America, like many other countries through history, has been living the last half-century under the oppression of a group of wealthy people who have created the illusion that they have special powers that other people lack.
The reality: You lack wealth either because you believed a lie, or you are pursuing something you value more than money!
Not all poor want to be, but some do.
I actually chose to be poor! I wanted to be the father of 6 children (so far). That is expensive, but worth it. I spend a lot of time with my family. They are more important to me than money is. I am also spending some of my free time on an alphabet to help those with dyslexia. I could make more money doing other things but I have found something better.
Not all poor are lazy, but some are.
A lazy person has also found something that want more than money or any of the other benefits that come from hard work. They want an easy life free from discomforts. Unfortunately, they fail to realize that they are actually working against their own purposes, but that is a story for another day. Actually laziness can have another source.
Not all poor believe a lie, but most do.
The biggest cause of poverty is belief in a lie. I am not smart enough. I am handicapped. My parents couldn’t afford to send me to a “good” college. My boss cheated me. You name the excuse, it is based on a lie. I am going to list a few here and discuss them over the next few weeks.
- I need a big break
- I don’t have talent
- I am doing the best I can
- I was cheated by my boss or somebody rich
- Fate is against me, bad luck, bad health
- I’ll do better tomorrow
- You have to follow your dream
- My parents warped me
- I don’t know how
- It shouldn’t be this hard
Can you think of others to add to the list?
If I give my money to this person/investment then I will become rich. Because that is how rich people get rich. Doesn’t matter that I don’t understand it or have done due diligence. And when it doesn’t happen, I blame the government or greedy corporations.
Great input! Some of these lies are extremely difficult to excise simply because they are so close to the truth. You can learn a lot from watching the investment practices of the rich, but you cannot follow blindly. Most forms of investment, especially those with the highest potential returns, are not friendly to the follower. Timing is everything. Copiers come to late, and get burned.
I really take your point, but “I’ll do better tomorrow” is actually something I say to encourage myself to improve. Whether today was a success or a failure, the reminder that we have another shot tomorrow is VERY encouraging!
I don’t like “I’ll do better tomorrow.” You devalue your time between now and then. “Doing better” should be the overarching theme of everything you do. Define, “better” and go for it 24/7.
One exercise I do to keep me on track is the WWID sanity check. When I need to make a choice I ask, “What would I do?” The “I” is the person I want to be. I try to imagine the point of view of someone looking back on a well lived life from the comfort of an idyllic existence and I try to live my life in such a way that that person, hopefully my future self, has as few regrets as possible.