Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth by T. Harv Eker
The book is full of anecdotes and examples from Eker’s own life and from the lives of his students and clients, who have applied his teachings and achieved remarkable results. The book has two parts and 17 chapters, each focusing on a different wealth file, or principle, that distinguishes the rich from the poor and the middle class. Some of the anecdotes are:
- Chapter 1 Introduction, Eker shares how he was struggling financially for years, trying different businesses and ventures, but always ending up broke or in debt. He realized that there was something wrong with his inner game, or his subconscious mind, that was sabotaging his success. He decided to study the rich people and learn from them, and he discovered that they had a different way of thinking and acting than
most people. He changed his money blueprint and soon became a millionaire himself. - Chapter 2: Eker explains how our money blueprint is created by three main influences: verbal programming (what we heard about money when we were young), modeling (what we saw others do with money when we were young), and specific incidents (what we experienced about money when we were young). He gives an example of how his father’s verbal programming affected his money blueprint: his father used to say “Money is the root of all evil” and “Rich people are greedy and selfish”. As a result, Eker unconsciously associated money with something bad and undesirable, and he subconsciously pushed it away whenever he had some.
- Chapter 3: Before you can change your financial situation, you need to identify and understand your money blueprint. Your money blueprint is the set of beliefs and habits that you have about money, which are influenced by your childhood experiences, verbal programming, modeling, and specific incidents. Your money blueprint determines how you think, feel, and act around money, and ultimately how much money you have. To change your money blueprint, you need to be aware of your current thoughts and feelings about money, understand where they come from and how they affect you, disassociate yourself from them and realize that they are not the truth, and recondition yourself with new thoughts and feelings that support your financial success.
- Chapter 4: Eker introduces the first wealth file: rich people believe “I create my life”, while poor people believe “Life happens to me”. He gives an example of how he created his life by setting a specific goal and taking action to achieve it: he wanted to earn $100,000 in one year, so he wrote a check for that amount and dated it one year later. He then put the check in his wallet and looked at it every day. He also made a plan and worked hard to make it happen. He achieved his goal in nine months.
- Chapter 5: Rich people focus on opportunities, while poor people focus on obstacles. When faced with a challenge or a problem, rich people see it as a chance to learn, grow, and find a solution. They are optimistic and confident in their abilities to overcome any difficulty. Poor people see challenges and problems as threats or reasons to give up. They are pessimistic and fearful of failure.
- Chapter 6:
- Eker shares how he used to resent rich people and think that they were greedy, selfish, and dishonest. He would criticize them and make fun of them, thinking that he was superior to them. He realized that by doing so, he was sending a message to his subconscious mind that he did not want to be rich, because he did not want to be like them. He also realized that he was projecting his own insecurities and fears onto them, and that he was actually jealous of their success. He decided to change his mindset and attitude, and started to admire and appreciate rich people. He learned from them and modeled their habits and strategies. He also congratulated them and celebrated their achievements. He noticed that as he did so, his income increased and his life improved.
- Eker tells a story of one of his clients, a woman named Susan, who had a negative attitude towards rich people. She believed that they were arrogant, snobbish, and rude. She would avoid them and judge them harshly. She also had a low self-esteem and felt unworthy of wealth. She attended one of Eker’s seminars, where he challenged her to change her perspective and behavior. He asked her to find a rich person that she admired and respected, and to interview him or her about their success. She reluctantly agreed, and found a wealthy woman who owned a chain of clothing stores. She contacted her and asked for an appointment. To her surprise, the woman agreed to meet her and was very friendly and helpful. She shared her story of how she started from scratch and built her empire with passion, hard work, and creativity. She also gave Susan some tips and advice on how to improve her own business. Susan was amazed by the woman’s generosity and kindness, and realized that she had been wrong about rich people. She thanked her sincerely and felt inspired by her example. She applied what she learned from the woman to her own business, and soon saw positive results.
- Eker recounts an incident that happened to him when he was driving his Ferrari in Los Angeles. He stopped at a red light, and a man in a beat-up car pulled up next to him. The man rolled down his window and shouted at Eker, “Hey buddy, you know what I think of you and your fancy car?” Eker braced himself for an insult, but instead the man said, “I think you’re awesome! You’re an inspiration to me! I’m going to work hard and get myself a Ferrari too!” Eker was stunned by the man’s response, and smiled back at him. He said, “Thank you! You’re awesome too! Go for it!” The man gave him a thumbs up and drove away happily. Eker felt a surge of joy and gratitude, and realized that the man had just given him a gift: the gift of admiration. He also realized that the man had just given himself a gift: the gift of possibility.
- Chapter 7: Eker presents the fourth wealth file: rich people think big, while poor people think small. He gives an example of how he thought big and expanded his business: he started with a small retail store selling fitness products, but he soon realized that he could reach more customers by selling through seminars. He then created a seminar company that became one of the largest in North America, with over 450,000 participants.
