There's been some deception going on. For the past thousands of years, we've all been tricked into thinking that money is bad, leads to jealously, misfortune, and other crazy outcomes. But at the same time, we're all told that we have to make an honest living somehow. We have to go to work, do our job, get paid so we can take care of ourselves and our family.
Have you ever met someone who is just barely getting by? I have numerous people in my live who live with that "scarcity" mentality, who nickle and dime every little purchase because they have so little money coming in. I have a relative who barely works and makes very little effort to find work, but then talks about how "this shirt cost 5.75" and they bought it 10 years ago. Or complain about how the price of some product, like rice, went up 10 cents and how horrible it is. I'm always amazed how he can remember all these prices of such stupid things. What a waste of your brain! Right now, I am not even a successful person, but am significantly younger than him and already have a huge fortune compared to him. Instead of thinking of ways to save money, I'm always thinking about ways to MAKE extra money or increase my own value. Which way do you think is better? What are you saving money for?
Saving money is so selfish -- finding ways to MAKE extra money is such a wonderful thing because it means you will be providing a good or a service that someone wants! Saving money means that you're hoarding your money so others can't take it from you. Of course, saving money in some instances is respectable and fine -- if you want to buy a house, car, or some other big purchase, you will want to save. But be creative -- think of ways to make extra money. It could just end up making the world a better, more exciting place.
Before I go to another example, I just want to point out that I am REALLY not trying to pick on anyone. I really have deep respect for everyone's personal experiences, but I'm just using this as an opportunity to look at things from my perspective. The next example is at work. The job we do does not pay very well, even though I think it is important work. But the people there are always amazed at how I go out to eat almost every day. I think they think it is a waste of money, but I think it is so necessary to be able to relax and remove my mind from the workplace. As a social climber, it is really important to always put yourself out there -- to be seen, walking around in places where you might run into rich people. You don't want to stay in the office, surfing the net while there are so many exciting things to do and people to meet!
However, people in my work place are always shocked when I go out, saying things like "Why don't you ever bring your lunch?" Then I hear them complaining about not being able to afford this or that. But then they spend all their time hanging out with poor girls and boys who they are dating. Don't you know if you just hang around poor people who are struggling, you just stay poor too? Richness is a sign of being able to use your creativity to gain wealth [unless it is inherited, which usually means they come from creative families thus are still worth hanging out with.] Poor people do not use their creativity to make money. They sit and complain and spend money on cheap stuff that breaks or wears out. Hang out with rich people -- and if you aren't able to find rich people, find ambitious people who are constantly striving to improve themselves and make money. They are the creatives that can change the world.
Poor people do not take action. Or if they take action, it is completely misguided. There was some story on the news about how some family was so poor that they had to sell all their belongings on Ebay. But the thing was, and if you do Ebay, you will know this, that they added at least 10 pictures for every item, not matter how much it was worth! Adding pictures to listings is EXTREMELY expensive! If they were creative at all, or had done any research, they would have found that there is an extremely easy way to add as many photos as you want for free. The family had to be all dramatic about not having any money, but then they spent so much trying to sell stuff and then complained about how a teapot, which is a family heirloom, only sold for six dollars. They probably didn't do any research about the best time to sell items, whether the item was even worth selling, and so on.
Another news story I read a year ago when all this economic mess was starting was about this woman who said she just came home after work and worried. That was essentially the whole story -- that she was so upset because she was AFRAID she was going to lose her job, she just could not stop worrying. There was some picture of her, where she looked extremely stressed and haggard, worrying in her dilapidated kitchen. What would have happened if she utilized that energy and created a new product or service to make money? What if her interest was birds, and she spent her evenings making bird houses and bird feeders, selling them on a website she created? While at work, she can dream of new designs to make. What if she started making them out of some new material, or created a solar paneled bird feeder that prevented the seed from freezing? I mean, that's just an example I thought of, but I'm just trying to show how this woman could have used her time otherwise.
I'm beginning to think more and more that money is tied directly to success and how free you are of social conventions. Yes, money does equal success. But I also think it measures how liberated you are from ideas society is shoving down our throats at all time. To make tons of money, you've got to do things a little differently. To be rich, you've got to not give a **** about what other people are thinking about you.
