Your A+ school report card is a financial struggle waiting to happen. Unsettling, isn’t it? All that money and hardwork… is useless? Unfortunately, that's exactly what Robert Kiyosaki, author of "Rich Dad Poor Dad," wants us to consider. 

Once upon a time, young Robert was caught between two father figures with wildly different views on money. On one side, his highly educated biological father - the "poor dad" - who believed in the traditional path of good grades, a stable job, and careful saving. On the other, his friend's father - the "rich dad" - who thought outside the box and saw money as a tool to be mastered. His dinners went like this: one dad say, "The love of money is the root of all evil," while the other insists, "The lack of money is the root of all evil." 

Kiyosaki takes us on his journey of choosing which financial philosophy to follow. Spoiler alert: he sides with the "rich dad." Through simple yet powerful lessons, Kiyosaki breaks down complex financial concepts for us peasants. With real-life examples, he’ll convince you that maybe even your teachers did not have the best advice. Study hard so you can find a good company to work for? Well, Kiyosaki's says "Study hard so you can find a good company to buy." Heh!

So, prepared to take the road less traveled, as Robert Frost would say? We're about to dive into the 6 lessons that shaped Kiyosaki's financial philosophy.

The story begins with two young boys, the author and his friend Mike, working for Mike's dad, the Rich Dad, for 10c/hour. That’s almost free! Now, why would anyone work for nothing? Well, Rich Dad had a plan to teach them something valuable about money.

Most people work for money, but the rich have money work FOR them. Let's pause for a moment and think about that. It's quite a shift from what we're usually taught, isn't it? Rich Dad believes that most people are trapped in what he calls the "Rat Race." You get up, go to work, pay bills, grind away to boost your paycheck, and repeat. Day after day! Not to mention, that it is others - the taxman, those pesky bill collectors, and your bosses - who snatch up most of the fruits of your labor. Why? This cycle is driven by two primary emotions: fear and desire. Fear of not having enough money pushes people to work, while desire for more things keeps them working. And this is what needs to change. Yes, we need money to live! Not saying money isn't important. But how we think about money is crucial. We need proper financial education!

See, schools teach us to work for money, but not how to make money work for us. Wanna see it in practice. Then let's get back to our story. A few weeks later, and our young protagonists are back at Rich Dad's doorstep, fuming and ready to throw in the towel; feeling they've been taken advantage of and have learned zilch about money. But there it was - their first nugget of wisdom: simply trading time for money isn't the path to riches. On Rich Dad’s advice, the boys start a comic book library business, charging other kids to read comics they got for free. Clever, right? This is their first taste of having money work for them. They're earning money even when they're not physically present - that's the key! So, Rich Dad wants us to understand it's not about working harder for a paycheck, but about using our minds to create opportunities. And about developing financial intelligence and learning to see these opportunities that others miss.

About that financial education! Let’s see what Rich Dad has to say about it

Mitochondria is the powerhouse of cell. Yes, good. Now, can you do your taxes? It’s a famous meme which tells you that financial literacy is crucial, people! And yet it's nowhere in our traditional education. Worry not! Rich Dad to the rescue. He’s gonna teach you not just about how to make money, but how to keep it!

The first concept he wants you to understand is the difference between assets and liabilities. We’ll get straight to it. Assets put money in your pocket, while liabilities take money out. Simple dimple! And this simple dimple is the literal foundation of building wealth. Understand this, and you’re good to go. 

Here's an example Kiyosaki uses: Many people think their house is an asset. But is it really? If it's constantly draining your wallet with mortgage payments, property taxes, and maintenance costs, don’t you think it fits better in the category of liability? Poor have liabilities, while the rich buy assets. And not adding fuel to the fire, but all those payments could have been channeled into far more profitable assets that actually put cash in your pocket.That’s the crux of it. Now that you understand the difference between assets and liabilities, how exactly do you go about building wealth?

By minding your own business!!! Kiyosaki’s exact words. He wants you to focus on building your asset column. Invest!! Don’t just spend. Invest in things that generate income, rather than just working for a paycheck. Wealth isn't about how much money you have, but how long you could survive if you stopped working today. It's about creating passive income that covers your expenses and still leaving enough for you to re-invest and keep increasing your wealth. 

If your assets generate $1,000 a month, and your expenses are $2,000 a month, you could survive for half a month without working. The goal? Get that asset income to match or exceed your expenses. And always remember, making money doesn't guarantee keeping it. Financial intelligence - knowing how to manage and invest money - is what really counts. That’s how you beat the Rat Race and build wealth that lasts.

This is not where it ends. You still have a lot to learn about how to mind your own business.

The third lesson, people! Minding your own business. Now, before you think we're encouraging nosiness, let's clarify what this really means. And our teacher for this lesson is McDonald’s!

Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald's, once asked a group of MBA students what business he was in. They confidently answered, "The hamburger business!" But Ray's response might surprise you. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm not in the hamburger business. My business is real estate." Slay! While McDonald's sells burgers, their real wealth comes from owning prime real estate locations worldwide. And when someone bought a McDonald's franchise, they were also buying the real estate under the franchise for Ray Kroc's organization. This is a perfect example of minding your own business.

Do you see the takeaway here? Your job is NOT your business. Your business is what you do to build wealth outside of your day job. It's about creating assets that generate income for you. So, keep your day job, but simultaneously work on building your asset column. Btw, you do know what assets include, right? Kiyosaki has 5 categories of assets:

1. Businesses that don't require your presence

2. Stocks

3. Bonds

4. Income-generating real estate

5. Intellectual property royalties

Notice something? Your fancy watch and top cars aren't on this list. That's because, contrary to popular belief, these items often take money out of your pocket rather than put money in. Here's a bit of wisdom that might make you chuckle: rich people buy luxuries last, while the poor and middle class tend to buy luxuries first. Explains a lot, doesn’t it?

So, start small. You don't need to go out and buy a skyscraper tomorrow. Begin by acquiring assets, no matter how small. Every dollar in your asset column is like a little employee working for you 24/7. The goal is to have enough of these "employees" that they can eventually buy your luxuries for you.