Millionaire Principle 2/100: Get in the Driver’s Seat

I figured my odds of dying were pretty low, given the speed at which we were traveling, but nevertheless, it was the most terrifying taxi ride of my life.

The driver was clearly drunk.

She could barely get the car moving, was confused about the location of the Vegas hotel we were headed to (despite it being The Cosmo, one of the most well-known hotels on the strip), and seemed to treat the white lines on the side of the road as optional.

Thankfully, the ride lasted just three minutes or so, and I was safe again at my hotel.

Perhaps I should have demanded to get let out immediately, but in the moment, it didn’t occur to me as a big deal.

This memory reminds me of life for most humans. They are being driven around by a drunk taxi driver called Chaos, and they are completely unaware that they can get into the driver’s seat and take control of the vehicle. They don’t need to be driven around.

And that leads to Millionaire Principle number 2 of 100: Get into the Driver’s Seat.

In practical terms, this means understanding that you have control over the direction of your life. You get to set your destination, determine how fast you get there, and determine the vehicle in which you will ride.

That’s not to say we have 100% control. Sickness, betrayal, and other hardships can interrupt your drive, detouring you onto other roads you had not planned. But because YOU drive your life, you can make new plans, recalculate your trajectory, and reach your destination despite the outside influences.

Being born and raised in a typical American family, I assumed the normal life path that nearly everyone does: go to school, maybe go to college, get a job, work that job, slowly save up money, and maybe someday retire. Nothing wrong with this, but I was following a script.

I was being driven around by a drunk taxi driver.

Luckily, I discovered others who were on a different path. I began to read books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and The Millionaire Fastlane that clarified that there were other ways to drive through life. I learned that life was much more a blank canvas than a picture puzzle. And so, I asked myself, “What does an incredible life actually look like?” and “How would I get there?”

And I began to drive myself.

The simple truth is this: millionaires drive themselves toward wealth.

They don’t wait for permission. They don’t rely on happenstance. They drive.

Will you?