May 7, 2010
The Bottomline of Becoming a Millionaire
The Bottomline of Becoming a Millionaire A man goes into the pet store to buy a bird.1 He sees dozens of caged birdswith little price tags dangling from their little legs; $5, $5, $5, $50. "Fifty dollars!" He asks the clerk, "What so special about this one?" Theclerk explains that this bird is special because it can talk. So the manbuys the bird and takes it home. The next day the man returns. "The bird didn't talk." The clerk asks, "Did he look in his little mirror?" "Little mirror? I didn't buy a mirror. Does he need a mirror?" "Of course," replies the clerk. "He looks in his little mirror and seesanother bird in there. He thinks he's not alone and starts to sing. Startsto talk. Got to have a mirror." This sounds reasonable so the customer buys a mirror and leaves. The nextday he is back again, disgruntled. "The bird looked in his little mirror. But he still didn't talk." "Well," ponders the clerk, "Did he run up and down his little ladder?" "Ladder? Does he need a ladder?" "Of course," replies the clerk. "Don't you feel better after you exercise? Your bird runs up and down his little ladder-those endorphins start pumpingin his little brain. Makes him want to sing. Makes him want to talk. Gotto have a ladder." This sounds reasonable so the man buys a mirror. The next day he is backwith a scowl on his face. "The bird ran up and down his little ladder. Helooked in his little mirror, but he still didn't talk!"The clerk asks, "Did he swing on his little swing? You see, when the birdswings it makes him think he's back in nature. Makes him want to sing. Makes him want to talk." The customer grudgingly buys the swing. The next day he is back again,angrier than ever. "The bird swung on his little swing. He ran up and downhis little ladder. He looked in his little mirror. But he still didn'ttalk!" "Hmmmm," thinks the clerk. "Did he tinkle his little bell?"The customer grabs a little bell, throws some money on the counter and stormsoff. The next day he is back again. "The bird's dead!" "Dead!?" "Yup. Dead-his little feet sticking up in the air. But he did talk. He gotup this morning and looked in his little mirror. He tinkled on his littlebell. He ran up and down his little ladder. He swung on his little swing. Then, just before he keeled over and died, he looked over at me-a little tearforming in his little eye-and he finally spoke to me. "What did he say?" He said, "DIDN'T THEY SELL BIRDSEED?!!!" When it comes to making money people will try to sell you a lot of bells andwhistles-but the 'birdseed' of money can be summarized into three keyconcepts: Building a Dream. Attracting a Team. Choosing a Stream. Charles Jarvis, the great American Humorist, tells this classic story. A dollar a day#151;a minute at a time#151;you can get there. Contact Robert G. Allen at boballen@robertallen.com or visit his website at www.robertallen.com Permission granted for this excerpt from the forthcoming blockbuster, The One Minute Millionaire with Mark Victor Hansen; Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.

Posted by Staff at 1:29 AM