Contrary to popular opinion, millionaires (these days, only those who have accumulated $25-30 million are considered rich) have not inherited their wealth, they are self-made, often come from ordinary families, many dropped out of school, and they work very hard, up to 60 hours a week, even when they have made their millions, because they continually reinvest their earnings.
Why do people want wealth? So that they are free to do what they want, when they want. In other words, their goal is freedom. We can all have that freedom, with or without multimillions, if we cultivate a mindset of abundance.
Some of the steps to do that are the same steps that self-made millionaires use, based on their values and belief systems:
1. Set ambitious goals and act on them. (I can do that too, by setting small, doable goals and being consistent in the pursuit of them)
2. Value time – for a millionaire, time is money. (I can stop wasting time and use it in a worthwhile way)
3. Be financially disciplined – do not waste resources and reinvest. (Do I use all the resources I have wisely?)
4. Have no fear of failure, take risks. (Can we look at our fears and conquer them?)
5. Be able to take feedback and continue learning. (Am I willing to learn?)
6. Foster resilience – be able to bounce back from obstacles. (Do I have resilience?)
7. Invest and diversify. (Do I focus on just one thing, one way of doing things, or do I look around for additional ways to invest my time and energy?)
8. Build an entrepreneurial spirit – exploring opportunities. (Am I proactive, or do I sit in solitude with what I already have?)
9. Give back. (Do I make some kind of donation to those less fortunate?)
10. Network. (Do I mingle and meet those who I can help and those who can help me?)
How do we start our journey to a millionaire mindset? It is all about using our mind. It also helps to understand a few universal laws and follow them.
Law of focus: Do I know what I want and why I want it? The more elevated (for the good) the goal, the more likely it is to be realised. When I focus on what I want to achieve, that energy becomes like a laser beam and what I want manifests.
Law of worthiness: This is the law of self-respect. I have to feel worthy of receiving. The universe will give abundance to those who know how to use and take care of it.
Law of attraction: If I want a life of peace, happiness, and freedom, then I have to vibrate on that frequency to attract it because like attracts like. In meditation, when I have elevated, pure thoughts of benevolence for all, then that is what will boomerang back to me.
Law of momentum: I must be mindful of what I am thinking because thoughts carry momentum and accumulate energy a little like a small snowball rolling down a hill, gathering snow as it goes. But I need to be consistent, because consistency has power.
Law of generosity: Every time we give any of our energy, it takes us away from our selfishness. When we give time and care to others, it makes us richer and wiser. Always have the consciousness of ‘I have’, ‘I have more than enough, I have abundance’.
Law of positivity: We can change the world with positivity. Check how many of my thoughts are negative and how many are positive throughout the day. Doubt and ‘why?’ have no place in a positive mindset. Everything is unfolding exactly as it should, there will be benefit in everything.
Focusing on our goals, holding benevolent and powerfully positive feelings for all, being consistent in our elevated thinking, being authentic, and taking time each day to go within and use meditation to fill the self with power, will bring us to the mindset of the ultimate millionaire: A free spirit, full of self-respect, continuously happy, powerful from the inside, invincible, courageous and full of conviction, wealthy in time, vision and purpose. Our world needs those with a mindset this rich.
Aruna Ladva is an author and Rajyoga meditation teacher based at the Global Retreat Centre, Oxford, UK.