Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, has urged people to look beyond the pursuit of money, saying financial success should follow a deeper sense of purpose rather than become life's ultimate goal. In a recent post on microblogging site X, formerly Twitter, Kiyosaki reflected on a lesson he learned years ago from an Indian guru: 'Your body's mission is to fulfill your spirit's mission.' He wrote that at the time, his body was 'busy making money,' but it took him years to understand what his spirit's mission truly was. According to reports from The Economic Times, Kiyosaki argued that financial success follows meaningful work and purpose, not the other way around.
Kiyosaki said he eventually realised his purpose was to teach, even though becoming a teacher was the last profession he had imagined for himself because he had struggled in school and disliked formal education. As reported by The Economic Times, he wrote that he believed schools were 'lying' to people about money. That conviction led him to stop being a manufacturer more than 50 years ago and begin teaching the financial lessons he had learned from his 'rich dad.' According to Kiyosaki, that decision changed his life and set him on a path of serving humanity through financial education.
Looking back, Kiyosaki said many people fail to discover their life's mission because they are too busy surviving and working for money. Instead, he encouraged readers to ask themselves, 'What does my heart want to do to serve humanity?' and begin pursuing that calling without expecting financial reward. According to The Economic Times, he started teaching those lessons for free and was ridiculed for ideas such as 'Savers are losers' and 'Debt can make you rich.' Over time, he wrote, that free education grew into a multimillion-dollar business with a global reach, demonstrating how purpose-driven work can create wealth.
Kiyosaki's work has achieved unprecedented international success, with Rich Dad Poor Dad holding the top spot on the New York Times bestsellers list for over six years and ranking as the longest-running bestseller across all four major lists: The New York Times, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. As per Amazon.com, the book was named 'USA Today's #1 Money Book' two years in a row and is the third longest-running 'how-to' bestseller of all time. Translated into 51 languages and available in 109 countries, the Rich Dad series has sold over 27 million copies worldwide, dominating bestseller lists across Asia, Australia, South America, Mexico and Europe.
Drawing a parallel with Martin Luther King Jr., Kiyosaki cited King's statement about wanting to do 'God's will' and his acknowledgement that he 'may not get to the promised land' with others. As reported by The Economic Times, he said King continued pursuing his mission despite knowing many were threatened by his work. Kiyosaki ended the post by asking readers to reflect on a question he considers fundamental: 'What is your spirit's mission?' This philosophical approach to wealth creation emphasizes that serving humanity first ultimately creates sustainable financial success.
