I am a big proponent of reading. It has changed my life in many ways for the better. It brings awareness to things you did not see before. It expands your vision.
CEO
The average person reads less than one book per year. The average CEO reads 60 books per year. The average person complains about how much the average CEO makes. The average CEO probably wonders why the average person does not read more.
Awareness
The awareness and expansion that a book can lend to a person is infinite. Think about something that was never created before like an airplane. The Wright brothers read everything they could about people who sailed on hot air balloons and gliders. Through their expansion of knowledge and experimentation they gave the world an airplane.
The way to fly an airplane was always there, they just discovered it. Think about what you or I have yet to discover? It could be anything we put our minds to.
No alternate universe will be unlocked, however, if we do not expand our awareness. Sitting by idlily or scrolling social media all day likely will not bring about desired changes or results. Consistent reading and effort will drastically change the trajectory of someone’s life.
Potential
I like reading because it is the great equalizer. Not everyone can be Michal Jordan. In professional sports there is a physical element that some people have, and some people do not. However, anyone can be Warren Buffet.
Warren Buffet is said to read 6 hours a day. He is constantly expanding his awareness of and knowledge on investing to make informed decisions. Compound interest takes care of the rest.
There are countless other examples of the type of person you can become. The potential is infinite, and you could be someone that people aspire to be like one day.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
I had a good friend force me to read Rich Dad Poor Dad when I was 20 years old and it led me to a place of financial prosperity I probably would not have otherwise.
After I read that book, I kept reading more books on finance and investing to the point I read so many they started repeating themselves. Once you have the basic principles it is easy—spend less than you make and invest the difference.
To get better you need to make more, spend less, and invest wiser. Reading helps in each instance.
Despite reading Rich Dad Poor Dad early on I was not all in on real estate. I always wanted to buy a house, but it seemed out of reach for me.
Investing Journey
Instead, I started reading about the stock market and started investing. I made a lot of mistakes early on but consistently saving and investing really started compounding over the years.
It was not until after I finished an enlistment in the navy and college that I started getting into real estate. I bought a single-family home and renovated it.
I still own my first house and rent it out. I have since bought and sold several single-family homes and a duplex. My focus is now on multifamily investing.
Multifamily
I discovered multifamily investing through reading. After reading A Random Walk Down Wall Street, I realized all my effort analyzing and picking stocks would likely not match the long term returns of an S&P 500 Index.
The book is compelling in its argument, so I moved on from stock picking and found multifamily private placements to be some of the most lucrative investments one can make.
This took over 10 years of reading and experimenting to arrive at this conclusion. Real Estate blogs and podcasts on were not mainstream during those early years.
Conclusion
Reading unlocks an alternate universe. There are things yet to be created and expanding your vision and awareness is the key to unlocking it. I believe it is better to try and improve your situation for whatever you want to achieve versus complain on social media in hopes someone else will change it for you.
