Poor versus rich - Advice

There are many tips and tricks on how to go from being poor to being rich. Is this possible, or rather, has it been possible?

"He who neither works nor inherits remains poor until he dies" is a Dutch saying. The saying says it all, the only way to become rich is to work hard. However, the reality is that the poor work hard, and often have more than one job, while the rich let their money work for them.

The poor are in debt and the rich are also in debt. The difference? The poor have a hard time keeping bailiffs out and paying off all their debts while the rich benefit from the debts. Debts and repayment schemes are a way to make money because they are tax-deductible just like donating money to charities. So the rich donate not out of the goodness of their hearts but because every gift is tax-deductible (not paying is always good). In addition, giving is also a way of advertising the rich person's own interests and... He who pays the piper calls the tune.

It is clear that it is much easier for a rich, well-known person to be in the news than for a pauper. Those who are poor usually do not get noticed only because they are seen as useless and a hindrance.

"Everyone is born rich", and by that is meant rich in opportunities.

Opportunities are there to be seized or you just let them be. After all, living among the elite is not for everyone. You also have to want this lifestyle. For me personally, it is not necessary. Putting on your best clothes every day, looking dapper, being followed by the mainstream media, tiptoeing around, people bothering you because they think they are entitled to your money, no thanks. I would rather be rich in another way and what that is I have had to learn by doing. Although I always want to know how things are, go, work, take nothing for granted and still learn every day, I no longer feel like studying. I think I have studied enough, just as I think I have worked enough. For years, I worked more than 60 hours per week and looking back, it brought me little.

I too invested in the hope that my money would work for me, in addition to the good job I had, but as the years go by, people change. At least I did. Maybe it was to my disadvantage that I had no mentor to tell me what to do? I didn't let them guide me, but figured out what I didn't know on my own. I have developed different skills and can handle money. It is true what they say: those who are in debt, those who cannot manage their own income, paltry or otherwise, cannot do so even if they have a top income. The fact that many cannot do this is evident if we look at how the average person who wins the jackpot in the lottery fares. Many of them are bankrupt within a year. Of course, it is easy to say that this will not happen to me, but I know that it will. Nor would I hire an expert to help me manage that amount of money. You have to pay experts heavily and I wouldn't spend my good money on that. Good advice may be expensive but that too is just a saying.

A wealthy person will not be easily led by a pauper or someone on a standard income and let's face it, we are drowning in so-called life coaches. The internet has been full of them for the past two years. People who give you good advice or unsolicited advice that you do not need.

How rich do you have to be to be happy?

This differs per person. For one person it is not rich enough, for another, it is about being seen, counting (something that is also possible with borrowed money) and yet another prefers to be the (rich) isolated person who can do what he likes best in all peace. You don't have to be social and spread your money around to be rich or happy. It all depends on what kind of goal you have in mind and how much you value the judgment of others.

Do I value the judgment of others?

Not much, on average. I listen and take in the information and make up my own mind. It is pointless to try to convince others that I am wrong, right or whatever you want to call it. Personally, I find this a waste of energy, the energy that I would be better off investing in something else, namely in something that I find important or that concerns me. This does not mean that I do not listen to others. I agree that it is important to listen, but also to speak last, to let yourself be heard when something concerns you when you have questions and to hope for well-founded answers.

What do the rich or rather the successful people differently from the poor?

When I list the many pieces of advice, I notice that it is not much different from the intelligent ones.

Those who are also called geniuses. Geniuses are able to set a goal and focus on it. They do not look at the obstacles and do not come up with excuses why they cannot do something (no money, debts, too tired). Those who really want something do everything in their power to achieve it. You can only be sure of success if the first goal is achievable and you do not allow yourself to be distracted by all the misfortune that comes your way if you do not blame others for why you do not achieve your goals.

Those who are rich do not automatically work themselves to death but make money or someone work for them. The rich do not scrub floors but stay focused on their goals. When 1 per cent of humanity owns more than 30 per cent of everything (in the world of capitalism) then it is clear that a plan has been put in place. Most will not become rich overnight and wealth is not always realised by just one person. Often generations within a family work on this but what they all have is a network, a network of people, and organisations that help them get higher and keep them at the top. This indeed costs money but that money is only a fraction of the amounts that come in. My personal question is: when is it enough? Several studies have shown that those who have a lot of money are generally stingy and only want more. Is this your goal and do you have nothing at the moment? Then you will have to find a way to get higher and do some research. Without research and daily study, you will not get there. So the way to financial wealth is not through hard physical work but through study, perseverance, planning and sticking to the plan.

There is a time for everything and a plan must develop. Motivation, perseverance and contacts are therefore the keys to success. What you cannot do, someone else can do for you. The wheel does not necessarily have to be invented by you. Knowledge is power, but you don't have to possess this knowledge yourself if you can use it.

Does one hand wash the other? Is it true that if you help someone, that person also helps you? Only poor people think that. The rich know that when it comes down to it, the average person will be no good in return. The rich man takes over the thoughts of the other and cleverly capitalizes on this to gain his advantage.

Act like a king, the elite if you want to be treated a certain way. No one trusts a poor slob and you have to be extremely rich before you can afford to look like a homeless person. The impression you give affects how people treat you.

It's good to be realistic but always complaining about others, blaming is not the way to success. When it comes to misery, problems, and setbacks, I can talk about this. Just like everyone else, this happens to me too and sometimes it seems like there is no end coming. I myself have learned that especially during difficult times my creativity is triggered and there are always solutions to problems. In fact, many problems resolve on their own and are not worth worrying about. Sleep is important to process everything that is on your mind. I personally do not believe that sleeping is doing nothing. The brain is always busy and in my sleep, I think a lot, work out plans and even write stories. Not dealing with people who are always negative, complain, do not give positive energy and only ask for attention is a good start to a successful life and also ensures that you have to deal with considerably fewer problems.

When it comes to working. How productive are you? Can you concentrate without being distracted all the time (email, social media, telephone, etc.), can you finish a task or does everything take hours? Working efficiently is the key. It's not about the number of hours you work, but whether you finish something or... let someone else do the work for you. Delegating is also something you can learn and one of the skills you'll need if you're looking to move up a level in addition to having people skills and being able to interact and manipulate people for your own benefit.

When it comes to investing and saving money, I have my doubts. How rich can a modern man get? The new normal is definitely going to put a stop to this. You can go with this or go your own way. Even with all possible control, there is always a way, even within communism there is always a small group that is or will become filthy rich, even in times of war there are people who bring in a lot of money and respond to the 'needs' of the people. You might be one of these if you're motivated enough and play it handy because that's what getting rich is about. Anyone who believes that hard work and honesty can make you rich is wrong. The rich do not work hard, have no problem with lying and cheating, they do care about money and do everything to achieve the goal they have set. Empathy and philanthropy are not part of that unless there is an advantage to be gained from it.