Wink & Grow Rich

7/27/2019 Wink & Grow Rich

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Contents1. Foreword 52. Once Upon A Time 83. The Well 104. The Optometrist 13

5. The Plumber 266. The Gardener 447. The Fisherman 598. The Rower 719. The Musician 8510. The Innkeeper 9511. The Carpenter 10512. The Old Lady 10913. The End 11914. Afterword 121WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 1ONCE UPON A TIMEIts just not fair!I am sick and tired.And he was. Both sick and tired. In fact, he wastired of being sick and sick of being tired. Was itfair? Richards father had worked all his life as acarpenter. He had always wanted wealth but hadnever received it. That drove him to work evenharder, and the pressure had finally squashed him

flat.He was flat broke, and flat on his back in bed.Richard, every day for the last 20 years I havevisited the Well of Wealth and spent a dollar. Today,I need your help. Heres a dollar. Go buy anotherbucket of that Well Water, son. Im counting onyou.Richard was nine years old. He felt sorry for hisfather, and a little scared. The wealth of the familynow lay in his hands, with this dollar note. Thisdollar was the key to his familys wealth and hisWINK and GROW RICH

WWW.WEALTHDYNAMICS.ORGfathers health. He held the crumpled note in bothhands and listened carefully to his fathers advice:

For centuries, people in this villagehave made it a habit to visit the Wellof Wealth every day without fail. Givegenerously to the Well, my son, and itwill give generously to you in return.WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 2


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THE WELLAs Richard walked the path to the Well, hewondered why the Well hadnt given generously tohis father, or to most of the other villagers for thatmatter. Many of them were in a worse financial

state than poor dad. Sure, they got a bucket of thatWell Water every day without fail. But from what hecould see, all they ever did was drink it dry.He didnt wonder for long however, as he soon cameupon a fork in the road. An Old Lady sat in a deckchair relaxing in the crisp, spring air. She washolding a glass of chilled water.Richard stopped.What can I do for you, young man?Could you please show me the path to wealth?,Richard asked a little too loudly, holding out hisdollar.

Well, well, well! You want to be wealthy. And whenwill you know when you get there?WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard looked at the lady blankly. She smiled, andwith a twinkle in her eye she added How hard areyou willing to work to become wealthy?.Oh, very hard! My dad has worked very hard all hislife and hes still not wealthy. So I guess Ill have towork even harder than him.Then youll be wanting to take this path here. Go

look for the Optometrist.Richard looked at the path. It was overgrown anduninviting compared to the other path, whichwas well paved and wide enough for an elephant.It reminded him of one of his fathers favouritesayings:

A man on a straight roadnever got lostBut something in the Old Ladys eyes made himchoose to take the overgrown path.Before he left, she pulled out a little notebook andpen. Handing them to him, she said Think it, inkit. She held out her other hand expectantly.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard looked at the dollar still in his hand. Hehanded it over, took the pad and scribbled down:It didnt sound like anything his father had eversaid. He soon found himself walking down the path,deep in the woods, looking for the Optometrist.WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 3


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THE OPTOMETRISTSoon Richard came across a house in the woods.In fact, it was more like a massive mansion the sizeof which he had never seen before. From where hestood he could see acres of manicured gardens,

beautiful fountains, a fleet of sports cars and whatappeared to be a helipad on the roof, but he couldntbe sure about that last one.He went up and knocked on the door.A young man in a smart white frock appeared.Richard was taken aback, but quickly collectedhimself and thrust out his notebook. You must bethe Optometrist. The Old Lady sent me. I want to bewealthy!

The Optometrist looked at Richard with amusement.Well, well, well! How wealthy?Richard looked at him like he was an idiot. Wealthy

enough to be rich.Oh, thats simple! Just ask better questions.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard thought about this for a while, and wasabout to tell the Optometrist what his fatherthought of men in frocks, when he suddenly decidedto heed the advice and ask a better question.So how wealthy are you?I have enough income that I dont need to work, Ispend my time doing what I enjoy, and I contribute

to the world in ways that give me total fulfillment.Richard looked at the man blankly.But how much money do you have?Is that important?Richard crinkled his face up. He decided to changetack. So how did you become wealthy?With a twinkle in his eye, the Optometrist confided,I became a better Optometrist.So now Richard was ready to call this whole thingoff. His father had always said:WINK and GROW RICH

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WWW.WEALTHDYNAMICS.ORGYou wont make dollarsif you cant make sense.

This man seemed to be going out of his way notto make sense. But something about that twinklereminded him of the Old Woman. He rememberedthe Old Womans eyes as she sat there exclaimingWell, well, well!.So he asked another better question:And how did becoming a better Optometrist makeyou wealthy?

The Optometrist took a seat on a lounge chair in hisenormous reception and motioned to Richard to dothe same. Richard got swallowed in the chair andcouldnt help noticing that the cushions were bigger


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than his bed. The Optometrist began his story:My job is to fix peoples eyesight. I specialize inchildren. When a child is born with imperfecteyesight they live for the first few years in a blurredworld, not knowing any better. When they put onthe glasses that I prescribe they will often say So

THATS what the world is supposed to look like!. It

made me really think, because I had a feeling that Iwas living in a blurred world.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard was now getting into this idea of asking betterquestions. What gave you that feeling?Its not just what you ask, son. Its when youask it. Now, as I was saying, things felt blurry. Iwas following the crowd, living my life. I was evenvisiting that Well of Wealth every day. Then severalyears ago I asked myself, what if I became a betteroptometrist in my life?

The answer was simple. I would have clarity. Iwould have focus. I would have VISION! Thats whenI realized I really was blurred. Because I didnt havecrystal clear clarity about who I was, I didnt havea clear focus in my life. In fact, I was quite aimless,following the crowd.I soon realized that every great person started their

journey with a great vision. They had the clarityto see where they were, and where they needed togo. Then they had the laser focus to get there. So Idecided to find my vision. When I found it, my lifetransformed.As the Optometrist spoke, Richards attention hadbegun to wander. He wanted to know how to bewealthy. Why did he need vision as well? Surelythere were wealthy people who didnt have vision.He thought about his fathers vision, and thatswhen he sighed. His father was so short sighted hecould hardly see past tomorrow.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard asked another question: So you decided towork harder as a better Optometrist?

You really havent listened to me. I dont needto work at all. My money works for me. I haveinvestments that give me enough money to live on.I decided to BE a better Optometrist, not DO betterOptometry. It wasnt my profession that made mewealthy. It was discovering my true vision.Let me show you something. The Optometristleaned forward and wrote on Richards pad:WINK and GROW RICH

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WWW.WEALTHDYNAMICS.ORGWINK and GROW RICH

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Now, few people become wealthy in a vacuum orsimply off their own resources. Your wealth willcome from the time, talent, interest and resources


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of those around you. That means your ability tocommunicate will be a key to your success. Thereare four levels of communication, and you choose atwhich level you want to play.

The Optometrist pointed to the first level. Mostpeople simply choose to EXCHANGE, which meansthey can spend hours complaining or chatting

without creating any clarity. People like to exchange,but no one got wealthy doing it.He then pointed to the second level. Some peoplechoose to get more clarity, and when they do, theycreate meaning and value in their relationships.

They CONNECT with those around them, whichattracts more relationships and cooperation. Thesepeople are great team players and will become someof your greatest assets.A smaller group of people choose to becomeproactive with their lives, and they create a focus

that others can relate to. These people are leaders.They MOTIVATE which creates connection ANDmomentum.

The Optometrist pointed proudly to the fourth level.This is where I choose to play. When you INSPIRE,WINK and GROW RICH

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you become a leader of leaders. To inspire, you needvision, no doubt about it. When you play at thislevel, your vision becomes the cornerstone of yourleadership. The key to your wealth is to learn how tolead leaders.

Richard was ready for that one. So what was yourvision?In response, the Optometrist did a very strangething. He smiled, and with a twinkle in his eyes, hewinked.Whats yours?No one had asked Richard that before. After all, hewas only nine. He realized he didnt have a vision.He didnt have much clarity or focus either. He wasquite blurry.

Then he remembered the question the Old Lady had

asked. He now said If I look for my vision, how willI know when I get there?.When you find your vision, everything will suddenlybecome crystal clear. You will look around and saySo THATS what the world is supposed to look like!

That is when you will begin to attract the people, theopportunities and the wealth you desire.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard was still skeptical. This sounded verywishy-washy to him. How could the Optometristbecome wealthy just by seeing better? It wasnt thateasy. He remembered his father saying:

Money doesnt grow on trees.And Dad should know. After all, he was a carpenter


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things that you have said, what is the most usefulmessage I can take away with me?

