Be aware of what I like to call “toxic people.”
This can be difficult, because it often contains people who mean a lot to us, including family and friends. You can love them, but unless they are experts or Rich Idiots, never listen to any advice they give you. Toxics appear in several subcategories.
1. The “I Mean Well” Group
These toxic people have no idea what they are talking about. Unfortunately, most people get some, if not all, of their wealth advice from the “I mean well” group. For example, your second cousin, who is a clerk at a discount department store, loves to tell you that investing in the stock market will never work. What is his reasoning? Because he never did it himself. People are programmed to tell you that you will never do a certain thing because they have never put that thing on themselves.
Let me ask you this: Would you take your child to a foot surgeon for surgery? Of course not. Because? Hey! Because a foot surgeon knows feet, not eyes. Don’t pay attention to all those people in this category.
2. The “Tried and failed” group
The second type in the “Toxic” category includes that group of unhappy people who have tried to become Rich Idiots and failed. This is where most people get their next big wealth tip.
The “Tried and Failed” crowd often includes people who made bad real estate or stock market decisions or started a business that crashed and burned. They now feel qualified to give you tons of advice on these investment vehicles. The moment you entrust your dreams of wealth to such people, they jump in and proceed to tell you their personal horror stories. Do not listen. In fact, run away as fast as you can.
3. The comfort zone group
The third group of Toxics is made up of the friends you hang out with because you feel comfortable in their company. These are the people you go to ball games with, drink beer with, share barbecues with, and work next door. They could be old school friends, favorite cousins, the guy who gave you a great deal on your car, or your next-door neighbors. They live in the same type of house as you, shop at the same stores, eat at the same restaurants, go to the same movies, and earn almost the same. The last one, who makes almost as much money, can kill your Rich Idiot foal. In fact, it is the main reason to stay away from his advice on money matters. Do you want to stay where you are or get rich? Hear from the people who really made it!
4. The dream thieves.
We are products of our environment. We have to be careful with the influences that swirl around us. As you begin your journey to wealth, take care to protect yourself from the dream stealers, the negative people in your life. I have discovered them among my friends and family. You probably have people like that in your life right now. The moment you try to do something different (start a new business, invest in new stocks, do something or anything to improve your wealth), what do these killjoys say? Nothing positive, certainly. Rather you miss out on saying warnings about an impending disaster.
Be careful. The more successful you are, the more the dream stealers will try to push you back. You may even lose good friends and loved ones in the process. But remember, they will find themselves falling behind because of their own fear and failure, not their success.
5. The “Oh, It’s Me” Group
This exclusive group contains only one member: you. The last toxic person you should take care of is yourself. Go to the mirror and take a good look at yourself. Do you see? Do you see a toxic person, your worst enemy, that evil twin who always whispers in your ear that you are a failure? Or do you see a cheerleader?
The bottom line is that you need to protect your vision and your path to success. Yes, you must get mentors and advice. But make sure you’re getting it from people who actually have a track record of success. Don’t listen to the “could have should have’s” around you.
