home Audience 3 The path to financial independence. Bodo Schaefer - The Path to Financial Independence

The path to financial independence. Bodo Schaefer - The Path to Financial Independence

If you are not yet familiar with Bodo Schaefer’s book and don’t know who he is, then it’s time to correct this unfortunate miscalculation. After all, this is the person who has already helped thousands of people gain true financial independence, begin to live not for the sake of existence and work, but for the sake of their beloved and dear ones, as well as their family. The essence of his creation, as well as his personal opinion, comes down to a simple statement that the path to financial independence is available to anyone, the main thing is not to doubt it for a moment and strive for your goals.

About the author of the statement “Being rich is your birthright”

The story of Bodo Schäfer himself is not a story about a happy and comfortable childhood. An ordinary middle-income family without the opportunity to live as they want, with the need to work all year round. Even when his father was hospitalized, he continued to advise his clients, because he still needed to earn money. It was during this period that Bodo set himself an extremely difficult goal, as it seemed: to become a millionaire and completely financially independent by the age of thirty.

This decision was influenced not even by the situation with his father, but rather by what he could observe when clients came to him. Almost all of them did nothing but complain about life, about circumstances or other people. This became the impetus for action for the young man, so that he would not have to complain about the topicality like this.

As a result, Schaefer achieved his goal and even more. Not only that, but he also learned a huge amount of useful thoughts and conclusions from this, which he happily shared with the whole world through his book “The Path to Financial Independence.”

What is financial independence?

And really, what is this? What should you strive for? As Bodo Schaefer says, financial independence defines a state in which a person does not need to constantly work for money. He no longer has one, but several sources of income that do not require constant attention. As a result of this, a person has free time to live and enjoy every moment of it. Even if there is a desire to do something, the action is aimed primarily at obtaining satisfaction from the work done, and not at the banal exchange of time for money.

It is precisely from this position that it is customary to look at, to which Bodo Schäfer strongly recommends striving. And his main statement is that everyone can achieve such a goal, and there are no restrictions for this.

On the path to true financial independence and security, the following steps will be mandatory:

Point 1. Financial security

The beginning of the path to prosperity is providing the minimum acceptable financial support. What does Schaefer mean? If there is not yet an amount in your bank account or deposit equal to six times the usual average monthly earnings, then there can be no talk of further progress towards achieving the goal. So, if let’s say the salary is $1,000, then the reserve of funds should be equal to $6,000, and only after accumulating such an amount can you afford third-party expenses.

Point 2. Security

As soon as the first threshold is passed and you have a minimum supply of funds behind you, you can proceed to the next stage. To implement it, according to Schaefer, the accumulation of 150 salaries will be required. For what purpose?

With a salary of $1000, we get the required amount of $150,000. If we put this amount on deposit, then each month you can count on an income equal to just one salary. The meaning is obvious. As soon as the funds are found, the deposit is made, the issue of the minimum security has already been resolved, so that no further steps are taken, you can count on monthly replenishment of your own budget with the usual $1000.

Point 3. Financial freedom

Receiving a salary, just without having to work, is of course great, but it is unlikely that this is the final goal set initially. Naturally, one should assume that the wishes exceed the size of the previous salary. So the third point in Schaefer's plan is to gain independence in terms of provision. It is worth weighing the amount you would like to spend per month. Let's say it's $25,000, then the final goal will be achieved with the accumulation of $3.75 million.

At the very beginning of the journey, such a number was simply scary, and the path to achieving success would clearly seem impossible. However, with the gradual implementation of each point, everything becomes more real and even prosaic.

Point 4. Multiple sources of income

Actually, this is not even a separate point, but an instruction from Schaefer, and simply common sense, for the entire path to gaining independence. You should not rely on a single source of income, such as a bank deposit. It is imperative to divide the capital and create a number of sources, each of which will bring its own share of the funds. This is how and only this way it is formed, through reasonable capital management. If suddenly one of the sources stops making a profit, then all the others will still allow you to remain in abundance and pay attention without haste to restore the loss.

