Orden social y relaciones interpersonales: funciones,

The appeal of getting rich quick is almost universal. In this Age of Instant Everything, we have become programmed for immediate gratification. Buy it now! Take it home today! No money down! No payments till next year!

People who have come to reject the idea of paying a price for success are frequently taken in by get-rich-quick schemes. They will invest in pyramid plans, in so-called once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and are hopelessly addicted to winning the lottery.

Lotteries are one of the biggest scams operating today. They were designed to appeal to those who fantasize about becoming rich in a hurry. The lure of millions of dollars, the idea of instant wealth is a mesmerizing concept to those who have never learned how to channel their creative energies. Their hope is to “fall into” the fortune they have never taken the time to learn how to earn.

Lotteries are non-positive expectancy games of chance. The odds of winning can be as high as 200 million (or more) to one. If you are determined to involve yourself in a game of chance, choose one that contains a positive expectancy factor, one that requires a certain degree of skill, and one that offers a positive return on your investment, providing the odds are in your favor.

As far as getting rich quick is concerned – forget it! It’s a loser’s game.

HOW REALLY TO MAKE A MILLION Yes, it is possible to make a million. Really! And Realistically.

Consider this. If you were able to sell a thousand items at a net profit of a thousand dollars each, you have one million dollars! When you think of it in that light, one million dollars isn’t quite so mind-boggling, is it? In the entire world, there must be one thousand people who are willing and able to pay a thousand dollars for a specific product or service. The truth is, people are doing it all the time.

There is an important lesson to be learned from breaking down your goal into “manageable” pieces. In case you hadn’t already guessed, it makes it much easier to achieve.

Early in my professional career, if I had pondered the thought of writing all the books that I presently have on the market, I would probably never have undertaken the task. The thought of writing even one book is intimidating enough, particularly on those days when it is difficult to find the right words. Rather than thinking about writing a book, I have always thought in terms of writing a certain number of pages per day. By

faithfully adhering to this schedule, I eventually end up with a book. I couldn’t help it!

If you would like to make a million dollars, rest assured that this is not an impossible goal. Others have done it, and so can you! Approach the challenge one stage at a time. It isn’t necessary to acquire the entire amount in a single day. The important thing is to acquire it.

Take the first step.

Then the next.

Then the next.

Remember! Victory is not only a matter of achieving your goal. You are victorious for as long as you continue to work toward it!

Consider the alternative – a life of failure and poverty. A life of unrealized potential and limited thinking.

On the positive side, achieving your goal is easier than you think because you have so little competition! By that I mean there are few people who are willing to pay the price for having what they want. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for you, our society has fostered an “entitlement mentality.” I have noticed this to be particularly true with teenagers and young adults. Many seem to believe that they are “entitled” to the benefits of hard work without paying the price. They have adopted that attitude that their parents or society “owe” them happiness and success just for being born.

I think the best illustration of this nonproductive entitlement mentality that I have ever seen is demonstrated in a satiric letter I came across from

an unknown author who wrote about a comical little character which he or she called Homer Sneed.

In reaction to a government program that pays farmers not to raise already overabundant crops, Homer decides that the best way for him to achieve wealth is to go along with the system and to be paid for NOT doing something. In keeping with this non-productivity philosophy of life. Homer is prepared to make the following proposal to the United States Government:

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Gratuity Division

Washington, D.C.

Gentlemen:

My friend over in Terreborne Parish received a $1,000 check from the government this year for not raising hogs, so I am going into the not-raising-hogs business next year.

What I want to know is, in your opinion, what is the best kind of farm not to raise hog on and what is the best kind of hog not to raise? I would prefer not to raise Razorbacks but I would just as gladly not raise Berkshires.

The hardest part is going to be keeping an inventory of how many hogs I haven’t raised. If I can get $1,000 for not raising 50 hogs, I will get

$2,000 for not raising 100 hogs.

I plan to operate on a small scale right at first, holding myself down to about 4,000 hogs, which means I will have $80,000 coming from the government.

Another thing: these hogs which I will not be raising will not eat 100,000 bushels of corn. I understand that you also pay farmers for not raising corn. So, will you pay me anything for not raising 100,000 bushels of corn to not feed the hogs I am not raising?

I want to get started as soon as possible as this seems to be a good time of year for not raising hogs.

One thing more – can I raise 10 or 12 hogs on the side while I am in the not-raising-hogs business, just enough to get a few sides of bacon to eat?

Yours respectfully,

HOMER J. SNEED

Farmer

While the anecdote of Homer Sneed is certainly an amusing extreme, it also deserves some serious thought. At least this character Homer Sneed realizes that, in order to survive, he must do something – in this case,

“raise a few hogs on the side.”

Unfortunately, most people who actually live by the something-for-nothing entitlement mentality are not even as smart as Homer Sneed.

They never fully realize that while waiting for their fantasy to come true, they had better “raise a few hogs on the side.” Instead, they spend most of their lives waiting, wishing and hoping that someone will come along and take care of them and make their dreams come true. In the end, they die broke and disillusioned because life was “unfair.” Society, or the

imaginary people they were waiting for, didn’t provide for them in the manner to which they felt they were entitled. This is a classic profile of a Loser.

Wouldn’t you rather be a Winner? A Winner not only thinks rich but also is willing to do whatever is necessary to make it happen. If you are willing to think rich and pay the price to achieve the benefits of riches, here’s the way to do it.

MASTER FORMULA FOR ACHIEVING SUCCESS