Money is taboo. It ranks up there with religion, politics, and sex. It is not mentioned in polite conversation. This means money – how much you make, spend and have – is shrouded in mystery. How much you have is only known by you, the taxman, and possibly your spouse/partner. By keeping the topic of money in the dark, we have created a monster that is a source of stress, anxiety, and depression. I wrote this book as an honest conversation about money and how you can tame this monster. I want to teach you how to be financially free. Financial freedom means you are not dependent on anyone financially. You are in a position of complete self-sufficiency. You do not rely on a boss/master/institution to pay you a monthly check. It also means that you do not need to work. You could spend the next year, five years, ten years, or twenty years fishing, playing golf, smoking pot, surfing, hiking through the Himalayas, or traveling around the world on a motorcycle – and you would have a sufficient flow of passive income to fund your activities. The journey to financial freedom is long and hard. It is fraught with danger and temptation at every turn. It is a marathon, but not a normal marathon. The route is not well signposted, the road is not well paved and the course is not flat. The odyssey requires determination, discipline, and stamina. Lao Tzu said that the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step – so if you are ready to change your life forever, let’s take that first step.