Current page: 1 (book has 15 pages in total)

BODO SCHAEFER

THE PATH TO FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE

FIRST MILLION IN SEVEN YEARS

DER WEG ZUR FINANZIELLEN FREIHEIT

IN SIEBEN JAHREN DIE ERSTE MILLION

Bodo Schäfer, a millionaire, writer and businessman, could already live on the interest on his capital at the age of thirty. For many years he has, among other things, been conducting financial seminars in Germany and Holland. Currently lives and works in Cologne.

From the editor of the Russian edition

The book you are holding in your hands is a revelation. Revelation from Bodo Schaefer, a German millionaire who came to lasting wealth in the shortest way - through savings and extraordinary thinking. Let us clarify: he started, as they say, from scratch. “The Path to Financial Independence” is not just a summation of experience, practical advice, etc., etc., thanks to which you can achieve well-being. A person cannot be happy alone. Only by making others happy will he be happy himself. Bodo Schaefer argues that money in good hands makes not only its owner happy, but also society as a whole. This is perhaps the main idea of the book. The conceptual way of thinking used by the author to consider rather complex and dry economic categories gives us reason to believe that this book is directly related to the philosophy of economics. With all that, “The Path to Financial Independence” is written in accessible language, with humor and not without brilliance. All this makes this book a fascinating bestseller in the field of economic knowledge. We can only add that the book by Bodo Schaefer, a writer and businessman, is aimed at the general reader, so that by reconsidering his attitude towards money, he, this reader, can build his own happy future, without postponing the implementation of intentions and plans for an uncertain tomorrow. You should start today - immediately after you open the first page. And one more thing: for the reader who has completed this work and has not begun the path to financial independence, there will be nothing left that would justify his inactivity.

Preface

Do you know what prevents most people from living the life they dream of? Money and more money! Money is a symbol of a certain attitude towards life, a measure of success in life. But money doesn’t come to us by accident. We can say that in money matters we are talking about a certain form of energy: the more of this energy we direct to truly important goals, the more money we will receive. Truly successful people have the ability to accumulate a large number of money. Some only save and increase them for themselves, others use them to serve society and their neighbors. But they all know how to make money work. We should not exaggerate the importance of money. But do you know when money becomes especially important? When they are constantly missing. Anyone who has big money problems has to think about them a lot. We must look into this issue thoroughly enough to settle it once and for all. And from now on, money will become your support in all areas of life. Everyone has dreams. We have a certain idea of how we want to live and what we are entitled to in life. We believe in our hearts that we can fulfill some special purpose that will improve this world. But too often I see how the daily grind gradually stifles such dreams. Many people forget that they also have a place in the sun. They simply don't believe in themselves and that they can become independent. We often find ourselves victims of ourselves. We make compromises - and before we realize our mistake, life has largely passed us by. And many people often shift responsibility for the fact that they do not live the way they would like to, to financial circumstances. For more than ten years I have been dealing with issues such as money, success, happiness. I have learned to see money with different eyes: money can save us from running out of vitality, it helps us to be the best we can be. I am at your disposal with my book - in the role of your private mentor. I would like to convey what I have learned and experienced myself. I would like to teach you how to create some kind of magical machine for making money. Owning money means, first of all, being able to lead a much freer and more independent lifestyle. When I realized this, a deep need arose in me to pass on my knowledge to others. I made a promise to myself to support everyone I come into contact with on their journey to financial independence. Just as you can learn to fly, dive, or code, you can learn to create wealth. And several important standard techniques will help with this. There are several opportunities to earn your first million. These possibilities are described by the four strategies presented in the book:

