7 SYMPTOMS OF POVERTY

1. The majority of your spare time, money and focus is fixed on entertainment

Did you see that game? Did you catch Scandal last night? If you find yourself asking these questions often you may be a victim of the Poverty Mentality.

 Of course, we all deserve to treat ourselves to nice things because we work for them and life should be pleasurable. However, when you focus solely on the pleasures in life, acquiring things, laughing with friends and reaching your “high” through any means necessary, you take away from the time and money you could use to learn a new skill or upgrade your lifestyle by investing in yourself and taking the risks necessary to leave the world of poverty behind.

2. You receive government assistance and you don’t plan to stop.

Government assistance was created to assist people during hard times. It was not intended as a form of income to base your household needs on. If you and your family are dependent on food stamps or welfare or SSI or SSDI, please figure out a way to get off of them as soon as possible. From my research, those who receive these type of so-called benefits, usually lower their earning potential in favor of receiving what is free and easy.

Government assistance is a trap. It requires that you remain at a low income level to continue receiving it. Sure, it is safe and easy money, but to fully care for your family you will have to create an alternate stream of income which, if reported to the government, would decrease the amount of government assistance that you receive. Because of this glitch in the system, many won’t bother to try to earn more money outside of the government check and others will resort to illegal means to bring in that extra income which will hurt the entire family in the long run when you are caught.

3. You daydream about winning the lottery.

If you took the time to calculate how much money you have spent on lottery tickets you would probably faint. If you spend $10 per week on lottery tickets that is $520 per year that you have wasted, hoping for that one shot at easy money. It’s a lost cause simply because even if you did win you have not developed the skills necessary to grow your money into a nest egg that could change the financial future of your entire family.

When you buy a lottery ticket, what you are essentially doing is standing by the lake hoping for a fish to jump into your hand. Even if it does, once it’s gone you will be hungry again. Are you going to try everyday, hoping you’ll be fed by lady luck or are you going to get your arse out there and learn how to fish? Once you acquire the skills to create wealth in your life, those skills will never leave you no matter how many times you gain or lose. Learning the skills you need to create the income you desire is more important than wishing for money to drop out of the sky. You want to teach your children the skills to create and maintain the wealth you pass on to them instead of opting for some common fantasy shared by people who have no clue what to do with the ‘blessing’ that will probably never be bestowed upon them.

4. You have to have all the latest trends.

Did you buy that $120 Kanye West t-shirt? Don’t lie. Are you carrying a purse that costs more than your car note? Why?

Yes, we like and deserve nice things but if you want to get rid of the symptoms of a poverty mentality you must understand that the things you acquire as a result of your wealth or abundance mean nothing compared to the lessons you learned while you were creating it. Creation is the most powerful force that exists. We create our world through our perception of everything around us. We offer value to our world with our focus and our intention. Whatever you believe is valuable, will be.

5. You won’t invest in yourself.If you have decided that your car, purse, wardrobe or jewelry are the most valuable things you own, you can shift that perspective to create a lasting impression that will benefit your children’s children.  Instead of focusing on showcasing your wealth, look within and delight yourself in learning many ways to create wealth in your life. You have nothing to prove to anyone.  You don’t owe anyone an explanation. Be a creator, not a consumer. CREATE WEALTH instead of fueling someone else’s empire. Create your own empire.

You’ll spend $2,000 on a cruise to the Bahamas but you won’t take a specialization course in your field that will add an extra $5,000 to your annual earnings. You’ll splurge on drinks for all of your friends but you place that business management book back on the shelf because it costs $25 and you figure you can find the information online for free- but you never do.

It is highly important to invest in the tools you need to position yourself to prosper. If you need to buy paintbrushes to create your art, do not deny yourself the tools. If you have $400 and the top of the line cake mixer you need to start your cupcake business is on sale, buy it. Invest in your dream. Your vision is just as important as your day to day activities. Invest in yourself FIRST, reap the benefits of this investment and then you’ll be able to treat yourself more often. You are your own biggest investment. Take care of yourself and understand that the tools you need to prosper are vital to your well being. You have permission to get what you need to succeed. It is not a risk, it is an investment. Do something.

6.  You view sex as a leisure activity. 

Sex is fun. It’s amazing. It’s awesome. BUT- you can’t go around having sex with people just because you’re bored or can’t afford anything else to do. The number one reason why low income families are so large is- drum roll please- they can not afford any other leisure activities so they use sex as a substitute for traveling, going to the movies, going to plays, etc.

Are you sleeping with someone who adds absolutely nothing to your desire of changing the financial future of your family? Are you with him because he has 8 inches? Are you with her because she lets you get that from the back? We all need a release from the pressures of life, but I’ll share one piece of advice a VERY wise woman shared with me.

Never sleep with anyone who can’t teach you how to grow your business. If you’re going to be intimate with someone, make sure they can add value to your life goals or you may end up stuck with a Baby Daddy with 8 inches who is living off of you or a Baby Mama with a fatty who takes all of your money in child support.  Time to grow up and make your sexual encounters become an investment for your future.

7. You rallied alongside the 99 percent.

When the 99 percent movement geared up, did you sympathize with their plight? Did you become angry at corporations and the wealthy elite because they own everything and you don’t? Well, that was a definite indication that you are mentally aligned with the lower class instead of being mentally aligned with the elite.

Regardless of your current income, if you are truly grinding, you KNOW you are going to break through to the wealth you desire in order to change the financial future of your entire lineage. Since you KNOW this you would NEVER side with those in poverty because you do not believe you are one of them.

Your perception of yourself right now means much more than the evidence of your dream coming true. You demonstrate the poverty mentality when you view the world through the lens of someone in poverty instead of the super wealthy, tycoon, game changer you really are. Those who SEE themselves as wealthy and prosperous without a shadow of a doubt BEFORE it happens, are almost guaranteed to experience it in reality. We are who we think we are. Sometimes it just takes a minute for our physical lives to buffer and catch up.