Short quotes/lessons that can make a big impact on how you think, and the outcomes in your life....

This "lesson" is a list of what I hope are inspiring ideas/concepts/thoughts, and quotes, that I have gathered over the decades that I found useful and helpful in improving my outcomes in life. I hope they help you improve your outcomes too!

• "How many millionaires do you know that have become wealthy by investing in savings accounts?" - Warren Buffett With cash losing an average of 4% to 12% in value each year, due to inflation, why would you save money in a bank, when in the long-term, they pay you a fraction of what CPI is?

• "Tough times never last, but tough people do" - Robert H Shuller The message here is clear.... never ever quit, no matter what life throws at you. Treat the tough times like you would a bully, by standing up and being defiant. You need to believe you are a winner.

• "Investing puts money to work. The only reason to save money is to invest it"- Grant Cardone. We know that cash loses value every year. We know that saving cash therefore is a losing long-term proposition. So the only reason to save money is so you have money to invest.

• "You've got to keep control of your time, and you can't unless you say "no". You can't let people set your agenda in life" - Warren Buffett Time is you most precious commodity. It is limited. You cannot create more of it, so why would you waste it on things that do not help you with your goals? Do not let other people occupy your time. Time wasted with them is time NOT spent with your family, with friends, learning and working on your life goals.

• "Predicting rain doesn't count, building the ark does" - Warren Buffett. Bad times will come, you can count on it. Don't try to predict their timing - it's a fools game. Instead, build contingency plans that will see you through the bad times. As I write this, the stock market has dropped abiut 20% and there have been a number of small rallies, but people are now fearing a bigger crash. The time to prepare for this crash started almost 12 months ago. Those who have been prepared for whenever the crash hits, stand to make large profits.

• "Diversification is protection against ignorance. It makes little sense if you know what you're doing" - Warren Buffett I have always wondered about this quote. I personally believe it is correct. However, if you listen to financial advisors, they pretty much all recommend "a diversified portfolio", to "not put all your eggs in one basket". If Mr Buffett is right, and diversification actally is protection against ignorance, then these advisors must be ignorant and don't know what they're doing. They are basically covering all bases in order to minimise losses, and NOT necessarily make great returns. I have invested in property. In fact, all in one class of property - industrial/commercial. I did what advisors say not to do. I did my homework and backed myself, and I did ok. My business supplied niche products into a niche market. I didn't try diversifying int different markets, I didn't try diversifying into different industries, instead, I stayed focussed on one small area of one small market - and made it profitable.

• "Successful investing takes time, discipline, and patience. No matter the talent or the effort, some things just take time. You cannot produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant" - Warren Buffett. In short, investing takes time, actually, investing needs time to grow, to compound and to mature into something beautiful. No matter what you do, it is going to take time.

• "definition of an asset and liability... an asset puts money into your pocket while a liability takes money out of your pocket" - Robert Kiyosaki It is a beautifully sweet and simple and accurate definition. For wealth creation to occur, an investment that is an ASSET must be cashflow positive (after all income and costs costs are taken into account), then it stands to reason that a LIABILITY must be cashflow negative. If you can understand that, then you will do well.

• "He who holds the money is King" - Unknown. I have learned this the hard way. I use this quote often. Never hand your money over in a transaction unless you are absolutely sure. In a transaction or contract, you have a buyer and a seller. The buyer usually has the "upper hand" and it is the seller that must negotiate to win over the customer and his money. While the customer holds that money, he is "King", in that the seller will do his bidding to try to win the sale. However, once the seller parts with his money in exchange for the seller's goods, then the seller becomes the "King". Should there be a warranty issue where the buyer has a claim against the seller, it is a lot tougher for the buyer to get warranty repairs now that the seller has the money, if that seller turns out to be unscrupulous. He who has the money is King! Don't part with your money in a transaction unless you're absolutely sure, and even then, I would opt for progressive payments if possible.

• "Don't listen to what they say, look at what they do" - The Mug Millionaire I have used this line for 20+ years. Basically... people will lie to you using their words, but their actions sometimes paint a different picture! People cannot hide their true feelings/intentions. All you need to do is look at their actions and behaviour.

• "If you are only willing to do what's easy, life will be hard" - T Harv Eker Nothing worthwhile comes easy. No self-made person ever became successful by taking the easy choices. The path to success and wealth is hard. It is up hill and can be exhausting - but certainly worth it.

So, if you're willing to do what's hard, life will be easy!

• "The chief cause of failure and unhappiness, is trading what you want most for what you want now" - Zig Ziglar. In short, if what you want most is to create passive income to allow you to achieve financial freedom and stop working, it will take a long-term plan that involves the creation of savings, investing those savings, repeating the process and dedication to that plan. However, if you trade what you want most (financial freedom) for what you want now (a fancy car, or holiday) then you will fail at achieving what you want most. Unhappiness and disappointment will then manifest.

• "Wealthy people have become wealthy and stay wealthy because they live like they are broke. Broke people stay broke because they try to live like they are wealthy" - Unknown Those that can afford to drive expensive cars, usually don't. Those that cannot afford to drive expensive cars, are the ones that will take a loan out for one! People want to appear that they are doing better (financially) than what they are, so they behave in a manner that they believe "portrays success". They spend money they don't have, to buy things they don't need, in order to impress people that don't really care - to me, that is insane!

• "If you think you can, or you think you cannot, you're right" - Henry Ford. Success and wealth are a matter of belief. If you truly believe in your future success and wealth, and do whatever it takes, then success and wealth will come. However, if you truly believe that you are destined for mediocrity, then you will make that happen also

• "It is better to walk alone, than walk with a crowd going in the wrong direction" -Herman Siu.

• "You cannot perform in a manner that is inconsistent to the way you see yourself" - Zig Ziglar. I see this as the same concept as Henry Ford's quote. Basically, if you see yourself as a loser, act as a loser, then the chances of being a winner are pretty much zero!

• "Do, or Do Not. There is no TRY" - Master Yoda. Don't start something and not finish it. If you start a business - then see it through until it becomes what you wanted it to be. If you start an investing plan, stick to it and make it happen. There are way too many people that decide to "give something a try", which is usually not even a half-hearted effort that is destined for failure.

• "They say 'money cannot buy happiness'. However, they neglect to tell you that poverty cannot buy anything" - Unknown

• "Being wealthy and successful is hard. Being poor is also hard. So choose your 'hard", and run with it" - Unknown.

• "It's crazy how people believe that 20 years working hard in a business to create wealth is too hard and takes too long, but working 45-50 years in a job to achieve mediocrity is ok..... I just don't get it" - The Mug Millionaire

• "Your income right now is a result of your standards and expectations. It is not the industry, it is not the economy" - Tony Robbins

• "Be willing to travel alone. Those that start with you, may not finish with you" - Unknown

Three simple rules of life:

- If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it.

- If you don't ask, the answer will always be no.

- If you do not step forward, you will always remain in the same place.

and finally....

There are many more inspirational quotes, but I have given you some key ones that I believe are important. Keep them in mind. Use them to boost yourself when you have doubts.