College Dropout Millionaires, The Dream Followers

It sounds strange for many of us: millionaires or even billionaires who abandoned school and took their own path to success.

We were used to believe, as being an absolute truth, that a good diploma equals success. Achieving it, was like getting a ticket to the Safe and Abundant Land where anyone could enjoy the best life one's might ever aim: a lovely house, a nice car, unforgettable holidays, and, above all, a safe future. After many years of work, we knew anyone will get a good pension to be able to enjoy the last years of life at fullest...

We are living hard times. The economic and financial crisis we are facing affects our lives dramatically.

Many of us hope crisis will pass, and everything will be as it was before. Though, this is not the way the humanity uses to evolve.

The process of going to a new stage in our evolution usually begins with a crisis. Crises always lead to change. The change is painful, but, finally, proves to be worthwhile.

For many years, we believed that graduating a reputable college guarantees success in life. We were raised by our parents in this spirit. Now, it is our turn to tell our children the same thing, is it?

But, we can see that it is not like this. There aren't safe-jobs-for-life any longer. No institution/company wants to take care of us any more. We are not sure about our future. It is like someone threw us into the streets of an unknown city without giving us any resources. We have to go on our own and fend for ourselves. We have to take RESPONSIBILITY.

"There are actually two recessions:
The first is the cyclical one, the one that inevitably comes and then inevitably goes.(...) The other recession, though, the one with the loss of "good factory jobs" and systemic unemployment--I fear that this recession is here forever." Seth Godin

We only have our mind and our soul, and nothing else. Do we have a chance to survive?

Image: Maggie Smith / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

"You have been fed a lie. The lie is that if you study hard in school, get good grades, get into a good college, and get a degree, then your success in life is guaranteed.
This might have been true fifty years ago. But it is no longer true today.
If you want to succeed now, then you must also educate yourself in the real-world skills, capabilities and mind-sets that will get you ahead outside of the classroom. This is true whether you've been to college or not. " (Michael Ellsberg)

In his book, Michel Ellsberg challenges us to learn from achievers and do something with our lives. Never is too late for self-education. To cope with this tough crisis and to benefit from it, we have only one chance: to take the responsibility of our own lives.

Michael interviewed self-educated billionaires Phillip Ruffin and John Paul DeJoria, Facebook co-founders Dustin Moskovitz and Sean Parker, WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg, fashion designer Marc Ecko, Pink Floyd lead guitarist David Gilmour, and marketing experts Eben Pagan, Frank Kern and Joe Polish. He also features in his book the insights of experts including Seth Godin, "Rich Dad" Robert Kiyosaki, and PayPal co-founder and Facebook angel investor, billionaire Peter Thiel.

"Self-education is the key to upgrading your mind and your life. Michael's book teaches you how to unlock the education available outside of classes, all around you."
-Matt Mullenweg, creator, WordPress.org

"This is the must read of the next era of education. This one book could be all the education you ever need to massively outperform even the Ivy League. The secrets contained are brilliant and simple to adopt."
-Cameron Herold, author of Double Double, former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

Go to Michael's website and download the first chapter FREE!

After going through a dramatic challenge in his life, Michael learned the lesson of gratitude. Everyone needs to be grateful for anything one may receive in life. Dramatic situations occurring in our lives make us stronger and help us grow.

Instead of being afraid of our future, he teaches us to expect anything may happen in our lives with a feeling of safety; the universe never wants to hurt us, it just wants to offer us opportunities to expand.

We have to be grateful for any challenge or setback we experience in our lives. At the moment we realize that everything we get through is perfect, amazing things start to happen in our lives.

His advice is to look at our lives from a broader perspective and be open at any challenge we might face. This is the way we evolve.

"...by going through the challenges and difficulties of life, you may develop the sense, over time, that you're the kind of person who can handle these things. You're bigger than you think you are."

Read Michael's Manifesto

I read here an interesting debate following an article published in Huffington Post by Mr. Brian Rosenberg, President of Macalester College.

Speaking from the position of a college director, Mr. Rosenberg defends the idea of college education as essential contribution to young people success in life.

But, the idea is not if someone (to be successful in life) needs to get or not education. Of course, without education we cannot achieve anything. The problem raised by Michael is if college formal education as it is provided at present is a guarantee for success (like it is promoted by colleges in front of their prospects - future students and their parents).

Successful college dropouts are a signal that formal education has to be re-designed. After Steve Jobs's death, debates on this subject increased and more opinion leaders started to talk about finding ways to encourage young people to learn to be creative and to be able to initiate innovative projects.

Obedience is not any more necessary in our stage of development. Progress requires now innovation, creativity, openness toward new ideas and new ways of organizing work. Education system needs to adopt to these requirements.

picture from
http://uncertainsteps.com/blog/archives/college-costs/

During the industrial age, being an obedient and loyal employee was the standard formula anyone could use to live a fulfilled life. Corporate world brought things further. Having an MBA diploma became a must for everyone wanting to achieve success and be generously rewarded.

Big companies fully rewarded competent managers for going through the best universities and for working hard.

The dream of every young, ambitious student, was to climb the corporate ladder and reach top positions. Once they got the diploma, half of the road was made. From now on, they only had to devote their life to their job and to participate in various corporate training programs. For loyal and hard working employees, the success was insured.

A lot of people used to dedicate their entire lives to others. They devoted all efforts to meet other people's needs. In exchange, they relied on their employers to take care of them.

Becoming entrepreneur was an option for few people endowed with a sense of freedom and willingness to overpass their limits. The were just exception to the rule.

Employees preferred to sell their time for feeling safe and enjoying their comfort zone.

Image: AKARAKINGDOMS / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As Wikipedia states, "according to Schumpeter, an entrepreneur characteristically innovates, introduces new technologies, increases efficiency, productivity, or generates new products or services. An entrepreneur acts as a catalyst for economic change, and research indicates that entrepreneurs are highly creative individuals who imagine new solutions by generating opportunities for profit or reward."

Difficult task! Just few people wanted to be entrepreneurs. Only creative and daring risk-takers engaged on this road.

For ordinary people, starting own businesses was not an option to consider. They had the choice to work for others; employers were taking care of them. Employees were concerned to establish carriers inside successful companies. This was their main goal. The reward they got for their loyalty and for their hard work was generous enough to make them not to bother by taking a risky way.

Entrepreneurs used to be exceptions. They were those who used to create jobs for the others. The rewards entrepreneurs might receive for their efforts have been always much bigger, according to the risk they assumed.

It is nothing wrong with the school!

It depends on what your goal is. What do you expect to get after you graduate?

If your goal is to acquire academic education, it is ok. Following education plans, you will gather best credentials attesting that you are a very good theoretician.

Don't make the mistake to believe that success is yours and don't expect to be rewarded just for that.

What you have to do:

change the way of thinking, change attitude toward life
get education, acquire new knowledge and build new skills
find your passion, your life purpose
apply what you have learned and start to live a new life

How to Be Like Walt:
Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life

Walt Disney became a symbol. He created the most loved virtual characters and entertained generations of children. As Steve Jobs, he never gave up. He followed his dream and knew that this is the most important thing in life.

His spirit is still alive in the company.

Usually, when talking about finance, most people get scared. There are a lot of things which seem difficult to grasp.

Financial language made all money issues look complicated. This is not the place to discuss the reasons why it is like this :)

Things are much simpler than anyone could imagine. Read the right books and you will get all necessary information to understand money and your relationship with money.

When you decide to take your life in your hands, you need to learn to master your finances. Financial freedom means today life freedom. No matter what you have been taught about money during your life, now it is the moment to change your money mindset.