An [make money] aha moment (partly based on Ankesh's parable)...

I think what I'm about to (try to) describe, is one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) thing that BLOCKS people from making $$.

It is this... "I'm going to ***DO*** [whatever], and that's going to make me $$$."

The "DO" above means "accomplish" or "create" or "provide."

Or, the search for this can be worded like this...

"What can I ***DO*** that will bring me an income?"

And (WORSE still): "Does what I find (or settle on) fit into what I would feel PROUD of accomplishing/creating/providing? Does it fit in with my PERSONALITY?"

So, the goal is not really to make money -- the goal is to make money THROUGH a means I like, or can feel proud of.

THIS IS A BLOCK, people!

This whole way of thinking is based upon an ASSUMPTION that may be FALSE!

The assumption is: there needs to be *something* that you must DO/CREATE/PROVIDE/ACCOMPLISH -- and that something is (located) BETWEEN you, and making money.

So, you THINK your search is to find what that in-between thing is.

I think the lesson in Ankesh's parable is...

Maybe the REAL search should be about ways to see that there DOES NOT *HAVE* TO BE something you must DO/CREATE/PROVIDE/ACCOMPLISH located BETWEEN you and making money.

Maybe there are ways to SKIP that in-between step entirely.

The big block then is the *EGO*!!!

The EGO tells one, "Watch ME -- *I'M* going to be REAL CLEVER -- *I'M* going to find a really *GREAT* (read: wholesome, helpful, clever, innovative -- or whatever your EGO + inner value system tells you) method by which to make MY $$$!!!"

Then your ego takes you on a MERRY TRAIL of finding the right/best in-between thing for you, personally (ie: fits in with your *EGO*).

But MAYBE that entire 'happy trail' is nothing more than an EGO-BASED CANARD!!! (wild goose chase)

Maybe the real happy trail to making money is finding paths that *SKIP* that entire in-between, so-called necessity!

Your EGO may be BLOCKING you!

Blocking you from finding simple + easy ways to go directly to the $$$.

Cheers.

-- TW

PS: Here's another way of looking at this overall concept... Your ego rejects ways to make money that are underhanded -- and that's a GOOD thing! But your ego may also be preventing you from seeing overly easy or overly simple money making methods.

Let's say you were able to just snap your fingers + make a million bux. Would you do it? In other words, there was NOTHING to do/provide/accomplish/create BETWEEN you + the $$$. Would you really do it? If you DID do it, wouldn't it be a "affront" to your ego? I mean, when you tell your friends + family about your new riches, the 1st thing they'll ask is, "HOW'D YOU DO IT?" How will they feel? -- how will YOU feel? -- when you tell them, "(sorry) I really didn't *DO* anything." That's not the way you REALLY want to make a million bux, is it -- really? NO! YOU want to make YOUR million via some cool, clever, helpful, innovative, ENTREPRENEURIAL way, right?

SAYS WHO???

Says YOUR EGO, that's who!

Here's an analogy:
Say you test two headlines -- #1 is the "sensible" headline you are now using. #2 is a CHEESY, SCREAMING, ALL-IN-RED, FORMULA headline that you HATE. You find out through REPEATED testing, that #2 ALWAYS gets a 2,000% better response. The question is, would you use #2? Well, let's put it this way -- the only thing PREVENTING you from using headline #2, is... your EGO. In other words, you don't simply want customers -- you want customers via methods YOU approve of -- methods that get through YOUR filters that YOU (your ego) has placed on the process. Filters also known as LIMITS. Artificially (and arbitrarily) induced, ego-driven FILTERS/LIMITS.

[Ankesh]

Thanks TW.

I think you are onto something. You can bypass the ego.

I'm a big fan of the concept of yin and yang. Everything is circular.

If you're happy - you'll smile. If you smile - you'll become happy. It works both ways.

If you have the right mental attitude, your path to success becomes easier. But circularly, if you get started on the right path - your mental attitude will rectify itself on its own.

Action leads to thought. Thought leads to action.

Some time back, I got to thinking what would make for an ideal non-institutional education for someone who wasn't artistically inclined? What educational path should you take if you want to become an entrepreneur?

My curicullum would focus on getting people started on taking action that would get rid of their mental blocks. And at the same time, expanding your mental horizon with good books and friends.

1. Start off with 30 day rejection therapy.
http://rejectiontherapy.com/rules/

2. At the same time, start off with 30 day thank you letter writing campaign:
http://www.ankeshkothari.com/how-to-...dies-for-free/

3. Then start on with Doubling Your way to a Million $ campaign:
http://www.cashocean.com/dldyw/double.pdf

4. Read 1 biography every 1-2 weeks.

5. Finally create a support group. Get mentors. Form mastermind groups with like minded folks. (Or maybe this could be the first step.)

3.b. After crossing the 17th stage of the Doubling Challenge, more time should be spent in finding a few good systems and strategies for managing:

i. time / tasks
The autofocus system: http://www.markforster.net/autofocus-system/

ii. money
http://www.amazon.com/Richest-Man-Ba.../dp/0451205367

iii. people

This I think would be an ideal education for entrepreneurs.

(The parable was written by Simon Latouche. I wish I had written it though. Simon Latouche's posts in the archive are brilliant.)

[Ankesh]

So I got a bit overboard in my previous post.

The tl;dr version is:
You can bypass your ego.
This is a good challenge to go on for doing so:
http://rejectiontherapy.com/rules/

Great info.

I'd also like to add what I once read in T. Harv Eker's book the millionaire mindset.

T.F.A.R.

That simply stands for,

Your thoughts leads to feelings.

Your feelings leads to actions.

Your actions leads you to results.

If you are not seeing the results that you'd like to see then you have to look at your thoughts.

So when you change your thoughts about a subject then you can change your results.

Keir

P.S.

Later in the book he adds P.T.F.A.R.

The "P" stands for programming. Change the program and you can change the thought.