Chapter Two : My Personal Transformation

My Personal Transformation

Nothing exists in our consciousness unless
we allow it to be there.
We have the power to create change -
Anytime we decide to do so.

During the time I was watching my breast cancer and bone tumor patients fight for their survival, I was deeply aware that I, too, was fighting for the survival of my personal integrity.  I was in the midst of a major crossroad that would ultimately affect the direction of my life.  My patients were the catalysts that would create a testing ground for me to either make the choices that would honor my personal truth or cause me to fall in with the mass of followers. I could not be one of those who do not listen to the voice of their conscience, but take the safe road to achieve their goals. 

Through my intership at University Hospital, I made long-lasting friendship with other interns.  I would talk with the interns I was closest to about the anticancer drug and how it affected the patients.  I expressed my doubts about the continue use of this 'Devil's Drug' and that I believed I needed to stop giving it to the patients.  We had many discussions about whether these feelings were right or wrong. I shares with them that I felt more like a killer than a doctor.  But time and time again, the answers from the other interns were always the same.  They seemed to echo in unison, 
"The hospital professor is very powerful!  If you disagree with him and do not follow his orders and give the anticancer drug to patients as you are instructed, he will become very angry.  You will never be able to receive you Ph.D at this hospital! You will have to go somewhere else."

"We should always obey what is asked of us.  This is the only way we can become doctors and go on for our Ph.D.s.  We cannot argue with what we are told, or we will be fired and lose all hope for our future in the medical field!" 

I remembered one story told to me that happened at this hospital. It happened long before I arrived here. There was a doctor on the staff, a good doctor and a kind person.  he was a humanitarian doctor.  He was always concerned for his patients.  He was not like some of the other doctors, only interested in their careers and their own future, such as becoming a professor or making more money for themselves.  He disliked prescribing drugs, even though his professor insisted.  It troubled him to watch his cancer patients suffer from the overuse of drugs, especially the new experimental anticancer drugs.  Instead, he would use alternative therapies  that he believed were safer and more natural.  Because he did not follow his professor's orders, he was fired. 

Even though he was a good doctor with a good reputation, he could not find another position because his professor used his influence with other hospitals against the good doctor.  He became so frustrated and disgusted that he quit medicine. 

The Japanese medical society is an elite class.  It respects and takes care of doctors from universities with the most reputation and power.  They are the only ones who ever become professors in prestigious hospitals.  Those who graduate and are trained at other, less prestigious universities have a difficult time getting opportunities to practice at prestigious hospitals.  If a doctor is graduate of the same medical school as his medical  superior, he will be treated differently with special favor. 

Under the strong power and influence of a professor, hospitals can get doctors to fill their staff in respective hospitals. The president or director of a hospital will go to the professor and request doctors. How they show respect and patronize the professor will determine if they are successful. 

Because my family has a long history on medicine and owns a large, successful hospital in Osaka, Japan, other doctors have treated me with jealousy.  When I decided that my patients were being given too much of a dangerous drug and decreased the amount of dose, another doctor would change my order on the patient's chart and raise the dosage without notifying me. 

Knowing that I would never be able to respect my professor or the doctors who jumped to his orders, i had to make a career decision before I lost my desire to continue to practice medicine.  Beside turning to fellow interns who were my friends for advice, I turned to my family for advises as well.  I respected the wisdom of my mother, who had tremendous insight and heart. She, without s doubt has had the largest impact in my life.  Her words of wisdom would ring loud and clear within my soul.  Ultimately, it would be her influence that would lead me through my struggle and toward the destiny I did not at the time understand. 

The turning point in my life that enabled me to come to terms with my own personal truth were the words I heard her  speak to me when I was only 16 years of age. 

My mother said , " What I would like to say to you is that you should never be a 'money' doctor. If you will be a doctor who is focused on money, your life will be short because of resentment. However, if you become a humanitarian doctor, your life will be so full of happiness and you, as well as the people who you help, will be forever grateful." 

