While I rarely get asked what it’s really like to be rich, I think it’s one of the best questions you could pose. It’s important to examine how wealth changes the way we look at the world and our problems. Suffice to say, your mind still worries over inconveniences in your life. Of course, rich people problems are very different from those experiencing financial hardship. However, if you don’t train your mind to acknowledge that, you could be hindering yourself from the full happiness that wealth allows.
Rich People Problems: A Negative Mindset Won’t Just Go Away
If someone were to ask me what it’s really like being rich, my answer would be this: Being rich is the same as anything, or it can be way better if you want it to be.
What do I mean? You have a lot more money, and that gives you a lot more freedom, if you allow it. It gives you a lot more time, if you allow it. Furthermore, it gives you a lot less financial anxiety, if you allow it.
In terms of helping other people, money gives you the chance to change others’ lives, if you allow it. It also gives you the opportunity to do whatever you want during the day, if you allow it. In sum, it gives you all kinds of opportunities. It’s all great, yes?
However, notice what I said with every one of these statements. If you allow it.
Allowing Yourself Happiness
Plenty of millionaires still work like they’re struggling to make rent. Sometimes, this is because they didn’t set their business up to be sellable and release them from key responsibilities. Other times, they went nuts with their spending and now have to make more money to maintain their lifestyle.
These people may have business success, but do they have freedom? They have lots of money, but do they spend their money wisely? They drive better cars, but do they still complain about traffic?
As I laugh about it with my friends now, we still have problems but we have what we call rich people problems. My life partner Michelle also calls them champagne problems.
These rich people problems may sound ridiculous, but it doesn’t matter. To the mind a problem is a problem. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or you’re broke, middle-class or whatever. If you’ve got a problem, your mind makes it the end of the world, doesn’t it?
For example, when I was broke, my problem was I didn’t know how I was going to pay the rent that month. Now, when I find out that one of the resorts that we’re planning on going to at Christmas time doesn’t have any ocean-front rooms left, my mind goes, “What the hell? I can’t believe it! Two days ago it did. What happened here?”
Changing Your Mindset
I know I sound like a jerk, but it’s not me that’s the jerk. It’s my mind that’s the jerk. You see, that mind is still the same. “I have to get what I want. I’m not happy if I don’t get what I want. I deserve it. I’m entitled. I should be this. I should be that.” Blah, blah, blah, blah.
All of these are just unhappy thoughts. So I notice it, and I think, “Wow man, okay, listen. There are hundreds of millions of people that can’t even eat tomorrow, and you’re worried about a frickin ocean-front room? Get a life, man.”
I take a breath and I get over it, but it doesn’t mean I don’t feel the problem right away.
A problem is a problem. My reaction to the problem is the same reaction. I just get over it a little more quickly, and I know in the back of my mind it’s not really a problem. I’m just making up a big deal out of nothing.
So what I’m saying is, rich is fantastic, but you have to allow rich to be fantastic just like you have to allow anything to be fantastic, so be now who you want to be later, especially if later is rich.
In other words practice being a person who doesn’t worry; a person who enjoys their freedom as it is now; a person who doesn’t let little things bother them.
We’re creatures of habit. You take yourself with you wherever you go. If you want to be a happy millionaire later, practice being happy now. Stop waiting to achieve a certain level of success to be peaceful, practice being peaceful now.
If you’re the kind of person that, even when broke, allows the best of a situation to emerge without it coming from a place of fear, or entitlement, or lack, then yeah, being rich will be awesome…if you let it be!
Share a thought or a story, we want to hear from you!
For Your Freedom,
Hummmm,all I feel I’m hearing is ego and self centerdness. Praying to make a life change and truly help others on a much deeper level. Just never wish to worry about what kind of scene I do or do not have. My kind of wealth goes much deeper than yours. Namaste.
Powerful. Thank you. As I move toward this ideal attitude, I often find others around me still resistant (perhaps selfish or self-centered, lacking compassion?), especially if things don’t go as planned. Sometimes I feel like just getting away from those types of people. Is that wrong or should I abandon/avoid those toxic, non-essential relationships?
Thank you for being so honest. Sometimes we can be so self righteous thinking we don’t have that problem and judging others that do.
We all have character problems/ flaws we have to overcome and that is one of the wonderful things about life, striving to grow and be a better person, to be the best us we can be, to live life to the full . Giving ourselves permission to shine so others will be free to shine their light too. When we give to ourselves and to others from our overflow the world becomes a great place to live.
That’s mindblowing! A great reminder of the fact that it is still the same mind, but trained for a while.
I appreciate you and all that you do. I followed your advice from a YouTube video and it changed my life. Shortly after making the jars and segmenting our money, a miracle happened. I partnered with a business associate that had a imprint deal with Sony and Universal. My business has exploded. I know it was God that brought your wisdom to me and my wife. I have over 10 sources of passive income but they were not moving any cash, now through obediance and stewardship, the money is rolling in and I can give more and create more. Thank you and may God increase you 10 fold.
DJ DR WATTz
Well spoken. I’ve never looked at it like that.
Cuánta verdad en cada palabra, solo es agradeces al universo por qué ya lo tengo, aunque físicamente no lo tenga pero si está en mi mente estará en mi realidad, solo agradecer por qué ya está para mí. Gracias por tomarte un tiempo para mí por medio de este correo gracias gracias gracias!
I found a very practical advice, somethig deep explain in a very easy manner, that shows how the ego influence in life no matter how walthy you are It´s a matter of attitude
Dear Harv,
Your teachings have been invaluable to me and much needed on my path. I am a designer, it is in my blood and I am in a different place when designing, In fact I am not quite sure where it comes from. I have worked tirelessly over the last 5 years having discovered original sources for my fabric designs which are innovative and some with provenance. Great design is not just surface pattern, it requires combining the right apparel design executed on the right quality fabric made to FIT. The technology is here today to make my inspirations a reality but I am at crunch point. I am talking to one of the top companies in China which has ambitions to be a global player in the fashion industry, is a fabric manufacturer; apparel manufacturer, technology driven with the resources to invest.. I am still waiting to hear from them but I am at the point of giving up as my finances dictate my situation cannot continue for much longer. Help