"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."-T. S. Eliot
A weird thing about life is it often molds to fit our ideas of it.
The easiest way to get more out of life is to expect more from it. Expect more from yourself and the universe and you will start getting more from each.
We all grew up viewing the world and money and people based on what was around us and the values our parents instilled in us.
If you grow up middle class, it’s statistically likely you’ll end up middle class. This is because your view of the world was fashioned by your middle-class parents and upbringing. You were not designed to be poor nor rich and it’s unlikely you’ll become either.
If you grow up poor, you’ll most likely end up poor. If you grow up rich, you’ll likely end up rich. It’s all based on the way you view the world and money.
If Donald Trump had to start over with zero money or connections, he would find a way to become wealthy again. There is no doubt about it. No matter how many times the “reset” button is set on someone like Donald Trump, the eventual outcome will always be the same.
Why is this?
Well, besides having experience and knowledge, which are obviously valuable, the main reason is his mind is set for billions. He views thousands and millions the way we view dollars and hundreds. His mindset is billions. He views the world like a rich person.
Poor people view the world like a poor person. If you give a poor person $1000, they will be ecstatic and hopeful that their "luck" will start to change. If you give that same $1000 to a middle-class person, they will be grateful because they can pay off some CC debt or buy a new flat-screen TV. If you (try to) give a rich person $1000, they will probably look at you with a confused look and refuse or suggest you donate it to charity--and if they end up taking the money, they'll probably invest it.
Each and every one of us has a mindset that dictates our financial “barometer.” But it’s not just money that we see through this certain lens, it’s everything. We view relationships, money, career, business and time through a specific set of mindset-controlled lenses.
Henry Ford was once asked what he would do if he lost his fortune. He casually replied, “I’d have it back in 7 years.”
In this quote, I think Ford was referring to his knowledge—he knew business and he would get his fortune back because he would use this knowledge. But Ford also had a frame of mind in which he viewed money in a way a rich person does and so he would “expect” to earn the same amount of money again.
It’s often said that to become rich one must be good at receiving. I totally believe this. To expand on this, I think that to become rich one must also expect to receive. You have to believe that you deserve to receive money and abundance in your life. If you don’t believe it, because of the strange way the universe works, you won’t receive it. (Pretty much the entire premise of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich.)
Here’s a simple test to determine if you are “good” at receiving: What do you say when someone gives you a compliment?
Do you say “Thank you,” or do you try to brush it off, play coy and disagree?
Start saying “Thank you” when you are given a compliment. You have to be able to receive a simple compliment, and expect to, if you want to have abundance at anything else in your life.
You have to believe you deserve it.
You deserve it. Now start believing it.