1. You save a certain percentage of your income.

2. You invest the money you save.

3. You increase your income.

4. You save a certain percentage of each income increase achieved.

If you follow these tips, then, depending on your current financial situation, in fifteen to twenty years you will become the owner of a property worth one or two million. And this is not a miracle at all! If you want to get your first million faster (for example, in seven years), then you must apply all the strategies described in this book. And the more you use them, the sooner you will achieve your goal. How can you become wealthy in seven years? You already foresee that it is not only about the amount X that you want to own, but also about the person that you will become by that time. It won't always be easy for you to achieve financial independence. However, it is much harder to live if you are financially dependent. If you follow the instructions in this book, you will confidently achieve your goal. I have helped many thousands of people along this path who have attended my seminars. I see again and again how this knowledge transforms people. But I ask you not to think that just possessing this book will allow you to become wealthy. It is also true that even studying it does not promise you wealth. You must not only work with this book, but also make it a part of yourself. Only this will lead to liberation

Your internal energy will help you achieve your goal. Now let us begin our journey together. First of all, assess your financial situation. On the following pages you will find instructions on how to carry out this analysis. Start reading the book only after you have established exactly what you have. I sincerely hope that this book will not only help you become rich, but also touch you in the most profound way. I don't know you personally. However, I know that if you are holding this book in your hands, then you must be a very special person. A person who is not ready to be satisfied with what circumstances offer him, who wants to write the story of his life himself. Such people create their future, just as an artist creates a work of art, and I would like with all my heart that my book will contribute to the creation of your masterpiece. Sincerely yours, Bodo Schäfer.

2. What do you really want?

You've been looking for too long. Now give up searching and learn to find. Heinz Kerner, "John"

The classic conflict is the difference between what we feel in our souls and how we actually live. Our idea of how we should live and reality are often as different as day and night. Each of us has a need for spiritual growth in order to be happy. Deep down, we all want to change this world for the better. And we all want to believe that we deserve a truly good life.

What are our chances of becoming wealthy?

What prevents us from living the way we want? What prevents you from achieving what you want? Naturally, most of us live in environments that are not very conducive to prosperity. Our government sets a bad example for its citizens, getting deeper into debt every year. And to pay interest on the growing national debt, it raises taxes. School education does not give us answers to the most important questions: “How to make your life happy?” and “How to become wealthy?” At school we learn that Attila fought on the Catalaunian Fields in 451, but we don’t learn how to earn – and as quickly as possible – our first million. Who should teach us how to become wealthy? Our parents? Most of us have parents who are not rich. And therefore their advice regarding achieving true well-being is very meager. Add to this the fact that our society encourages excessive consumption, and acquaintances and friends often cannot support us. This is how something disappears from the lives of many people, which I consider as everyone’s innate right to be happy and wealthy. When I think about my life today, I feel deep satisfaction. I am living exactly the life I dreamed of and I am financially independent. But it was not always so. Like most people, I also had a time when doubts about my abilities confused me and paralyzed my will.

Strong experiences shape our character

We have all been in situations that have had a profound impact on us. And these fundamental moments changed our worldview and the way we think about people, opportunities, money and the world. They changed our lives - for better or for worse. I was six years old when I had an experience that influenced my relationship with money. My father was hospitalized with cirrhosis of the liver. He had to lie there for a whole year, as he needed absolute peace. Doctors even recommended that he give up reading. I once heard a doctor remark to my mother that he had never seen a patient who had so many visitors. My father was visited every day by at least six people, although he was ordered to rest completely. This is how we learned that my father continued to work in the hospital. He was a lawyer, and along with his main paid work there was something in his life that he called “practice for the poor.” He advised the poor for free. My mother immediately called my father to account. He must stop working, otherwise he will not leave the hospital alive. Doctors also appealed to his prudence. But the father was stubborn and continued to do what he considered necessary. I often sat by his bed for hours and listened to what visitors told him. And guess what? It was always about money, people always complained about its lack. And circumstances or other people were always to blame. I did not understand the legal intricacies of the cases. and therefore it seemed to me that I was hearing the same story over and over again: money problems, money problems, money problems... At first it was interesting to listen. But it soon began to get on my nerves. I grew disgusted with poverty. Poverty makes people unhappy. She makes them look for my father even in the hospital room and, bowing low, beg him for help. I wanted to be wealthy. And I made a firm decision to become a millionaire by the age of thirty.