These are the words my mother said to me on the day my father died.  Because of the untimely death of my father at such a young age, and the circumstances surrounding his death, my mother's words will remain with me forever.


My family's tragedy
1963

What happened to my father? 
He was such a healthy person!
  I can't believe he is gone today when just yesterday he was so healthy!
 Why had we not noticed the situation of his ailing health in time?
Especially since my father was a doctor, why was he not able to tell us that he had not been feeling well?
Why was modern medicine not able to prevent his stroke?

I couldn't believe he was gone.  I feared for our future and wondered if we would ever be able to have a normal life again. 

My father died when he was just 42 years old.  he was a very famous surgeon whose specialty was cancer surgery.  He had a tremendous amount of drive and energy. He started and developed the Ohno Hospital in Osaka, Japan into a very renowed institution. He was driven to become the president of the Japan Medical Society. 
He was an exceptionally hard worker and never believed in taking a break.  He went to hospital every day to see his patients, even on Saturday and Sunday. The only time he took a day off was on New Year's Day. 

His main interest was pancreatic cancer, and he had a research center in the hospital so that he could continue his search for a cure. After he finished his daily schedule of surgery , he would always go to the research center to study until midnight.  There were times he would stay longer if he was performing an animal experiment.  I rarely saw him and I would ask my mother why he wan not home. She answered, "Father has stayed at the research center to finish his experiment." 

December 8. 1963, was a cold winter's day with the forecast of snow. I was just 16 years old. that morning  when I woke up,  my father was still home. To see him home at this hour was very strange, because he always left for the hospital very early in the morning.  He was never home for me to see him when I got  ready for school.

"Good morning,, Father!" I said.
He did not answer me immediately because  he was not feeling well.  I wasn't aware at the time that he was in physical  pain , so I ignored his delayed response and didn't think very much of it at that moment.  Seeing him home that winter morning is the last memory I have of seeing my father alive. 

As soon as he arrived at the hospital that morning, he asked a nurse to check his blood pressure.  The nurse took his blood pressure and said, " Dr. Ohno! Your blood pressure is dangerously high! Your blood pressure is exceptionally high and the reading is 22/120!  It is impossible for you to perform the surgery  you have scheduled today !"

"Please cancel today's surgery because your own health is in a very serious situation ! Dr. Ohno, I am very concerned that  you will suffer a heart attack or a stroke ! Please stop your plans to operate!"  

TWO MEN • ONE MESSAGE

Dedication: We dedicate this book, Why We Want You To Be Rich , to William Zanker and The Learning Annex and applaud their commitment to financial education. Donald J. Trump  & Robert T. Kiyosaki.

In Summary : Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

The wildly financially successful authors of this book state, early on, that a reader will not find in its pages specific advice on how to make or invest money. It's more a book of philosophy (note the "why" in the title), and if it's not exactly Kierkegaardian in scope or language, this collaboration of real estate magnate and rags-to-riches financial guru manages to entertain and to inform. Written in bite-size chunks and adorned with quotes (some from the authors' previous works or speeches) and graphs, it explains why some people get rich and others... well, don't. Some tales are shopworn: the many references to Warren Buffett are tales well told, for example, but what works best are the aphorisms and the personality type descriptions within the "CASHFLOW Quadrant" no matter what you do for a living, in your heart are you an E, an S, a B or an I? (Key: E=employee; B=big business owner; S=self-employed, specialist or small business owner; I=investor.) But Trump and Kiyosaki (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) together are a strangely winning combination (they've published this book jointly and privately and a portion of its profits will be donated to charity). 

Bottom line: these Messrs. Money-bags know their business. We're talking billionaires here, and really, how can you argue with success?

"The rich are getting richer , but are you?"

"We are Iosing our middle class, and a shrinking middle

class is a threat to the stability of America and to world democracy itself. We want you to be rich so you can be part of the solution ,.. rather than part of the problem," - Donald J. Trump and Robert T. Kiyosaki

INTRODUCTION, page 3.

Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki are both concerned. Their concern is that the rich are getting richer but America is getting poorer. Like the polar ice caps, the middle class is disappearing. America is becoming a two-class society. Soon you will be either rich or poor. Donald and Robert want you to be rich.

This phenomenon - the shrinking middle class - is a global

problem, but predominantly in the richer G-8 nations (in countries such as England, France, Germany, Japan, etc.)

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said, "As I have often said, this is not the type of thing which a democratic society - a capitalist democratic society - can really accept without addressing." He went on to explain how the income gap between the rich and the rest of the U.S. population has become so wide, and is growing so fast, that it might eventually threaten the stability of democratic capitalism itself.

The Problem Is Education

What did the Federal Reserve Chairman state as the main

cause of the problem? In one word, his answer was education.

Mr. Greenspan points out that u.S. children test above the world average levels at the 4th grade level. But by the 12th grade level, they are far behind. He says, "We have to do something to prevent that from happening."

Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki also place the blame on

the lack of education. But they focus on a different type of

education, financial education. Both men are very concerned

about the lack of quality financial education in America, at all

levels. Both men blame the lack of financial education for the

United States having gone from the richest country in the world to the biggest debtor nation in history, so quickly. A weak U.S. economy and a weak u.s. dollar (the reserve currency of the world) are not good for world stability. As is often said in other parts of the world, "When the United States sneezes, the world catches cold."

INTRODUCTION  Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki are both concerned. Their concern is that the rich are getting richer but America is getting poorer. Like the polar ice caps, the middle class is disappearing. America is becoming a two-class society. Soon you will be either rich or poor. Donald and Robert want you to be rich. This phenomenon - the shrinking middle class - is a global problem, but predominantly in the richer G-8 nations (in countries such as England, France, Germany, Japan, etc.) Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said, "As I have often said, this is not the type of thing which a democratic society - a capitalist democratic society - can really accept without addressing." He went on to explain how the income gap between the rich and the rest of the u.s. population has become so wide, and is growing so fast, that it might eventually threaten the stability of democratic capitalism itself. The Problem Is Education: What did the Federal Reserve Chairman state as the main cause of the problem? In one word, his answer was education. Mr. Greenspan points out that u.S. children test above the world average levels at the 4th grade level. But by the 12th grade level, they are far behind. He says, "We have to do something to prevent that from happening." Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki also place the blame on the lack of education. But they focus on a different type of education, financial education. Both men are very concerned about the lack of quality financial education in America, at all levels. Both men blame the lack of financial education for the United States having gone from the richest country in the world to the biggest debtor nation in history, so quickly. A weak u.s. economy and a weak u.s. dollar (the reserve currency of the world) are not good for world stability. As is often said in other parts of the world, "When the United States sneezes, the world catches cold." 

There is a difference between being poor and being broke. Broke is temporary. Poor is eternal.

There is a difference

between being poor

and being broke.

Broke is temporary.

Poor is eternal.

4 : INTRODUCTION

Both Men Are Teachers

Both Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki are successful

entrepreneurs and investors. Both men do business and are

recognized internationally. Both men are also teachers. Both men

are best-selling authors, produce educational board games, speak

at financial education events, and both have educational

television programs. Donald Trump has his megahit network

television show, The Apprentice and Robert Kiyosaki has his

television show, Rich Dad's Guide to Wealth, on PBS, the highly

acclaimed educational public television network.

Both men are teachers, not because they need more money.

They are both teachers because they are concerned about the fate

of you and your family, this nation and the world.

Rich people who want to make a difference typically give

money to causes they believe in. But Donald and Robert are giving

of both their time as well as their money. As the story goes, you

can give a man a fish and feed him for a day or teach him to fish

and feed him for a lifetime. Instead of just writing checks to help

the poor and middle class, Donald and Robert are teaching them

to fish. In addition, a portion of every book sale will be donated

to other organizations that also teach financial literacy.

Financial Advice

There are three levels of financial advice: advice for the poor,

advice for the middle class and advice for the rich. The financial

advice for the poor is that the government will take care of them.

