How many times growing up did I wonder what rich people did to make themselves “better” than the rest? Well, plenty of times, but not at first.
It didn’t start until I came to the USA.
In my home country of Norway, there was little talk about money in the day-to-day. It was always about “living”. (I later understood better the expression: ‘work to live, or live to work’). In many countries outside of the US, folks work to live (not the other way around) and to enjoy themselves, family & friends.
In truth, we all want that. But – it seems like the more capitalistic societies (USA to be sure) focus more on money, wealth and abundance from cash flow.
Hating The Rich
Overall, there seems to be a lot of “hatred” (whether real or fabricated) for “RICH PEOPLE”. In America, there are about 3% of the population who are considered the super-rich, super-affluent. They make bigger money and give away more money than anybody else. In fact, they get so much attention that the OBAMA administration wants to increase taxes for the rich. It seems the rich can not just continue to help build foundations of this economy without being scrutinized at every turn. It’s as if the rich are not only considered better (off) than you, but they have to be penalized for it.
Why are the rich better than you?
It’s a tough statement to face. And, depending on who you ask, you’ll get different views. A poor / broke person will have always have a negative view and feel they have been dealt a bad hand. However, an entrepreneur, business owner or sales/marketing professional will likely look up to, and admire others (who have become rich) that have done bigger, better things and that have contributed to society.
Let’s dive in a little deeper…
How “they” think
Change makers (Entrepreneurs) will try to learn from the rich, and look to become more like them (at least in effort, passion and dedication). On the flip side, a person with heavy religious beliefs may decide that being broke (and not asking for much) is a good thing, because they are a servant to their “master”, and is urged to live with only the ‘basics’. They say: “God is good, and he will take care of me”. A rich person says “I’m not better, but I might be smarter with my time, and constantly look to how I can help my community by investing in it, build new schools, etc”.
In truth, anybody who is rich, who wasn’t born into it, but worked (hard) for it – understood one thing: PROFITS. If they are building, buying or running a business (most do), they will not brag about millions in revenue from their businesses – unless they could show a profit.
Tough on people and success
No wonder people get mad at corporations who seem to fire people at will, and leave folks jobless. It’s not pretty. And, with the economy shaking in its boots still, people want good news. And, the government gets involved.
However, what most don’t understand, is that the company – especially the ones with smart management at helm – will operate in a way that makes the business prosperous. If that means letting go of overhead, people, factories, or redesigning their business, so be it.
Risk management
A simplified reason of why the defaults on the economies in Europe exist, is that too much lending without a proper risk strategy was too eagerly embraced. And, back before this all started – the thinking was: “well, in the worst case scenario… we’ll figure it out then”. They didn’t take action soon enough.
I admire business owners (whether a small shop owner or the ‘management’ of world economies) who take action and ensure profits at all times.
Are they entitled? (how about you?)
And, finally – there seems to be too much of the word ‘entitlement’ going around. It has come to mean, give me a job, give me money, so I can hang out and chit-chat and have fun in my work. Change it to mean “give to gain”, and look at profit opportunities – and make yourself rich instead.
Rich people are not better than you, so stop whining and join the new thinkers and growers. They had to start somewhere, and so can you. Get inspired, and think differently, so you can get different results this year!
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Entrepreneur Magazine says Jon Rognerud is one of the most sought-after Digital Marketing Experts. His clients extend from high-end brands and middle-tier businesses in both B2B and B2C. His SEO website optimization book, "The Ultimate Guide to Optimizing Your Website" from Entrepreneur Press is in bookstores now.