Where did the time go?

In one of my favourite stories, a wealthy old merchant teaches a young man the rules for becoming rich.

The merchant tells the young man to keep at least 10% of all he earns so he can invest and grow his savings.

After giving this advice, the merchant leaves and returns a year later to ask the young man if he had succeeded.

"It was hard not to spend my growing savings on the nice things I saw," said the young man, "but I did it! I saved 10% of my income for a year!"

"Very good," said the merchant. "And what have you done with it?"

"I gave it to my friend, a brick maker, to buy jewels that we will sell at a profit," replied the smiling young man.

"You've just wasted all of your money," said the disappointed merchant.
"What does a brick maker know about buying and selling jewels? If you want advice about bread, would you go to a dress maker or a baker? Your money is gone.
But try again. Continue saving and next time, seek the advice of knowledgeable people when you're ready to invest."

When the merchant returned another year later, he asked, "What progress have you made?"

"I've given my savings to a shield maker to buy metal for his shields, and he pays me interest each month on my loan."

The young man in the story ultimately became the Richest Man in City because he kept trying until he learned the merchant's lessons about wealth...

And he reminds us that we can try again, too, no matter what's happened to us in the past.

Not only can you start "your New Year," any time you like...

You can actually improve a lot in just 30 days!