The poor are counting on Social Security and Medicare. The

financial advice for the middle class is: get a job, work hard, live

below your means, save money, invest for the long term in mutual

funds and diversify. Most people in the middle class are passive

investors- investors who work and invest notto lose.The rich are

active investors who work and invest to win. This book is about

becoming an active investors - expanding your means to live a

great life by working and investing to win.

Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki are best-selling authors and

popular speakers because they teach people to expand their

meansand improve the quality of their lives, rather than work hard

to live below their means.They want people to work and invest to

win.

A Little History

During the Hunter-Gatherer Age of human development,

humans lived in tribes and, for the most part, all people were

equal. If you were the chief of the tribe, you still lived pretty much

like the rest of the tribe. Chiefs did not have Learjets, multi-million

-dollar estates and golden parachutes.

In the Agrarian Age, there evolved a two-tiered society. The

king and his rich friends on one tier and everyone else (peasants)

working for the king on another tier. Generally, the king owned

the land. The peasants worked the king's land, and paid the king

a form of tax by giving the king a share of their harvests. The

peasants owned nothing and royalty owned everything.

In the Industrial Age, the modern middle class was born in

America and so was democracy.

The founding fathers of America were so impressed by the five

tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy, who lived in what is today

known as New England, that they used the tribal model as the

model for our democracy. That model elected representatives, an

upper and lower house, and a supreme court (made up of entirely

women).

At the same time the founders of America were copying the

Iroquois form of democracy, the idea of democracy and a middle

class was still considered unrealistic in Europe - all while a

powerful middle class and democratic society were blooming in

the United States.

Today, in the Information Age, the middle class is slowly dying

and so is democratic capitalism. Unlike any other time in history,

there really is a very wide and growing gap between the haves

and have-nots. Are we going backward, into the Agrarian Age,

when there was no democracy and only two classes, or will we

evolve into a new form of capital ism and democracy?

Problems On The Horizon

Just as we are only now becoming aware of the effects of

global warming, we are also only now becoming aware of the

effects of the lossof our middle class. Currently, most members of

the middle class feel safe and secure. They are content, even

though most are aware that we have problems on the horizon.

They feel safe because they believe their government will step

in and take care of them and protect them. Little do they know,

there is little that government can do to protect them.

Governments, even the U.S. government, cannot protect their

people as they once could simply because the problems are now

global problems. For example, the price of oil is determined by

countries outside the control of the Un ited States. Terrorism is not

a war against nations. Terrorism is a war against ideas. A terrorist

can strike anywhere and disappear into the populace. And

globalization, causing the loss of so many American jobs, is the

problem of multinational corporations becoming richer and more

powerful than many countries. This globalization has also been

made more possible through the World Wide Web making

communication instantaneous anywhere in the world.

Communication has become possible any time any where.

On the home front, just as environmentalists are noticing that

some species of frogs are disappearing, economists are noticing

that pensions and health care are disappearing for the middle class

and poor. In a few years, the biggest baby boom generation in

history begins to retire all over the world. Most governments do

not have the financial resources to keep their promises.

Businessmen, Not Politicians

People expect their elected government officials to take care of

the growing problems facing the poor and middle class. Donald

Trump and Robert Kiyosaki are not politicians (although there is a

strong movement brewing for Donald to run for president). They

write this book as entrepreneurs, investors and educators.

Instead of promising to solve your problems, they want you to

avoid becoming a victim of the problems. Do not expect your

political and government officials to provide solutions. Do not

think you are entitled to a secure, prosperous and healthy life.

Instead Donald and Robert want you to become rich and become

part of the solution to the problems we face as a nation and the

world.

Not A How-To Book

When it comes to money, many people want to be told exactly

what to do. They often ask specific questions, such as, "I have

$25,000. What should I do with it?" When you tell people that

you do not know what to do with your money, they are happy to

tell you what to do ... and their recommendation is that you give

your money to them.

This book is not a how-to book. Donald and Robert will not be

telling you what to invest in. They will share with you how they

think, why they win financially and how they see the world of

money, business and investing.