The Optometrist replied:Your greatest asset is your vision of who you willbecome. Few people realize this. Invest in clarifyingyour vision. Once you are focused on your visionand it becomes real, this asset becomes so valuable,

you can begin to trade it. Trade even a smallfraction of it, and you will become as wealthy as youdesire.Can you simplify that?WINK and GROW RICH

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Sure. Choose the level you want to play at. Whatyou see is always what you get. Learn to see betterand you will get better.Richards eyes widened. Learn to SEE better andyou will GET better! Suddenly the Optometrist

had hit a chord deep inside Richards little body.His family had gotten so little. His father had beenworking so hard! His father had worked so hard, hehadnt had time to think about what levels he couldbe playing at. He had worked so hard, he hadntspared time to learn how to see more clearly.If what the Optometrist said was true, every hourRichards father spent working hard instead oflearning to see better was not making them richer. Itwas keeping them poor.Richard wrote this down feeling a little inspired:WINK and GROW RICH


Richard looked expectantly into the eyes of theOptometrist. He could see well enough to know theOptometrist was living at a different level of clarity.He could now see well enough to know that if hewanted to increase his own level, he needed to askbetter questions. Richard smiled as he thought ofthe questions he had asked the Old Lady and theOptometrist.He realized each of his better questions had openedanother door in his journey. He wrote:

He thanked the frocked fellow and left to find thePlumber.WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 4

THE PLUMBERHe didnt have to go far. As he was contemplatingwhether the Optometrist had made any sense ornot, he came across a plumber knee deep in one of

the fountains. He seemed to be dancing.You must be the Plumber. The Optometrist sentme. Can you help me become wealthy?

The Plumber looked at Richard and said Sure!


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Come in to my office.Richard paused for a second, then took off hisshoes, and holding his notebook up high, stepped into the fountain.Do we need to talk in here?

The Plumber gave him a puzzled look. How are yougoing to learn about wealth if you dont know what

it feels like?Standing in a fountain is wealth?WINK and GROW RICH

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No, but learning how to get wet without worrying is.Wealth is all around us, but most of us are too busylooking for it to notice. And when we get close, weresuddenly afraid to get wet.Richard had a smart question to answer that. Whatif I cant swim?Then all the more reason to get wet and learn. You

think that notebook is going to teach you to swim?Richard looked up at the book and replied Think it,ink it.

The Plumber responded Think it, ink it, do it,review it. He turned around and picked up aspanner. Learning is a game. Remember that. Sure,plan your strokes on land, write it down, but thenyouve got to jump in and sink or swim. Then getback out and review what happened. Ask how youcan improve. Then do it all over again. Youll learnin no time. Try to learn when youre safe and dry,and youre just kidding yourself.

Richard added to the first point on his list, andadded a new point as well:WINK and GROW RICH

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So whats your vision, and has it made youwealthy?Sure it has. Im a plumber. I love plumbing. Myvision is to have water power generators to take overfrom fuel powered stations. 100% self-sustainingyou know.And thats how you became wealthy? Richard

asked, somewhat confused.I became wealthy by becoming a better plumber.Richard waited for more. This sounded like theOptometrist story already.I own a plumbing business. As my men servicehomes, I also began a maintenance and electricalservices business. I have since partnered with agreat manager and we franchised our services. I reinvestedpart of my earnings from that to launch aproperty development company, which is nowWINK and GROW RICH

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WWW.WEALTHDYNAMICS.ORGcreating double the cashflow of my franchisebusiness.About 40% of the monthly cashflow I draw out of


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my businesses covers my expenses, and the restgoes into investments. I also put 20% into my petproject, Water Generators.

The plumber seemed to have a lot of clarity and focus.But Richard couldnt fathom how his vision had madehim wealthy. In fact, it seemed to be costing him. Butbefore he got to that, he had a more immediate remark

he wanted to make: It sounds like you became wealthyby being a better businessman, not a better plumber.

The plumber laughed. I have no passion forbusiness. I have a passion for plumbing. I became abetter plumber.Richard offered a confused look.I will elaborate. Plumbing comes naturally to me. Ican solve plumbing problems. I love plumbing. Whenit came to money-making, management and othersuch business-like things I always lost interest.Bored me silly.

Then I decided to BE a better plumber. I took mypassion and spread it to areas of my life that wereimportant to me. Being wealthy was important, soWINK and GROW RICH

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when I looked at my wealth creation as a simpleplumbing system, I took to it with a passion. It wasfun! Its got to be fun, son.He sat on the side of the fountain, and began todraw in Richards pad. He drew:WINK and GROW RICH

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WWW.WEALTHDYNAMICS.ORGNow, what I realized was, no matter how muchmoney I was making, it was always disappearing.

This was my money tap, and all the money wasgoing down the drain. I was spending it all, and asa bad plumber all I could think to do was to try andopen the tap up further. It just meant more wentdown the drain.

To Richard, that sounded like his father. It alsosounded like what happened to all those buckets ofwater from the Well of Wealth.So as a better plumber, I diverted some of that

money into savings. All that did was fill a bucketwith water, but not much else. Then as an evenbetter plumber, I diverted some of that money intoinvestments. While my savings just sat in a bucket,my investments created new money taps. My moneybegan to make money.It soon became obvious to me that every dropspent never came back and every drop investedand re-invested began to give me ever increasingreturns. As a good plumber, I simply ensured thatan ever-increasing percentage of my cashflow wasgoing into investments. That meant investment inmy businesses, in my people, and in myself. I beganwith 10% of my cashflow, and after three years thathad grown to 40%, and after six years it was up to60%.


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WINK and GROW RICH

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My money tap from my investments and businessesalso outgrew my money tap from my own efforts.

So I could stop working in my business, and startworking on it. Of course, none of that would havehappened if I hadnt decided to become a betterplumber.Richard wasnt so easily convinced. He knew his Dadsaved a little each month and tried to re-invest. Buthe wasnt making much money to start with, and heseemed to lose as much on his investments as hemade.I can understand how your plumbing system worksif you have something coming out of your moneytap. But what if it only trickles out, like my Dads.

It would take forever for him to fill his investmentbucket and start another money tap. Even then, itwould only drip.

The plumber gave a big wide smile. So give me abetter question.Richard thought. He had told the Old Lady he waswilling to work hard, but he wasnt expecting it to bethis kind of hard work. He thought harder.How can I create a money tap with no money?Very good. You start with another tap of somethingmore valuable than money.WINK and GROW RICH


ErGold?Time. We all have the same time coming out of thetime tap. Ironically, those who value money overtheir time will never become wealthy. Those whovalue their time over money, attract wealth in notime.Richard thought about that without reallyunderstanding it. He sat, ready to write somethingimportant down.I found that I was SPENDING my money instead ofINVESTING it. I also found that I was spending my

TIME, instead of investing it. Most of us do. Mostof my time was going straight down the drain inlow value activities. So I created a better plumbingsystem. He drew his plumbing system.Now, 24 drops come out of this tap every day. Ifyou spend that time on activities that do not addany value to your life other than to make you feelgood temporarily or to pass the time, those aredrops spent. They are gone and they aint evercoming back.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard suddenly realized that most of his time hadbeen spent and he wrote:Many people are happy to take a bunch of theirdrops and exchange them for money. Thats calleda job. Its a straight swap. Many people will thinkthey are investing time in growing their skillsand experience for the job, and they do end up

getting more money for each drop. But this is afalse investment, because as soon as the exchangestops as soon as you say theres no more timeto exchange or the company says theres no moremoney to exchange the pipe runs dry. So I callthat low value too.Richard didnt know whether he was feeling excitedor upset. Dad had worked so hard to keep theirmoney tap open, and now that he was sick and tired,WINK and GROW RICH

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their money tap had run dry. The reward for all hiseffort was a tired body and a sore head.

The Plumber continued. So as a better plumber, Ibegan to divert my time drops to high value use toinvestments of time. Every drop invested here givesme on going returns, for life! Because it is here thatyour time creates new money taps AND creates newtime taps!Richard interrupted, But how do you know if youare spending time or investing time?When you spend your time, you may have gottensomething, but you havent built anything. When

you invest your time, you end that day or that weekhaving built something that is lasting. Ill show youwhat I mean.He added to his plumbing diagram.When you invest your time in yourself, it is timeinvested on your health, on quality activities thatenrich your life. New experiences and greater energyand vitality that make you stronger every day.Richard suddenly realized that the reason his fatherwas sick and tired was because he had this pipepermanently closed. His father thought exercise and

trying new things were a waste of time. So he hadWINK and GROW RICH38


chosen to close that pipe. Now, he didnt have moneyand he had also exhausted his time.When you invest in your learning, Im not talkingabout learning how to DO better plumbing. Im talkingabout learning how to BE a better plumber. Learnthe strategies, habits and mindset of the wealthy -because it is a different mindset.Learn how to change your level of focus and clarity.Learn what your vision is. Thats real time investment.Its what youre doing right now.Richard thought about that as he held his book. Hadhe thought of this as an investment of his time? Eitherway, his toes were starting to wrinkle in the water.


