Life lessons about money from an aspiring ultra billionaire

Have you ever been told at a young age that money is the root of all evil?

Have you ever thought that if you make more money you’ll end up becoming a bad person?

Have you ever secretly loathed the ultra billionaires?

Here’s the thing, I can almost guarantee you that those so-called ultra billionaires don’t say yes to any of those above questions.

Let me share with you the 3 life lessons about money from an aspiring ultra billionaire.

#1 Money Makes the World Go Round

Money makes the world go round but people make the world go forward — Paul Odafe Utho

I’ll soon be graduating with a degree in finance from one of the top state universities in the country. My initial purpose, and still is, behind getting a degree in corporate finance was to help people learn how to make more money — ultimately help individuals increase their net worth (Note: Net Worth = Assets (Income) > Liabilities (Debts)= Positive Net Worth).

Our educational system is broken, it never took the time to teach our young boys and girls financial literacy or how to properly invest. This lack of education is what inspired me to choose my degree in finance.

Here’s a couple things I learned when it comes to adopting a wealthy mindset.

Look at money as a tool rather than a scarce resource

Yes, I’m well aware that years of social conditioning may have taught us that You Only Live Once and avoid FOMO (fear of missing out) at all costs. But seriously, if you’re tired of wondering if you’ll have money in your bank account when your next credit card statement is due, it’s time to rethink your habits.

The easiest mindset shift that I can recommend to you is to look at money as a way to…well…make more money. For a simplistic purpose, ask yourself if a dollar spent today will create more dollars in the future?

Stop blaming the rich for your lack of hard work

Okay, before you get on your high horse telling me that you work hard and you deserve what you’ve earned, I want to absolutely say that I AGREE WITH YOU.

“But here’s the thing, if you continue to blame the rich for your problems, you’re continuing to avoid your personal responsibility and ability to fix the situation.”

Jeff Bezos is not the reason why you can’t pay your credit card bills. Elon Musk is not the reason why you’re late on your rent payment. Bill Gates is not the reason why you can’t afford XYZ. You are, so let this now be the moment where you choose to be your own catalyst to changing your life shall we?

#2 Your feelings about money create your reality

I Am Wealth, I am Abundance, I am Pure Joy — A Happy Pocket Full of Money, David Cameron Gikandi

Isn’t it funny how the individuals that say they are always broke are actually broke?

Or how the individuals who state they’re rich are actually rich? — This part we don’t see often, most wealthy individuals might me your neighbor next door. Let’s take a closer look at this concept of self responsibility. Know that you have the extraordinary power of creating your own reality.

If you can manifest brokenness, you have the power to manifest abundance.

“But Tina, how can you do such a thing?”

Essentially, change your thoughts = change your life

This concept is more thoroughly discussed in the book A Happy Pocket Full of Money

Look at it like a continuum:

Thoughts -> Words -> Actions -> Reality

If you want to change your thoughts then it needs to look like this:

Reality -> Actions -> Words -> Thoughts

So what does that mean? How do we actually change our life?

Well, to further change your reality you need to rapidly change your actions. If you want to be a different person, then you need to do different things. Don’t question whether or not this is the right decision. Don’t take into account your friends’ thoughts. Don’t worry if you’ll be made fun of (more on that later). Just simply do.

Also, realize that as you grow, you’ll start to make more people feel uncomfortable. It has nothing to do with you, it has everything to do with them.

Here’s a simple fact: most people won’t want to see you make a lot of money.

The god awful truth is that some individuals will purposely try to keep you down as you are rising to the top.

“Insecure people put others down to raise themselves up” — Habeebe Akande

Take this moment to think back to those times where you’ve said some pretty bad things about a person out of jealousy, envy, or just downright pettiness. You will realize that those awful things you see in others, you see in yourself. You cannot see what you do not possess.

Know that you’ll have to drop some friends and gain new ones. Some people serve their time for some purposes in life, and some don’t.

#3 Imagine the amount of good you can do with more money

When good people make good money they do great things — Chris Harder

I distinctly remember having a conversation with my brother where he told me he doesn’t want to make a lot of money, because he was afraid of becoming a bad person. I sat there in absolute silence, my mind was flipping on its head, I was sitting there thinking to myself:

“Why the hell does he think he’ll become a bad person if he makes more money, imagine the amount of good he could do with more money?”

My brother is an amazing human being, oftentimes he leaves me in awe with the amount of giving, joy, and helpful attitude he possesses.

But until we get over this notion that more money = more bad people, then people like [insert the kindest human soul you can think of] will be prevented from doing good on this earth.

It’s not a matter of more money = more problems, it’s a matter of what you choose to do with it. I understand how many scandals later we equate money with inherent bad actions, but if we continue to allow this passive approach to “it’s not my responsibility” then what the hell have we accomplished?

Truly nothing if you do nothing.

*Cue the Shangchi Reference “If you aim at nothing, you get nothing*

Seriously, give more money to the hands that will do good on this Earth. Money is never the bad guy. The bad guy already existed and money just gave him more power.

In summary, more money does not equal greater badness. Once you change your thoughts about money, you change your life. Finally, money is a tool not a scarce resource.

Curious, what is your current relationship with money?

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