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The Problem with Wealth

Updated: 5 days ago


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Many of us carry beliefs about wealth and rich people that can hold us back from achieving financial success without even realising it. These ideas can be ingrained in us from a young age, picked up from family, culture, or even from experiences that shaped our view of money. It’s common to think that wealth is only for a “lucky few,” or that people with money are inherently selfish or corrupt. We might feel like having money changes people for the worse. When these beliefs go unchecked, they can lead us to sabotage ourselves, for example turning down opportunities, undervaluing our worth, or simply feeling uncomfortable with the idea of financial success.


One powerful belief that holds many back is the idea that wealth requires sacrifices that may not align with personal values, like compromising morals or working endless hours. This way of thinking can discourage people from pursuing their dreams because they assume financial success only comes at a high personal cost. There’s also the pervasive “scarcity mindset”, the belief that money is a limited resource, so if we gain wealth, we’re somehow taking it from someone else. When we view wealth this way, as if there’s only so much to go around, it keeps us trapped in fear, anxiety, and even guilt about wanting to earn more.


Changing these limiting beliefs starts by embracing an “abundance mindset,” which is about seeing money as a tool something that’s not scarce but available for everyone. With this mindset, wealth becomes less about taking and more about managing resources responsibly, in a way that feels true to who we are. When we let go of the fear, guilt, or negative beliefs around money, we start to see wealth as an opportunity to expand, create, and even give back. Shifting to empowering beliefs around wealth can open doors not just to financial success, but to a life filled with more purpose, joy, and the freedom to live authentically.


Sunny field

The belief that “the rich are stealing from others” is another common mindset that can keep people feeling stuck and disempowered when it comes to wealth. This belief paints wealth as a zero-sum game, where every pound one person has means one less pound for someone else. It suggests that wealthy people gain their success at the expense of others, implying that their wealth is somehow “unfair” or unjustly acquired. While it’s true that wealth disparity and unethical practices do exist in some cases, most wealth isn’t amassed by taking directly from others but rather by creating value, whether through products, services, or solutions that people choose to pay for.


This mindset can be especially limiting because it turns wealth into an “enemy,” something to resist rather than something that can be earned and used positively. When we focus on the idea that wealth accumulation is inherently exploitative, it creates a barrier between ourselves and the possibility of becoming financially secure or wealthy. It keeps us in a mindset of scarcity and distrust, rather than one of creativity and growth. Instead of seeking ways to increase our own income or build assets, we may spend time and energy worrying about what others have and how they obtained it. This leaves little room for us to believe in our ability to create financial abundance in ways that align with our values.


Letting go of the “the rich are stealing from others” mindset means looking at wealth from a place of empowerment rather than competition. A more productive approach is to think about how wealth can be generated in ways that lift us up without diminishing others. Instead of focusing on what we perceive others to be taking, we can shift our attention to what we have to offer, how we can add value, and ways we can open ourselves to opportunities. Wealth is not inherently about taking, it’s about circulating resources, creating value, and exchanging skills, ideas, and creativity with the world. By reframing our view, we can see wealth as a form of energy that flows and grows, available for those willing to learn how to work with it wisely and ethically.


When we stop seeing wealth as something that divides and start viewing it as a tool we can master, we set ourselves up for a healthier relationship with money. We can begin to build a more fulfilling financial path that aligns with who we are, and as we do, we might even find ourselves using that wealth to give back, support others, and create a positive impact in ways we hadn’t considered before.

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