We all know the famous late '80s song "I Wanna Be Rich" by Calloway. And we've all dreamed about having enough money to do what we want when we want, but for many people this dream never becomes a reality. It's not easy to become rich, but it's also not as hard as people might think. And in a time when a small group of people own the majority of the wealth, if you want to become a millionaire, you must first learn to think like one.
There are many distinctions between the rich and the middle class when it comes to the differences in thinking about money. The middle class operates from a fear based consciousness, always worrying about the uncertainty of the future and therefore trying to protect and hoard their money. Rich people, on the other hand, operate from a mindset of freedom, abundance, opportunity and possibility. Saving and investing is certainly important to them, but they direct their mental energy toward accumulating wealth through serving people and solving problems. They believe the secret to becoming a millionaire isn't in the mechanics of the money, but in the level of thinking that generates it.
The differences in thinking about money between the two groups is very extreme. For example:
• Middle class focuses on saving. The wealthy focus on earning.
• Middle class believes hard work creates wealth. The wealthy believe leverage creates wealth.
• Middle class believes money is earned through labor. The wealthy believe money is earned through thought.
• Middle class worries about running out of money. The wealthy think about how to make more money.
• Middle class sees money through the eyes of emotion. The wealthy see money through the eyes of logic.
• Middle class believes getting rich is outside their control. The wealthy know getting rich is an inside job.
• Middle class has a lottery mentality. The wealthy has an action mentality
• Middle class is waiting to be rescued from financial mediocrity. The wealthy know no one is coming to the rescue.
• Middle class equates money with stress. The wealthy equates money with peace of mind.
If you're not where you want to be financially, relax! I believe more self-made millionaires will emerge in the next five years than ever before. Those who are creative enough to find the solutions to the many problems that exist are going to strike it big.
How to Get Rich
If you want to be rich, study how rich people think about money and follow their lead. Associate with the rich because consciousness is contagious. Exposure to their level of thinking about money will permeate your consciousness.
Create a written vision for your life five years down the road. If you could do anything you wanted to do and live any way you wanted to live, what would that look like? What would it feel like? Start training yourself to dream big and ignore the naysayers who laugh at you and call you crazy. Ignore the people who tell you to aim low so you're not disappointed. Someday they'll be asking you for a job.
Force yourself to grow up emotionally, get mentally tough and overcome any addiction you have to the approval of other people. When you're broke and chasing what the masses see as a "pie in the sky," many of them will discourage you and plead with you to be realistic. Keep in mind that the concept of "Realism" is subjective. One person's idea of realism is earning $50,000 per year and another's is earning $500,000.
Learn to let go of the middle-class thinking of the masses, while simultaneously learning to embrace how rich people think. In a matter of months your entire perspective will begin to shift, and you'll begin seeing the world through the eyes of millionaires.
When it comes to money, it's not intelligence or education that holds back the average person from getting rich. It's the middle-class beliefs about money that keeps them struggling to survive in a world of abundance. Regardless of your IQ or what the highest level of education you completed is, everyone has the potential to become rich.
If you're rich, keep thinking the way you're thinking. If not, maybe it's time to change the way you think about money.