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We
are pleased to present the following
excerpt from the book
You Don't Have to
Learn the Hard Way: Making it in the Real
World: A Guide for
Graduates
by J.R. Parrish
Benbella Books - April
2009
QUIZ:
How Big a Risk-Taker are
You?
1) If I had enough money to live on for
a year, right now, I'd . . .
- a. Quit my job and take off for a
year because I may never get that
chance again.
- b. Keep working and spend the extra
cash on fun stuff.
- c. Try to save most of it.
2) I would change jobs if . . .
- a.I thought the new job would be
something I would like to do more and
would be much better at.
- b. The new job title would sound
cool to my friends, even though the
money is no better.
- c. The new place offered me more
money, even if I didn't really like the
job.
3) I envy people who are richer than I
am and I want to be one of them one
day.
- a. Strongly agree.
- b. Not sure.
- c. Disagree.
4) I planned a great vacation and then
find out I lost my job. I . . .
- a. Go anyway because I figure I'll
feel more like looking for a new job
after I've had some fun.
- b. Go on a vacation that doesn't
cost as much but still will be
fun.
- c. Cancel the vacation plans and
start job-hunting.
5) Here's how I feel about debt:
- a. All my friends have some, for
college loans and stuff, so it doesn't
bother me.
- b. I don't want to have credit card
debt but I realize that sometimes
that's what happens in life.
- c. I don't like the idea of owing
anybody anything.
6) If I see something I like, I . .
.
- a. Try to talk myself out of it
because I often regret buying stuff
afterward.
- b. Shop around to see if other
stores have the same thing for
less.
- c. Buy it -- it's not worth the
time to come back later and it might be
gone by then.
7) When I am facing a big money
decision, I . . .
- a. Do some research on the
Internet, call friends, and even see
what my parents or some other
expert-types have to say.
- b. Call my friends to see what they
would do.
- c. Flip a coin -- these things even
out.
SCORE: Count up your points
1) a. 3; b. 2; c. 1
2) a. 1; b. 2; c. 3
3) a. 3; b. 2; c. 1
4) a. 3; b. 2; c. 1
5) a. 3; b. 2; c. 1
6) a. 1; b. 2; c. 3
7) a. 1; b. 2; c. 3
What your score
means:
If you scored between 19 and 21 points,
you are willing to take a lot of risks.
Sometimes risks pay off -- but if you
don't also start trying to weigh your
choices more carefully, you could find
yourself in financial trouble.
If you scored between 11 and 18 points,
you seem able to balance some risk with
common sense. That's just what you'll need
to succeed in your career.
If you scored between 7 and 10 points,
you don't seem comfortable taking a lot of
risks. While you don't want to play it
completely safe all of your life, you're
probably on the right path to financial
security.
Copyright
© 2009 J.R. Parrish. Reprinted with
permission.
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J.R. Parrish, author of
You
Don't Have to Learn the Hard Way:
Making it in the Real World: A
Guide for
Graduates, went
from being a milkman to a
multimillionaire. In 1974, he
founded J. R. Parrish Inc., a
commercial real estate company in
Silicon Valley. He ran the
company based on the premise that
to succeed in life, you must
treat people with fairness and
respect, a premise that not only
won him friends, but made him a
fortune. J.R. spent the next 25
years studying and teaching his
employees and brokers about human
relations. The company grew to be
a huge success and one of the
premier real estate brokerage
firms in Silicon Valley. J.R.
retired in 1999. Today, he and
his wife Lisa live in one of the
most idyllic spots in the
Hawaiian Islands, on their own
coffee plantation. He continues
to support the ideals he believes
in through his foundation. For
more information please visit
www.parrishonline.com.
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