Solution alone is not enough

However, this is not the beginning of my success story. Although I had achieved my goal by age thirty, five years before that I was in debt, I was 18 kilograms overweight, and I doubted my abilities. A tense financial situation made money the center of my life. After all, money always has exactly the meaning that we give it. And at a time when you have financial problems, too much importance is attached to money. Of course, I hoped that things would change for the better. Somehow everything will work out. But nothing happens if we just hope and do nothing. Hope is a sedative for the intellect, a brilliant self-deception. Who or what do we hope for? On God or fate? But God is definitely not a cosmic nanny who rewards us for inaction. The old saying is true: “All fools and fools live by waiting and hoping.”

Our moral values must correspond to our goals

I was desperate. How was it that I made quite a lot of money and yet was in debt? And when I finally found the answer to this question, I was amazed. It turns out that deep down I didn’t believe that money was good. I sabotaged my own efforts to succeed. After eight years of illness, my father died, and people said that he had worn himself out with work. In no case did I want to torture myself with work. On the other hand, I did not want to be like the poor people who came to my father in the hospital to beg for legal protection. I wanted to be rich and, if possible, do nothing for it. Added to this was the fact that my mother, after the death of my father, went into religion. She was firmly convinced that “a camel would sooner go through the eye of a needle than a rich man would go to heaven.” On the one hand, I thought it was commendable to be poor. On the other hand, I wanted to be rich because I felt disgusted with poverty. Thus, I was torn between two opposing aspirations. And until I resolved this conflict, I was marking time. Anyway, I was trying to become rich. But there is always something that keeps us from taking concrete actions. We leave the emergency exit open. Anyone who tries to do something, but doesn't really want it, is waiting for an obstacle that will allow him to give up his attempts and not change anything. We wait for disruption because we don’t truly believe that change will benefit us and that we are strong enough to handle it.

Optimism and self-belief

Put all your optimism aside for a moment. I will be happy to explain to you the reason for this requirement. Optimism is undoubtedly a good quality that helps you see the positive aspects in everything. However, if optimism is not connected to other personality traits, little will move. Optimism is often and unreasonably confused with self-confidence. While optimism allows you to see the positive, self-confidence gives you the confidence to cope with the negative. Life is not a symphony consisting only of bright and joyful notes; It also has dark notes. He who is confident in himself should not be afraid of difficult situations. Self-confident is someone who, based on his own past, knows that he can rely on himself. A self-confident person will not allow anything or anyone to stop him, because he knows that he can cope with all obstacles. He proved this often enough. You will learn how you can build self-confidence in a short time in Chapter 3. Your money is extremely important for developing self-confidence. Money does not allow you to indulge in unjustified optimism. The status of your account is clearly visible and leaves no room for fancy talk. So, if you want to increase your self-confidence, you must regulate your financial situation. Your money should be proof to you that you can achieve more in life. You should not allow your financial situation to deprive you of self-confidence, because without such confidence you will drag out a miserable existence. You will never know what is hidden in you. You won't risk anything. You are not growing as a person. You are not doing what you are capable of doing. You are not using your full potential. A person without self-confidence does nothing, he has nothing, and he is nothing. All this has nothing to do with optimism. A look at your balance should prove to you that your money is a support in your life. A look at your finances should give you a sense of confidence in your own abilities. This book will talk about how to adjust your financial situation so that your money works not against you, but for you. Money can make your life difficult, but it can also make it easier.

What are your financial circumstances?

