By Mike Johnson
“The poor will always be with you.”
- Jesus Christ
If Christ could’t stop poverty, then nothing external can.
It’s an inside journey.
We’re born into a body that arrives with no owner’s manual.
Nor does its mind.
Nor does your soul that is conscious of mind and body and is actually “you.”
We’ve stepped onto this earthly stage with no explanation of why or what came before.
But rest assured, no matter what cards we were dealt, these miraculous tools are enough to live abundant lives.
It’s on us to figure it out.
Because time is precious and poverty hurts, I suggest taking the shortest path.
Study people who have already achieved what you desire.
These people are living laboratories.
They’ve researched, experimented, practiced and polished until they achieved the desired results.
Some of them even documented their journeys in writing, audio or video, making it easy to access their learnings and actions.
But this requires using some of today’s time to create a better future.
It requires passing the “marshmallow test.”
This test is administered to children to test their self-discipline.
The kids are offered ONE immediate marshmallow.
Or, if they wait an hour, they’ll get TWO marshmallows.
This test defeats more than half the kids.
They can’t resist immediate pleasure, in exchange for a richer future.
The kids who wait, are going to have more successful lives.
Visiting the big city, I see poverty everywhere.
People sleeping in cars.
Living under staircases.
Pushing belongings in shopping carts.
These people are generally idle.
Then I see the working poor.
Good people, working hard, but barely making it.
Their car is sketchy.
They need dental or medical attention.
They struggle to pay the rent.
Perhaps they’re quietly studying before work and are on a trajectory that brings a richer tomorrow.
I hope so, but likely not.
I remember living on popcorn dipped in peanut butter.
Losing my car to repossession.
Rent taking 98% of my wages.
Poverty is a soul-sucking grind.
It destroys your self-esteem.
Not having enough, quickly turns into not BEING enough.
The longer your poverty lasts, the lower the chances of escape.
When your inner light goes dark, you have to use the light of others to reignite.
Inspiration is the only way out.
Inspirational reading is the easiest way to gain that inspiration.
Find an author who has already achieved what you desire.
Used books cost less than a dollar.
You’re that close to reigniting your light.
Increasing your income.
Meeting necessities.
Getting back on your feet.
Putting a few bucks away.
The pain of getting what we don’t want, pushes us toward what we do want.
When we escape poverty once and for all, we realize that money was not the reward for our efforts.
The real treasure was our own personal growth.
Now, if we ever lose the money, we know we have the ability and confidence to earn it back quickly.
No one can ever take that inner abundance away.
Eventually, we all learn that adversity is merely a painful present that is forcing us toward a better tomorrow.
Holdout for BOTH marshmallows.
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More:
Where to Start if You Have Nothing
The Lost Wallet Stuffed With Cash
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