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When you invest in your network, you are creatingand building your network of friends, peers andcontacts. The time you invest looking after yournetwork will all return with interest. You neverknow when you will need the support of the peopleyou know, and of the people that they know. Yourinfluence is only as good as your network.

When you invest in your investments, which meansyour cash investments, property and your businesses,Im not talking about spending time working in them.Im talking about investing your time in choosing yourinvestments and creating your businesses, in buildingWINK and GROW RICH

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them. Investing your time in selecting the rightpeople, the right opportunities, the right products and

services putting in the right plumbing system thatwill work for you. This time spent converts directlyinto new money taps. You turn your time into an ongoing source of new money.Richard nodded. For all the effort his father put intoworking, he was still stuck as part of the plumbing.When he stopped working, the whole plumbingstopped working. As for investments, he knew hisfather went through the motions of trying to savemoney and trying to invest some of it, but he hadreally never invested time in his knowledge or his

network. It was no wonder he kept running out ofsteam. He was running on empty.When you invest time in your investments, timeisnt money. Time is more than money. Whenyou invest time to learn how to choose betterinvestments, that learning can be applied again andagain for the rest of your life. It never goes away.

The return you get from each drop of time spenthere is enormous. The time you spend translatesinto an on going stream of new money.You see, I could not have built the businesses andmade the investments I did before I became a better

plumber. But after investing enough time in theright areas, I could.WINK and GROW RICH

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The Plumber paused for effect, and then said Showme how a man spends and invests his time, and Iwill show you his future.Richard drew a pie of how he had been spendingand investing his time. It depressed him. He thendrew one for his father.WINK and GROW RICH

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It was at that point that the boy realized he hadincreased his clarity enormously. He really waslearning. He drew a pie of how he had spent his time


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today:The Plumber was using the spanner to loosena faucet, and a nozzle in the fountain sprang tolife. He asked Would you like to see somethingmagical?.But I think I just did. Isnt turning time into moneymagic? That means I could have all the wealth I

desire just by investing my time properly.Sure, thats magic. Its also good plumbing. Now, gosee the Gardener.WINK and GROW RICH

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Thank you, but before I go, I have a question. Is thetime and money spent on your vision an investmentif you dont get a return? And how has your visionmade you wealthy?Well, well, well! smiled the plumber. Yourquestions are getting better. But this time, I think

you already have the answer.Richard left a little confused. If he had the answer,why couldnt he see it. He remembered what theoptician said, and decided to reread it:He decided he was going to have to work evenharder than he had promised the Old Lady.WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 5

THE GARDENERFinding the Gardener wasnt difficult. Richardfollowed the lawn down to a river, and on thebanks lay the most beautiful exhibition of flowers,hedges and fruit trees he had ever seen. An equallybeautiful lady sat under a mango tree having apicnic with two girls.Hello, Im Richard. I have just been speakingwith the Plumber. Could you show me somethingmagical?

The Gardener smiled. Richard. Hmmm. So which isit?

Pardon?Rich-hard. Your name. So which is it? Is life Rich?Or is life Hard?What a strange question. Without thinking, Richardsaid Life is hard Isnt it?WINK and GROW RICH

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It was probably one of the silliest things he couldhave said.Here he was, sitting in this beautiful garden, inthe warm summer sun, looking over a gentle river,

feeling totally at peace. How could he possibly thinklife is hard? But he did, because he always had, likehis father always had.

The warmth of the day enveloped him. He was


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surprised to feel a shiver. Something was about tohappen. As he looked over the beauty surroundinghim, his lips moved and he heard his fathers voiceLife IS hard.

The Gardener sat like she was listening to somewonderful music in the air. Then from her smilingbreath came a whispered melody Well, well, well

The shiver turned into a spine tingling revelation.Richards eyes widened and began to water.Well, well, well.And then he saw the magic all at once.It caught his breath.Well, well, well.It really was magic. It was all around him. It hadWINK and GROW RICH

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been there all day and he hadnt seen it. Now, all ofa sudden, he was seeing more clearly. What he saw

stunned him. It was totally overwhelming.He was looking directly into the Well of Wealth.With deep breaths, he began to skim through thewords the Old Lady, the Optician, the Plumberand the Gardener had been using. He beganremembering what each of them had been saying,remembering what he had begun asking, what hehad begun writing.He spun round to face the Gardener with a look ofexhilaration in his eyes. She could see that he couldsee it. He laughed out loud and shouted Well, well,well!

He jumped up and danced across the garden,amusing the two girls, Well, well, well! Its the Wellof Wealth! You all know it already! Anyone can seeit, but most of us dont! I never saw it. But I can seeit now! The Well is in our Words!THE WELL IS IN OUR WORDS!!He sat back on the bench, wiping the tears from hiseyes. I didnt mean what I said. I really didnt meanit. Life isnt hard. Life is Rich. I really believe life isRich, and it is Richer than I ever imagined.WINK and GROW RICH

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WWW.WEALTHDYNAMICS.ORGThe Gardener added Life is Hard or Life is Rich what you see is always what you get. Then sheechoed The Well is in your Words.Richard spoke with a tingle of excitement, I couldfeel that the people Ive met today think differentlyfrom my father and the people I know in the village.

They use different words and they ask betterquestions. I thought that they could ask betterquestions because they have a better mindset. Butnow I know I had it all upside down.They have a better mindset because they askedbetter questions. Because they used better words.As you are doing now! the Gardener added.Richard continued, The Plumber, the Optician.

They started just like me, just like my father. But


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when they started changing their words, theystarted growing their clarity. They began to tap intothe Well and thats why they are now wealthy.All our lives, we have been visiting the Well ofWealth. But its not the real Well at all. The real Wellis in our Words, and it is so much bigger than I everimagined.WINK and GROW RICH48


The Gardener nodded, And every Word of Wealththat you speak or think taps in to the Well. Everybetter question that you ask draws from the Well.Its limitless.Its magic! Richard wrote:

The Gardener smiled again. She then looked atRichard and did something peculiar. With the mostenchanting twinkle in her eye, she winked.Richard remembered what the plumber had said:

He was beginning to really enjoy this game.Are you wealthy?I have two wonderful daughters and an incrediblehusband, I have my health and I have my time, soyes, I am wealthy.WINK and GROW RICH

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Do you have businesses and investments givingyou money taps so you dont have to worry aboutmoney?All the land you see here. I own it. The Optometrist

pays me rent, as do eighty-five other wealthyresidents in the area. I also have investments in anumber of property developments in the village.I used to earn simply as a gardener, but I putsome of my earnings aside and more importantlyI invested my time in becoming very convincing infront of financiers and bankers. I also invested mytime to meet and learn from successful land andproperty developers.I had a vision to own my own piece of mothernature, you see. My vision was that nature wouldgive me my wealth, and I would give my wealth to

nature in return. Thats what a good gardener does.Thats what you see here. Im living my dream.The girls were now playing pat-a-cake by the river.Richard suddenly became aware of the warmth ofthe sun. He noticed that they were not alone. Therewere colorful birds chattering in the trees and arainbow of butterflies playing in the flowerbeds.Richard felt a knot in his stomach as he thought oftheir little home and his dad, sick and tired in bed.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard thought for a moment. But if theOptometrist is so wealthy, why is he renting hishouse from you?The Optometrist has an incredible vision. In his


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vision it doesnt make sense for him to tie his moneyup in a permanent home. He prefers to invest hismoney, and treat his home as an expense. Andbesides, this way Im happy to garden for him. Heloves my gardening.Even though he knew the answer, Richard askedthe next question anyway. And how did you get so

wealthy?The gardener laughed at the river. I became abetter gardener!As youve been with the Plumber, I can imaginewhat you have learnt. So what is your betterquestion?Richard was ready. I know I need to find my vision,and I know I need to invest my time instead ofspending it. But how?A better question, if you please?Richard had a question at the back of his mind that

didnt seem relevant but then maybe it was. TheWINK and GROW RICH51


plumber didnt need to work. Neither do you. Sowhy do you?Nice question! To me, gardening isnt my work. Itsmy passion. Every moment gardening Im fulfillingmy vision. Thats the secret, Richard. Your wealthstarts in your mind. Wealth isnt the end. Its thebeginning.How was wealth the beginning for you?Do you see this garden? Its a wealth of color and

scents and sounds. It began as a patch of ground.I gave it a wealth of water, sun, care, attention andpassion. In return I have a wealth of nature thatgives back to me every day. The wealth began longbefore the flowers bloomed.Richard sat looking at the flowers, and he smiledat those words. The wealth began long before theflowers bloomed.He wrote down:WINK and GROW RICH