Do you think you are capable of more? Do you think that “this” does not satisfy you? Do you deserve more than what you currently have? Is achieving prosperity only a matter of time? So, put your optimism aside for a moment. How has your wealth grown over the past seven years? Write down the amount by which your property has increased or decreased over the past seven years: ______________ marks. These numbers are very sobering, but there is another important circumstance. If you continue to live as you have lived until now, then in another seven years you will see approximately the same number. And in subsequent years this trend will continue. But if you want to get different results, then you have to do something. You must take new paths - and it starts with your way of thinking. Your way of thinking has made you what you are today. But it will not lead you to the goal you would like to achieve. What do you think about money? You are constantly having a dialogue with yourself. If you secretly believe that money is bad, you have no chance of becoming wealthy. So what are your actual thoughts? We'll find out in Chapter 5. You'll find out how you feel about money deep down in your soul. And you will learn how you can change your views.

Money is good!

At the age of 26, I met a man who taught me the principles of achieving wealth. After just four years, I was able to live off the interest on my money. This became possible so quickly because my dreams, moral values, goals and strategies finally came into agreement with each other. Whether you believe it or not, money changes a lot in life. Money won't solve all your problems, and of course, money isn't everything. But financial difficulties cast a shadow on your happiness. Money will help you solve other problems more gracefully. You will have the opportunity to meet new people and visit new places, and do more exciting work. You will become more confident and receive more recognition from others. You will receive completely new, previously unknown opportunities.

Five areas of our life

For simplicity, I divide our daily lives into five areas: health, finances, connections, emotions and meaning in life. All five areas are equally important. Without health, everything else is worthless. Those who do not control their emotions lack the motivation to complete the work they have begun. Good connections are like salt in soup. By the meaning of life, I mean the opportunity to do what you really enjoy, what is more consistent with your talent and helps other people. And our financial situation is very important. You should never do things just for the sake of money that don't give you any pleasure. Therefore, you need what I call financial independence. You can compare each of the five areas of your life to the fingers of your hand. Let's say your finances are your middle finger that just got hit hard with a hammer. Would you say

You: "No problem, it's just a finger. I have four others..."? Or will you be busy only with the finger that hurts? It is important that all five areas of life are in harmony with each other. And you must bring each of them to perfection. Anyone who has money problems has not achieved balance. And financial difficulties will always cast a shadow on all other areas. Money is an important element in life balance. How do people become wealthy in a short time? This is because they want to own enough money that will work for them. Because they want to have a “money machine” and not be a “money machine” for others all their lives. Because they want to have enough money to maintain the right life balance. Do you know why most people don’t do things that really add pleasure to them? Because they don't have enough money. A vicious circle is formed: people do not do what gives them pleasure, because they do not know how to make money from this activity. But no one has ever made real money doing something they don't like. Due to lack of funds, people continue to do things that they do not like, and therefore cannot earn good money. The solution to the problem is this: take your favorite hobby and build a career on it. However, this can only be achieved when you give yourself time to analyze what you actually enjoy and in what area you have talent. Many years ago in New York I met a very rich man who had a saying hanging above his desk: “He who works all day has no time to earn money.” Obviously, what was meant was that you also need to give yourself time to think. When I asked him what to think about, he replied: “Know yourself and find out what gives you pleasure. And then think about how you can make money from it. Ask yourself this question every day and every day look for the best answer.”

Are you optimizing or minimizing?

We need time to discover what brings us joy. Because only when we do something that fills us with passion and inspiration are we truly good. Then money seems to flow to us by itself. We need time to discover our talents and develop our abilities. We need time to write the script of our life and try to make a real masterpiece out of it. Anyone who does not find time for this is wasting his life. And we need time to make fundamental decisions and to oblige ourselves to act in accordance with the decisions made. Thus, every person must one day consciously decide whether he will try to optimize his life or whether his life will be minimized. Optimizing your life means learning how to use your time, your capabilities, your talents, your money, as well as other people optimally. It's about always achieving the best result. If you want to optimize your life. You must constantly strive to be the best you can be. Most people, however, go through life rather thoughtlessly and minimize it. Such people live by the motto: “The day has passed - and okay.” The work week is an unpleasant break between weekends for them. They work to earn money, not to find satisfaction in their work. They do not recognize either their talents or the opportunities that arise before them.

