第21部分(第2/7 頁)

d？〃　Or　we　have　friends　or　loved　ones　who　will　remind　us　of　our　shortings　regardless　of　whether　we　ask。　They　often　say；　〃What　makes　you　think　you　can　do　that？〃　Or　〃If　it's　such　a　good　idea；　how　e　someone　else　hasn't　done　it？〃　Or　〃That　will　never　work。　You　don't　know　what　you're　talking　about。〃　These　words　of　doubt　often　get　so　loud　that　we　fail　to　act。　A　horrible　feeling　builds　in　our　stomach。　Sometimes　we　can't　sleep。　We　fail　to　move　forward。 So　we　stay　with　what　is　safe　and　opportunities　pass　us　by。　We　watch　life　passing　by　as　we　sit　immobilized　with　a　cold　knot　in　our　body。　We　have　all　felt　this　at　one　time　in　our　lives；　some　more　than　others。

Peter　Lynch　of　Fidelity　Magellan　mutual　fund　fame　refers　to　warnings　about　the　sky　falling　as　〃noise；〃　and　we　all　hear　it。

〃Noise〃　is　either　created　inside　our　heads　or　es　from　outside。　Often　from　friends；　family；　co…workers　and　the　media。 Lynch　recalls　the　time　during　the　1950s　when　the　threat　of　nuclear　war　was　so　prevalent　in　the　news　that　people　began　building　fallout　shelters　and　storing　food　and　water。　If　they　had　invested　that　money　wisely　in　the　market；　instead　of　building　a　fallout　shelter；　they'd　probably　be　financially　independent　today。

When　the　riots　broke　out　in　Los　Angeles　a　few　years　ago；　gun　sales　went　up　all　over　the　country。　A　person　dies　from　rare　hamburger　meat　in　Washington　State　and　the　Arizona　Health　Department　orders　restaurants　to　have　all　beef　cooked　well…done。　A　drug　pany　runs　a　national　TV　mercial　showing　people　catching　the　flu。　The　ad　runs　in　February。　Colds　go　up　as　well　as　sales　of　their　cold　medicine。

Most　people　are　poor　because　when　it　es　to　investing；　the　world　is　filled　with　Chicken　Littles　running　around　yelling；　〃The　sky　is　falling。　The　sky　is　falling。〃　And　Ch