Rich and happy. Sounds like the perfect combination, right? That’s pretty much what everyone wants, but very few people seem to obtain. So what is it that rich and happy people do differently than others? Here are 7 things that might surprise you:
1. They value education.
We live in a society that rewards education, and one of the best place to look to for examples is in the White House. Every single one of our presidents (at least in modern times) has been highly educated. They didn’t get to be the leader of the free world without learning something along the way.
2. They give to charity.
Warren Buffet is considered the most successful investor of the 20th century by many people. But the ironic thing is that he gave away almost 99% of his wealth, primarily via the Gates Foundation. Known for his frugal ways, he simultaneously knows how to make money and give it back for the highest good of the world.
3. They have productive, meaningful work.
Barbara Walters just retired, and she blazed a trail for all women journalists who followed her – Oprah Winfrey included. People like Barbara and Oprah entered journalism because they had a passion for the work. Not only did they want to investigate and tell stories, they also wanted to help people along the way. In fact, Oprah frequently says in interviews that she gets up every morning and says, “God, use me for good today.” Following that passion helped her grow wealthy as well as fulfilled.
4. They know when to move on.
Speaking of Oprah, she “retired” after 25 years of a successful talk show. However, she obviously didn’t stop working altogether; she started her own network (OWN) and moved on to different and equally meaningful work. Super Soul Sunday, Life Class, and Master Class are just three examples of how her departure from “The Oprah Winfrey Show” has benefited her audience in a way that was different than what she was doing before.
5. They don’t care what you think of them.
If you’ve seen the movie “Jobs” about Steve Jobs, you know that he didn’t care what anyone thought of him. He was a brilliant man who had incredible vision that he implemented through Apple. While some people may say that he wasn’t the most likable guy in the world (if you saw the movie, you know what I mean), he still did what he knew was best. And the result was not only great wealth, but a technological legacy that will last for all of time.
6. They aren’t afraid to fail.
George Lucas was rejected by at least a hundred different film companies when he was trying to find one to make “Star Wars.” If he had viewed each rejection as a failure, then we wouldn’t have one of the biggest and most popular movies of all time. All famous and successful people like him don’t believe in “failure.” They simply see it as an opportunity to try it again.
7. They work hard.
One of the most talented and famous basketball players in recent history, Michael Jordan, didn’t get to the top by sitting on the sidelines. He was cut from his high school basketball team – but do you think that he decided to take some time off and relax for a while? No. He worked 100 times harder. That hard work and dedication certainly paid off.
While achieving both money and happiness seems like an improbable goal, it really does happen sometimes. All of these cases of wealthy, positive people prove that successful individuals do what it takes to get there, and nothing will stop them.
