It seems to me that most people spend their lives wondering what it would be like to be financially wealthy and yet accept their daily struggle to make ends meet.
My husband and I come from two very different backgrounds and approach to wealth. He grew up less privileged but with a striking determination to be successful while I grew up financially comfortable with the assumption that money comes easy.
I listened to my husband story and admired his drive to change the status quo. He believed in himself and his capability to succeed and being able to help others.
I, on the other end had the ‘little rich girl’ mentality which ended up playing a major part in shaping my future.
I claimed my independence at a very young age, leaving home to move to another country and although for a while my parents financially supported me, eventually (and rightfully so) they cut the funds.
At that point, in a rich and expensive city I had very few options. I could have gone back home, I could have cried and consider myself doomed having to move to suburbia and give up the extravagant lifestyle or I could have just refused all of the above.
This is where both our stories meet. Different upbringing, different values but one fundamental element in common: we both thought like rich people do. We might have been penniless but we were not prepared to live below the standards we had chosen for ourselves. Failure was not an option.
And so my husband fought his way into a very niche cut throat sector where he knew he would succeed while I quit my job and applied for one that would pay double my previous one. It never crossed my mind that without a relevant degree or proper experience it may have not worked out. My pitch was about what I could bring to the team as a person, my determination to get things done. And I did get the job.
We both rented a place so small you could hardly turn but right in the center of town. We were surrounded by wealth and power; it was everywhere. We were living and breathing abundance.
We lived across the street from one other for a year before actually meeting and when time finally came to compare our stories it became obvious that is not where you come from that determines your chances of success, it’s how you think and act.
We are both strong believers that when life presents an obstacle, instead of accepting defeat before even trying, you focus on the solution.
It’s all about thinking outside of the box. If something or a situation is not working for you, try doing it differently until it works. Don’t sit there and wonder how others do it or how nice it would be to be financially carefree. Instead aim to be one of those people.
Everyone can do that. Opportunities are out there, available to everyone who is willing to take a risk, who is not afraid of change and has the confidence to pursue the dream.
I love this phrase by self made millionaire author Steve Siebold: "It has nothing to do with your education or where you come from. It's not what you do that guarantees wealth, it's what you are."
I keep stressing the concept hoping that eventually it will register but it really is this simple: you think yourself poor, or average and these thoughts will influence your actions resulting in no change.
You think yourself rich, you will start to act and think like a rich person and results will show up.
Rich people don’t waste time wondering of the possibilities, they go grab them. It’s all about confidence and determination. You want something? Go get it.
What you must remember though is that being rich doesn’t mean being greedy. Rich means you have enough and plenty to share.
Always be grateful for what you have, no matter how little you think that might be. There is plenty more waiting for you and everyone around you, all you have to do is start giving.
So give! Give! Give! The more you do the more it will come back to you in one form or another.
And never forget: your success should be measured by your actions and contributions to humanity, not by the size of your bank account.