A Matter Of Vision

Most rich people do not want you to know what they know or

their secrets to becoming rich. But Donald and Robert are

different. They want to share their knowledge with you.

One of the definitions of leadership is vision. This book is

about vision, about seeing what most people never see through

the eyes of two men who have won (and occasionally lost) at the

game of money. Why We Want You To Be Rich is a book about

how these two men think and why they think the way they do.

Through their eyes you will gain additional insight into how you

can improve your financial future.

A Word Of Caution

In the world of money, there is another word often used -

transparency. Transparency has many definitions. Three definitions

applicable to this book are:

1. Free from pretence or deceit.

2. Sheer enough to be seen through.

3. Readily understood.

People want greater vision so they can see with their own eyes

and make their own decisions. Because our educational system

does not really teach people to be financially literate, people

cannot see. And if they cannot see, there is no transparency. Due

to this lack of vision and transparency, people are simply investing

by giving their money to someone else to invest. They blindly

follow the advice of "work hard, save money, invest for the long

term in mutual funds and diversify." They work hard and follow

this investment advice because they cannot see.

A word of caution: If you believe that working hard, saving

money, investing for the long term in mutual funds and diversifying

is good advice then this book may not be for you.

Donald and Robert do not invest in mutual funds because

mutual fund companies are not required to be transparent; they

are not required to disclose their true expenses. Since most

amateur investors cannot see, this fact does not bother them.

Professional investors, as Donald and Robert are, require

transparency in all their investments.

While the financial advice of saving money and investing in

mutual funds may be good advice for the poor and middle class,

it is not good advice for people who want to become rich . This

book is about seeing through the eyes of two rich men and

understanding a world of money very few people get to see.

How History Affects Today

This book will also discuss how history has brought us to this

financial state of emergency. Some important dates are:

1971: Our money stopped being money and became a

currency when it ceased being backed by gold. This is the

year that "saving money" became obsolete and bad

financial advice. Today, the middle class has very little in

savings.

Could it be because they know that savings is an

obsolete idea?

1973: The first oil shock was felt. It was a political problem.

However, today the current oil shock is an actual supply

and demand problem that wi II affect all of us. Some of us

will get richer, but most of us will become poorer as a result

of today's oiI shortage.

How will the current oil crisis affect you?

1974: ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act

was passed. ERISA eventually led to what we now know

as 401 (k) plans. Few law changes have affected so many

of us as this one. The 401 (k) was originally an arcane

subparagraph in the u.s. Tax Code originally created only

for high-income CEOs and executives looking for a way to

shelter a few more dollars. It became a revolution in

retirement savings after the IRS ruled in 1981 that workers

could use the same rule. The problem is that the 401 (k) is

a savings plan and not a retirement plan. Many workers

who have 401(k)s will not have enough money to retire on

simply because the 401 (k) was designed for very high income

executives, not lower wage workers. In simple

terms, the 401 (k) savings plan will not be adequate for

approximately 80 percent of all workers, especially those

making less than $150,000 a year. Millions of middle-class

workers will be downgraded to the poor class even though

they have a 401 (k) plan today.

Do you have a 401(k)?

1989: The Berlin Wall came down and the World Wide

Web went up. In other words, communism, an economic

system designed to protect the workers, failed. At the same

time, in the same year, we entered the Information Age.

Suddenly young Internet millionaires and billionaires were

being created while baby-boom workers were losing their

jobs.

Many older workers have to work for younger workers

simply because they are not technically current. Instead of

receiving pay raises as they did in the Industrial Age, many

older workers are receiving pink slips because their years

of education and experience are obsolete.

Are your skills obsolete?

1996: The Telecom Reform Act was passed. This Act

allowed the world to be connected via fiber optic cable,

facilitating globalization. This meant that white-collar jobs

could be exported. It now makes economic sense to hire a -

programmer, doctor, lawyer and accountant in countries

where the costs for these services are much lower due to

the lower cost of living abroad.

Are you working in an area that fiber optic

cable could change?

