The 7 Key Differences Between “Rich” And “Poor” People
It might start with money, but it doesn’t end there.
Contrary to most people, I believe that richness is defined by way more than money. It’s how you make your decisions, how you spend your time, and how you ultimately feel at the end of a busy day when you finally go to bed.
You can own assets worth millions of dollars but live a “poor” life because you’re prioritizing activities and goals that feel soul-sucking instead of energizing.
And even though most people believe that “money can’t buy happiness,” a recent study found that money does increase our happiness level s— more than researchers previously thought.
But that’s not because of the material purchases wealthier people can afford.
It’s mostly because money gives us opportunities and the autonomy to choose how we want to live.
You Gotta Play To Win
If we ignore those born into wealthy families, a rich life is always based on ambition and discipline.
You don’t get opportunities to succeed if you spend your spare time sitting on the couch.
You don’t become financially successful if you don’t even aim for it. But most importantly, you need to have the desire to keep going, even if you’re unsure whether it’ll be worth it.
If you lack the desire to win, you’ll be bored and lack energy. Thus, you won’t ever do any of the things that could help you live a “richer life.”
It’s so cheesy, but also true: If you shoot for the moon and miss it, you might at least land among the stars.
Those with a poor mindset don’t even shoot for the ceiling because they’re busy trying “not to lose” instead of aiming to win.
In order to win, you have to stop “trying” to achieve your goals and change your daily routines, so creating the reality you want becomes inevitable.
If you want to build that business you’ve been dreaming of for so long, sell your TV, stop wasting your time, and go all-in on your dream.
You’ll have enough time to watch TV once you’ve achieved your goals, but there’s no way you’ll create a life you love if you keep spending your time on activities that suck your time and energy.
Be rich in ambitions and goals, so you never lose that burning desire to create something of value — no matter if it’s for yourself, your family, or others.
You have one shot at living your best life. You can play it safe or go all-in and give your best to make it as rich as possible — rich in experiences, lessons, and love.
Be So Rich You Can Give Without Expecting
A poor mind believes everything is limited and scarce. The rich mind, however, believes in abundance.
The most beautiful form of richness is when you’re so full that you can give without expecting anything in return.
The Law of Cause and Effect (or: karma) states that we always sow what we reap.
You grow whatever you plant, and every single day, you’re choosing what you sow. If you’re unhappy with what you get, it might be time to change what you give.
If you’re jealous of other people’s richness, you’ll only harvest more of that envy for yourself.
Instead of looking down to those who have what you want, start looking up to them. Bless the blessings of those who are where you want to be.
And give your very best to support those who’re looking up to you. Give without expecting, and watch how the universe will give back to you.
Poor People Compare Their *Intentions* to Other’s Results
Poor people say, “If I were you, I’d do things differently.”
Rich people, however, talk less and do things differently.
Poor people have intentions but fail to be consistent because they’re always busy chasing shiny objects that look like million-dollar ideas.
Rich people, on the other hand, can commit to taking disciplined action because they’re less afraid to fail.
A poor mentality will hold you back from achieving your goals because you’ll be too focused on judging other people’s wins or failures.
A rich mentality, however, will allow you to stop wasting so much time on what others are doing and instead focus on your side of the game.
Rich People Don’t Need Your Opinion
Those who live a rich life don’t seek other people’s validation or consent. They know what they want and give their best to get it.
The problem is, most people never step into the arena themselves. Instead, they take the easy route of judging from the sidelines.
If you’re in the arena and fighting for your dreams, you’re already ahead of those who’re just sharing their opinion without ever taking the leap themselves.
As soon as you want to make a change in your life, you’ll face resentment.
If you tell your friends and family that you want more, you’ll surely face negative voices who’ll try to talk you down and keep you small.
The good news is that their feedback or opinion doesn’t need to matter. You can respect their opinion and do whatever you wanted to do anyway.
In the end, you’ll only be “rich” if you can live your life however you want to without wasting a second wondering about other people’s opinions.
You’re Rich if You Can Get Up in the Morning
Living a rich life starts with being aware of your blessings.
Sure, you want more, but you’ll never find joy in having more if you can’t celebrate having little.
Every single day, you’re experiencing a miracle when you get to open your eyes and start another day of your life. And it’s up to you to celebrate the small blessings you usually take for granted throughout the day.
No matter how hard life seems to be, you’re blessed with a body that carries you through the day. You can breathe, think, and make new decisions.
And as long as you can do that, you have the opportunity to make a change — and that’s the biggest richness of life.
A few years ago, my grandfather passed away in the intensive care unit after fighting cancer for just a few months. When I saw him for the last time, he could not move or speak anymore. Seeing him being so helpless in his last hours of life taught me a crucial lesson: Don’t ever take your health for granted.
In your last moments of life, you probably won’t care about how much money you made or had.
You won’t care about those annoying coworkers or about the certification you didn’t complete.
You’ll look back at your life and wonder how you could’ve been a little happier and more present when being around those you love.
Rich People Don’t Seek the Spotlight
Deeply satisfied people don’t need other people’s validation and attention. It’s mostly unsatisfied people who desire to be the center of attention.
And the truth is, you can only live a rich life if you can let go of your ego and focus on others as much as you focus on yourself.
This includes asking thoughtful questions and carefully listening to your conversation partners.
In the end, what’s the point of having lots of money if you can barely sit still and listen to the stories of others?
Only One of Them Loves Money
There are two types of people: Those who say money isn’t important and those who can admit that they care about money.
Most people belong to the first group: They believe money is “evil” and that all rich people are bad and corrupt.
Yet, regardless of their beliefs, they spend most of their lives working for money and hating people who earn more than themselves.
The difference between the two groups is that you’ll never have something you hate.
If you believe that money is bad, you’ll subconsciously try to have less money because that’s what you want.
Rich people don’t neglect the power and importance of money. Long before they “have” money, they start to embrace that they need it and want it.
Instead of speaking badly of wealthy individuals, they look up to them and celebrate their successes.
They invest time and energy into managing their money, even if they don’t have much of it yet.
In the end, money is neither good nor bad. It’s a form of neutral energy that gives you choices.
You can use money to do good, and you can use it to do harm. Whether you use it to kill people or to save people — it’s always you in charge of the result, not the money.
Instead of thinking of “rich” and “poor” in terms of net numbers, I like to think of it in terms of life-richness.
Someone with a net worth of millions who’s spending 10+ hours per day working isn’t “rich” to me.
She might have a lot of money, but she won’t be able to live a rich life because she doesn’t have enough time. But if that’s the kind of life this person wants, there’s nothing wrong with it.
What matters is that you regularly ask yourself what a rich life means to you, so you can make your decisions based on the ideal future you want to create.
