Author: Doug Chaffin

Have we, as Americans, totally lost our entrepreneurial spirit? Have we become so lazy, so complacent, and so adverse to risk that we have smothered the entrepreneurial spirit that helped create what was once the greatest society in the history of the world?

The media constantly tells us about how the gap between the “Haves” and the “Have Nots” is growing. They also make it sound like the “Haves” are to blame for this growing discrepancy.

We have all heard this statement “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer” haven’t we? Inevitably, after making that statement, they blame the rich person for the poor person’s situation.

I really think it is time we stop blaming the rich and start looking I the mirror if we want to blame someone for our current financial situation.

There is a misconception out there that the “rich” were born “rich”, with a silver spoon their collective mouths and they just sit back and let the “poor” keep making them richer. There could be nothing farther from the truth. The facts are that most of the so-called “rich” in America have created their “wealth” during the last generation. This is not some hand-me-down rich society that continually suppresses the lower class. It is not some feudal system of kings and peasants. No, it is normal people CHOOSING to take action, take risks and take initiative to better themselves.

It does not take a special person to become rich; however, the rich typically possess certain traits and characteristics that allow them to become “rich”. Their have been books, papers and articles written on these traits and some vary from publication to publication. However, I see three significant traits that tend to be on everyone’s list in some form that allows a person to become “rich”.

1. Personal Responsibility – To me, this is by far the key trait and the one that I have touched on the most in this article. Personal responsibility is paramount to being successful. If your mindset is to blame, blame, blame, how are you ever going to change your situation? You simply cannot sit around and wait for change if you want to be successful, you have to create it. Most successful people have many more failures than successes, but the successes trump the failures tenfold.

2. Willing to Take Risks – Most people talk of risk in monetary form. But taking a risk can also mean stepping outside of the societal norm. Risking your reputation or you risk being ostracized by your friends and family because your actions are not the accepted norm in today’s society. Most people continue down their current path not because they don’t have the resources to create a change but because they are afraid of what others may think of them. For me, working 9-5 was the norm. It was not until I had created a little success in my online business that my family actually believed in what I was doing and creating. We want so much to have support and affirmation from those that are closest to us; unfortunately, they are the ones that tend to be most critical and judgmental when we do something outside of the societal norm.

3. Work Smart, Not Hard – This term is not totally accurate. Working smart is hard work but working hard is not smart work. I know, I may have lost you there but it is like this, working smart is learning to leverage yourself, your time, your money, your efforts to create both passive and residual income. The rich have mastered this concept. There are a few professions out there that you can get rich by working 9-5, but not many. Most are not 9-5 jobs either. Most consist of 60-80 hour weeks and that is not the “rich” I want. Most of the rich have learned to create multiple income streams that pay them while they sleep, eat, vacation, coach soccer or whatever. Then rich know that getting paid 24/7 is a lot better than getting paid only while at your desk or cubicle.

These are not inherited traits. Most of the rich in today’s society have come from what we would consider “poor” backgrounds and “poor” families. No, these are learned traits that are born out of desire and determination to create change.

We all have the ability to create change in our lives. WE make a CHOICE everyday on how we live that day and what actions we take to improve our quality of life. Now, as I step off of the soap box, I want to challenge you to create change today, no matter how big or small you think that change is.

The chain reaction that you create may just spark your entrepreneurial spirit and who knows, you may be the next Microsoft, Dell Computer, Donald Trump or you may just find out that having the time and freedom to watch your kids grow up and take family vacations is all the “rich” you need to be. Either way, you have to take the steps to create the change.

About the Author:

Doug Chaffin is a Home Business Development Expert and Professional Marketing Consultant. To find out more about the author go to http://www.dougchaffin.com or to find out how you can achieve more in the next 12 months than the previous 12 years and explode your Home Business empire go to http://chaffinonlinesolutions.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The Entrepreneur is on Life Support – Three Traits to Recovery