Knowledge is Wealth

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Three police cars, with their lights still flashing, were positioned on the street in front of JC Jobs house.

JC was one of the most famous residents in Manasquan, New Jersey. A giant of a man, whose books sold hundreds of millions of copies around the world. His books helped transform the lives of millions. He advised presidents, other world leaders, CEOs, hundreds of thousands of high school and college students, and through his Rich Habits training, he helped rehabilitate tens of thousands of prisoners around the world.

JC stood outside his house talking to the police officers. Neighbors began to gather around the perimeter of his house anxious, curious.

It was early dawn on a summer’s day, the sun just beginning its slow decent. JC’s house had been robbed. The thieves had ransacked JC’s house. Big screen TV’s and other electronics, along with some valuable furniture and fixtures were taken, yet JC was smiling as he went down the list of the items that were stolen.

One of the officers thought JC’s jovial demeanor, strikingly odd.

“Excuse me Mr. Jobs, but I find it a little peculiar that you’re smiling, rather than upset. You’ve just lost tens of thousands of dollars in personal effects, yet here you are smiling at us.”

JC paused for a moment before he responded to the young police officer.

“Oh they got what they came for,” JC said. “But, thankfully, they left behind the most valuable asset I owned.”

The young police officer cocked his head to the side and asked JC what that might be. JC bobbed his head in the direction of the house and the officers all followed JC into the house, through the hallway and to the back, into JC’s study.

There sat JC’s desk and all around the perimeter of the study were bookshelves filled with thousands upon thousand of books. Books JC spent a lifetime accumulating.

JC pointed to the bookshelves.

“They overlooked the most valuable asset I own, my books.”

“Rare books?” Asked the young police officer.

“No, not at all. Most of these books you could find in the public library down the street,” JC responded.

“Why are they so valuable, then?” The young policeman asked.

“These particular books contain all of the knowledge you need in order to become wealthy,” JC continued.

“You see, the thieves will probably sell my stuff and get thousands of dollars for it. In a few weeks, however, they’ll be back to being poor again. Instead, had they taken these books and spent the rest of their lives reading what was inside of them, they would learn everything I learned that enable me to accumulate my wealth.”

JC shook his head. “What a shame. They missed the elephant in the room, my books. If they stole my books, that would hurt. I wouldn’t be smiling.” JC nodded to the young police officer.

The young officer nodded back.

JC thanked the police officers for their service, led them out of his house and then returned to his study. He eyed his books lovingly, grateful that his home’s most valuable assets were safe and sound.

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Thomas C. Corley About Thomas C. Corley

Tom Corley is a bestselling author, speaker, and media contributor for Business Insider, CNBC and a few other national media outlets.

His Rich Habits research has been read, viewed or heard by over 50 million people in 25 countries around the world.

Besides being an author, Tom is also a CPA, CFP, holds a master’s degree in taxation and is President of Cerefice and Company, a CPA firm in New Jersey.
 
Phone Number: 732-382-3800 Ext. 103.
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Comments

  1. Well done, Tom. This was a great post about where true knowledge about wealth originates.
    And it brought back many summer memories of Leggett’s bar in Manasquan, NJ.

    Thanks for sharing.

  2. Lisa Schreiber says:

    I love this post, Tom. And I feel the very same way about my extensive home library, which I have also spent a lifetime collecting!

  3. This is such a good point. I had never thought of it this way but I would also have been more upset if my library had been ransacked or my many Kindles stolen! My husband and I have slowly been accumulating knowledge that is changing our lives.

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