Brandy’s letter to Grandpa

Grandpa,

You know I’m really proud to come into work every day and, I enjoy learning new things.  These past few months, I feel like I can be doing so much more.  I’m not exactly the brightest crayon in the box if you know what I mean, but I know I am smart, and if I really put my mind to something, I am capable of doing it.

When I walk down the hallway and I see all of these success stories and testimonials on the walls, I think that could be me, but it’s up to me to be that.  I want so bad to be successful, and for some reason, now more than ever!  I don’t want to live the paycheck –to - paycheck life anymore.  I don’t want to have a budget when I buy groceries. Groceries are not expensive, but they are to me.  I don’t want to live off ANYONE anymore.

Grandpa, I want you to teach me.  I know you don’t have time because I would probably need a lot of it, but I want to learn, and I know this is the place to be. These people call in and talk to me about how great you are and how much money they make.  Then I think to myself why don’t I learn from him instead of asking him for help? If some of the people that I talk to on a daily basis can do this, I think I can do it too.  You would be surprised at some of the things people say.

Maybe I won’t be able to go out and flip houses like you; maybe I will.  See, the thing about me is, I can’t open a book and know what to do by reading it.  I tried that, and I was lost.  I want to go to your classes.  Some of these people go gaga over these classes, and the more they call about them, the more I want to know what I’m scheduling them to learn. I’m not expecting to attend a class and know everything.  I know this takes time and effort, but hey, what else am I doing with my life right now that is so important that I can’t use this time to be productive? I know it pays off in the long run.

Chris and I read the books that Tish gave me awhile back, and like I said, we were lost.  Very interested, but lost.  It’s catchy, and it gives you an adrenaline rush to think, that could be me. I can’t stress enough how tired I am of being broke. I can’t see me living like this forever. When I used to come here to work in shipping, I didn’t care about anything. (Oh well, fire me… who cares?) When I got this job in VIP, I was so excited! Finally, I get to use my brain.

I know I haven’t been up to par on my rent and bills, but Chris and I have been working our butts off just to keep things where they are, and where are they? SOS- bills, bills, bills that we can’t pay.

We have been talking about you a lot lately. You’re the man… but I don’t want your intelligence to intimidate me.  I want to be intelligent like you.

We really want to improve our lives we work, cook, have been trying to fix the house up, and take the kids to do stuff, and that’s about it.  Well, I’m ready to be somebody. We want to build our foundation and shock all these people who hate us. I don’t know if Chris could come, or if he could take off work for that long, I don’t even know if you’ll say yes that we can come, but if we plan in advance, we could work it out. Grandpa, can we please, please, please go to your class? PLEASE! I think this is even better than college.  I know this will take a while to learn, but I want to start gaining my knowledge young, so I can be like you when I get older.  Just think about it, and let me know.  I’m really eager to learn something. I know you gave me the computer course. I don’t want to sit at a computer all day and try to figure out how to set up a thousand pages and links. I get headaches every time I attempt to do it.  The computer can be really nerve-racking.  Hey, I’m not saying it’s not good stuff. It’s making a lot of people rich, right? But that’s not my cup of tea. I already feel like I’m going blind looking at this one.

Anyway, will you let me know what you think? I know I could be in for it asking that, but I’ll be waiting to hear from you.

P.S. The reason I wrote you a letter is because I want you to hear me out on your own time, not to mention that I’m nervous to ask. J

Love ya,

Brandy

Now For Grandpa’s Response

FROM THE DESK OF

RON LEGRAND®

I will address your letter in writing simply because you may want to keep it for future references to read on bad days, and there will be plenty.

You say that you're not the brightest crayon in the box.  Being smart has nothing to do with scholastic achievement. It’s about processing the ability to think and reason and make decisions that benefit others first before yourself.  Smart has nothing to do with money, but it is very closely related to the ability to earn it.

