How does your mindset affect your financial success?
Our financial situation is not always within our control, but the way we think about money can influence many of the decisions we make.
When I think about money and career, the two often seem closely connected. I am still not completely financially independent, and I have been through situations where I had to hear things about myself without being able to answer back. Sometimes, financial dependence can make you feel that you have less freedom to speak, decide, or even focus completely on your goals.
I have often wondered how much our financial situation affects the way we see ourselves and the way others see us. I have seen many people who have gone through situations similar to mine. I have also noticed that even some successful people have spoken about how their work was not valued or recognised in the same way before they had money, success, or a better financial position.
It makes me think about how much importance society gives to money.
I have often noticed that people tend to give more importance to those who are financially strong. Sometimes, it does not seem to matter how educated a person is or how much they actually know. If someone has money and a strong financial position, people may automatically assume that they must be more successful, capable, or even more right. Their mistakes may be overlooked more easily, while the words of someone who is struggling financially may not receive the same attention.
This is something that hurts me the most.
I often think about two different people. One person may work honestly for years to achieve a dream, struggle quietly, sacrifice many things, and sometimes even forget themselves while trying to build a better life. Another person may earn more money through dishonest ways, by cheating others, or by taking advantage of people. Yet, in some situations, society may still give more respect to the person who has more money.
I know this is not true everywhere and not everyone thinks this way. There are many people who value honesty, knowledge, hard work, and character more than someone’s financial position. But this way of thinking still exists in many places, and that is what makes me uncomfortable.
Perhaps we can understand this better by looking at the early journeys of people whom the world considers successful today.
Many global stars, athletes, players, and other successful people started their careers without the financial stability or recognition they have today. When we look at a famous athlete or a global star now, we often see the person they have become. We see the success, recognition, and sometimes the wealth.
But we may not see the period when they had little money, little recognition, or very little influence.
Many successful people have experienced a time when their work was not valued in the same way it was after they became successful. This makes me wonder: do we value someone’s potential when they are still struggling, or do we only recognise it after they have proved themselves?
The journeys of successful people remind us that financial success is often the result of a long journey. It is not always where the journey begins.
Yet society can sometimes behave in the opposite way. When someone is struggling, people may question their dreams, their choices, or even their abilities. But when the same person becomes successful, those struggles can suddenly become an inspiring story.
Perhaps we should learn to value someone’s efforts not only after they succeed, but also while they are still trying to find their way.
I do not think earning more money is wrong. Financial stability can give a person freedom, confidence, better opportunities, and the ability to make choices without depending completely on others. I also believe that wanting a better financial life is a valid goal.
But I do not think money should become the only measure of a person’s worth.
Someone may not have money today and still have the ability, knowledge, honesty, and courage to build something meaningful tomorrow. And someone who is financially successful today may still make mistakes or treat others unfairly.
Perhaps financial success is not simply about earning more than others. Perhaps it is about gradually building a financial life that gives us more freedom without allowing money to become our entire identity.
Because in the end, our financial situation can tell a lot about our circumstances—but it should never decide how valuable we are as human beings.