You may be asking what the connection is between a millionaire and an average person next door; after all, they are both human beings.
If you believe that, let me ask you a question: do people change when they have money in their pockets?
Money, according to Jordan Belfort from the film The Wolf of Wall Street, is an amplifier.
If you’re a jerk, money will reward you with more of the same. And if you are nice person money will give you the power to help even more.
Who better to ask than someone who has witnessed thousands of individuals become billionaires overnight.
What’s certain is that when money starts flowing in, many people change their habits, leaving a mark on their personalities that will be revealed in a moment.
Thereafter, let’s look at 5 surprising differences between a millionaire and the average person as their true character manifest in the course of history.
1. Unhidden Impression: The first characteristic of the wealthy is that they flaunt their wealth with their body; they can’t hide it!
You notice a strong handshake, a burst of energy when they speak, and a sense that they are in command of the conversation.
Not only the body but also the voice. With a forceful and loud voice, they literally shoot words from their mouths. So it’s not so much what he’s saying as it is how he’s delivering it that draws people in.
A video of Elon Musk speaking to a gathering of individuals may be found here.
You can sense he has a lot of energy in his body and is so enthusiastic that he must have received an adrenaline shot before starting.
Average individuals, on the other hand, rarely leave a mark on the people they meet. They frequently lose their sense of self-awareness.
In fact, people forget about the averages as soon as they leave.
But, rich people leave such a strong impact that they might linger in your mind for days, months, years, and in most cases forever.
2. Can Afford It, But Undesired: You’ve probably noticed that those who can afford luxury are often those who don’t want it.
They would rather have financial independence than show off their class status.
Millionaires, rather than buying Lambos, are more likely to fall in love with their work and stick with it until they reach a different level of productive activity where unimaginable results keep flowing.
Consider the following scenario:
- Warren Buffett continues to reside in the same home he occupied 60 years ago. He is worth more than $100 billion, and despite the fact that he is 91 years old, he still works every day.
- Elon Musk is the world’s wealthiest man, and he works 24 hours a day. You won’t see images of him spending the entire year in the Bahamas, as some of us would if we had that amount of money.
- Aliko Dangote is Africa’s richest man, yet he doesn’t drive costly sports vehicles or stay at the most luxurious hotels in Abuja and Lagos; instead, he lives with his family in a house he built many years ago.
Perhaps seeking luxury or pleasure indicates that you are dissatisfied with your daily existence and are looking for a way out by flaunting your wealth and purchasing expensive items.
Or that ordinary folks have a very different perspective on money than millionaires do. But, whatever the case may be, the rich stay rich, while the average person is mostly reliant on their opulent lifestyles.
3. Millionaires Don’t Gamble: I’m not referring to poker or gambling. I’m talking about making choices.
In our daily lives, we frequently gamble in a variety of ways. We invest in stocks that we have no knowledge of, aren’t 100% certain of what we’re doing at work, or leave things under our control to chance.
Millionaires prefer to make their own decisions.
They understand that unpredictability and the unknown may be disastrous, as Mark Cuban argues in this quote:
“Know your business and industry better than anyone else in the world. Love what you do or don’t do it.”
Mark CubanHe’s mentioned a million times in interviews that no one knows your business and industry better than you.
In fact, he tries to come up with ways to sink his own company so that he may be ready when others try to knock him down.
Rich people are so committed to their anti-gambling ethos that they rarely play the lottery.
This may give individuals a sense of control over their lives, allowing them to accept responsibility for both their mistakes and their triumphs.
Consider the following quotes from successful people:
- “The price of greatness is responsibility.” — Winston Churchill.
- “Whatever happens, take responsibility.” — Tony Robbins.
- “The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses, that’s the day you start to the top.” — O.J. Simpson.
4. Purpose Simplified: Overthinking is a stumbling block to achievement because it causes stagnation.
The life aim of the wealthy appears to be predetermined. But they are not!
That is why millionaires do not waste time questioning why they do what they do. They usually know what they’re looking for or don’t look for it at all.
Both scenarios are frequent among millionaires, but they have one thing in common: the desire to get moving as quickly as possible.
Here are a few examples of people who were determined to figure out what they wanted to do:
- “When you find your WHY, you don’t hit snooze anymore! You find a way to make it happen!” — Eric Thomas.
- “I believe we’re all put on this planet for a purpose, and we all have a different purpose.” — Ellen DeGeneres.
Case Study 1: Elon Musk;
Elon Musk is the most well-known representative of the “purposes team.” in this first case study.
Nikola Tesla inspired him to identify three areas in which humanity could improve and to take steps to address them.
“So, the three areas I was quite sure would be positive were sustainable energy, the internet, and making life multi-planetary.”
Elon MuskThese motivations push him to assist the human species is progressing toward the next phase, and he has been successful thus far.
Here are a few examples of people who don’t give a f*ck about why they do it:
These are the millionaires who, like the first case study, have found out what they want to do with their lives, but don’t waste time trying to figure out why.
“Work hard, have fun, make history” — Jeff Bezos (Maybe he has a specific purpose, but he hasn’t said it out loud).
“Treat your life like a game (just play it)” — Ray Dalio.
Case Study 2: Dan Pena;
Dan Pena epitomizes the lack of a sense of direction. he is quoted frequently saying “Look for the how not the why.”
He is so zealous about this belief that he chooses his future home in less than 5 seconds.
He noticed a castle while reading a magazine. It was love at first sight.
He bought it without doing any research. He didn’t even ask a question. He liked it and got it.
5. Make It Work: Many billionaires and successful individuals simply make things work.
It’s as if they possessed a barometer that pointed them in the right direction.
Elon Musk has been involved in over 10 different companies, which he has either profited from or made work even when it’s close to dying.
For instance, he didn’t have the money to start Tesla and Space X at the same time, for example, but he eventually found a way.
Another notable figure who may be used as an example in this situation is Jack Ma.
Even though he hadn’t made any money from Alibaba for a couple of years and was carrying a heavy burden, he was determined to make it work and eventually become successful.
There are numerous examples of people like Elon Musk who succeed despite the odds being stacked against them.
This is a unique circumstance that sets them apart from the average individual.
