“Why does this idiot make more money than me?” Go ahead and admit it, you know you have had that thought at least once in your lifetime. Maybe it was a boss, a co-worker or some reality TV personality you saw on cable that made you utter that famous phrase. What could possibly be more irritating than realizing that at this very minute many, many ‘dumb and untalented people are making way more money than you. Sure they may be few clowns short of a circus but they are swimming in BMWs, fancy vacations, golf outings and living it up, all while you work like a dog to make the payments on your used Dodge Caravan. And who is the dumb one?
Here are three reasons why people we would consider a few fries short of a happy meal make more money than you.
- They understand that adding value creates wealth and society doesn’t care who delivers it.
Wealth always follows value. Want to know the secret to making more money? It’s simple create value for other people. There is a reason society pays doctors one wage and McDonald employees another, and that answer is value. If you’re reading this and you’re unhappy with your current yearly income it’s because you have not increased the value of the goods or services you are proving to your customers or company you work for that warrants an increase in pay. The snookies and honey boo boos of the world are making money because they provide the perceived value of entertainment for those (hopefully very few) individuals that enjoy watching them. If someone has a problem, whether it’s a show to watch that makes them feel better about themselves or a flat tire, the person who solves that problem is going to get paid. And society could care less if that person barely graduated high school as long as our need was taken care of. You don’t need a doctorate for this formula to work. Find a problem that people care about and solve it in a way that provides value to the user and you will make money.
- They understand that you don’t have to know everything in order to execute.
There is such a thing as being too smart for your own good. How many great ideas have you come up with for a business or ministry and have talked yourself out of doing it because you felt you didn’t know enough or weren’t ready? So you may ask “Why does this idiot make more money than me” but the reality is Mr.& Mrs. Idiot were smart enough to execute when an opportunity presented itself vs overthinking it. You don’t need to know how to do everything, you just need to know how to surround myself with the people that know what you don’t and execute from there.
- They understand that success is a habit.
The truth is success, is a combination of habits and choices. Habits are learned and everyone has the choice of how they wish to shape their life. Anyone regardless of their talent or intellectual capabilities can learn the right habits make good choices and end up making more money than you.
It’s easy for us to think that people we would consider less talented or deserving got their success or position in life because they knew the right people or kissed the right backsides. The reality is behind the scenes those people were providing value where they saw a need, executing on opportunities when they arose and living out the habits that eventually lead to success. In my opinion when we make statements like “Why does this idiot make more money than me?” we are really saying more about ourselves than we are about that person. After all if your boss is an idiot and you work for them what does that say about you!
Now that you have heard my two cents what’s your take? Do you think the world is full of wealthy untalented people? If so why? Feel free to get the conversation going and leave a comment below.
Article submitted by Efrem Jackson – Founder, Free to Serve Financial Ministries