Hey little man. I came across an article the other day and it made me think about you and your future. The article was about which college degrees are associated with individuals in the top 1% of income earners.

Now I’m not suggesting that you need to major in any of the areas listed in this article, nor am I suggesting that being ultra-wealthy should be your No. 1 goal in life. After all, as my childhood friend Jason Ellis used to say, “the best things in life aren’t things” (e.g. the best in life don’t necessarily cost money).

That said, unless the world shifts away from a monetary economic system (highly unlikely in my personal opinion) earning money is important, because it can help lower your general stress levels (ex: making ends meet week to week sucks) and because it can free up one of the most important commodities you have; your time.

The best scenario, from my experience, is to do something that you really love for a living (there are a lot of cliche’s regarding this approach). So for example, if you love playing the guitar, figure out a way to make some ongoing income from that particular activity.

Another good approach I’ve seen folks use is to focus on a profession that is known for earning lots of money (like the ones listed in the article I referenced at the beginning of this post) and working your butt off in that profession for a period of time (e.g. years). Then, once you’re satisfied with your level of financial security, you can walk away from that industry and focus on something you truly love (like perhaps opening your business or non-profit organization, focused on something you actually enjoy doing regardless of money).

Granted, there’s a risk that you’ll develop a lust for money and power, but I’ve met a fair share of people that went this route and did not succumb to money hunger.

When I was young, your grandfather once mentioned something along the lines of “you’ll be an adult much longer than you’ll be a kid.” I took that to mean that you should start preparing for adulthood while you’re still very young. Your mother did that, investing in real estate as a teenager. And it paid off for her in a huge way (she was more or less financially secure in her mid-twenties or so). Mind you, this doesn’t mean that you should be in a hurry to grow up. On the contrary, you should cherish your youthful spirit and fight hard to retain it in even in adulthood.

But just make sure to think ahead and sacrifice a little now to reap the rewards later in life. And learn to work hard at whatever you’re doing from the get go. That’s something your grandmother help instill in me and something that I hope that your mother and I can instill in you.

P.S. Don’t waste your time pursuing dead ends like “street cred”, “party like a rockstar”, or “chasing the dragon”. Your dad did a little of each and can personally vouch for just how unintelligent those pursuits can be.

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