Planning is alpha and omega

Many people plan their vacation much more thoroughly than life. There are, however, only two possibilities: either you plan your life yourself, or others will do it for you. Many have attempted planning several times and still failed. Someone once said: “The more I make plans, the more chance interferes with me. So I stopped making plans and now I don’t suffer so much from chance.” However, there is a very simple reason why so many people fail to implement their plans: they do not align their dreams, goals, moral values and strategies. Professor Thomas Stanley from Georgia State University in the USA spent twelve years researching the lives of the rich. And I came to the conclusion that the rich are among the most contented people in the world, since their dreams, goals, moral values and strategies are consistent with each other. Dreams, goals, moral values and strategies - on these four pillars rests the foundation of the actions necessary to build wealth. After all, what you do in life does not primarily depend on iron discipline, but on dreams, goals, values and strategies

We will deal with these four pillars repeatedly in subsequent chapters. This is how you build the foundation for achieving prosperity within seven years. It may seem incredible what a person can do if he brings these four forces into harmony.

Your dreams

Your dreams are a good indication of what will make you happy. Think about what you would do if you had enough time and money. You will be amazed to see that most of your dreams require money to achieve.

Your goals

Based on your desires, formulate your goals. This requires a conscious decision. Until we decide, everything remains just a dream. So ask yourself who you want to become, what you want to do and what you want to have. Later in this book you will find a very simple way to achieve clarity in your goals and conscious decision making

Your moral values

Now we come to a very important point: Your dreams and goals must be in accordance with your moral values. Ask yourself "What do I really want? What's really important to me" In Chapter 5, you will find out what you think about money. Your moral values are not immutable at all. They are a certain set of possibilities. In the beginning, the choice is made for us. We learn moral values under the influence of parents and environment. But today you are free to choose your own values. Moral values are not something final. Some of your values, under the pressure of life circumstances, come into conflict with each other, as it happened to me. Remember: on the one hand, I wanted to be rich, on the other hand , I thought I had to work hard to achieve this. If our values and goals pull us in different directions at the same time, we are marking time. Therefore, it is very important that your moral values correspond to your goals. How to achieve this is described in Chapter 5 Only by making a conscious decision about what moral values you will allow to guide you will you be able to control your life.

Your strategies

Key Ideas

Money always has exactly the meaning that we give it. And at a time when you have financial problems, too much importance is attached to money.

Our moral values and our goals must be in harmony with each other, otherwise we are marking time.

Optimism allows you to see the bright side in everything. Believing in yourself gives you the confidence to deal with the darker sides of life.

The one who finds evidence in his own past that he can rely on himself is confident.

Your way of thinking has made you what you are. But it cannot lead you to where you would like to be.

Success means that you have become the best you can be. Happiness means that you like yourself the way you have become.

Financial problems will always cast a shadow on all other areas of life.

Decide for yourself whether you want to own a “money machine” or be a “money machine” for others all your life.

Build a career on your favorite hobby.

He who works all day has no time to earn money.

Only if you consciously decide which moral values you will allow to guide you. You will be able to control your life.

What you do in life depends primarily not on iron discipline, but on dreams, goals, moral values and strategies.

2. What is responsibility?

Whom you blame, you give power to. Vaney Dyor, "How to become a person for whom there are no barriers"

Creating wealth is impossible until we realize that only we ourselves are responsible for everything - we ourselves, and not the state, not circumstances, not a partner, not our upbringing, not our health, not our financial situation - the responsibility always lies on ourselves. “Wait a minute,” you say, “what about illnesses, the blows of fate? What if I am deceived? And what about an accident for which I am not to blame? Is it really always our responsibility?” Imagine that someone suddenly runs into your parked car. Are you to blame? You are not responsible for the actions of others, but you are responsible for your reaction to them. Perhaps you take a shotgun and, in self-defense, shoot the offender on the spot. Or you rub your hands in contentment, because you instantly realized that your insurance company will pay for painting your car, which is long overdue for repainting anyway. Under certain circumstances, you will even receive some profit. You are therefore not responsible for all events. But you are always responsible for your interpretation of events and your reaction to them.

