How to Be A Millionaire

How to “BE” a Millionaire

PLEASE STOP reading this latest (wonderful and irreverent) article if you fall into one of the categories below:

A. You think chatting positive affirmations to the bathroom mirror while gargling your tofu flavored mouthwash is going to make you rich.

B. You believe paying hundreds of dollars to walk over some guru’s hot coals left over from his summer barbecue picnic will enable you to change your world.

C. You live for every new book in the self help section proclaiming that escargot flavored yogurt is the way to get past your snail pace in life. (Awful :-)

D. You attend every seminar conducted by a far eastern guru (now living happily in Southern California) whose accent and logic is so thick that you nod your head in agreement even though you haven’t a clue what he is talking about. (Does he?) Did you pass? Good, then you might “BE” ready for
Claude’s “Be” Rules for Millionaires

Be Impatient! In my world, Impatience is a Virtue. Stop being so darn patient and tolerant about everything. Most people act like they are going to live forever. Stop allowing others to dictate their schedule for YOUR LIFE. Success comes to those who are willing to make something happen today and not wait for things to happen. The day I decided to go for it and get expert advice and training from my Mentor is when I turned my financial fortunes around. Ever hear the expression “You have to crawl before you walk”? Forget it! Start running!

Be Unconventional and Be a little bit Crazy! Ok Mom relax, I am not talking about bungie jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge with your cinnamon flavored dental floss. Be crazy once in a while, go against conventional wisdom and think a little bit differently, it’s ok! I remember one self proclaimed real estate magazine Guru said I was crazy to teach others my ideas through One-on-One Mentoring. Today he has his own imitation coaching program.

Remember: The eccentrics of today are the geniuses of tomorrow.

Be A Failure: What is it that all Millionaires have in common? You got it right bucko, it’s failure. In fact, success driven people have a heck of a lot more failures than the average person.

Why? Because they know what doesn’t work and they just keep learning and trying till they get it right. A loser tries once or twice and then resigns to whining, complaining, mediocrity, complacency and obscurity. Show me a winner and I will show you someone who understands that failure is just a stepping stone towards success.

Be Smart: Oh Boy, is this a favorite of mine. All my life I’ve heard stuff like “nose to the grindstone”, “Work Hard”, “You’ve got to have a good work ethic” and so on. As I said in a previous issue “If working hard is the key to success then why isn’t my nice garbage man a millionaire”? There are too many of you going through all the motions of working hard and not getting to your BANK. It’s OK to have a good work ethic, but if it’s not getting you to your financial goals than you’re no better then a gerbil in one of those treadmill cages. Working hard is only half the solution. You must work smart enough to get to the place that allows you to achieve the greatness and financial freedom you deserve.

Be Happy: (Sounds like a bad reggae tune.) Do something that’s fun for you everyday and work is never a four letter word. Sure the money is important, but how do you keep the fire within if you’re the world’s highest paid cesspool cleaner (advance apologies to all my cesspool cleaning readers). Unless you love standing in sh*t all day, it really won’t matter how much money you make. I remember how happy I was when I achieved my first business success in creative real estate. I got up every morning with a special energy knowing I was doing something that I was passionate about. Life is too short to be running the Slurpy™ machine or flipping burgers.

Be Gutsy: A sign on my wall says that “The greatest risk in Life is not taking one”. It’s so easy to fall into a complacent lifestyle. Stop accepting mediocrity as a standard. Success takes Guts which I define as fortitude and a helluva lot of character. Take some reasonable risks and stop worrying about crossing all the t’s and dotting the i’s. There are no guarantees to success so stop waiting. It’s better to have tried and lost than never to have tried at all. Don’t go through life with too many regrets. Claude says, walk on the wild side a little in life.

Be Hungry: You have got to want it badly; so badly that success is what you think about all the time. Remember the first time you fell in love? You couldn’t think of anything else except being with that special person (like Lovely CJ & I ). Being Hungry is a focus, a desire, a passion. Learn to use this emotional power of Hunger.

Be Teachable: Be willing to learn all the time. I know I have said it many a time, but “school is never over and learning never stops”. It has been said that knowledge is power. The quickest way to success is to know more than your competition and be willing to implement that knowledge.

Be Decisive: Make a decision and stick with it. I can’t tell you how many well educated folks I have met with all kinds of degrees who lack the courage to implement all that expensive knowledge. If you have followed the (Be Teachable) above then make a decision to do something with that pricey knowledge.
Be Original: We need more original ideas and thinkers out there. How many times have you had a good idea until someone ridiculed it and then you dropped it entirely. It’s tough to be an original and if you don’t believe me start researching all the greats in exploration, science, entertainment, the arts, you name it. I remember when I was planning my first success novel The Mentor, A Story of Success©. I can’t tell you how many so called experts told me that I had a snowball’s chance in Maui to sell it. I am happy to report that the book is selling well and was picked up by Amazon.com and soo
Barnes and Noble. In fact, we just received the first of hopefully many royalty checks. Years ago I had the idea to write a motivational story of a young man’s journey from despair to financial success with the aid of a mysterious Mentor. The book would be in a quality binder which would also contain an audio version narrated by yours truly onto studio edited and music enhanced cassette tapes as a convenience for those who would like to listen while driving or for those who are sight impaired. The set comes with a free One-On-One Mentoring session with the author all for $99.00. Sinatra sang it best ,“I did it my way”. (Next a movie?)

Be Yourself: I saved the best for last. I remember a time in my life when I was unbelievably shy. (Yea, I know it’s hard to believe.) I would not raise my hand in class, I would not express my thoughts. I was always worried what others would think. I was unfulfilled and miserable. One day I made a decision to change. I would express my thoughts, be who I truly wanted to be and to hell with the embarrassment, consequences or judgment of others. Shakespeare said “to thine own self be true”. You are as good as (if not better) than anyone you have ever envied or admired. Popeye said it best “I y’am what I y’am and that’s all that I y’am”. (You gotta love a guy who quotes legendary cartoon characters :-)! I finally got to a point in my life where I discovered that I am happy with the person I am. We live in a crazy celebrity, hero worshipping society when we should just be content with ourselves. Be Yourself and be content for the rest of your days. “Be” all you can “Be”!

“Success, One Person At a Time.” Claude