I recently interviewed Japanese bestselling author Ken Honda, whose books have sold close to 9 million copies worldwide. During our chat, he revealed his secret to financial peace.
And his answer was extremely shocking to me.
Friends.
“If I ever hit rock bottom,” Ken Honda explained, “I have over 50 friends who’d gladly offer a helping hand.“
“I’ll just ask my first friend to let me stay in his/her house for a week,” Ken said. “After that, I’ll move on to my next friend.” He said delightfully, “After a year (52 weeks), I can go back and ask my first friend again!”
Although it sounds like a joke, Ken Honda wasn’t joking.
Ken Honda’s Encounter with Kindness
Ken Honda practiced this reliance on kindness before he turned 20. His mentor advised him to travel with no money and depend on others’ help to become a successful entrepreneur.
So, young and bad at English, Ken flew to the US and lived for a year relying on American kindness. “After a year, I spent no money and made many friends,” he said.
This contrasted with my parents’ teachings. Since young, they emphasized self-reliance.
In Chinese, there’s a saying: “靠山山会倒，靠人人会跑，靠自己最好！”
The direct translation is “Leaning on mountains, mountains will fall. Leaning on people, people will run away. Leaning on yourself, that’s the best way.”
Despite my accomplishments, I lack trust in others and find it hard to relax, constantly pressured to work hard for my family and my future.
Ken Honda’s experience and trust in others made me see life differently.
Thank you, Ken Honda, for teaching me an important life lesson. I hope you can also learn from Ken in person through the video below.
If you listen carefully, you will find many valuable golden nuggets to improve your life.
Lastly, I want to thank you for believing in me and my work. Thank you for all your suppprt and trust. It really means a lot to me.
If no one has told you this yet, I want you to know that I believe in your ability to make the most informed financial decisions for yourself and your family.
I believe that you can always learn and become a wiser investor and a better person.
And you have the power to be the master of your financial future and live your best life!
I believe in you!
Ken Honda’s Work
By the way, if you’re interested in learning more about Ken Honda’s work, you can check out his international bestseller, Happy Money. I found it to be a very empowering read. In fact, it helped me believe in myself enough to quit my job earlier this year!
Recently, Ken Honda also launched his second English book, True Wealth: 9 Lessons from a Grandfather on Happiness and Abundance. I am sure you will find it as useful and enlightening as I do too!
If you enjoy reading about life and money, do check out my interview with international best-selling author William Green on what it takes to have a Richer Wiser Happier Life 🙂
