Notorious B.I.G. said, "Mo Money Mo Problems." Although the single topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in 1997, Biggy got it wrong. The truth is the more money you have, the fewer problems you will have.
Think about it logically for a minute: a lack of money actually causes the majority of problems. How many people are struggling to make their mortgage payment? What about their car payments? And credit card statements? And what happens when life's unexpected events happen? People get sick. The car needs repairs. Your have to pay for your child's after-school activities. The list goes on and on.
While most people are up at night because they are overloaded with so many problems, the rich are fast asleep knowing that everything is taken care of. The curious paradox is the sleep-deprived middle-class performer is worrying about all these problems and barely making enough money to survive, while the millionaire isn't worried at all and makes a fortune. This has been happening for more than 200 years in America, yet the middle class continues to deny the significance of being rich.
It starts with one of the biggest myths among the masses, which is the idea that millionaires are workaholics overloaded with so many problems that they don't have time to enjoy life. This is nothing more than an excuse that most people use for being broke. It's as if they're looking for a reason to avoid success by making it seem unattractive.
While it's true many millionaires appear to be workaholics, for most it's because they love what they do and are good at it so they don't consider it work. There's a fine line between work and play for the self-made rich, and they often struggle to make the distinction. These people truly enjoy solving problems because they're enamored with their occupation and fascinated with its dynamics.
When you're a millionaire and become tired of solving problems, you pay someone else to solve them for you. The masses don't have that option, so in reality the average person is faced with the prospect of having to solve more problems in a day than most world-class performers do. The ability to pay other people to solve problems frees them up to focus on more important and profitable areas of their business. Money gives the rich control over every aspect of their business, and many areas of their lives. The more money they have, the fewer problems they have to personally address.
The takeaway
The average person would rather think about anything but money because of the negative feelings they associate with it. They see money as a never-ending necessary evil that must be endured as part of life. The wealthy, on the other hand, sees money as the great liberator, and with enough of it, they are able to purchase financial peace of mind.
Money can't solve every problem or eliminate every worry, but it does have the power to reduce stress in tough times while providing opportunity in good times. The rich believe if you can write a check for a problem and make it go away, you don't have a problem. Money makes most problems disappear.
As Johnny Cash said, "Success is having to worry about every damn thing in the world, except money."