2001: China was admitted into the World Trade

Organization (WTO). Today, America and many Western

nations such as the G-8 nations have become consumers

rather than producers. This sets up a huge balance-of-trade

problem and also takes away our factories.

Many small businesses are not able to compete with

companies like Wal-Mart, who has direct lines to China's

factories.

Today in America and other Western nations, our middle

class is shrinking as the middle class in China and India is

growing.

Do you consume products manufactured overseas?

2004: During the Kerry-Bush debates, there was talk about

the outsourcing of American jobs. But there is a bigger

problem both parties avoided. There was little said about

the outsourcing of American debt into the hands of

foreigners.

While there is much discussion about illegal immigrants in

our work force , there is a more serious immigration

problem not being discussed: the amount of foreign capital

that keeps the United States. afloat. In 2004, 44 percent of

our Treasury debt was owned by foreigners. No leading

country in history has ever incurred this level of foreign

debt. As a nation we cannot afford the payments to service

this debt, and there is a limit to the amount of our debt the

world will tolerate.

Are you able to service your own personal debt?

This book is not a political book. It will not blame Republicans

or Democrats, Liberals or Conservatives. This book is about

money, financial education and the effects of a lack of financial

education and money management. It is about protecting yourself

from national money mismanagement. Today's problems are

bigger than our government can handle. That may be why our

politicians avoid discussing the real problems.

The United States has the highest standard of living in the

world. We have attained that high standard of living by becoming

the greatest debtor nation in the world . The U.5. dollar is also the

world's reserve currency and so far, the world has allowed us to

print as many dollars as we want. Is this a fairy tale scenario or a

nightmare? Donald and Robert do not think this fantasy can last

much longer. They expect a global correction on a massive scale.

Unfortunately, the poor and middle class will be hurt the most.

And this is why they want you to be rich.

This Book Is Not About Changing The World

This book is not about changing the world . This book is about

changing you so that you do not become a victim of a changing

world. The world is changing rapidly. Politicians and government

bureaucracy cannot change fast enough or protect everyone from

these shifts.

It was recently announced that Bill Gates and Warren Buffett

have joined forces to solve some of the world's most pressing

problems. This is commendable as money does have the power to

solve many of our world problems, such as hunger, affordable

housing, and hopefully many diseases (such as cancer and AIDS).

Money Cannot Solve Poverty

The one problem money cannot solve is poverty. While there

are many underlying causes of poverty, one of the causes is a lack

of financial education. The problem with throwing money at the

issue of poverty is that money only creates more poor people and

keeps people poorer longer. This is why Donald and Robert are

teachers. They know that the one true solution to worldwide

poverty is financial education, not money. If money alone could

solve poverty, they would donate their money. But since money

cannot solve poverty, they donate their time. In addition, a portion

of the profits of this book will be donated to charitable and

educational organizations that also teach financial literacy.

As your financial education increases, you will start to

recognize financial opportunities everywhere. Once you become

rich, you may choose to help change the world as well. This is

what Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki have done. This is why

they have joined forces as teachers.

As you read this book you will see the voices of two men, from

two different backgrounds, with two different perspectives, and

two different voices. Robert is a story-teller and uses dialogue

often in his writing. Donald is direct and to-the-point, using as

few words as possible. We have used two different typefaces to

emphasize their two voices (Garamond is used for Robert and

Trebuchet is used for Donald).

Can you read this book with an open mind? If so, you will see

the world through the eyes of these two successful men and you

may expand your own mind-set about money and what is possible

for your financial future.

To your financial future of freedom,

Sharon Lechter

"Yes, we did produce a near perfect Republic.
But will they keep it ?
Or will they in their enjoyment of plenty,
lose the memory of freedom?
Material abundance without character is
the surest way to destruction.
Indeed. I tremble for my country when 
I reflect that God is just."

- Thomas Jefferson,was an American Founding Father who was the
 principal author of the Declaration of Independence and later served 
as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809.
 Born: April 13, 1743, Shadwell, Virginia, United States;
Died: July 4, 1826, Monticello, Virginia, United States.