NINE THINGS MORE IMPORTANT THAN CAPITAL

When starting any enterprise or business, whether it is
full-time or part-time, we all know the value of having plenty
of capital (money). But I bet we both know or at least have
heard of people who started with no capital who went on to
make fortunes. How?, you may ask.

Well, I believe there are actually some things that are more
valuable than capital that can lead to your entrepreneurial
success. Let me give you the list.

1. Time

Time is more valuable than capital. The time you set aside
not to be wasted, not to be given away. Time you set aside to
be invested in an enterprise that brings value to the
marketplace with the hope of making a profit. Now we have
capital time.

How valuable is time? Time properly invested is worth a
fortune. Time wasted can be devastation. Time invested can
perform miracles, so you invest your time.

2. Desperation

I have a friend Lydia, whose first major investment in her new
enterprise was desperation. She said, "My kids are hungry, I
gotta make this work. If this doesn't work, what will I do?"
So she invested $1 in her enterprise selling a product she
believed in. The $1 was to buy a few fliers so she could make
a sale at retail, collect the money and then buy the product
wholesale to deliver back to the customer.

My friend Bill Bailey went to Chicago as a teenager after he
got out of high school. And the first job he got was as a
night janitor. Someone said, "Bill, why would you settle for
night janitor?" He said, "Malnutrition." You work at
whatever you can possibly get when you get hungry. You go to
work somewhere -- night janitor, it doesn't matter where it
is. Years later, now Bill is a recipient of the Horatio Alger
award, rich and powerful and one of the great examples of
lifestyle that I know. But, his first job - night janitor.
Desperation can be a powerful incentive. When you say - I
must.

3. Determination

Determination says I will. First Lydia said, "I must find a
customer." Desperation. Second, she said, "I will find
someone before this first day is over." Sure enough, she
found someone. She said, "If it works once, it will work
again." But then the next person said, "No." Now what must
you invest?

4. Courage

Courage is more valuable than capital. If you've only got $1
and a lot of courage, I'm telling you, you've got a good
future ahead of you. Courage in spite of the circumstances.
Humans can do the most incredible things no matter what
happens. Haven't we heard the stories? There are some recent
ones from Kosovo that are some of the most classic,
unbelievable stories of being in the depths of hell and
finally making it out. It's humans. You can't sell humans
short. Courage in spite of, not because of, but in spite of.
Now once Lydia has made 3 or 4 sales and gotten going, here's
what now takes over.

5. Ambition

"Wow! If I can sell 3, I can sell 33. If I can sell 33, I can
sell 103." Wow. Lydia is now dazzled by her own dreams of
the future.

6. Faith

Now she begins to believe she's got a good product. This is
probably a good company. And she then starts to believe in
herself. Lydia, single mother, 2 kids, no job. "My gosh, I'm
going to pull it off!" Her self-esteem starts to soar. These
are investments that are unmatched. Money can't touch it.
What if you had a million dollars and no faith? You'd be
poor. You wouldn't be rich. Now here is the next one, the
reason why she's a millionaire today.

7. Ingenuity

Putting your brains to work. Probably up until now, you've
put about 1/10 of your brainpower to work. What if you
employed the other 9/10? You can't believe what can happen.
Humans can come up with the most intriguing things to do.
Ingenuity. What's ingenuity worth? A fortune. It is more
valuable than money. All you need is a $1 and plenty of
ingenuity. Figuring out a way to make it work, make it work,
make it work.

8. Heart and Soul

What is a substitute for heart and soul? It's not money.
Money can't buy heart and soul. Heart and soul is more
valuable than a million dollars. A million dollars without
heart and soul, you have no life. You are ineffective. But,
heart and soul is like the unseen magic that moves people,
moves people to buy, moves people to make decisions, moves
people to act, moves people to respond.

9. Personality

You've just got to spruce up and sharpen up your own
personality. You've got plenty of personality. Just get it
developed to where it is effective every day, it's effective
no matter who you talk to - whether it is a child or whether
it is a business person - whether it is a rich person or a
poor person. A unique personality that is at home anywhere.

My mentor Bill Bailey taught me, "You've got to learn to be
just as comfortable, Mr. Rohn, whether it is in a little shack
in Kentucky having a beer and watching the fights with
Winfred, my old friend or in a Georgian mansion in Washington,
DC as the Senator's guest." Move with ease whether it is with
the rich or whether it is with the poor. And it makes no
difference to you who is rich or who is poor. A chance to
have a unique relationship with whomever. The kind of
personality that's comfortable. The kind of personality that's
not bent out of shape.

And lastly, let's not forget charisma and sophistication.
Charisma with a touch of humility. This entire list is more
valuable than money. With one dollar and the list I just gave
you, the world is yours. It belongs to you, whatever piece of
it you desire, whatever development you wish for your life.
I've given you the secret. Capital. The kind of capital that
is more valuable than money and that can secure your future
and fortune. Remember that you lack not the resources.

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn