Introduction
If you have aspirations to truly build wealth, I certainly hope you can afford to do it without the bling. Building wealth and becoming wealthy is hard. It is a lifelong endeavor. It is a constant process of saving more than you spend. As a result, in the process of accumulating wealth you have to make several sacrifices and some of them are brutal. One sacrifice is that you usually cannot afford to go out and purchase high ticket items or purchase things that are expensive that make you appear to be wealthy. Individuals who appear to be wealthy usually are drowning in debt and have a negative net worth (more liabilities than assets). Individuals who are truly wealthy, you often times wouldn’t even notice them because they do not need to show off. But they often show up.
They show up because they are constantly grinding. They are often saving rather than spending which can be quite difficult at first, until it becomes habit. Once it is habit, you have committed to becoming wealthy and you don’t care if others perceive you as wealthy or not. Some of the wealthiest people I know are also the cheapest people I know. This is not a coincidence. They have made a choice. Which will you chose?
What Rich People Do (Wealthy)
Wealthy people make a choice. They choose to ignore the naysayers and the people who will drag them from financial freedom. They know what they want and that is to be free. In addition, wealthy individuals do not delay. They understand that money made today is more important than money made tomorrow so they grind. Rich individuals pay the price. They often times say no to things that don’t bring them value. They sacrifice prized possessions and liberties today knowing that is will come tenfold later in life. Rich people think long term. They execute things in life that will have a long term impact. Often, they ponder on important financial decisions and think, “Will this benefit me in the long run?”
What Poor People Do (Appear to Be Wealthy)
Poor people do the opposite of everything mentioned above. They spend more than what they make. Usually, a poor person will accumulate debt to purchase assets that do not provide a return on assets (cash) or utility (value). On the contrary, rich people take on good debt to finance things that will provide a return, such as stocks, bonds, real estate, or an education. Poor people make excuses and care about what others think. If you make the choice to become wealthy, you will be able to tell who has made the same choice. Those that understand will compliment you for the sacrifices you make. Those that have not made the choice to become wealthy will try to drag you down.
What You Should Do
The plain and simple truth is that becoming wealthy WITHOUT appearing to be wealthy requires a great deal of sacrifice. In fact, it is even more difficult if you decide to become wealthy but you are surrounded by those who have not made the same choice. Just understand that the concepts to become wealthy are simple, the execution is difficult. Therefore, make a game plan and stick to it regardless of what others around you say. Ignore the naysayers.
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Final Thoughts
I used to care about what others thought, and then I woke up. I used to strive to meet other people’s expectations. I am so glad that I escaped from this mental prison. It was very painful. You will have to make a similar choice if you want to become wealthy.
Bottom line…do not strive to show off, you should strive to show up.
Redefine
-James