Page 47 - How To Get Rich

I learned a long time ago to listen, but to listen judiciously. You can
learn a lot from the people around you—you just have to be discerning
about the information that comes your way. A lot of the so-called
information I receive turns out to be someone’s personal opinion. We’re

all entitled to our two cents’ worth, but sometimes that’s all it amounts to.
Be aware of the marketplace. Know what’s going on now. That’s one
reason I devote several hours a day to reading. That’s how long it takes to
both keep up with current events and learn from the greats in history. How
can you expect to be successful if your idea of what’s happening in the
world is vague or nonexistent? That’s like saying, I know that September
11 happened, but I choose not to acknowledge it. It gets in the way of my

positive outlook on things. That approach is fine if you’re a professional
fairy-tale writer.
There’s another side to everything, so develop your ability to see it—or
even hear it. I once met a young woman from Hong Kong who worked on
Wall Street in emerging markets. She had an uncanny ability to predict
certain events in the marketplace—it seemed almost like a psychic gift to

me.
One day, I asked her how she could be so on target in her work and she
likened knowing and predicting the global markets tolistening to a Ping-
Pong game.
At first, I thought she was joking, or perhaps just being evasive, but
she went on to explain her theory.
I’m not kidding you, Donald. When I was growing up, we had a Ping-

Pong table in the den, and I could hear the games my brothers would play,
sometimes for hours, when I was studying in my room. I discovered that I
could discern the tilt of the paddle, and the outcome of the volley, just by
the sound of the Ping-Pong ball being hit, and the sound of it landing on
the other side of the net. I knew the results, the repercussions, and the

recovery that would be required to successfully handle what had been
dealt.
Later, I applied this to my work in emerging markets and found I could
often predict what would be happening just by concentrating on world
events and thinking of the sound of Ping-Pong balls being hit around the
globe. Ping-Pong is really the reason behind my success.
I was astounded.That’s my idea of tuning in.