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I see how you got clarity. But how did you getfocus?When I decided to become a better gardener, Iminimized the time I spent and I maximized the timeI invested. I treated my life as a garden, and my focuswas like my garden hose. What I focused on waswatered and grew. What I did not focus on dried anddied.Richard thought about all the weeds in his fathersgarden that were constantly focused on. Every timehis father said Its not fair he had watered andgrown that weed into an enormous tree. Even worse,all the gifts and aspirations had been neglected, andhad shriveled. He took a breath.I soon realized that my highest value activities weresowing, nurturing and reaping. This was true for my


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learning, for my network and for my investments. Ihad little experience or interest in finance, but I hadplenty of experience and interest in gardening.I sowed the seeds in every new person I met andin every new tool I learnt to use. I nurtured myrelationships and my investments. I reaped therewards consciously and when the time was right. If

I had not, I am likely to have tried to reap too early,not sown with enough care or not nurtured withenough commitment.WINK and GROW RICH

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I became wealthy simply by becoming a bettergardener.Richard thought hard about himself and his father.What had they sown? What had they nurtured? Nowonder they hadnt grown very much. What wasthere to grow when they hadnt taken the time to

sow anything?He asked out loud So is visiting the Well of Wealthsowing or reaping?Which Well? the Gardener laughed.Not the real Well - not the Well in our Words. Theone the villagers visit every day.Well then I think you already know that itsneither.Richard thought about the plumbers time tap. Healready knew that he had to invest his time insteadof spending it. Now he understood that he needed tosplit his time investment into sowing, nurturing and

reaping.He wrote:WINK and GROW RICH

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It was then that he suddenly realized he had beenmissing a tremendous opportunity to sow. He hadmet all these fantastic people, and he hadnt askedto keep in touch with them. He immediately decidedto do so, starting with the Gardener: Could we befriends?If thats what you would like. Sure, Id happy to be

your friend.What did she mean, If thats what I would like?Richard knew he was missing something. He had towork harder on his better questions. He watched thegirls, who had decided to go for a swim in the river.He wondered what the fish thought of that.He asked As you grew your garden, how did youknow what to focus on?Have you heard the expression Cant see the woodfor the trees? Until I knew what I wanted my gardento look like, I didnt know what to focus on. Once Ihad a vision, once I had a clear picture of what mygarden would look like, I could begin to see whatI needed to sow, what I needed to nurture, whatI needed to reap. When I wandered through mygarden each day, it was clear to me where I should


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invest my 24 drops of water. With only 24 drops, Ihad to be careful where I invested it.WINK and GROW RICH

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And you know something? Day after day I beganto see the old roots and weeds wither as I neglectedthem. I began to see my learning, my friendships,my contacts and my investments flourish. My dailywalk through my garden was always exciting andfun.So, Richard. Tell me, what do you want yourgarden to look like?Richard was no gardener. He had once tried to growa potato in a small pot at home, but that was aboutit. But he was inspired listening to the Gardener,and he remembered what the Optician had said

about the four levels of communication:I want to have a beautiful garden too. I want to seemore than the trees. I want to be able to see thewood for the trees. I really want to see the wood.I want to live an inspiring life, where wealth isreturned from the wealth that I give. I want to livewith my own great vision. How do I find it?WINK and GROW RICH

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If you want to find your vision, follow your passion.The less your work feels like work, the closer you

are getting.Richard began to feel the blur returning. ThePlumber never mentioned anything about passion.Then you werent listening. From what I know,thats all he ever mentions. If you seek your vision,let passion be your compass. Now theres someone Iwould like you to meet.Richard got to his feet and followed the Gardenerdown to the riverbank. As he walked he wrote:He thought about his father again. His passion wascomplaining. So how was that going to make themwealthy?

They found the girls by a fishing boat, docked by thebank. A bearded man was showing them a fat fish,which he then handed to them. They threw it backin the water with a squeal and started giggling in away that reminded Richard of his mum.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard, I would like you to meet the Fisherman.Richard is a young man seeking the wood.Richard thrust out his hand. Hello, Im Richard. Atyour service!

Well, well, well! exclaimed the Fisherman. Afterthe wood, are you? Well then hop in, were goingdown stream.Richard jumped in and turned to the Gardener. If


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you were to give me your best words of wisdom,what would they be?

The Gardener looked around her paradise with asigh, and then spoke to her daughters. Girls, whydont you give Richard something to take with him?One of the girls looked at Richard, and he noticedfor the first time her beautiful eyes. They twinkled.

As the Fisherman cast off, she sangThe World is waiting,AnticipatingRichard kept eye contact for as long as he dared? ashe felt his heart pounding.WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 6

THE FISHERMANThe Fisherman roared with laughter. Shes rightthere, lad. Its a waiting game. The World waits forus to give, while we wait for the World to give. Its awaiting game alright.Isnt fishing a waiting game?Oh, it was, until I became a better fisherman.And what wealth do you have?I own a retail chain. You see what I wear? Theseboots? This jacket? From my chain. Fine material.I like to spend time with my people. Like I spendtime here with the fish. Thats what I love. Thatsthe wealth that I have. How about you?I dont have much wealth.

The Fisherman whistled The World is waiting,anticipating. Then he said with a start Are youblind, boy?, knocking the side of the boat with aloud rap.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard had a sudden wave of seasickness eventhough there was no sea. Or maybe it was justuncertainty. He looked at the Fisherman with hisnotebook ready.

You want to find the wood? Could, should, wood.Heres the wood. Its right here. Its all around you.

Youre sitting in it.He rapped the boat again.Richard couldnt help noticing that the boat lookedpretty worn for someone who was supposed to bewealthy.No, the Gardener meant I meant the wood fromthe trees. Im looking for the wood from the trees.My vision.

The Fisherman changed subject. Ill show you how

to be a better fisherman if you promise to focus oncatching a fish.Sure, Richard said, notebook poised.Then, here. The Fisherman stopped the engine andpulled out a fishing rod. He handed it to Richard.


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Start fishing.WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard started I didnt know you meant reallycatch a fish. Cant you just explain it to me? Why doI need to catch a fish?Youd better start asking better questions, lad. Thefirst reason youve got that rod is because to knowand not to do, is not yet to know. The second reasonis because its coming up to lunchtime and Imhungry.Richard took the rod, and with his other hand hewrote down:

The more he was learning, the more he seemed notto know. So he decided it was time to start doingmore. He put his notebook down and asked Whatshould I use to catch the fish?You choose. The Fisherman presented a case of

beautiful multi-coloured fishing flies. As Richardlooked at the selection, he immediately saw the onehe liked best. Ill take that one.WINK and GROW RICH

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The Fisherman didnt move. He just sat there lookingout at the river.Richard waited a moment. Then asked Which oneworks best?Oh, I thought you would never ask. This one here.He picked out a fly that, quite frankly, looked like a

three-legged grasshopper. Richard wasnt about toargue.The Fisherman connected the fly. Now stand up,stretch the rod back like this, and

The line went flying forward and the fly landedfar downstream. Now start to gently reel it backin. Richard did, and was shocked when withinmoments the line went taut. He kept reeling in,using more strength. In his moment of need, theFisherman left him and went down to his cabinbelow deck.Mr. Fisherman! Richard yelled as the fish came up

to the surface, Help!The Fisherman returned with a basket, and pulledthe fish out of the water by the line. Hello, Sally!Good to see you again. Say hello to Richard. Hegave the fish a nod in Richards direction, then cuther loose and dropped her back in the water. Sallysplashed away.WINK and GROW RICH

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You know that fish?Just a little joke of mine. Sallys my wife. Now, time for

lunch.He pulled open the basket to present a spread ofsandwiches, fruit and desserts.I thought you wanted to eat the fish for lunch.


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No, plenty more fish in the sea as they say. Or in theriver on this occasion. So here endeth the lesson on howto be a better fisherman. Now you need to live up to yourend of the bargain, and commit to catching a fish.But I just did! Richard protested.I mean a real fish. A money tap. No point knowing ifthere aint no doing.

