Safely Prosperous or Really Rich: Choosing Your Personal Financial Heaven

Chapter 20

Was It Worth It?

Now that you have read the whole book, it's time to make a decision. Do you want to be Safely Prosperous or Really Rich? There are several things you ought to consider seriously.

Way back in Chapter 2 I told you about my ethical trepidation over writing about how to get rich, because of the real risk of worshipping Mammon and losing things that are more important than money in the headlong pursuit of riches. Now that you understand that you have a real choice of two achievable objectives—Safely Prosperous or Really Rich—it's time to consider some soul-searching questions.

1. Can you really resist the temptations that the pursuit of money always brings and that always lead to unhappiness amid wealth—especially if you are on the Really Rich track? These temptations are always easier to resist on the Safely Prosperous track, as you can usually get the cooperation of your spouse, and it becomes a family joint venture that can help you to build a successful marriage.
2. If you decide to become Really Rich, ask yourself why. Do you just want riches to feed your ego, to compete with the Joneses, to have more toys, or so you can climb the social ladder as we did in the 1960s? Those are not only dubious motives, but can be truly soul destroying. If your answer is yes, seriously reconsider the Safely Prosperous route.
3. I'm a big fan of entrepreneurs who are driven to start and build businesses. There is a big difference between an entrepreneur and a small-business ...