A Part of All You Earn Is Yours to Keep
The richest man in Babylon grew wealthy on one habit: before paying anyone else, he set aside a portion of everything he earned and never spent it. That kept share is the seed of every fortune.
Arkad, the richest man in the city, was once a poor scribe. His secret was disarmingly simple: of every coin that passed through his hands, he kept at least a tenth for himself and let no one else claim it.
Most people pay the baker, the landlord, and the tailor first, then try to save whatever survives — and nothing ever does. Reverse the order. Pay yourself first, off the top, and live on what remains.
A tenth feels like a loss until you try it. In practice you adjust, and the gap closes within weeks. What you have gained is a growing store that is truly, permanently yours.
This kept portion is not for spending. It is capital — the small, protected river that, fed daily, becomes the fortune every other lesson depends on.
Keep the first tenth
Take it off the top
The moment income arrives, move at least ten percent into a separate place before you pay a single bill or buy a single thing.
Make it automatic
Set a standing transfer so the tenth leaves on payday without a decision. Willpower fails; automation does not.
- Route it to a separate account you don't touch
- Raise the share as your income grows
Treat it as untouchable
This store is capital, not a cushion for wants. Let it accumulate and, later, put it to work — never raid it for spending.
Whatever you earn, a part of it is yours to keep. Guard that part and it will one day set you free.