.

I believe that is true.

Cheers!

-- TW

cant pass this up ...since I have ben through the same DISfunction ....and being age 48 may have something to do with it ..sinc eyou can see .or imagine, the ENd is in sight...and yu wonde rIF you have used your talents that were given you to the fullest...
and

I can tell you without even knowing you , that NO you havent....I know of no one who can tell you that honestly ....I am thinking that you are rating YOURself according to some one else's staNDARDS....and you wont be happy or content with yourself until you judge them by your standards or in my case , my faith's standards.

and then you can see what you really are and have been and could have been and all those things....and maybe stay up late at night worrying about the failures ..or whatevers...or

you can set your sights onto a more GIVING goal...towards the world, your neighbors, and yourself...I have found myself most satified when I have given ...and not been GRADED per se...if that makes any sense to you ...

I agree with Ankeesh's response about the really important people in your life...and , believe it or not, YOU are on some one's list as that person ...even if you do not know it....

how many people go back and thank their theird grade teacher for ________( fill int he blank) very few, I tried , but she had died. so you are some ONE"S hero ..today ....now ....and that should make you feel pretty good.

having experienced a semblense of wealth , and poverty ...I can tell you that the only difference, other than the obvious, is the PEOPLE....the folks who have helped me and the folks I have attempted to help

so , I would recommend you be grateful for today ...enjoy yourself responsibly , and finally , find someone you can help or mentor ...or go to the local stewpot and serve others...

so much for my ranting....

thanks

Wonderfully said Bob...

As I posted in...

'Last lecture' professor dies of cancer... Definitely inspirational...
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthread.php?p=21903

Live Life to the Fullest and Treat each day like it's your last...
http://www.wikihow.com/Live-Life-to-the-Fullest

Phil

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by -TW

I saw a documentary in the UK about the "Millionaire Mind."

They made the point that the millionaire mind is almost identical to the criminal mind, in many ways.

I believe that is true.

Hi TW,

Wow, that's a very interesting thought...!

I don't know if it's true, but if it is, maybe this is why...?

It seems to me that something in common is many entrepreneurs, as well as many criminals, look for "loopholes"...

A criminal might be looking for "loopholes" in security, for example. Such as any "loophole" in bank security, store security, credit card transaction security, etc.

Many entrepreneurs look for "loopholes" too... Of course, it could be a "hole" in the market that isn't yet being fulfilled. However, it could also be "loopholes" in the law, or "loopholes" in a contract.

Bill Gates made practically all his wealth from a "loophole" he created in his contract with IBM, allowing Microsoft to sell their operating system independently to third parties. That single "loophole" brought down IBM from being the "superpower" of computers, and helped Microsoft to take over!

Of course, many of the wealthy actively look for "loopholes" in tax law, to allow them to pay less tax. (Or they have people on payroll, looking for these loopholes for them.) It's a fact that many of the very wealthy pay a lower percentage of their income in tax than the middle-class do. That's because every law has loopholes, and people can find the loopholes in the law and exploit them.

I recently read about a business which provides low-cost treatment for recovering alcoholics (called simply, "The Retreat", located in Wayzata, Minnesota). Many alcohol and drug addiction treatment facilities are very expensive, because of the medical teams they legally need to have on hand. This business doesn't have those medical teams, so they cut their costs, and can charge much less. It means that a treatment facility is available to those who can't afford the usual exhorbitant fees. The "loophole" this business uses to do this is that, they are not legally registered as a treatment facility. Instead, they are only registered to provide "board and lodging". You can read the article about them here - http://www.startribune.com/business/26187774.html

I don't know if that's the kind of thing the program you saw was referring to, but that's what came to my mind. It'd be interesting to find out more about this British documentary you saw...

Cheers,

Dien

But it doesn't say much...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/tv/millionaire/

[Dien Rice]

Originally Posted by -TW

But it doesn't say much...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/tv/millionaire/

Hi TW,

Thanks for the link!

I found an article which might shed some light on how millionaires can be like criminals, according to that show you referred to, "Mind of a Millionaire"...

The article is "Moneyed words" - http://arts.guardian.co.uk/critic/fe...160323,00.html

To quote from the article...

This enthralling series seems to prove that there is a type. Successful entrepreneurs are maniacally energetic, self-confident, self-centred gamblers. A striking 73 per cent don't notice or care what other people think of them. It is a positive asset to be poor and poorly educated. They have, essentially, all the characteristics of the criminal. As Ivan Massow (one O-level in metalwork and £30m) said to the young prisoners he was trying to motivate: "The skills you need to get into trouble are very similar to the skills you need to be businessmen." They were all, he said, entrepreneurs. "Failed, obviously."

I thought this quote near the start of the article was interesting too...

Much the most entertaining [millionaire] was 18-year-old Dominic McVey. He was the essence of Kevin. He responded to conversational gambits with grunts. He flopped in a corner looking filleted. One long, bleached strand of hair suggested the stuffing was coming out of his head. His mouth hung open. He has been a multimillionaire since he was 15, when America gave him the European distribution rights to that scooter that used to get under your feet everywhere. His headmaster noticed he was playing truant again when he saw him on TV in Tokyo, exploring the possibility of importing Japanese lavatories. "I don't think Dominic feels he needs a safety net," said this much-tried man. "He believed in himself to a degree that most people find quite irritating." Dominic agreed. "You have to be so confident in yourself it can make you cringe. But if you're not, you ain't gonna do it."

It's an interesting article...

Dien

Risk taking, paying no attention to the 'rules,' super confidence, the ability to persuade others, charm, pushing the envelope, creativity, taking advantage on untapped resources (!), competitiveness, pioneer spirit, occasional genius, seeing the whole picture, zigging when others are zagging, lone wolf syndrome, unemployable, etc.