Chapter 1:

"If Sonny or I wanted spending money, we had to earn it."

Beyond your first sister and mother Cooking food for you for dinner pay for everything yourself. If you want something then save it up biweekly and have it in savings. If your siblings or parents want something save for what they want by finding it fine and saving up for it. And do not tell them. You do not need to tell them how much you make either. That is private
Nor how much you save. That is even more private. Nor why you are saving. That is only your business alone. Just because you earn less than your entire family-immediate wise from your parents marriage (literally meaning only two siblings) -does not mean you cannot outside them and not be in dent like them in whatever form of debt. Pay cash or do not pay at all. Simple as that. But remember to use money smartly and sparingly by knowing why you ars spending, knowing what you are spending it on, and if it brings you joy weekly. If it does not stop purchasing it. And only spend a certain percentage of your paycheck from the previous week. And leave the rest be in your account.

Also you do not have to spend just because others are spending money. It is wiser to squirrel money away as much as possible biweekly to hit your wildly important goal. Than to spend stupidly andunwiseAny and be broke in your thirties and old age and be on welfare like some people who are much better off fhan you.

Keep your belongings for a very long time by taking excellent care of them and buying the necessary items to make them last longer than usual. Clean them weekly. Keep your gadgets clean. Use it to learn something new in reading through a book or an article that inspires you. Use technology to enhance your life. Especially reading books! And writing your novels.

"The job provided us with our first real spending money. Flush for the first time in our lives, we bought a second bicycle, clothes, and some sports equipment. With that job, however, came the clear but sad message: childhood was over. No more carefree summers. From then on, we were responsible for our clothing, medical, transportation, and entertainment expenses."

You are responsible for your own care and handling every aspect of it. Only use your parents to tell them what you are doing. Not as a crutch to think for you. Or to help you. Abide by your own rules and standards of conduct and behavior. If you want anything pay for it yourself. If you want clothing buy it yourself by giving your parents the money to buy it for you. Chip In with gas payments if your family drives you around without asking. Find entertainment in reading and listening to musick and trail walking. Make your own entertainment through books and poetry and letter writing as well! Do not expect your family to provide anything for you. You are not owed anything. Not an iota. Neither do you owe them anything.

Chapter 2:

“We didn’t have what others did, however, so Sonny and I concluded hard work would get us what we needed.”

You are not great at communicating verbally. But you are great at listening! And that is what matters the most in the end. Your ability to listen and to quickly grasp information and turn it to your advantage whilst others talk all the day. Put the work in listening and excelling at your job-in whatever capacity-and you will be better off. Listen more. Limit your words. Others will bless you. For your kindness. For your positivity. For your joy. Be who God Made You to be and you will set humanity in happiness and joy in your own way. Work hard at bringing delight and joy in every interaction. As well as pitivity and a enthusiasm unparalleled by anyone else. Stop trying to be like others. Put in the hard work to be your true authentic self.

“The sting of poverty was humiliating and made a lasting impression.”

Poverty is thinking you have limited options. You do not! It may seem that way to other people due to your limited situation but God knows and understands and is providing increase and insight And wisdom every week in every area. And stamping out other people's nature and giving you back your true nature. He is teaching you to accept yourself and love yourself for your qualities and intricacies and live with that under your parents roof. Without trying to change others. Or insult others. Change yourself only. Do not focus on others. Pay attention to your relationship with God. Pay attention to the relationship with yourself. Focus on yourself. Build yourself up with positive words and habits. Throw out the negative habits and words that you learned or were surrounded by.

“He could have remained a rural schoolteacher, but he lifted himself up.”

Do not let your circumstances deter you from achieving thr best that God has to give unto you with His Favor and Blessings! Keep fighting for excellence in health and financial stability with your payer in Christ. If you manage your money with your new set up well enough then you will never have to worry about being in the negative ever again. Be a wise steward of your money. Be a wise steward of your words. Do not let others dictate how you should live your life. Or how you should run your life. They cannot run theirs properly anyways so you really do not need their advice or negativity in smallminded thinking and viewpoint. Believe. Achieve. Excel. Believe for more than you ever have before financially and mentally and living wise. Achieve more than your familg on both sides without telling anyone your provate business but only if you want to and they can be trysted to keep your counsel private. Excel in your listening skills and observs more of what people are doing and take notes and try and save up for what thdy are pining for and smile and walk away. Even when others talk bad about you promote them. Even if they look skeptically at you. Still do it. It breeds goodwill and harmony.

