Mark Fisher - The Millionaires Secrets: Life Lessons in Wisdom and Wealth

A LSO BY M ARK F ISHER

THE INSTANT MILLIONAIRE

FIRESIDE
Rockefeller Center
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 1996 by Mark Fisher
All rights reserved,
including the right of reproduction
in whole or in part in any form.

First Fireside Edition 1997

F IRESIDE and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.

Designed by Amy Hill

Manufactured in the United States of America

3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Fisher, Mark
The millionaires secrets : life lessons in wisdom and wealth/Mark Fisher.
p. cm.
Sequel to: The instant millionaire.
1. Young menNew York (N.Y.)Fiction. 2. MillionairesFiction.
3. WealthFiction. I. Title.
PS3556.I8142M55 1996
813,54dc20 95-46841

ISBN 0-684-80281-3
0-684-80118-3 (Pbk)
eISBN-13: 978-1-4516-3692-5

To Nityananda

C HAPTER 1
In which the young man feels estranged at work...

C HAPTER 2
In which the young man gets his first real break...

C HAPTER 3
In which the young man regains his wings...

C HAPTER 4
In which the young man experiences failure...

C HAPTER 5
In which the young man meets a remarkable beggar...

C HAPTER 6
In which the millionaire teaches the young man how to think like a millionaire...

C HAPTER 7
In which the young man discovers that he can be both the gardener and the rose at the same time...

C HAPTER 8
In which the young man learns to concentrate...

C HAPTER 9
In which the young man discovers the power of faith...

C HAPTER 10
In which the young man is nostalgic...

C HAPTER 11
In which the young man learns the secret meaning of life...

C HAPTER 12
In which the young mans destiny is accomplished...

C HAPTER 13
In which the young man has to make the most difficult decision of his life...

C HAPTER 14
In which the young man has to choose between light and darkness...

C HAPTER 15
In which the young man resolutely sets to work...

C HAPTER 16
In which the young man experiences humiliation...

C HAPTER 17
In which the young man discovers eternal life...

C HAPTER 18
In which the young man discovers the power of having a goal...

C HAPTER 19
In which the young man thinks about the life he lost...

C HAPTER 20
In which the young man realizes the value of perseverance...

C HAPTER 21
In which the young man risks everything...

C HAPTER 22
In which the young man discovers the art of negotiating...

C HAPTER 23
In which the young man outfoxes the fox...

C HAPTER 24
In which the young man discovers the reason for his tribulations...

C HAPTER 25
In which the young man discovers the nobility of love...

C HAPTER 1

In which the young man feels estranged at work...

W HEN HE awoke in his modest, somewhat cluttered Brooklyn apartment, John Blake, a young man of thirty-two, short in stature but of a generally dynamic appearance, realized that it was already nine-thirty. He was late. Either his alarm clock hadnt gone off or hed forgotten to set it.

There was no time for a shower, so he splashed his face with cold water, ran a comb through his hair, swallowed a vitamin C tablet, and then, feeling hed need as much energy as possible to get through the day, took a second, and finally a third for good luck. He dressed as quickly as he could, in the same clothes hed worn the night before, which hed carelessly discarded on a chair; since his tie was still knotted around his shirt collar he just slipped the whole affair over his head like a sweater.

His old 65 convertible Mustang, which he cared for religiously, almost let him down for once, but after four or five tries it finally started. He thought, It looks like this is going to be one of those days when Ill wish I hadnt gotten out of bed.

At the Gladstone Advertising Agency, which occupied an old but completely renovated building on Madison Avenue, and where hed worked as a writer for the last few years, Johns secretary, Louise, greeted him with a worried look.

Where have you been? Gladstone is furious. Hes been looking everywhere for you. The meeting is scheduled to start in five minutes, and he absolutely wanted to see you beforehand, along with Gate.

Alarm clock trouble, John muttered as he disappeared into his office and began sorting through the pile of files on his desk. His secretary followed him in.

The Cooper file, where is it? John asked, turning his back to her.

Right here, Louise replied, smiling calmly and handing him the file, which, with her usual efficiency, she had made sure to get ready.

Thank you, he said, taking the large cardboard folder that contained the Cooper company logo, a photograph of a shoe that was to be promoted, and a picture of a man and a woman. And Ill have a coffee, please, Louise, John added, lighting up a cigarette.

Cooper Shoes Incorporated had contracted the Gladstone Agency to do the publicity for a new mens shoe with a hidden heel that added three inches to the wearers height. The picture, based on Johns concept, depicted a very elegantand very tallwoman walking along Fifth Avenue and winking at a man who had grown to a suitable height because of his Cooper shoes.

The only problem was that the text, due to be presented at that mornings meeting, and which John was supposed to have provided, was not written yet. He hadnt been able to think of a thing, and yet for years hed been considered one of the agencys most brilliant writers.

He puffed nervously on his cigarette, trying to summon up the inspiration that rarely let him down. But his mind remained a total blank, almost as if hed exhausted what was left of his creativity and imagination long ago. He consulted the notes hed jotted down during the past week, pages and pages of text, titles, catchy headlines, dialogue. Nothing seemed to click. Tiny beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He had to come up with something, and fast. Very fast.