Overcoming
Poverty Consciousness
Poverty is defined by Webster's dictionary as "the state of one
who lacks an usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material
possessions". By
this definition, there will always be some poverty because unless
everyone has an equal share, someone will have a less than the "usual" or "socially"
acceptable amount. Note, a key word in the definition is "socially". I
point this out because poverty is becoming more of a social stigma which
can not be cured by
welfare programs alone. Poverty is a state of mind, one of not being
as worthy as others. Poverty
does not only affect those that are broke, it can also affect people
who appear to be rich. For example, there are millionaires who
still do not feel that they have enough or as much as they should have. This
is poverty consciousness.
Poverty is passed on from generation to generation not
through genes but can be passed by parents subconsciously teaching their
children that there is
not a way out of poverty. Parents would not consciously teach their children to live in poverty.
However, learning by example is a way most children learn.
And, unless parents are consciously teaching their children
ways to escape being poor by seeking opportunities through
taking responsibility,
getting an education and increase self-esteem, their children may be picking up the sign
that this is all that is for them in life. By
the parents falling victim to the mind set that this is all there is,
they
pass this
on to
their
children
as well. So poverty has less to do with what type of education
one receives in school but rather what type of education is received
at home about life.
To overcome poverty, the focus needs to be
on one's state of mind. It
is teaching the mind
a new thought pattern
to overcome poverty consciousness. The key elements
are:
- Differentiate broke & poverty conscious
Broke is a financial term which means that you have no money. As
a society, we can try to financially define poverty. However,
poverty is just a financial term that should not define who you
are. If
poverty takes on the meaning of being less than others, than this
starts an endless cycle of poverty consciousness is passed
on from generation to generation. If a person feels
less than others then he will not feel deserving. If he
does not feel deserving, his life is based on desperation
and wanting, rather than from joy and abundance. If
one feels abundant, he will have abundance. If one feels
desperate and wanting, he will expand the poverty
in his life.
One can be broke and feel prosperous. There are a few
homeless people who want to live the life that they do because
they have everything that they need (food and shelter) without
the worry of working for material possessions. Many of us
would shun the life of the homeless due to the implications of
poverty. Yet, it is our own state of mind that influences
what we see and feel rather than how others see us whether
it is as a millionaire or as homeless.
After hurricane Katrina hit Alabama, Mississippi
and Louisiana, there
were comments how third world countries had better refugee centers
than America could provide its own citizens. However,
before Katrina there was studies done to investigate the feasibility
of
setting
up tent
refugee
centers in the United States after a disaster. The
findings were that it would not work because Americans would not
tolerate
living
in tents. So
instead of setting up quick tent communities to provide food and
shelter to the evacuees,
emergency
agencies
had
to find, staff
and open thousands of shelters to house all the evacuees which
was a slow and daunting task. And, even though people found
shelter eventually, there were still complaints about how
evacuees had to live in places once used as jails but which were
void of
bars
and
prisoners, even when the jail provided for their health,
food and shelter. This is poverty consciousness. Poverty
consciousness is about choosing to look at a glass
as half empty rather than half full.
- Know that you are the creator of your circumstances.
Energy is the source of creation. When you are the creator
of your circumstances, you are putting energy into our life. If
the world creates your circumstances, then you are living life on
a run away roller coaster with no energy of your own. Nothing
is formed without energy, whether it is the energy of a storm that
creates the rain or the energy you use that creates what you
dream about.
Money is generated based on what we give the world whether it is
via our labor (time), our creativity (intellect) or our investment
(money). Money is a symbol of what we have sown on earth. Money
flows to those who use their energy to make things happen. Many
millionaires got to where they are from a lot of hard work and creativity.
It takes energy to get a good education that will pay off later. And,
the investment in your future can be in a form other than
just getting a high school or college education. A
friend of mine who went into the military after school now works
for a computer software company. He did it by investing time
learning how to develop websites and starting his own business with
a friend. Having this ambition showed his current employer
how well qualified he was even without a college education and he
got the job.
How can you tell if life is controlling your circumstances, instead
of controlling your own life? Some of the signs are:
- Blaming others - if you have control then no one else
is to blame
- Regretting the past - the past is history and
is only for learning and focusing on regret from the past only
takes us away from changing the present
- Living in apathy - not caring about an outcome is
different from apathy which is caring about an outcome but giving
up doing anything about it
- Getting angry - being angry is believing that someone
else can hurt you, yet if you are in control then no one can
hurt you because you are able to protect yourself
- Practice gratitude
To switch your view from pessimistic (poverty) to optimistic (abundance)
acknowledge daily what you are grateful for. In today's
world, one usually looks at what he does not have instead of
what he actually has. Many prosperity speakers emphasize
that what one focuses on will expands. Your mind is a creative
force in the universe. If your focus is on what you do not
want, then what you do not want is what is created.
Take
a moment and see what you have and want in your life right now. Be
cautious of focusing exclusively on goals. Having goals
without the gratitude for where you are in life, will lead you to
a life of desperation. Because
once you achieve a goal, you will be on to the next goal without
enjoying
(being grateful) for what you have already achieved. You will
always have desires (goals), yet if you do not smell the roses on
the way
it is like a hamster
on a wheel chasing after different carrots. In the case of
money, it is trying to become prosperous when you already are. And,
if you feel prosperous, that is what will expand.
- Be persistent
Many will give their 110% for only a little bit of time
and then say "See, it does not work!" Persistence
is about maintaining the energy. Remember energy is
measured by intensity and duration. It does not
do any good to have a short burst of energy when you want
a long term change.
To help you with persistence find role models and mentors. The
old adage is "seeing is believing". Yet,
it should be "believing is seeing". One of
the greatest hindrances that we have towards reaching our
goals is having a
belief that it can happen. Having role models and mentors
will help you get to believing that you can reach your goals
(especially if the goals are ones that they have attained)
in order to
see your results. Mentors will help you over the obstacles
in order to help you stay on your path.
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