Bodo SCHAEFER

"The Path to Financial Independence"

First million in 7 years

Main - wisdom: acquire wisdom, and with all your possessions acquire understanding. Treasure her highly, and she will exalt you; she will glorify you if you cleave to her; He will place a beautiful wreath on your head, he will give you a magnificent crown.

From the Book of PROVERBS OF SOLOMON (chapter IV, 7-9)

From the editor of the Russian edition

The book you are holding in your hands is a revelation. A revelation from Bodo Schaefer, a German millionaire who came to lasting wealth in the shortest way - through savings and extraordinary thinking. Let us clarify: he started, as they say, from scratch.

“The Path to Financial Independence” is not just a summation of experience, practical advice, etc. etc., thanks to which you can achieve well-being.

A person cannot be happy alone. Only by making others happy will he be happy himself. Bodo Schaefer argues that money in good hands makes not only its owner happy, but also society as a whole. This is perhaps the main idea of the book.

The conceptual way of thinking used by the author to consider rather complex and dry economic categories gives us reason to believe that this book is directly related to the philosophy of economics. For all that, “The Path to Financial Independence” is written in accessible language, with humor and not without brilliance. All this makes this book a fascinating bestseller in the field of economic knowledge. We can only add that the book by Bodo Schaefer, a writer and businessman, is aimed at the general reader, so that by reconsidering his attitude towards money, he, this reader, can build his own happy future, without postponing the implementation of intentions and plans for an uncertain tomorrow. You should start today - immediately after you open the first page.

And one more thing: for the reader who has completed this work and has not begun the path to financial independence, there will be nothing left that would justify his inactivity.

Gratitude

Outstanding achievements are always the result of remarkable collaboration between different people.

I had the good fortune to learn from people who were truly unique. Unfortunately, I do not have the opportunity to list them here, but my gratitude goes out to everyone together. However, I would like to name a few by name because they have had the greatest influence on me. This is the priest, Dr. Winfried Noack, Peter Heuvelman, my first mentor, who taught me the basics of success and taught me the joy of trusting relationships, the consummate interlocutor Shamey Dillon, and also the billionaire, Senator Daniel S. Peña, who introduced me to the world of big money.

This book is the result of my contacts with them and the constructive assistance of the editors of the Campus Publishing House: Ms. Querfurt and Mr. Schickerling. It was not easy with them, but we know that this is exactly what is required for personal development.

I would like to express my special gratitude to the participants of my seminars, who gave me a significant positive impulse. I would like to especially highlight our commercial director, Mr. Jeroen Vetter, with his constant participation and unparalleled skill in making our seminars accessible to an ever-increasing number of people.

Last but not least, I thank my partner Cecile, who has given me the strength to pursue my ventures and supported my dreams. Thanks to her, I experienced a lot more acutely, deeply and more consciously.

Preface

We should not exaggerate the importance of money. But do you know when money becomes especially important? When they are constantly missing. Anyone who has big money problems has to think about them a lot. We must look into this issue thoroughly enough to settle it once and for all. And from now on, money will become your support in all areas of life.

Everyone has dreams. We have a certain idea of how we want to live and what we are entitled to in life. We believe in our hearts that we can fulfill some special purpose that will improve this world. But too often I see how the daily grind gradually stifles such dreams. Many people forget that they also have a place in the sun. They simply don't believe in themselves and that they can become independent.

We often find ourselves victims of ourselves. We make compromises - and before we realize our mistake, life has largely passed us by. And many people often shift responsibility for the fact that they do not live the way they would like to, to financial circumstances.

For more than ten years I have been dealing with issues such as money, success, happiness. I have learned to see money differently: money can save us from running out of vitality, it helps us be the best we can be.

