Expand Your Means! Another Rich Dad Lesson

The other day I was out with a friend. We were sitting on the patio at our local pub sipping on some suds and enjoying the beautiful summer evening. We were discussing our summer plans and she mentioned that she'd love to go see a football game in Toronto. Unfortunately, she was currently on a job hunt and unemployed which meant funds were low and this particular game was going to be pretty costly. Immediately she said "I can't really afford it."

This one phrase is really the killer of ambition, drive and ingenuity. It's this phrase that can really be detrimental to our financial livelihood. As we were growing up we were taught that the best way to handle our personal finances is to live well below our means and save. Nobody really gave us the advice that we should seek to expand our means so that we can afford the things we enjoy most in life. Sure, our parents always told us to go get an education and get a secure well paying job, but that's not quite the same as telling someone they should expand their means to get the most out of life.

This one phrase "I can't afford it" is really a brick wall. After it is said that's the end of the conversation and the end of the financial road. Instead we should be asking "how can I afford this?" The subtle wording is enough to unleash a brainstorm of activity. Once you start asking this question your paradigms shift and your whole financial situation takes a drastic 180 turn. "How can I afford this?" is a phrase that unleashes the entrepreneurial spirit and your mind to delve into a world of possibilities. It's well understood that money is traded for things of value, so with this little phrase we begin to think about ways we can add value to the economy and the world!

So the next time you're about to say to yourself "I can't really afford that", change it to this question "how can I afford that?" and unleash the possibilities!

Included is a video from our Rich Dad.