For example, if you're going to write a blog that gets lots of attention and thus revenue, perhaps you spend time writing in your blog instead of going out to drink with your drinking buddies. Then, two years later, when you've really gotten your writing style down and you know what people want, you get some writing deal from a big magazine. That magazine deal lets you write articles, which leads to a book deal. That book deal leads to a movie studio buying the rights to the movie, but since you wrote the book, you get to decide "Well, since it's my story, I think I have to be the star in it because only I understand the character." Then you get 10 million dollars for staring in the movie, which only takes a few, exciting, thrilling months to film. Then you get other movie deals, all while writing more books, still getting revenue from that blog, and now writing scripts. Isn't that exciting?
You don't get rich by doing what society tells you to do. However, going back to my obsession of working within constraints, here is a scenario where you can work within society, within your place in it, to elevate yourself to the top. So say you work at some organizaton that has ties to other organizations. However, your office is very "business casual," in which people wearing misfitting chinos and wrinkled dress shirts with black sneakers [they think since the sneakers are black, people will think they are dress shoes.] Instead, you always dress immaculately, realizing that it makes you stand out in a good way. Instead of spending your money on a video game system or dvds, you save up and buy a understated by stylish Prada briefcase. Instead of going to Marshalls and trying to buy the cheapest suit to save money, you do your research, see how suits are supposed to fit, and then go to a place like Nordstroms and buy a nice one. Instead of eating Subway every day [which I don't think is really that healthy], you either go to a vegan restaurant or make an awesome healthy raw salad and eat it in a park in a very nice neighborhood where you're likely to run into like minded people who introduce you to their cool vegan friends who have excellent connections. Since you're eating such good food, you have lots of energy, are able to do your work quicker, and have better ideas.
If you're female, this means that you always look immaculate for work, wearing professional suits or dresses, always wear high heels or expensive wearing flats, and NEVER wear jeans even on casual Friday! Your boss will be so impressed that they WILL promote you because they will feel uncomfortable with you being so professional. It's true. I worked at a place that was very casual, but I would ALWAYS, without fail, try to dress my best. It was temporary work, and a lot of people at the same level as me came and went, but I was the ONLY one who was offered a full-time position. I do not think I was smarter than anyone else [I happen to believe that anyone is capable of anything and that NO ONE is more talented than anyone else, but others can work smarter and harder than others], but I do think because I created this professional persona I was able to get the job. I got sent to meetings and other professional gatherings because they knew I was professional and would not embarrass the company.
Okay, this blog post is very disorganized and sloppily written, but I just wanted to get some of these ideas that have been floating around in my head. I come from a family of hard workers who have some underlying belief that there is HONOR IN BEING POOR. That is just so unreal to me. There is absolutely no honor in being poor. There is honor in hard work, perhaps, as long as that hard work eventually pays off.
1. Always try to hang out with ambitious people or people who are rich and getting richer. They often lead creative, fulfilling lives where money is only a small part of their existence. Poor people are usually obsessed with money, but instead of thinking about how lucky they are, think about how little money they have.
2. Always present an image of wealth through your appearance. In survival of the fittest thinking, you will be likely to draw the attention of rich people who will try to befriend you and expose you to situations where you are able to avoid being hurt/killed -- instead of going to some bar in a ghetto area of town, they take you to their Country Club in the country. In law of attraction thinking, you will "feel" rich by dressing nicely, through which you will draw rich people and situations into your daily life experience.
3. Always strive to find new ways to make money, never strive unnecessarily to find ways to save money. Finding ways to make money expands your ability to be creative. Make life a game where your goal is to make as much money as possible.
4. Always look for ways in which you can improve yourself. In all aspects of your life, try to improve yourself. Rich people are rich in ALL ways. They speak multiple languages, have many hobbies, understand art and culture, usually have many degrees [because they love learning], and also understand the management of money. I've met 20 year old rich girls that have an understanding of mortgages and other money things I really don't understand that blows my mind. They were taught these things as a survival skill. Dressed immaculately and discussing Standard and Poors. Exciting.
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