Chapter 20 Letter 20: Take risks to take advantage of opportunities

Motto: The higher the risk, the greater the reward. The more things you have, the more power you have. To win you must understand the value of taking risks, and you must have the foresight to create your own luck. (Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.) November 2, 1936 Dear John: Tomorrow, maybe not until tomorrow, someone will live a life of a rich man.The newspapers said his name was David Morris, the same name as Mr. Robert Morris, the treasurer of the American Revolutionary War and the merchant prince of Philadelphia. He is a master at the casino, and at the same time published a life motto of this gambler: curiosity can discover opportunities, and risks can take advantage of opportunities.

You know, I have always disapproved of people who are addicted to gambling, but I have to look at this gentleman with admiration. I even believe that with his wisdom and mind, which are almost like a philosopher, if he can join the business world, he may become a Professional success - a good gambler. I make such an appreciative assumption, not to say that a good gambler will become a good businessman, in fact, I hate those who regard shopping malls as casinos, but I do not reject the adventurous spirit, because I know a rule : The higher the risk, the greater the benefit.And galloping in the business world, for everyone, is the greatest adventure that life offers him.

The trajectory of my life has been a journey of rich adventures, and if I were to find out which adventure was most decisive to me and most related to my future, it would be entering the oil industry. Before investing in the oil industry, our line of business—consignment sales of agricultural products was doing well, and I am fully expected to become a big middleman if I continue to do so.But that all changed that Mr. Andrews, an expert in lighting, told me, "John, kerosene burns brighter than any lighting oil, and it's bound to take the place of other lighting oils. Think about it." Come on, John, what a market it would be, and what a scene it would be if we could put our feet in it!"

The more things I have, the more power I have.Opportunity comes, and letting go of it isn't just money, it's weakening your power in the arena of getting rich.I told Andrews: I do!We invested 4,000 yuan, which is a lot of money for us, a lot of money, and started an oil refining business.I don't think about failure when the money goes down, even though at that time oil made many millionaires, it also made more people poor. I plunged into the oil refining industry and worked hard. Within a year, oil refining earned us more profits than agricultural products and became the company's largest business.At that moment, I realized that it was courage and an adventurous spirit that opened up a new way of making money for me.

At that time, there was no industry that could get rich overnight like the oil industry. This prospect greatly stimulated my desire to make a lot of money, and let me see the long-awaited opportunity to develop my ambitions.I told myself: "You must hold on to it, it can take you to the land of dreams." But then I aggressively expanded my business strategy in the oil industry, much to the chagrin of my partner, Mr. Clark.Clark is an ignorant, conceited, weak, and lacking in courage. He is afraid of failure and advocates a prudent business strategy, which is completely contrary to my business philosophy.To me money is like shit, if you let it out you can do a lot but if you hide it it stinks.Clark is not a good businessman, he doesn't know the true value of money.

When we are indifferent to the important things, our lives come to a dead end.Clark had become a stumbling block to my success, and I had to get rid of him—break up with him.This is an important moment. To win you must understand the value of taking risks, and you must have the foresight to create your own luck.For me, breaking up with Mr. Clark was definitely a risk, and before I decided to risk everything and get into the oil business, I had to be sure that oil was not going away.At that time, many people believed that oil was a blooming epiphyllum, which was difficult to last.Of course I hope the oil supply doesn't run out, and without the oil supply, those investments will be worthless, and I may end up worse than a gambler in a casino.But the information I've received makes me optimistic that the source of oil won't go away.It's time to say goodbye.

Before the showdown with Mr. Clark, I drew Mr. Andrews over privately, and I told him, "We're going to get lucky. There's a lot of money waiting for us. It's a lot of money. I'm going to end my relationship with Clark." Brother's cooperation, if I buy their shares, would you like to do it with me?" Andrews did not disappoint me.A few days later, I pulled a few more banks that supported me. In February of that year, after a series of preparations, I broke up with Mr. Clark. Although he was very reluctant, I made up my mind to go.In the end, we all agreed to auction off the company to the highest bidder.

To this day, when I think of the scene of that auction scene, it makes me very excited. It feels like gambling in a casino, which is thrilling and engrossing.It was a big gamble. What I bet on was money, but what I gambled out was life. The company started bidding at 500 yuan, but quickly climbed to several thousand yuan, and then slowly climbed to 50,000 yuan. This price has exceeded my estimated value of the refinery.But the bidding price has been rising, starting to exceed 60,000, and then soaring to 70,000 step by step.At this time, I began to fear. I worried about whether I could buy this company-a company that I created with my own hands, whether I could afford so much money.But I quickly calmed down, and I warned myself with lightning speed: "Don't be afraid, now that you have made up your mind, you must go forward!" The competitor offered 72,000 yuan, and I did not hesitate to offer 72,500 yuan. .At this time, Mr. Clark stood up and shouted: "I don't want any more, John, it's yours!"

Dear John, that was the defining moment of my life, and I felt its significance beyond the ordinary. Of course, I paid a high price for parting from Mr. Clark. I gave Clark half of the agency and $72,500.But what I won was freedom and a bright future.I became my own master, my own employer, and never had to worry about short-sighted mediocrities standing in my way. When I was 21 years old, I owned the largest oil refinery in Colliforland, which has become one of the largest oil refiners in the world. Thinking about it today, this guy who can eat 500 barrels of crude oil a day is tantamount to me going to oil The road to supremacy, the weapon to conquer the oil kingdom.Thanks to that auction, it was the beginning of my success in life.

Safety first will almost certainly not make us rich, and getting paid always comes with accepting the necessary risks that come with it.Why is life not like this. There is no such thing as maintaining the status quo. If you don’t advance, you will retreat. It’s as simple as that.With my aspect, caution is not the perfect recipe for success.No matter what we do, or our lives, we must choose between taking risks and being cautious.And sometimes, the chances of winning by taking risks are much greater than being cautious. Businessmen are all profit and wealth chasers. They rely on creating resources and obtaining other people's resources, and even forcing others to give up resources to make themselves rich. Therefore, taking risks is an indispensable means for businessmen to conquer the market.

If you want to know the art of taking risks without incurring failure, you only need to remember one sentence: plan boldly, execute carefully. love your father