If you were suddenly rich, what would you do?

It's bad to tell yourself "that will never happen." What you should ask is To view this email as a web page, [click here]() If you were suddenly rich, what would you do? When I was a kid, we drove to LA in our van to visit our family. THAT was our vacation. For the rare times we stayed in a hotel, we got a motel or Holiday Inn and 6 of us slept in one room. The funniest thing is, none of us ever saw the hotel lobby since our dad told us to stay in the car while he went to check in. Then we would go through the side entrance and all stay in the room to save money. Here’s the inevitable phone call to the front desk: “Hi, could we have some extra pillows?” “Sure, room 302. Would 2 extra pillows be fine?” “Uh...how about 4, and a cot?” “SIR, THIS ROOM IS ONLY FOR TWO PEOP—HELLO?” It’s interesting how dreams change once you can actually achieve them. When we were young, how many of us wanted to go to Disneyland? Honestly, my dream was even simpler — to be able to order an appetizer at a restaurant without having to worry if it was too expensive. What's after Disneyland? Maybe the next level is to stay at the Disney hotel. Or to get that special car, or to live in that luxury apartment. Isn’t it funny how the more you want — even if you don’t tell anyone else — the more uncomfortable it starts to feel? I learned exactly how intensely uncomfortable it is for us to admit what we really want. For example, I spend over $50,000/year on luxury services. If 22-year-old Ramit saw that, he would have called me an idiot, then fainted. But if you know what you want, and you can afford it, I’ve always encouraged you to spend extravagantly. I had the fortune of having all of these dreams, then finding out what happens when you can actually get them. I don’t look at prices in restaurants anymore. When I went on a 3-week vacation, my business automatically generated tens of thousands of dollars. Getting to these levels has taught me a lot of things I didn’t expect. Not many people will talk about this because it’s taboo. I LOVE Reddit. A few years ago, I came across a great thread where people asked, “[If you were suddenly rich, what small luxury would you indulge in?]()” WHAT I LOVE: The question lets you imagine what you would do if you had the time and money to get essentially anything. What would it be for you? Daily massage? Someone to clean your house? Do these things sound awesome … or feel sorta uncomfortable? Personally, I think they sound fucking awesome. (Notice how many people are uncomfortable with the entire topic of this email, as if it’s bad to buy things you want — as if it makes you a bad person.) WHAT I DON’T LOVE: After engaging in the fantasy for a minute, people wipe their hands, saying, “Well, that was fun but it’ll never happen! Back to the grind...” without stopping for a second and saying — "Hey wait a sec. What could I do to get that kind of freedom?" It's bad to tell yourself "that will never happen." What you should ask is "what would it take to make that happen?" It’s not about cutting back on lattes. [Meme] I can’t imagine, at the end of my life, being satisfied with having cut back on lattes. I want to grow. I want to go out with friends, use my time and money to live a Rich Life with my family, and be generous with the resources I have. I’ve also learned how certain things aren’t that important to me. I gave my car to my parents. Instead of just adding an extra “0” to our balance sheet, I wanted to take the resources of IWT and direct them toward building 12 schools around the world. We became the [largest fundraiser in Pencils of Promise history](). I never would have imagined this when I was young. Can you imagine what a tragedy it would have been if my dream had stayed the same as my 7-year-old self? That stupid dream of being able to order appetizers at a restaurant? I wish I could go back in time and shake myself and yell, “THINK BIGGER, YOU IDIOT!!” Most people think of a dream as something you fantasize about, then go back to the real world. No! What seems crazy now can seem ordinary later — if you put the work in. Now, I’d like to ask you to tell me something: - What was your dream when you were a kid? (Mine was ordering appetizers off a menu.) - What’s your dream now? DREAM BIG. Don’t just say, “a million dollars.” Tell me if you want an online business (and what that would mean to you). Get specific! Reply to this email and let me know. I read every single one. [Signature] WHAT TO DO NEXT REPLY: What was your dream when you were a kid? What’s your dream now? (Get specific!) [SIGN UP]() How did you feel about today’s email? [insta]() [Twitter]() [twitter]() [youtube]() [Linkedin]() [podcast]() This email was sent to {EMAIL}. If you no longer wish to receive these emails you may [unsubscribe]( at any time. 548 Market St #89946 San Francisco, CA 94104-5401