WEALTH:THE DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE


On a stretch of road around my neighborhood, on the left you find the most beautiful houses. And on the right, there’s the most wretched and poverty stricken shacks. A classic example of poverty living side by side with opulence. What is even more telling is that this is not unique to my neighborhood.

But why is this even happening? How can people go on in poverty while surrounded by so much abundance? Who or what is stopping them from getting their slice of the wealth pie? What is the difference between the people on the left and those on the right? What is happening here?

These are some of the questions I asked myself and the answers were revealing, to say the least. And having been in the personal development field for a good number of years, I felt saddened by the fact that all of this wretchedness was so unnecessary.

Most, if not all, people who are poor will point out that they are doing all they can to improve their lot. They will also “prove” this by the amount of physical work they are busy with. And while they are at it, they are likely to demonstrate how unlucky they are. So, as you can see, all this is just bad luck on their part. This is simply not their fault. How can it be their fault?

WHOSE FAULT IS IT ANYWAY?

When you closely examine people who are well to do and those who are struggling in life, a few things stand out. You find people living in the same neighborhood, working in the same city, with the same education level. In other words, they have the same opportunities. Yet, some would be living on the left and some on the right. But how can this be?

Without mincing my words, I’m going to tell you why this is happening. With due respect, if you find yourself struggling financially, it is your fault. No one else. It is your fault that you’re poor while your next door neighbor is wealthy. I know this sounds harsh and unfair but it’s the truth.

It simply cannot be anybody else’s fault that you are struggling financially. To drive this point further, let me explain myself.

Johannesburg, in South Africa, is the richest city in Africa. It’s got 17,600 millionaires. Without a doubt there’s plenty of money in circulation. Yet it is in the same city that you find the most people sleeping on the streets. Walking the streets of Johannesburg in the morning and seeing all these people sleeping on pavements and corners, one can’t help feeling sad and angry at the same time. I remember shaking my head and thinking “This is so wrong?”
 

THE DIFFERENCE

The difference between people on the right and those on the right is not so much what is going on around them but what is going on in their heads, their psyche. Poor people tend to believe that someone or something is responsible for their wellbeing. Someone or the government has to look out for them and their needs. And this is where problems are invited.

Well to do people take responsibility for their lives. They understand that it is up to them. They know that they are responsible for their successes and failures. And by taking this responsibility, they are empowered. This sort of ownership tends to empower which ensures success whatever happens.

Another difference is that wealthy people EXPECT to be successful, whereas poor people expect and accept lack. Poor people believe that their lot in life is what they dealt with. They think that living on the left and leaving their shacks is unthinkable. They remain powerless and paralyzed into inaction and accepting poverty. They believe their own lies which is why they continue living under such horrible conditions.

CONCLUSION

Merely telling poor people that it is their fault that they are impoverished will not change anything, I know. What will change people’s lives is careful examination of our incessant thinking. What is it that goes on in their heads? What we find will explain why we are where we are in life.

Changing our lives around will take some time and effort but it is worth it. It is quite disturbing to realize that all this wretchedness and poverty is due to misguided thinking. What we think is not always true, you know. Sometimes what we think is pure and utter nonsense. So, why believe it?

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