Richard took a sandwich. How did you start yourfirst money tap?As I said, I became a better fisherman. I used to thinkABOUT the fish. When I became a better fisherman, Ibegan to think LIKE the fish. Its different, you know. Iwas out chasing the fish, which is never ending. I was asales manager at the time, and I hated my job -simply because it was never ending. Continuallychasing customers.WINK and GROW RICH

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When I became a better fisherman, I focusedon creating a better fly. Surely I could make onethat would be more attractive. When you createattraction, you never have to chase again. So Iinvested my time on creating value. Theres nowealth where theres no value. Value is the river inwhich Wealth flows.Richard wrote that down as he continued to listen:I looked outside of my job at other products thatpeople seemed to be attracted to. I was sellingoutdoor jackets that just didnt have the demandin the market at the time. So I invested my

own time to learn more about what people werebuying. That meant I also met the traders whowere being a lot more successful than me.After only six months I had enough knowledge andcontacts to begin my own retail store where I chosethe clothing ranges that I knew would sell. And thenevery day I added more value to the customer andto my vendors. Every day I asked myself how muchmore value I could provide.WINK and GROW RICH

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I became an inspired work-in-progress. The storewas so successful that a chain of stores soonfollowed.What do you mean by an inspired work-inprogress?

The Fisherman picked up the fly. You see this? Itmay look like it only took five minutes to make, butit really took five years. Every day I would think of abetter fly, design it, see how it worked, and then tryagain.Richard remembered what the Plumber had said:So this fly is an inspired work-in-progress. Becauseits still not perfect. It never will be, because thatwould spoil the fun. The fun is in the trial and error.So thats me too. Im an inspired work-in-progress.Richard thought about the Gardeners garden, andthe Plumbers vision. They were very inspired worksin-


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progress. He added that to his list:WINK and GROW RICH

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But when you started your store, werent you afraidthat you might fail?Hell no, I planned to fail! You have to plan to fail,lad, or you will be constantly disappointed. Have alook out here. The Fisherman gestured at the riverlike he was conducting an orchestra. In this riverthere are a thousand fish. When I sink my line, I amplanning to fail to catch all but one of them, whichmeans I am planning for a failure rate of 99.9%. Ifthat failure rate becomes 99.8%, I will have caughttwo fish, which will have doubled my results for theday.When I experiment with new marketing ideas,or new store promotions, or new product lines,I always invest my time and money with the

expectation of a high failure rate, and I ensure thatwith this high rate I can still get a reasonable returnon my time and money invested. So day by day Ilearn profitably.Have you ever had results worse than expected?WINK and GROW RICH

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Sure I have. Before I became a better fishermanit happened all the time. I would always set highexpectations and high targets, and I was constantlydisappointed. Worse, I would budget my time and

money on the basis of my high expectations. So aswell as being disappointed, time and money that Ithought I was investing became wasted.Now that I have become a better fisherman, I planto fail. So most of the time I am pleasantly surprisedby the results. But I still face bigger failures thanexpected, and these I welcome. Because each failureis a new opportunity to make an even better fly.Richard was inspired. The Fisherman had failedmany, many times more than his father, and thatis how he had become so successful. And he washaving fun doing it.

For the Fisherman, learning really was a game.Richard couldnt help thinking that maybe fewpeople played because they didnt know the rules.

The Fisherman seemed to know what Richard wasthinking and he said:Plan to be wealthy by failing nine times out of ten.

That way, whether you are succeeding or failing,you will still be wealthy. If you plan to be wealthy bysucceeding nine times out of ten, wealth will alwaysWINK and GROW RICH

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elude you unless, of course, you get lucky. Somefishermen do that, you know. They wait to get lucky.For them, its a waiting game alright.Richard wrote down:


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The river began to widen and the stream continuedto slow. The Fisherman put up his feet and saidNow I have a question for you. What was it that youlearnt, that made you a better fisherman?Richard was about to answer, when he stoppedhimself. He didnt do much except throw in theline and reel in the fish. In fact, he had started by

picking the wrong fly. Then he remember askingthe Fisherman which one worked best, and heremembered what he had written after meeting theOptometrist:I learnt to ask when I didnt know.WINK and GROW RICH

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When you didnt know or when you didnt want toinvest the time in finding out?Well, I certainly wouldnt want to invest five yearsfinding out.

And in such a situation who should you ask?Richard smiled, I would ask an inspired work-inprogresswho had a passion about such a thing asfly fishing.Exactly. You can accelerate your progresstremendously by investing your time in a networkthat includes many inspired works-in-progress.

Thats what all wealthy people do, you know. Thatway, you invest your own time in learning thatdirectly supports your own passion and vision.Richard tried to clarify this. So you decided tobe an inspired work-in-progress in creating value

because that is where your passion and vision is.Then you would find people like the Plumber tocreate a better plumbing system and the Gardenerto create a better garden, because that is wheretheir passion and vision is?Exactly!But why would you help me?WINK and GROW RICH

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Because I know an inspired work-in-progress whenI see one.

Richard was starting to feel very good about himself.But he was anxious that he was still not doingenough. He asked the Fisherman:What can I do to be wealthy today?

The Fisherman chuckled. They dont make nineyear olds like they used to. He rapped the side ofthe boat again. See the wood, lad. Thats whereyoull find your wealth. He pointed the boat to thebank, and Richard turned to see a boathouse.WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 7

THE ROWER


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The Fisherman docked by the jetty, and a rowercarrying a racing scull approached. This is theend of the line, lad. Im going in for a pint of bitter.Call me when you are ready. And remember yourpromise!Richard watched him walk towards the boathouse.Call him when Im ready? Ready for what? Richard

felt he was already ready for anything. But he wasclearly not. There was something very big that hewas not seeing. He watched the Rower put his scullin the water, and lock in the oars.Richard looked at the Rower, and realized he shouldbe getting back. He put out his hand and withoutthinking said:Hello, Im Rich. Can you help me?

The Rower laughed. Well, if youre rich shouldntyou be asking how you can help me?Richard reddened in embarrassment. OK. How can

I help you?The Rower leaned back on a mooring. Ive got an hour of rowing ahead of me.Inspire me. Richard began his story. My father was sick today. He is sick alot. Sick and tired. Im his only son, and I love him. He is so gifted and hedoesnt even knowit. I help him in his work and I know how good he is. Im going to make sure weinvest our time and build a better plumbing system, to grow a beautifulgarden. Im going to go home today and create a life where weattract the wealth we deserve, and the time we deserve. The timetogether, because theres nothing more precious than time, andtheres nothing more valuable to me than the time I have with myDad. It isnt the biggest life but its my life and its going to be fantastic.

Great story! I can see that. Nice vision. Rich gaped at the man. His eyeswatered like he had just opened them for the first time. He spun around andstared at the Fishermans boat, with crystal clarity, then he ran towards theboathouse. He ranso fast he was tripping over his feet. He was ready. Im ready! I can helpyou!

The Fisherman looked up and smiled. Sorry I was a little slow, but Imlearning! Im an inspired work-in-progress! Your boat: Ill sand and polish thewood. Ive done it for my father many times. Hes a carpenter. Ah, so youfinally saw the wood!When the Gardener said Cant see the Wood for the Trees, I heard it the wayI had always heard it. The Wood was the big picture the vision. And I knowthat it is, but I only just realized that the Wood also means what can be createdfrom the trees. Thatopportunities can be created out of every moment. The Fisherman nodded. Ilike that, you should write that down. Rich pulled out the notebook and wrote:In a moment of inspiration he also drew:He turned back to the Fisherman. So Im ready to help. Ive started to becomea better carpenter. I can see the Wood for what it is. I can see that withoutWaterthe Wood cant grow. My Dad is an amazing carpenter, and I am going to be asgood as he is. Hes gifted, you know. But Im not just going to DO bettercarpentry, Im

going to BE a better carpenter. I will fix up your boat, and I can learn fromyou to build a better ladder to my new life with my father. That sounds like afair trade, and I will be happy to oblige. replied the Fisherman. The going rateis $5 an hour and I have three boats. But I want you to be clear themoney youre getting isnt a money tap. Its a simple time-for-money


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exchange a job. So your real investment here is in developing yourlearning. But dont wait until you start. Now that you have a vision ofsorts, focus on creating that money tap, and remember opportunitieslie in every moment present, future and past.Rich thanked the Fisherman and walked back down to the jetty. He thought ofthe past opportunities of this day alone. Had he been clearer on his vision andhis focus, what might have happened? Had he started with a wealth of passion

and enthusiasm, what opportunities might he have uncovered? Heremembered the Fishermans retail stores. All that shelving! He rememberedthe Gardeners bench, and all her properties all those doors, windows, floorsand skirting boards! He remembered the Plumbers maintenance franchise,and his property developmentcompany. So many opportunities for a carpenter - for a carpentry business!