I am at your disposal with my book - in the role of your private mentor. I would like to convey what I have learned and experienced myself. I would like to teach you how to create some kind of magical machine for making money. Owning money means, first of all, being able to lead a much freer and more independent lifestyle. When I realized this, a deep need arose in me to pass on my knowledge to others. I made a promise to myself to support everyone I come into contact with on their journey to financial independence. Just as you can learn to fly, dive, or code, you can learn to create wealth. And several important standard techniques will help with this.

There are several opportunities to earn your first million. These possibilities are described by the four strategies presented in the book:

1. You save a certain percentage of your income.

2. You invest the money you save.

3. You increase your income.

4. You save a certain percentage of each income increase achieved.

How can you become wealthy in seven years? You already foresee that it is not only about the amount X that you want to own, but also about the person that you will become by that time.

It won't always be easy for you to achieve financial independence. However, it is much harder to live if you are financially dependent. If you follow the instructions in this book, you will confidently achieve your goal. I have helped many thousands of people along this path who have attended my seminars. I see again and again how this knowledge transforms people.

But I ask you not to think that just possessing this book will allow you to become wealthy. It is also true that even studying it does not promise you wealth. You must not only work with this book, but also make it a part of yourself. Only this will lead to the release of your internal energy and help you achieve your goal.

Now let us begin our journey together. First of all, assess your financial situation. On the following pages you will find instructions on how to carry out this analysis.

Start reading the book only after you have established exactly what you have.

I sincerely hope that this book will not only help you become rich, but also touch you in the most profound way. I don't know you personally. However, I know that if you are holding this book in your hands, then you must be a very special person. A person who is not ready to be satisfied with what circumstances offer him, who wants to write the story of his life himself. Such people create their future, just as an artist creates a work of art, and I would like with all my heart that my book will contribute to the creation of your masterpiece.

Sincerely yours, Bodo Schäfer.

Bodo Schaefer, a millionaire, writer and businessman, could already live on the interest on his capital at the age of thirty. For many years he has, among other things, been conducting financial seminars in Germany and Holland. Currently lives and works in Cologne.

From the editor of the Russian edition

“The Path to Financial Independence” is not just a summation of experience, practical advice, etc. etc., thanks to which you can achieve well-being.

Gratitude

Outstanding achievements are always the result of remarkable collaboration between different people.

Bodo Schaefer’s book “The Path to Financial Freedom” will help radically change the life of anyone who is ready to work with it. Books by this author fly off store shelves at incredible speed, they become bestsellers and are translated into many languages. And this is not surprising, because Bodo Schaefer is a successful and financially independent person, so when he talks about money, it is simply impossible not to believe him.

All people dream of living freely, so that they don’t have to think about whether tomorrow they will be able to pay rent or buy winter shoes. Not to mention buying a car or apartment. But, unfortunately, most people live this way. Bodo Schäfer suggests taking a different look at your life, your finances, re-evaluating something and changing everything for the better.

The book talks about why most people have a huge gap between their dreams and reality. Some people are not ready to take action to achieve financial independence, because it is difficult, but living under constant restrictions is even more difficult. The author talks about important principles that will help change your financial situation. First of all, it is important to adequately assess what we have today. Planning is of great importance. You need to understand when it’s worth saving and when it’s worth buying something valuable that will bring even greater benefits. The book tells you when, how and in what quantity to invest.

An important point that the author highlights is that you need to be able to see opportunities even in a difficult crisis period. When the economy is stable, it is much easier to achieve success, but you need to be prepared for difficult times. The book will be useful to everyone who wants to live comfortably and with dignity, but reading it alone will not lead to success; the book needs to be worked through and applied to the knowledge gained in life.

On our website you can download the book “The Path to Financial Freedom” by Schaefer Bodo for free and without registration in fb2, rtf, epub, pdf, txt format, read the book online or buy the book in the online store.