- Chapter 8: Eker explains the fifth wealth file: rich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus on obstacles. He gives an example of how he focused on opportunities and overcame obstacles: he wanted to buy a house in a prestigious neighborhood, but he did not have enough money for the down payment. He saw an opportunity to partner with a friend who had money but no time to look for a house. They agreed to split the profits when they sold the house. Eker found a house that was undervalued and negotiated a good deal. He and his friend bought the house, renovated it, and sold it for a profit. They repeated this process several times and made millions of dollars.
- Chapter 9: Eker explains the sixth wealth file: rich people admire other rich and successful people. Poor people resent rich and successful people. He gives an example of how he admired and learned from other rich and successful people: he attended seminars and workshops where he met millionaires and billionaires who shared their secrets and strategies. He also read books and listened to tapes by successful authors and speakers. He modeled their mindset and behavior and applied their teachings to his own life.
- Chapter 10: Eker explains the seventh wealth file: rich people are excellent receivers, while poor people are poor receivers. He gives an example of how he used to be a poor receiver. He would reject compliments, gifts, and offers of help from others, because he felt unworthy or guilty. He realized that by doing so, he was blocking the flow of abundance in his life. He learned to accept and appreciate everything that came his way, whether it was money, praise, or assistance. He also learned to give generously and joyfully, knowing that the more he gave, the more he received.
- Chapter 11: Eker explains the eighth wealth file: rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value, while poor people think negatively about selling and promotion. He gives an example of how he promoted himself and his value: he wanted to become a speaker and trainer, but he had no credentials or experience. He decided to create his own seminar based on his personal story of going from broke to millionaire. He then rented a hotel room and advertised his seminar in the newspaper. He attracted over 100 people to his first seminar and received rave reviews.
- Chapter 12: Rich people think “both”. Poor people think “either/or”. Eker gives an example of how he used to think in either/or terms, such as either having money or having a life, either being rich or being happy, either being successful or being liked. He realized that this was a limiting and false way of thinking, and that he could have both money and a life, both happiness and wealth, both success and popularity. He learned to use the word “and” instead of “or” in his thinking and speaking, and to expand his possibilities and choices.
- Chapter 13: Rich people focus on their net worth. Poor people focus on their working income. Eker shares an anecdote of how he used to focus on his income, and how he was always broke despite earning a lot of money. He learned that income is not the most important measure of financial success, but net worth is. Net worth is the sum of your assets (what you own) minus your liabilities (what you owe). He learned to track his net worth regularly, and to increase it by saving, investing, and creating passive income streams.
- Chapter 14: Rich people manage their money well. Poor people mismanage their money well. Eker tells a story of how he used to mismanage his money, and how he had no idea where his money was going. He spent more than he earned, and he had no savings or investments. He learned that rich people are not only good at making money, but also at managing it. He learned to create a financial plan and a budget, and to allocate his money into different accounts for different purposes, such as necessities, education, savings, investments, fun, charity, etc.
- Chapter 15: Rich people have their money work hard for them. Poor people work hard for their money. Eker explains how he used to work hard for his money, and how he traded his time for money. He realized that this was not a smart way to become rich, because time is limited and money is unlimited. He learned that rich people leverage their money to create more money, without having to work more hours. He learned to invest his money in assets that generate passive income, such as businesses, real estate, stocks, bonds, etc.
- Chapter 16: Rich people act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them. Eker reveals how he used to let fear stop him from pursuing his dreams and goals. He was afraid of failure, rejection, criticism, loss, etc. He realized that fear is a natural emotion that everyone experiences, but rich people do not let fear paralyze them or hold them back. They act in spite of fear, knowing that action is the only way to overcome it. He learned to face his fears and do what he needed to do anyway.
- Chapter 17: Rich people constantly learn and grow. Poor people think they already know. Eker describes how he used to think he knew everything about money and success, and how he was arrogant and closed-minded. He realized that this was a major obstacle to his growth and improvement. He learned that rich people are humble and open-minded, and they constantly seek new knowledge and skills. They read books, attend seminars, hire coaches, join mastermind groups, etc. They are lifelong learners who never stop growing
At the end of each chapter, Eker provides action steps that help readers to apply the wealth files to their own lives. These include declarations, affirmations, exercises, assignments, and commitments that challenge readers to change their mindset and behavior around money. The book also offers access to online resources such as audio files, worksheets, quizzes, and bonuses.
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is a powerful and practical guide that teaches readers how to master their inner game of wealth and achieve financial success. It is based on Eker’s own experience as well as his extensive research on the psychology of money. It is written in a simple and engaging style that makes it easy to understand and apply. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn how to think like a millionaire and create their own financial destiny.
