Poor people think they can do what they want, but that is not true. They are limited by their poverty. Rich people can choose to do what they want.
For example, poor people have to travel by public bus. Rich people can go in a car or on a jet, or they can go by bus, they have the choice. That is what money is for, to give you choices.
Money is not a thing in itself, you need to watch yourself and not be so focused on money. You may be surprised to find that poor people who say they do not need or care about money are far more fixated on money than rich people, and this is a very important key to success.
What frustrates me in my work of trying to help people improve the quality of their life, and their character, is that they generally think that paying for my time, or anyone who is helping them in the direction of improving their life, is about money. You have to get past this idea that knowledge can be bought. Money has nothing to do with it. To say thank you immediately when someone does something for you, to consider and respect everyone, to appreciate what you get and show that appreciation, this is what matters. But it must be a sincere thanks, meaning it must have a value of some sort.
If someone gave you a few beans that could change your life, and you did not plant them, then Jack, you disrespected the gift and giver. Appreciation and gratitude is to plant those beans and climb the beanstalk, and find your treasure. That is the best payment, make use of the gift and then with your riches, give back to those in need of the same help you needed. This is playing your part in the evolution of humanity.
What I want you to get in your head is that payment with money or gifts may be a way of showing appreciation but money is not the point, gifts are not the point. What matters is sincere appreciation and respect. Money allows you to give something to show your appreciation. It is very limited but often the only way we can do something to show our thanks.
The gift or payment is not enough, it is empty in itself. To give a gift to a rich person is not going to change his life like giving food to starving people. But the rich person has more to give you in way of knowledge and information and guidance that can help you raise your level in life more than someone in total poverty, at least as a general rule this holds true.
So what can a rich person value that you can give which makes him feel you are worthy of his time? After all, successful people have more things to do than they have time to spare. Sincere appreciation and sincere effort in making use of the gift of knowledge or other help you have been given.
Think about this and think about money in relation to this. Maybe you will get closer to the understanding about what money is that makes the difference between a rich and poor person. It is the different understanding about money that allows a person to have it in abundance.
Money is not a thing in itself. Money is merely the gas in the car, you do not want to drink it or pour it on your cloths, but you do want to have as much of it as you can so that no matter how much you use, there is always more to use tomorrow.
How To Cultivate Sincerity
One of our students read this and asked a very good question; ‘how can she become sincere.’ She knows that she does things to show gratitude but it is lacking sincerity and she wants to get that depth of character.
This is a good question because it is precisely this point that makes the difference between a life that lacks and a life fulfilled. Of course, there is no easy answer, and it took me a bit of time to think about it until I did find an answer.
Sincerity is opposed to selfishness. Sincerity can only exist when your thoughts are fully on the other person and not at all on your own self interests. To be sincere means your ego is not involved, it means you have no ulterior motives, it means that you are not doing or saying this for any personal gain.
And so we can say that if you want to acquire the pure quality of sincerity, you must work on the practice of self observation to catch how much you do and say that is ultimately geared towards your own self interest.
The more you catch this in yourself with the intention to become less selfish and more selfless, the more you will develop sincerity in your words and actions.
Sincerity cannot be developed on its own in any direct way, it comes naturally to a pure mind and heart.
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