And what we do is we put the child into the corridor of this grade system and enroll for the kindergaten. And that’s a great thing because when you finish that you will get into first grade. And first grade leads to second grade and so on and so forth. Then you get out of grade school, you go to high school, then college and the graduate school. And when you are through with graduate school you go out to join the world. And then you get into some racket way of selling insurance or some other rate race. And all that time the thing is coming, it’s coming, that great thing, the success that you have been working for, then when you wake up one day about forty years old, you say My God, I have arrived, I’m there. And you don’t feel very different from what you always felt. And there is a slight let down because you feel like there’s been a hoax. And there was a hoax! A dreadful hoax. They made you miss everything. We thought of life by an analogy with a journey, with a pilgrimage. Which had a serious purpose at the end. The thing was to get to that end, success or whatever it is or maybe heaven after your death. But we missed the point the whole way along. It was a musical thing and you were supposed to sing or to dance while the music was being played.
Rich people put most of their spending power into buying assets (stuff that makes them money over time) instead of liabilities (stuff that costs them money over time).
Instead of buying, for example, a flashy Lamborghini that loses a third of its value as soon as you drive off the lot, a truly rich person will take that same chunk of change and buy a two-family duplex and rent it out.
They don’t care what you think of them or whether you’re impressed. They’re happy to just cash your rent checks and let you pay their mortgage.
2. Have an abundance mindset
So many people have a scarcity mindset — a constant feeling that we’re never going to have enough money, that we’re one slip-up away from disaster and we have to hoard every last cent.
The problem with this mindset is that it can make people very competitive with other folks in similar financial situations. So you have people at the bottom of the pyramid spending all their time and energy fighting each other for resources, instead of trying to overthrow those at the top.
Rich people have an abundance mindset. Since they know they’re going to be able to take care of their bills, they’re not worried. This gives them the freedom to decide what they want to do with their time, rather than only focusing on what they need to do to survive.
3. Think long-term
Rich people understand that sometimes, things take time, and they’re happy to wait. They’re kings and queens of delayed gratification.
A rich person has no problem, for example, socking away money in a retirement account. Yes, the $6,000 they invested in their IRA account this year is off-limits until they’re 59-and-a-half.
But they know that just because they can’t spend that money now, it’s not like it has disappeared. It’s actually the opposite: the longer they wait, the more money they get later on.
4. Share, swap and scratch each other’s backs
Rich people love being known as the smartest person in their friend group: the one with the best taste, who is on top of all the trends. You’ll often hear them say things like:
“I have this great tax person — you should work with them.”
“I found the best cocktail bar — you have to try the martini.”
“I joined the best country club — and I’ll sponsor you to join, too.”
They recognize that when they’re open about their knowledge, other people will be more inclined to share what they know. It is another valuable form of currency, and it’s the same reason rich people love nothing more than putting their besties in positions of power.
Their thought process is: “I’m not qualified for this job, but my friend is, and once he gets it, he’ll owe me a solid. Then, as soon as he’s in a leadership position, I’m automatically tapped into that whole network.”
Yes, it’s because they like to see their friends succeed, but it’s also because they’re thinking strategically — and towards the future.
When I speak about knowing my worth, it’s not coming from a place of ego or arrogance. I stand by my positive attributes with conviction, but the difference is I’m conscious of my shortfalls and work on them everyday. When somebody holds a space in my heart, there is nothing I wouldn’t do for them. Generosity, patience, and loyalty are traits of mine cherished dearly by those who know me. But I won’t pretend other emotions don’t consume me. Because they do. However, it is my unwavering devotion to give the positivity inside me a stronger voice – one which overrides all. When I say I know my worth, it’s because I’ve done the work to get here. It’s because I continue doing so, I Know what I have to offer. And I stand strong in that fact alone.