There were so many opportunities to create wealth in today alone, and he hadmissed them all.You look like a man in a hurry.Rich looked up at the Rower. I am. Ive got a lot of work to do. Ive beenlearning, and now its time for action. To know, and not to do, is not yet to

know, you know.More pace, less haste, the Rower remarked.Pardon?You need one of these. He held up one of his oars. Rich looked at the oar,then at the Rower, and then back to the oar.What happened to you when you became a better rower?Well, when I started rowing I learnt how to make my millions. When Ibecame better, I learnt how to keep them. If you are in too much of ahurry, you will come back to the same place no wealthier, butexhausted all the same. Theres a rhythm to wealth.Rich was intrigued. A rhythm to wealth?When you first begin to see the wealth that is out there, you begin to

see opportunities everywhere. If you dont follow a rhythm, you willeither overwhelm yourself, frustrate yourself or exhaust yourself.Rich was about to write that down when the Rower turned back to his oar.Soon after you see wealth, you discover this.An oar?Leverage. Put in a small amount of effort, and get out a big result.To create wealth, you need to learn how to leverage your efforts, yourtime and your money. You do this with other peoples efforts, otherpeoples time and other peoples money.Rich could already see this at work with the Plumbers franchise partnership,the Gardeners land financing and networking, and even how he had leveragedon the Fishermans knowledge to catch the fish. Rich could see how each ofthem couldnt have gotten the Wealth that they had without other peoplesefforts, time and money. It was then that he realized the true importance ofthe Optometrists advice on levels of communication. Each of them hadinspired the people that they met with their vision, and as a result they hadcreated leverage. Rich wanted to leverage.

The Rower continued:But the key to leverage, like this oar, is that it isnt worth much ifyou dont know how to use it. Used in the wrong way, youll just endup exhausting yourself with either too much or too little of the wrongpeoples or the right peoples efforts, time and money.Rich wrote:

The Rower pulled over a small row boat and motioned Rich to jump in. Richtook the oarsand began paddling as the Rower told his story.Soon after I began rowing I started a holiday tour company. I love theoutdoors, and I had a vision of a company that would send people around the


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world, to the most exotic locations. I discovered the power of leverage, and Iraised financing, recruited managers and created partnerships and agencyagreements throughout the world. For five years I worked like crazy and grewthe company at an incredible rate.It was exhausting, but I kept going. I began spending all my time onmanagement issues and fire-fighting. We continued to raise financing andrecruit staff. We were really stretched. Then the travel market hit a downturn,

and we were overextended. We had creditors to pay, and payroll to meet, butthe business just wasnt coming in fast enough. I burnt out. I ended up havingto close the company.Rich didnt like the sound of that at all. It didnt sound much like theFishermans cheerfulcomments about planning to fail. Then Rich realized that this was exactly whatthe Rower had not done. He hadnt planned to fail. In fact, if he began to fail atall as he had - it was game over.It was the best thing that could have happened to me. It made me have tothink about being a better rower. When I started rowing, I would be amazed atthe power of this oar. But its also difficult to manage. The harder I pulled, the

more off-balance the boat became, and the slower I went. That made me try topull even harder and spin the oar around faster to get it back in the waterwhich, of course, wore me down even more without any results.When I became a better rower a strange thing happened. I found that what Iwas doing when the oar was out of the water was more important than whenthe oar was in the water.Rich looked at the Rower as if he was a little strange. He repeated When theoar is out of the water?Your father. Im guessing hes not leveraging much at all right now?Well, no.Thats OK. That just makes the rowing even more exhausting. Imagine yourfather rowing with his hands.

Rich couldnt quite picture it, but he nodded all the same. The Rower drew ascale on Richs notebook, from 0 to 20 and then asked When your father isapplyinghimself, say, to his work, how much of his full potential do you think he isapplying?Rich stopped rowing for a moment and ringed the 6. Hes worn out most ofthe time, so he does work very hard, but not really at his full potential.OK. Now when hes not working how much, on the same scale, is he relaxed,balanced and enjoying life to the full?Rich cringed, and circled the 4.His work wears him out, so when he comes home he needs to recover.But thats the point. If hes at a 4, hes not recovering. Hes still going to beworn out whenhe goes back to work. So let me tell you, when you begin to leverage, all of thisgets magnified by a factor of 10. When I was running my travel company, I waswearing myself down with each day. When I was rowing, I was wearing myselfdown with each stroke.Now, when I became a better rower, I learnt that the more relaxedand balanced I was when the oar was out of the water, the moreprepared I was for the next stroke. Thats why its called the recovery.More importantly, the less time my oar was in the water, the faster Iwent. So I was spending twice as long out of the water, with half theeffort, and going twice as fast.

I now own an adventure sports company, a travel agency and a resort. Iwork about a week a month, and I enjoy the rest of my time travellingand living a wonderfully balanced life. When I apply myself, I applymyself fully. When I relax, I relax totally. Any challenges, I am fullyable to manage. I prepare, execute, review at specific times every


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week and every month. Its a rhythm that makes my wealthsustainable.Rich nodded vigorously, thinking of his father. Then he wrote:He drew the scales he wanted to have:

They both sat for a while, feeling the autumn breeze. The stream carried themfurther towards the sea. Rich thought of his father, miserably lying in bed.So youre saying that what we do when were not working is as important as

what we do when we are?The Rower shook his head.More important. When you have a vision and a focus, all your bestwork is done when youre not working. But remember, Rich, Wealthypeople dont work. They simply follow their passion.Rich thought about the Plumber dancing and the Gardeners picnic. It didntseem that what they were doing would contribute to their wealth, but it would.

Just by nurturing themselves, they were getting wealthier. They were relaxingat a scale 20. They would return to invest time in their investments at a scale20. They had 20/20 vision.He drew:

Rich heard the sound of a flute in the air. They had come to the mouth of theriver, and they both looked over to a wooden gazebo on the beach. A lady wassitting, playing to the sea. The Rower spoke to Rich.Thats the Musician. If you want to experience real wealth, Id advise youspend some time with her.Listening to the music, it reminded Rich of what the Gardener had said: Richturned to the rower.OK. Heres my number. Id be happy to sand and varnish your boat for you.

The rower smiled. Well, thank you. I have an entire boathouse full of boatswaiting to be sanded and varnished. Youre going to need to bring help.

Chapter 9

THE MUSICIANRich stepped in to the gazebo. Hi, Im Rich! I have a quality wood care serviceand I would love to be of assistance.

The Musician laughed. My, youre a young entrepreneur. Unfortunately, thisgazebo isnt mine. But my flute could do with a polish.Rich sat down and looked out at the sea. He had never noticed before how bigit was.Could I tell you my vision? Rich began.

The Musician let out a light whistle from her flute and then paused. Draw it forme.And thats what he did for the next twenty minutes, as she continued to playher flute.So now tell me why you might fail.

Rich thought about that. It wasnt because he would make mistakes, becausehe planned to fail. It wouldnt be because he would be wasting his time or hismoney, because he would be investing both. It wouldnt be because he wouldbe moving too fast ortoo slow, because he would follow a rhythm.I dont know. How might I fail?If you were to sow in the summer, or reap in the spring. If you were to forgetabout she played her flute again harmony.

She looked over at Rich, and he noticed the most incredible sparkle in hereyes.Tell me, Rich. What do you know about time?I know that we wealthy people value it more than money. I know that we treatit very carefully because we see it as something precious. We hate to waste it.


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The Musician nodded in agreement.Time cannot be compared to money. With money, when you spend it, you

can always get more. With time, once youve spent it, its gone. It never comesback. Time is yourmost precious asset, so invest in understanding it better.Rich added that to his list:Rich asked, So what can you teach me to help me understand time better?

The Musician looked out at the sea.Time has flavours. Learn how to taste it, and your wealth is assured. Shepaused. Ill show you. Watch the waves.Rich looked out at the waves. They looked like every other wave hed seen.

The Musician continued,Breathe with the wave.Rich began to breathe in as the water line receded, and breathe out as eachwave broke back up on the beach. The Musician began to play her flute,playing notes up and down the scale in time with the waves. Rich could hearthe Rower:But this was something else. A tingle went down Richs spine with each new

wave. A peculiar thing began to happen. He was no longer just Rich. He wassomething much bigger. As he breathed, he became the sea, and the melody,and there became so muchabundance. He suddenly saw how much more he already had, and how muchmore he had to give. He thought about his father. He thought about the motherhe had lost. He had blamed her for dying for leaving him and his father. Hehadnt expected to meet her again. Certainly not here and now. But his senseof oneness was overpowering. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, he felt anincredible calm. He felt a surging inner strength well up within. The strengthsurged through his body, up to his chest, and up to his face, to his eyes. Richfelt an energy he could not describe. As he looked out, in harmony with somenatural rhythm, he was struck by tremendous clarity.