“He demonstrated how to set and attain goals, no matter how great the challenge.”

Do this with wildly important goals and I When by statement with a three week or eight week benchmarks. And repeat until your goals are completed. It is short enough to get enough done. But long enough not to feel too stressful To want to do something else halfway through. And it also falls in line With your independence living plans anyhow. Win all around.

“The experience also taught me there are mountains to climb and challenges to overcome.”

And God did not give you challenges He did not give you a solution to get out with. For You that is poetry and positivity! And moral lessons. You do not need to express yourself. You do not need to explain your story and what you have gone through. God understands. Now go achieve something great in your next benchmark through reading and writing!

“In the senior Haight’s eyes, a teenager who worked after school to help out the family was someone worth knowing.”

Help out your family by giving them something on the last Sunday every month that they enjoy eating or drinking as a thank you present for letting you live with them. Work to help them sustain the household by paying what you agreed and managing your life and money well without Interference from your family members. Dress well but understated. Work hard to pay off your credit cards but use credit wisely and responsibility and listen to your mother and father financially if you think it makes sense for that week. But also do not ask them for money. Or a loan. If you cannot support yourself now on your income then you have no right nor no business asking your parents for money. Their money is their money. They need it for their old age. You need your money for yours and whatever else you want to do with it in a positive way. But take note of your parents financial habits and see how you can use them to make yourself successful like they are (in their own separate ways even if they struggle sometimes). Then use their wisdom to teach yourself how to survive off of spending on a weekly allowance. And not going over it. No matter how much more money you get each week. Even if it is buying only drinks. Still buy the drinks and be happy! Things are not cheap. Especially good as uour mother and first sister are teaching you and as you are learning weekly. Find a dedicated baked goodie and drinks and an ice cream and leave it at that. Do not spend any more. You want to have more money to roll over into the next week. And the next .month. so you can save more. And build a bigger savings pot for the future. You may not need 5he money now. But you will later. Keep saving. Who cares if others including relatives-make fun of you saving? It does not matter! They are broke and in debt. You are not. Treasure that and keep adding more money biweekly. You will be surprised once you check on your appointed dates.

I expressed my sincere appreciation and vowed I would repay him one day with a return on his investment. “You can repay me by doing the same thing for someone else when you become successful,” he replied.

Pay it forward by supporting thoss less fortunate weekly back Home.

Chapter 3:

Bill told me that the Zellerbachs had been watching my progress for the last six years. Their sense was that I was a natural-born entrepreneur. Rather than working for them, the family thought I should learn a business from the ground floor to prepare me for starting my own.

Learn the business of writing from the ground up and write and release your own books on your own schedule. And be consistent and authentic . And original. As well as innovative and inventive in your ideas.

Quotes:

“It can't be done.” Yes with God and tenacity and grit and wit it can and will come through. That and steely determination to see the project or task to completion. Encourage those around you to say “Yes I will make it possible because there is a better way. If people say no then I will work til I get a yes. Because anything is possible. I will make it so!”

Always believe there is a better way and that God will provide a better way out.

Always, always forgive. Pray. And move on. Bring harmony and peace to all relationships. As well as positivity, joy, and a can-do enthusiastic attitude. That will win people over. Being negative and critical won't.

Be the person you would want your late brother to be proud of. You owe his legacy that much. Do not harbor grudges. Do not harbor resentments. Be forgiving and Fearless and unafraid to read books and live life! And enjoy conversations through listening. He lived His life. Now it is your chance to live out yours in positivity and enthusiasm and a can-do attitude daily without murmur, whining, griping, or complaint. Because your life is a gift and your health is a testimony. Do not destroy either. ( )

The climax of the book was on or before page 178. Up until then it was an entrepreneur betting all and managing to survive, after that it seemed like just turning the crank generating more riches. There were some bumps and crisis after that, but by then he had already established his tenacity and unwillingness to fail.

I liked that he didn’t try to portray himself as perfect, or even orthodox.

One little thing that struck me a little strange is that he would paint someone as a total jerk. Then a few pages later or a chapter or two later say something like ‘he wasn’t so bad,’ or ‘I like him,’ or ‘we are … friends.’ Putting it in a positive light: His willingness to forgive was great. ( )