You are smart, but do need to work on improving your reasoning and decision-making ability. Fortunately, time and practice can fix that at no monetary cost to you.

You say you want me to teach you, and you’re ready to learn. That’s good news to me because until you are there’s nothing I can do to make you. Only when the student is ready can the teacher appear.

However, talk is cheap. A lot of people say they are ready, but their actions don’t confirm it.  Most cave when it comes time to do things differently and learn new actions that make them uncomfortable. You have two choices in life. You can either think or labor for those who think.  It sounds like you’d rather be a thinker, but it will require some evidence that’s true.

You are correct in assuming that if the customers you talk with can make money, you can too. But hope and envy is not a strategy. Money comes from action properly applied. 

Obviously, I’d like for you to be in a position of not struggling to pay your bills and getting assistance from us.  It will require income to fix that, and I’d agree you’ll never achieve it at a low-paying job, swapping hours for dollars. It’s what I teach others, and it would please me to see you become a good example. If you can make it from where you are to some level of financial maturity, you’d be an inspiration to many.

You say you want to be smart like me.  What you don’t know is I only got smart from a lot of years being in your position. You weren’t around when your grandmother and I were eating off paper plates with plastic forks, living in a cheap apartment with cracks in the walls and roaches everywhere.

The days when we had to buy groceries daily and borrow a car to go anywhere out of town and get a loan for $50 from your grandmother’s dad to buy a TV are never discussed with you.  You’ll never know how sheltered your 20 years on earth have been because you’ve never really suffered adversity. Certainly not your fault, but as you’ve already learned, it can be a mean, unforgiving world if you’re left to fend for yourself.

For many, these economic times are going to get worse, and the easy street of the past will close down. I’m happy to put you in a position to learn as long as the training is used, and you don’t quit the first time you hit an obstacle. There is no business without them.

Your inner strength commonly referred to as smarts, will come from your ability to push forward until you succeed. If you don’t, only frustration will be the end result.

You can do real estate if you want. It may seem complicated to you in the beginning, but so will anything new.

The easiest way to make money is to wholesale a Junker. You can learn that from 5 CDs you can get from Andy. After you’ve listened to them, I want you to write down and present to me your plan to proceed. I’ll then help you do only the items necessary to get your first check, which should be $3,000-$5,000.

If I see good progress, I’ll make arrangements to send you to the boot camp in ....Atlanta.... and advance you the travel cost.  Notice there is no gift mentioned here.

You and Chris will sign a note for all costs, plus 10% interest and another note to GPI for $2,500, which is the standard employee cost.  All to be paid back from future deals.

I’ll be teaching the Atlanta event, so you’re fortunate to be in this rare position and how you handle it will dictate your future.

The good news is I’ve helped thousands get where you want to go. The bad news is I didn’t do it for them. They did it on their own with my instructions and support. You will do the same.

Love,

Grandpa

FREDDIE MAC AND FANNIE MAE HAVE EXPANDED ELIGIBILITY FOR MAKING HOME AFFORDABLE REFINANCING PROGRAM....

.. ..

HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced on July 1, 2009 that under the current administration’s Home Affordable Refinance Program will allow participation by borrowers who are current to refinance up to 125 percent underwater on their mortgage.....

4th of July

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the

 Declaration of ....Independence....?

.. ..

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.

.. ..

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.

Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.

.. ..

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

.. ..

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.

.. ..

What kind of men were they?

.. ..

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were

Farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.  Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy.  He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

.. ..

Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay,

And

His family was kept in hiding.  His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

.. ..

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Rutledge, and Middleton.

.. ..

At the battle of ..Yorktown.., Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters.

He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire.

The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

.. ..

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.  The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

.. ..

John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives.  His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste.  For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

.. ..

Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn’t.

.. ..

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4^th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots.  It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.

.. ..

Remember: Freedom is never Free!

.. ..

Patriotism is NOT a sin!

.. ..

And

.. ..

The Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games!

You're Getting So Old