This passage is a personal story shared by the speaker. It starts with their marriage 38 years ago, without pre-marriage counseling. They quickly achieved financial success through real estate but then faced financial ruin due to debt and the bank calling their loans. They discuss the impact of money on happiness and the importance of managing it wisely. The speaker offers five pieces of financial advice: budgeting, getting out of debt, fostering high-quality relationships, being content, and being generous. They emphasize the influence of one's social circle on financial habits and success.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The speaker got married 38 years ago and started buying and flipping real estate at a young age.
2. The speaker became rich by the time he was 26 years old, with a net worth of over a million dollars and an income of 250,000 dollars a year.
3. The speaker lost everything he owned in two and a half years after his bank called his notes and he went bankrupt.
4. The speaker's marriage was hanging on by a thread and he was scared and depressed.
5. The speaker started handling money differently by following five principles from the Bible and his grandmother: get on a budget, get out of debt, foster high quality relationships, save money, and be outrageously generous.
6. The speaker challenges the audience to try being generous by leaving 300 dollars as a tip for a waitress at the Waffle House on Thanksgiving Day.