Then he saw it. With a twinkle in his eye, he whispered So THATs what theWorld is supposed to look like

The Musician stopped playing, but Rich could still hear the melody.Can you taste it? she asked. Rich nodded. The Musician continued,When you find true harmony, you find untold strength. Harmony isthe foundation of Wealth.Rich quickly scribbled:She drew a circle:In the sea, there are ripples on waves on currents on tides. Its the same withtime. There are seasons within seasons. There is a spring, summer, autumn,winter in each year, in each day. You have seasons in your life, in yourrelationships, in your investments and your businesses. You have one in this

journey you have taken today.You have seasons in your learning and in your actions. Right now, you noticethe seasons in your book. Your harmony gives you that knowledge.Richard thought about that. She was right.When you invest your time - to sow, nurture and reap yourrelationships and your investments, your learning and your passion,your vision and your focus - make sure you sow in the spring, nurturein the summer and reap in the fall. Its not just what you do, its whenyou do it.Richard wrote:

The Musician continued:

When you find your vision and clarity, you find your Wealth. When you findyour Wealth, you can focus on how to invest your time. When you invest yourtime, you create value. When you create value, your wealth begins to flow.When your wealth flows with rhythm and harmony, it begins to resonate.Do you know what it means to resonate, Rich?


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I felt it, but I dont understand it.When you resonate, you create a vibration, like ripples in a pond.You create the most wonderful attraction you attract the bestpeople, the best opportunities, the best environment. Thats whenyou really begin to live life fully. When you resonate,you accumulate.Rich was reminded of the birds and butterflies in the Gardeners garden. He

wrote:The sun was moving lower in the sky, and the air was beginning to cool. Richlooked at the Musician. He hadnt asked her how wealthy she was, but herealized he didnt need to. He could see the wealth in her entire body. Heasked:Is that how you became so wealthy? You attracted everything to you?

The Musician shook her head.The attraction isnt the cause. Its the effect. When you begin toattract wonderful things, thats just the clue that youre on the righttrack. If you are not, thats a sign to recalibrate. The attraction is thereward you get for your efforts.No, when I became a better musician, I developed clarity about whenand where to create new investments, when to build them, when tosell them. I became a master of my time and my focus by just being intune with the market and with my advisors. I came across the secretof all great wealth.Whats the secret?Thats for you to find out.

Can you give me a clue?The Musician smiled, and then began to play the same melody she had beenplaying earlier. Rich looked back out at the sea. In mid-melody, the Musicianabruptly stopped.

The melody continued in Richs mind. She turned to Rich.

I began to know which note came next.Rich looked at her quizzically, and another tune came into his head:The World is waiting, AnticipatingRich saw his reflection in her smiling blue eyes. His reflection was twinkling. Ashe held her gaze, the Musician winked.

Chapter 10THE INN KEEPERRich and the Musician walked along the beach, towards a beautiful resort. Asthey approached, a very large man came out to greet them. The Musicianspoke to Rich;

This is one of the resorts in the Rowers resort chain. This is the Inn Keeper.Hell get you back home. But first, you should spend some time with him.Rich replied, You mean invest some time with him?

The Musician grinned Yes, invest!The Inn Keeper welcomed Rich with a grizzly bear handshake and a wrestlershug.You must be Rich! Welcome to my paradise! Please come in.

Rich entered the resort to find the most astounding gardens, fountains and fishponds. The ambience was totally relaxing, and the hotel staff seemed to driftalong like they were wearing magic carpet shoes.I met the Gardener today, and your gardens are almost as beautiful as hers.She has the most amazing vision you know.

The Inn Keeper sighed. Ah yes, I had a friend who had a vision even biggerthan the Gardeners.You do? Who is she?Oh, shes just a nobody. Never made anything of her life. Just gets by.


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Rich wasnt expecting that. Does she know what it takes to get wealthy? Hasshe met the Plumber, and the Fisherman? Has she met the Musician?Oh, sure she has. She just never made it like they did.

The sun was beginning to set, and Rich suddenly felt an indescribable fear.What if he woke up tomorrow and everything was an illusion? What if thingswerent as clear as they had seemed on the beach? Then he remembered theMusicians eyes, and he asked a better question:

Why didnt she make it?Because she was happy to settle for less. You know,

I was too, until I became a better Inn Keeper.Rich waited expectantly.You know, I love to serve people. I love to give peoplea wonderful experience, especially when that is whatthey have specifically come for. I always wanted to domy best. I do that in my job, and I do that every dayin my life. But in the past, my standards were low.How could your standards be low if you were doingyour best?

The Inn Keeper sat down on an elegant settee andRich followed. A waiter came up with two fruitcocktails. Have you ever been to a three star hotel?Rich thought about it Ive been inside the two starhotel in the village.Were the people working there doing their best?Yes, they were.And did you have the same experience as you arehaving here?No, of course not! Rich paused. An entirely newclarity began to form.WINK and GROW RICH

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The Inn Keeper continued, For a long time, Ialways felt I tried my best, but I never seemed to getanywhere. I began to invest my time in developingmyself. I learnt many of the keys to wealth, butwealth still eluded me. It was then that I realized Iwas still living a two star life.Even though I knew I should be investing mytime, I continued to spend it. Even though I knewI should be building a better plumbing system, Ikept putting it off. Even though I knew there was a

rhythm to wealth, I never looked hard enough for it.I was still doing my best, but ultimately I was willingto settle for less.Rich interrupted So how did you become a betterInn Keeper?I raised my standards. You see, it isnt yourknowledge that will make you wealthy, it is whatyou do with that knowledge.Rich remembered what the Fisherman had said:WINK and GROW RICH

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When I raised my standards, I was no longerwilling to settle for spending my time. I was nolonger willing to settle for a mediocre life. I wasno longer willing to settle for a sloppy mind andblurred vision. When you no longer settle for certain


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behaviour, you have no option but to take actionand change it.So the life we live is not determined by the life wewant to live tomorrow, but by the life we settle fortoday. We settle for our standards.Rich wrote:Now, Rich. Heres a secret for you.

Rich leaned in, spilling some of his fruit cocktail.Did the Musician tell you about attraction?Rich nodded.If youre running a two star hotel, what kind ofpeople are you going to attract?WINK and GROW RICH

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Rich answered Two star people?And if youre running a five star hotel?Rich got the picture.And heres another secret. The Inn Keeper swept

his hand as if he was sowing seeds on the marblefloor. Five star is about service, quality andconduct. These things dont cost money. It justtakes better rules and better systems to ensure youdont settle for less. So higher standards do notneed to cost more and, in factHe leaned in, and Rich leaned also.Who do you think has to put in more effort? Theman with the two star life or the man with the fivestar life?Rich thought about the people he knew who wantedmore but were willing to settle for less. He thoughtabout his father. He thought about the people hehad met today. There was no question:The man with the two star life has to put in a lotmore effort. And he wrote that down:WINK and GROW RICH

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Rich was inspired again, and he wrote his list of fivestar rules and systems.

Then he came up with a question for the Inn Keeper.Now that you are living a five star life, why do youchoose to work for the Rower instead of working for

yourself?The Inn Keeper erupted with laughter. I love mywork! Dont take that away from me! I do what I lovefor a living, I live in my paradise expense-free, andall my earnings are taken care of by a wonderfulmoney plumbing system. Wealth has given me thefreedom to choose, and this is what I choose. This ismy vision of the perfect life.

The Inn Keeper sat up. Now, Rich, I have aquestion for you. If you were to put me in a two starenvironment, what do you think would happen?

Would I go back to living a two star life?Rich thought the answer was obvious. No, youwould either change the environment or go backto an environment that was five star, because youwouldnt settle for less.


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WINK and GROW RICH

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The Inn Keeper nodded. So what will you do whenyou go back to your environment tonight?

Rich sat in silence.Remember, Rich, you become your choices. Allyour choices and your learning will be made inyour environment. If learning is a game, yourenvironment is your playground. Dont settle forless.Rich wrote:It was getting dark. Rich thought back to the choicehe took when he followed the overgrown path, andas a result of that choice, who he had now become.As the Inn Keeper drove him home, he thoughtabout what he would tell his father. He thoughtabout what the Optician had said:WINK and GROW RICH

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In all the nine years of his life, the only level ofcommunication he had known with his father wasexchange and connect. Tonight, he was going toinspire.WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 10

THE CARPENTERHe was home! Rich ran excitedly to his front door,gripping on to his notebook as he opened the door.His heart was pumping and a big grin was stampedon his face.Rich ran through the house and opened his fathersbedroom door.Dad, were going to be rich! You wont believe whathappened today!Richard! Why have you been out for so long?Wheres the Well Water?Richard stopped dead. Oh. No, I didnt get the WellWater. But look what I did get. He held out thenotebook.

