This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
Mindset is the leading cause of poverty
A common feeling among people who have money and also don’t. But why do people with money still experience this feeling? A fear festers within the mind that enough is still not enough.
Do you financially have everything in place?
Emergency Fund (3–12 months, depending on your situation)
Maxed out, Roth and employer 401k
Little to no debt
Consistent and reliable income
Disposable income
Maybe you don’t have these things listed above, or maybe you do. If you do, you might fall into the mental trap of feeling broke, despite your healthy financial situation proving otherwise.
The majority of the population doesn’t come from wealth. If you are American, you might come from wealth in the eyes of non-Americans.
But from an American standpoint, you probably don’t come from the top 1–10% of the wealthiest individuals.
Since most people fall into the middle economic class (which is not a bad financial place to be), many never experience financial peace even if they arrive at a healthy place financially, they still feel like they don’t have enough.
The lack mentality is stronger compared to the abundant mentality.
Starting From Lower or Middle Class & Moving Up
If you started from the lower or middle economic classes, you’re familiar with financially struggling. You’re familiar with not having enough.
Consequently, when you make it out of these economic classes, you might still feel you don’t have enough – even if you do.
Feeling and thinking you’re broke is a mental habit, and it’s tough to break if you’re not careful.
Many of us have been conditioned to be “lack-minded” or “broke-minded” without even realizing it. This propensity toward being overpowered by the thought of not having, is a hard habit to break.
To be broke-minded, or to have a broke mindset, means to live your life with the constant fear and acknowledgement that you don’t have enough or that you will run out of something. This usually correlates to how you make and spend your money, but even deeper than that lies a fundamental fear of loss and being without.
–
Living with a broken mentality is a choice; it doesn’t have to be your life experience. If you’re struggling with thoughts and feelings of poverty, you can change that today.
How Can I Eliminate My Broke Mentality?
Start with gratitude – feel grateful for all you have now.
Invest your money – when you put your money to work, it will create more money for you. The more money you have working and circulating for you, the more abundance you will experience.
Believe you are worthy of having more than enough – do you feel worthy of not struggling financially? If you don’t, you will continually struggle, even when you have more than enough resources.
Live below your means – if your expenses never outweigh your income, then you will physically always have more than enough financial resources at your disposal.
Hang around wealthy people – choose your relationships carefully. If you surround yourself with people who never have enough money or are in constant financial trouble, their situations, thoughts, and financial habits might rub off on you.
Self-educate – the more you educate yourself on finance, the more your fear of money, success, and poverty will be removed from your life. With more knowledge comes more power. Engage in financial education and watch your mind expand beyond your average thinking habits.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.