15 Things That Change Once You Get Rich
You know, some people say that money can't change them, and even if that might be true, money does change the things around you. These are 15 things that change once you get rich. Welcome to Alux, the place where future billionaires come to get inspired.
Number one: your inner circle. Now, you might be thinking to yourself, “Yeah, that's never going to happen. I'm going to stick with the same friends I've had since childhood.” But usually, wealth doesn't just happen; it comes to you gradually over several years. During these years, you'll be struggling to build your life, to grow your business, while some of your friends will keep living the same way they've always done. You won't be hanging out with them as often, and even when you do, there isn't really that much to talk about anymore. You don't have the same problems, nor the same goals anymore. Things are just not clicking like they used to. And when you do end up cashing in, those old friends will want a piece of it. That's when you learn who your true friends are.
Number two: what you consume. Now, one of the first things most people change after getting some money is what type of foods they eat. It's one of those things you realize you've been missing out on once you experience what proper nutrition does to your energy levels and overall well-being. Well, you can't really go back to sandwiches and noodle packs. On top of this, you develop taste. You actually have a favorite cuisine now; you might even try to make it yourself because your kitchen is fully stacked. You start putting a larger emphasis on health and less on what's on sale on the delivery app.
Number three: where you live. In your early days, the place you live has a pure utility value. It's either close to work, close to home, or it's cheap enough that it fits in your budget. It's the place you go to crash after being out grinding for the whole day. But after you get rich, the place you live in is no longer a shelter; it is a sanctuary. It's the place you ideally would never want to leave unless out of necessity. It has everything you'll ever need to be creative, to relax, to be at peace, and to get some work done.
Number four: the way you look. You're not ugly; you might just be poor. Google pictures of the Kardashians before all the money and fame. Money unlocks character customization—from the clothes you wear to how your face looks. Everything can now be customized, and despite what everyone tells you, appearances do go a long way. Money can't buy you taste, but it can get you a closet bigger than a shopping mall. Copying and pasting the look of someone's face isn't that hard anymore, and that's why so many people are looking eerily the same these days.
Number five: you finally understand what personal development looks like. If there's one big lesson this journey has taught you, it's that things don't just happen organically. Slow and steady doesn't always win the race; it's slow, steady, and increasingly better that does it. This final ingredient is what actually gets you there. Adding new skills, learning new things, getting advised by others—this is what really matters. The Alux app has all of your bases covered. We designed it to be like a high-performance coach right in your pocket. When you sign up, you fill in a quick survey to assess where you're at in your own personal journey, and then our algorithm generates your very own individual learning path designed to have you reaching your goals in a fraction of the time it would take you otherwise. Every day, you're delivered a fresh coaching session from one of the five pillars of a good life: wealth, health, emotional intelligence, relationship wellness, and intellect. Not to mention the many industry experts that we've hired to offer you dedicated coaching collections on specific topics. We pay their exorbitant fees on your behalf. Every expert collection is included with your yearly subscription. And if all of this sounds like a no-brainer to you, scan the QR code on screen right now, and you'll get 50% off the yearly plan or go to alux.com/slapp.
Number six: your holidays. The hotels you're staying at get another star added to their name. You get fancy shampoos in the bathroom, premium bathrobes, scented candles in your room, and you actually have a view now. Now, to be honest, if you're a self-made person, you'll still look at that mini bar as a massive rip-off, but now you actually have the option to go open it. Before, you went on local vacations because you needed a break; now you go to distant lands because you want to explore.
Number seven: how you go from A to B. This is the first time in your life where time actually equals money. You are most likely needed in different places. You have people to meet and things to do, and they all live all over the place. Waiting in line or getting stuck in traffic is just out of the question. So your means of transportation evolve; it's the first time you start considering helicopter rides to the airport instead of calling an Uber.
Number eight: the way people treat you. Now, this is one thing you don't expect to happen, and it catches a lot of people off guard. Even those around you start treating you differently—some out of respect, others out of envy. Authenticity and sincerity are things you'll start looking for and rarely find. You start to doubt others because you never know their true intentions.
Number nine: people will start coming after what you have. The first thing you must expect after getting money is people trying to grab a piece of it. You are a prime target for lawsuits because they expect you to pay to avoid the hassle. People from your past will start to remind you about that one time they helped you find your keys or whatever, and how they deserve some kind of reward now. It feels like you always have a target on your back.
Number ten: you don't need approval anymore. In the early days, nobody took you seriously, and all you wanted in the back of your mind is to prove them and to yourself that you can make it. But after you do, something interesting happens; you don't really care about it that much anymore. You've got nothing to prove to anyone. You realize it's just you on this journey, and what people think or don't think doesn't really affect your trajectory.
Number eleven: your goals. Once you accomplish your first goals, you start to look at the world a bit differently. Life expands and contracts in accordance with what you believe is possible. After your first win, you realize that your initial goals were far too small to begin with. You can accomplish way more than you thought would be possible because now you're in a different position, and your goals become more complex, more nuanced. It's not about making some extra money anymore; it's about building a certain life.
Number twelve: the things that make you happy. You start off by enjoying the little things, then reality comes crashing down, making you realize that you won't be able to enjoy these little things forever unless you solve life first. In the journey of solving life, whatever that journey looks like for you, you lose the joy of enjoying the little things. Now, something interesting happens when you make it; the pressure you felt is gone. You're relieved of the constant cloud that may or may not come tomorrow, and this gives you mental space to start enjoying the little things once again.
Number thirteen: what you consider valuable. When starting out, the most valuable things you had were the things that cost a lot of money. But when you have money, the most valuable things become those which cannot be bought—things like time with your family, a peaceful mind, and a healthy attitude toward life. Most of the time, what you take for granted early on becomes immensely valuable later. Your priority list changes. Even that view you paid so much money for eventually gets old, especially if you don't have anyone to enjoy it with.
Number fourteen: you start thinking a lot more about your impact. You're now in a position where your actions can have a huge impact on the lives of multiple people. What you decide to do with this position is up to you, but this thought will always be in the back of your mind. Will you mentor other people? Will you share your journey? Will you use your resources to better the lives of others? These are things that very few people get to think about.
Number fifteen: you discover what freedom looks like, and it's not what you thought. Most people believe freedom means not having to do anything, but after you make it, you realize that true freedom means doing anything—you want—without the fear of it not working out. People usually have a pretty decent idea of what makes them happy and fulfilled. The problem is, most of the time, those things are not viable career paths, and at the end of the day, it's really hard to enjoy something when you don't know you should be doing something else instead. This is where true freedom comes in, at least it does for us.
And of course, we always have a bonus for those of you sticking with us until the very end. Today's bonus: number sixteen—how much you care about your taxes. Now, everyone cares about their taxes, right? But when you're rich, you really start to get into them. And why shouldn't you? You've worked your ass off to get to where you are. You've spent years and many sleepless nights to better yourself, and now people want more of what you've earned. You start talking to accountants on how to optimize your finances, and you discover a thing or two about offshore banking accounts. This may very well be the first time that you realize taxes are not created equal for everyone.