The Carpenter pulled himself up in bed and lookedat Richard in despair. Richard, where is the WellWater? Thats all you had to do today. Go to the Wellof Wealth and get the Water. We need the Water,Richard. Wheres the Water?WINK and GROW RICH

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Richard pleaded No Dad, we dont need that WellWater. The Well of Wealth isnt where you think it is.Ive seen the ocean, Dad. Ive seen the ocean.Richard saw his fathers eyes well up, as the


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Carpenter shook his head. He slowly pulled himselffrom the bed and began to put on his socks. I haveto go. I have to go now to the Well. We have to getthe Water.Dad, its night time. Do it in the morning. Dad,time is so precious. Let me tell you my vision. Letme tell you what Ive learnt today. His words were

falling about him, dropping on the floor before theyreached the ears of the Carpenter.Wheres the dollar, Richard?

The words came out like they were causing theCarpenter pain, and he doubled up as he stood.Richard began to cry.Im sorry. I dont have the dollar anymore.Oh, Richard. You have no idea. This is terrible. Thisis so terrible. What have you done. The old manshuffled to the money box, pulling out a dollar andpulling on his coat. I have to go now. I have to get

to the Well. Lock the door after me. Ive got keys.WINK and GROW RICH107


Richard began to cry harder as the Carpenterlaboured towards the door.No, Dad. Please. Please let me tell you. Look at mynotebook. Look at what Ive written. Please, Dad.Look. Learning is a game. Time is our most preciousasset. Dad, its all here. Please just sit for a minuteand let me explain it to you.Richard desperately wiped his eyes. His tears werewashing away his vision, washing away his clarity.Let me inspire you. The Well is right here. The Wellis in your Words.He was talking to a closed door.He sat on the floor and began to cry. He startedthinking about his mum, and that made him cryeven more. This was going to be his best day, andnow it was his worst day. It was like a bad dream.None of it was real. Only his tears were real. Histears, and his fathers pain, and the cold floor.As Richard lay there like a broken puppet, cryinghimself to sleep, the words of the Musician floated

into his mind:WINK and GROW RICH108


And the winter passed.WINK and GROW RICH

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Chapter 11

THE OLD LADYIts just not fair!

I am sick and tired.And he was. Both sick and tired. In fact, he wastired of being sick and sick of being tired. Wasit fair? Richs father had worked all his life as a


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Carpenter. He had always wanted wealth but hadnever received it. That drove him to work evenharder, and the pressure had finally squashed himflat.He was flat broke, and flat on his back in bed.Rich was by his side. Dad, Im sorry aboutyesterday. Something wonderful happened which Ill

tell you all about later. But today, I promise to visitthe Well of Wealth for you.

The Carpenter smiled. Thanks, son. Im sorry Iupset you last night. But you cant miss a day, so Ihad to go. Its better to be safe than sorry.

Then, giving him a dollar, he said:WINK and GROW RICH

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For centuries, people in this villagehave made it a habit to visit the Wellof Wealth every day without fail. Givegenerously to the Well, my son, and itwill give generously in return.Rich took the dollar and practically ran with thenotebook up the path to the Well. He soon came tothe Old Lady who was, again, sitting with a glass ofchilled water in her hands.My, youre looking Rich today! she exclaimed.I came back to say thank you, and to get your

number. Im starting a Carpentry and Wood CareBusiness, and Im going to ask the Plumber forsome advice on what I need to do to franchise itlater. Then I want to speak to the Rower aboutserving all the boats on the river. Id like to have aworkshop at his Boathouse.Well, well, well. That sounds just fine, said the OldLady. And have you been making good use of thatnotebook?Oh, yes, thank you. He showed her the picture ofhis list.WINK and GROW RICH

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Very good. Now, before you are on your way, do youhave any better questions for me?Yes, I do. First of all, I need to find the Well ofWealth, where I can get a bucket of water for myfather. Which way is it?Do you have a better question?Rich objected I really need to get to the Well, or myfather will be very upset.

So, do you have a better question?Rich thought for a while. Then he looked back at hislist.How many more are there on this list?


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The Old Lady smiled. Two, for now.Rich nodded. And should I have learnt themalready?

The Old Lady continued smiling, and nodded.Rich began to think about the last day. He sat downby the Old Lady and he thought hard, because healso knew he was missing something. And it was

something very big.WINK and GROW RICH

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He felt it had something to do with the type of people hehad met. He felt there was something to do with howthey were connected. He knew it had something to dowith the Musicians melody and the little girls song:The World is Waiting,AnticipatingRich thought harder. He looked at the water inthe Old Ladys hand. She hadnt drunk it, and it

reminded him again of the Water from the Wellof Wealth. It made him think of the water in thefountain, in the garden. It made him think of thewater in the river and in the sea.He thought very hard about the water, and whateach person he had met was doing with it. All thateveryone in the village seemed to do with the Waterfrom the Well was to drink it.But everyone he met yesterday seemed to valuethe water in a different way. It seemed that thelast thing they needed to worry about was havingenough to drink. They found the value in a differentway but also in a much bigger way.He knew that there was something here he neededto understand. Through his journey yesterday,there was always more water than he could possiblyuse, and it kept getting bigger and bigger. Heremembered what the Optician had said:WINK and GROW RICH

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Then he thought about the panic in his father lastnight when he didnt have the Well Water, and hismood suddenly changed. The Old Lady seemed to

know what Rich was thinking, and she whisperedWater, water, everywhere. And not a drop to drink.Rich began to gain further clarity. He noddedtowards the glass of water. So what is that for?Few are like you, Rich. Few come asking to bewealthy. Many people come to me looking for theWell of Wealth, so I point them to the Well. Butwouldnt you know, most dont even ask that. Theycome and simply tell me they are thirsty.To those people, I give the glass of water.Once they have quenched their thirst, they dont

take either path. They simply turn around and goback home.WINK and GROW RICH

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The Old Lady looked at Rich, and he looked back. Hethought about the glass, the bucket and the sea. Shenodded towards his notebook, and he wrote:

The Old Lady looked at Rich with a twinkle, and said,Then this is all youll be needing for your father.She handed him an empty bucket from the Well ofWealth.

Rich squinted in comprehension. So you own theWell of Wealth.I sure do. Wealthiest girl in the village.But its not the real Well Rich continued.

The Old Lady sighed. We all own that well, Rich. Butmy vision is to help those who really dont want tohelp themselves. The Well of Wealth cant give themwealth, but it can give them security. This glass cantgive security, but it can give relief. Succeed, sustainor survive. Its all a matter of choice.It was true. Anyone could have made the journey

Rich had made yesterday. Most didnt because theywerent willing to invest the necessary time toWINK and GROW RICH

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succeed. It was their choice. Rich remembered whatthe Inn Keeper had said:Then why did you help me?Because you asked. And I sent you to the personwho had the right vision.The Optometrist. I never did find out his vision.

The Old Lady smiled, Yes, you did.Rich smiled back, then nodded. He looked at herwith a better question. So what comes after No.29?If you dont see it, you know the answer. What yousee is always what you get.

The Old Lady confided, But Rich, I will tell youthis. Never give up the search for what comes next,because one day you will find it. When you findit, you will realize that whilst the Well of Wealthsprings from our Words, what comes next is Wealthbeyond Words.WINK and GROW RICH

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What was he missing? What came after No. 29? Heknew this was the one. He knew this was the biggestone by far.He could sense the connection between the peoplehe had met. Or maybe it was the sequence. Hethought hard about their words. He wasnt seeingsomething in their words.He was going to have to become a better carpenter.Something in his list of 29 was wrong. The orderwas wrong. He needed to change the steps in the

ladder. He was going to have to think it, ink it, do it,review it.When he had promised the Old Lady he would workhard, he hadnt realized it would be this hard.What came after No. 29? It seemed the answer lay


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behind him. But as he would have to re-read hisbook, the answer really lay ahead of him. He wasdetermined not to settle for less. He would re-readhis book until he could see the answer.Rich breathed in the crisp, spring air, and knew hehad been here before. It had been only a day, or wasit a month? Or a year?WINK and GROW RICH118


He felt greater clarity, and looked again at the OldLady.What came after No. 29?

The Old Lady looked back with eyes of cool blue.They were young eyes, full of spirit. Rich sawhumour and fun dancing in those wonderful pools.Her eyes reminded him of the fountain the plumberwas dancing in. They reminded him of the river thegirls were swimming in. What came after No. 29?

As he stared into her eyes, transfixed, he becameaware of time. He could feel the flow of time like therush of water past the boat.As he looked into the blue, the current calmed, andhe could see the sparkling ocean. His precious timeslowed to a lazy sway, and then came to a stop.He held his breath.With a twinkle in her eye, she winked.And finally, he saw it.WINK and GROW RICH

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