Most people believe that wealth is a lottery, that cards were shuffled and then randomly dealt and some received an Ace, whilst others received a Two or a Three and some get the Joker.

They further believe that this is just luck - like the lottery, and so those lucky people with Aces should be willing to hand over a portion of their wealth to those unlucky people with lower cards.

Closer examination reveals a different truth, and one which is unpalatable to the general public. It is not a truth they wish to hear. The truth is that with a few exceptions, the wealth creators were not dealt Aces randomly by fate. They worked at their success by making correct choices on a minute by minute, day by day basis.

Let me explain.

Everything you are and have today is the exact summation of countless thousands of little choices and decisions you made from the day you were first consciously able to make such choices.

And stating it simply, those choices were mainly between action and inaction. Or putting it another way, between action and laziness. I'm not talking big, life-changing decisions here. I'm talking about tens of thousands of day by day, minute by minute choices like "shall I get up or lie in bed for another half hour?" "Should I read another chapter of that textbook or go for a beer instead?" "Should I try a little harder to get this job right, or just turn it out in a sloppy fashion?"

Thousands upon thousands of little things going right back to school days when you decided between completing a home work assignment or watching TV instead.

As Jim Rohn says, "Everything matters." It is the small choices which matter. The little day by day disciplines which build into an inexorable force propelling you towards success and wealth.

After a lifetime of always choosing the easy option, the lazy way out, the least amount of work, the mediocre will have the temerity to call you 'lucky.' They will then demand 'their' share of your wealth - the wealth you built by numerous small daily disciplines, each one requiring you to forgo immediate gratification of your desires.

If anyone ever accuses you of being 'lucky' just reply: "You're right. And you know what? The harder I worked, the luckier I got."

Whilst your friends are watching soap operas or down the bar, you will be working late nights, forgoing instant pleasure, striving to create new values, new products, new ideas which will move mankind forward.

Your reward?

The masses will consume your products or services greedily then complain bitterly that they are substandard or a 'rip-off.' They will actively seek out minor flaws and then attempt to sue you. They will moan about how expensive your products are, demand refunds, compensation, and justice. They will support punitive taxation measures designed to extort from you the money they have paid for your products and redistribute it to the 'needy.' Blaring tabloid headlines will expose you for 'exploiting' the masses. They will demand and support tough laws and sentencing to make sure you are kept firmly in your place.

Worse...

They will say how lucky you are. How you got all the breaks and they had none. How it isn't fair. How they had that idea years ago and so the rewards really belong to them. How the 'rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.' Whilst vilifying and despising the rich and successful, they will be frantically completing a lottery ticket in an attempt to join them.

Copyright Stuart Goldsmith. All Rights Reserved.