I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. I know both sides very well.
Growing up poor, I knew that I wanted to be rich. At the age of 24, I
earned my first million dollars. I came a long way and studied the
subject all of my life. Over time, I have discovered that if you’re not
living in prosperity, you’re living in poverty.
Wealth is a choice that we must all make. Bill Gates once said, “It’s
not your fault if you were born poor, but it’s your fault if you die
poor.” There’s no reason why you should live in poverty. Wealth is
waiting for you, but you have to make up your mind if you want it in
your life.
For a long time, I struggled to believe that I could eventually
become rich. It wasn’t until I observed the differences in thoughts and
actions between the “haves” and the “have-nots.”
Here are 10 major differences between rich and poor people:
1a. Poor people are skeptical
I distinctly remember a former coworker of mine saying, “Those
mechanics are a rip-off! They’re always looking for the weak people.
They’ll charge you when you’re not looking!!” He thought that everyone
unjustly wanted his money and that everyone is out there to get him.
1b. Rich people are trusting
Surprisingly, a great deal of rich people leave their car and house
doors open. Conversely, in areas of poverty, you’ll find that this
behavior is highly unlikely to happen. Rich people have the tendency to
trust those they meet (within reason) and give others the opportunity to
be themselves.
2a. Poor people find fault
People who are poor are always looking for the problems instead of
the solutions. They end up blaming their environment, circumstances,
jobs, weather, government, and will make an extensive list of excuses as
to why they cannot be successful.
2b. Rich people find success
Rich people understand that everything happens for a reason. Rather
than letting life happen to them, they take direct action and make big
things happen. They put aside all the excuses and eradicate their blame
lists because they have to do what must be done.
3a. Poor people make assumptions
When it comes to knowing the truth, poor people often make
assumptions. If they want to reach out to a celebrity, they might say,
“They probably don’t have time to talk to me.” Instead of checking the
facts or asking questions, they never make a true attempt when it comes
to getting what they want.
3b. Rich people ask questions
Many rich people ask the question, “What if?” For instance, “What if I
wrote an email to the president and he or she answers?” If you begin to
ask questions, you will save yourself a lot of hassle. The power is in
the hands of those who ask the right questions. They don’t answer your
questions, question your answers.
4a. Poor people say, “They” and “Them”
In the grocery store, the woman at the register said, “They never
have enough cashiers. I don’t know what’s wrong with them.” Obviously,
this woman did not take any ownership and responsibility over her job.
She certainly did separate herself from the job that was paying her.
4b. Rich people say, “We”
At one of my favorite restaurants, the server said, “We take great
delight in cooking our steaks in real fire.” His sense of pride and
ownership stimulated me, which allowed me to give him an honorable tip.
Surely, you will be rich when you invest more into what you believe in.
5a. Poor people want the cheapest way
I was once shopping with a friend who only wanted to buy if they
could find the cheapest clothing. They would rush to the clearance rack
and pick up clothes that they didn’t even want, but ended up buying
because of a “deal.” Unfortunately, they ended up never wearing it since
they only bought the price.
5b. Rich people want the best way
Rich people will go the extra mile to find quality material. They
don’t limit themselves to price and often seek service while they shop.
Rich people want organized services and will never settle with items
that are worthless and unusable.
6a. Poor people think money is more important than time
Millions of people all over the world are trading their precious time
for money. You can always get $500 back, but you can’t get 50 hours
again. Nonetheless, the majority of people trade time for money and
never realize their true potential because of it.
6b. Rich people know that time is more important than money
Rich people never trade time for money. Moreover, they seek
fulfilling experiences that dramatically alter their lives. Their
careers are more focused on doing what they love and helping others,
instead of merely clocking in for a meager paycheck.
7a. Poor people compete
When a poor person sees an opportunity, they find out how others
are doing it and emulates them. Most often, they never consider another
way of doing it. Instead, they settle in the belief that doing what
others are doing is the best thing they can do for themselves.
7b. Rich people create
My rich neighbors were disgruntled when they found that their Porsche
did not come in a specific shade of green, which they deeply wanted.
Because of this, they decided to custom build their green Porsche with
unprecedented specifications. I’ve never seen such a thing!
8a. Poor people complain, condemn, and criticize
Most poor people have learned how to be poor from their predecessors.
Their family members have conditioned them to believe that everything
is “wrong” instead of right. If you’re ever heard someone ask, “What’s
wrong?” you’ll know what I mean.
8b. Rich people praise and enjoy their blessings
Rich people know that they have many privileges and they don’t take
it for granted. Because of their appreciation of gifts, love, and
circumstances, they are able to generate more. Many times, what gets
praised gets prospered.
9a. Poor people seek amateur advice
They often listen to the opinions of others and seek approval from
acquaintances. They believe almost everything they hear without
questioning authority. They accept opinions as facts and prohibit
themselves from doing research once satisfied with an answer.
9b. Rich people seek expert advice
Those who are rich have learned to think for themselves. If they
cannot figure out something, they seek expert advice. Usually, they pay
for the advice and are given a wide variety of options. They learn the
experts only make suggestions, which means that they aren’t particularly
confined to a specific action.
10a. Poor people have big television sets
Poor people take a lot of time to drift off to sporadic images of
which they often have little to no control over. They use their free
time to avoid the art of thinking (which is the most challenging task)
and zone out to what many have conformed to believe is “entertainment.”
10b. Rich people have big libraries
Wealthy people are educated and read a lot of books. They use their
knowledge in a way that benefits them. Instead of drifting off in random
activities
, they seek to get within their minds to
understand themselves, others, and the world in which they live. In
fact, as your personal library increase over the years, so will
your home. I can attest to this!
To get a true perspective on how to become rich, you must study rich
people. After all, you become what you study. If
you’re currently surrounded by people who aren’t yet rich, just do the
opposite of what they do. Soon enough, you’ll be able to reach your
financial dreams!
Compiled by Koffi Kwabena
