In one of my favorite speeches by Charlie Munger, he talked about how some people get an idea in their head and can’t shake it. He described it this way:
Well what I’m saying here is that the human mind is a lot like the human egg, and the human egg has a shut-off device. When one sperm gets in, it shuts down so the next one can’t get in. The human mind has a big tendency of the same sort.
Have you noticed that some people have pre-conceived notions that they just can’t get rid of? Those notions affect them and the major decisions they make. It may be something as serious as how they view people of a certain race or something as silly as coffee from 7-11 versus coffee from Starbucks. We all have these mental “constraints” that affect our actions every day. Some people even have those constraints when it comes to making and dealing with money.
In all that I do, it is my goal to challenge the way you think about money, about how money is made, and what the word “retirement” means. It is my sincerest hope that over time you will examine your life from a different angle—that however slightly different that angle is, it will revolutionize how you work with money, earn money, and spend money. I want you to throw aside your old thought patterns about the subjects of money, wealth, and retirement. I want you to open your mind to the possibility that there is an entirely different way to think about these subjects.
Yes, I will show you how to think about money, where it comes from, how it is created, and how it is meant to be used. Most likely, everything I do will show you how much time and money you have already wasted going down the wrong path. But don’t worry. If you plan to live a few more years, you can absolutely right the ship and get on the fast lane to a retirement that might be just a few short years from now. It doesn’t matter where you start from.