Most people grow up with a very specific set of beliefs about money—beliefs they didn’t choose for themselves. They inherit them. If you grew up in a middle-class household, chances are you were taught to “work hard,” “get a good job,” and “live within your means.” These lessons are well-intentioned, but they often form a rigid, linear understanding of how money works.
By the time most kids reach high school, their money mindset is already formed. They believe the goal is to earn money through labor, save diligently, avoid debt, and maybe one day retire comfortably. That sounds responsible, right? But here’s the thing—this mindset is often exactly what keeps people stuck in a cycle of financial mediocrity.
Generation after generation, families pass down the same advice. The same warnings. The same fears. Parents teach their kids how not to lose money rather than how to build wealth. What they rarely teach is how to think like an investor or entrepreneur—how to make money work for them, instead of the other way around.
The reality? Wealth-building requires a completely different way of thinking. It starts with mindset, not money. As Steve Siebold puts it in How Rich People Think, “Middle-class thinkers see money through the eyes of emotion. World-class thinkers see money through the eyes of logic.”
Wealthy families teach their children philosophies rooted in opportunity, leverage, and growth. They talk openly about investing, risk, and value creation. They encourage their kids to ask questions like, “How can I use my skills to create something valuable?” or “How do I scale this idea?” These are not questions often asked around the average dinner table.
If you weren’t raised with this kind of thinking, that’s okay. The good news is that belief systems aren’t fixed. You can upgrade your money mindset the same way you upgrade your phone—with new information and better tools.
Start by studying how wealthy individuals think and act. Read books like Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, tune into podcasts featuring successful entrepreneurs, and immerse yourself in content that challenges your current financial beliefs. The goal isn’t to mimic the rich—it’s to understand their thinking so you can shape your own path.
And if you’re a parent? This is a powerful moment to shift what you pass on to your kids. Imagine raising children who think critically about money, who understand the difference between income and assets, and who see wealth as a tool to serve a meaningful life rather than just a safety net.
Remember: settling for a middle-class existence often happens not because it’s chosen but because people simply don’t know there’s another way.
Are you running your business based on the same outdated money habits you learned growing up, or are you ready to challenge those beliefs and build real wealth?
