Why do the rich get richer and the poor get poorer?

I heard someone say the other day that money tends to go where it is respected. The statement dind't quite sink in right away but after thinking about it for a few moments, I completely understood the truth of those wise words.

How many of us know someone who struggles to make it financially. Sometimes we think to ourselves, "If this person would just get a large sum of money, they could get themselves back together and get back on track." A short while later that person gets a large tax return, or a settlement fund, and months later, he or she is right back to where they started. What happened?

Chances are, this person did not respect the money. One of the definitions of the word respect from the Oxford Dictionary is "to treat with regard." Regard is defined as placing attention or caring for something. If the person who received the funds handled the money with attention or with care, he or would probably facing a different level of reality. Because the money was not respected, that person quickly found themselves right back to where they started financially.

So how does one show respect for money? One way is to focus on the attributes of money so you can work with (not against) it. Money likes to be multiplied. You know this to be true because of the power of compounding interest. A few dollars invested over time can multiply itself a thousand times over. Rich individuals understand and respect this aspect of money. Those who aren't wealthy view the money as a means to obtain tangible goods. This way of thinking is inherently flawed because the individual is essentially killing goose to get the golden egg.

The rich clearly understands the need to have geese producing golding eggs. In fact, a wealthy person will check on the goose frequently to make sure the goose remains healthy, steadily producing eggs. If a goose is not producing to standard, one who respects money will quickly seek out an alternate way of replacing the stream of eggs. If a wealthy person traded all of his geese for bigger barnes, or faster machines, how long would it be before that person was no longer wealthy?
Hence, even if you do not consider yourself rich, you can begin to respect your goose by placing it in an investment vehicle where it can produce eggs for years to come.

You can show your respect for the wealth you receive by placing a percentage of the money into your company's 401(k) or an online savings account. Once you begin to experience the wonderful feeling of collecting golden eggs, you can begin to seek our larger geese who will lay larger eggs. Continue in this behavior and you will inevitably become wealthy. Building wealth is not about having a priviliged childhood or lucky breaks. Creating wealth is about taking specific actions that encourage the flow of abundance. So think about your actions and consider whether you are killing your geese or if you are tending and caring for them. Even if your goose is just a tiny little one who is not yet capable of producing eggs, the way you care for it today, will determine how many eggs it can lay for you tomorrow.