Why you are not wealthy (of Mice and Men)

In my graduating year of high school, I stated my ambition was to become the world’s richest black man. A couple of weeks later I recanted that statement. I wanted to be the richest person period. Growing up in what was then called Metro Housing. I thought being rich would make me happy and allow me to be seen as an equal in society. Watching tv shows like Dallas, Knots Landing and even Charlie's Angel showed a world where freedom was enjoyed by wealthy white people. I wanted that life. Whereas all around me I saw blacks, Italians and Portuguese - immigrant people from various income levels (never wealthy) just grinding everyday, going to work and trying to enjoy what little we had. As a song in the 80’s stated “Everybody’s working for the weekend!” Growing up in a poor neighbourhood making money seems insurmountable. That's not what I wanted for myself. I wanted more and I felt I deserved more. But how can wealth be achieved when I haven’t seen anyone around me rise up beyond our level?

Fast forward a few years and i have been able to work with people with wealth, I came to realize wealth is further solidified through networks. I have seen a few young people who were able to gain internships at highly reputable companies. The young people were able to gain tremendous experience and access to decision makers. Even though these companies did not pay much, money was not a factor since their families had the means to cover their school tuition and expenses. Furthermore, those young people grew up with wealth around them and the wealth was attained by adults who were judges, lawyers, doctors,engineers and business owners. Growing up in that environment, being successful is a part of your reality and it is seen as normal. When I’m in those environments, I can see how success as being very accessible.

Was the vehicle for wealth through an education, hard work and creating opportunities? Many working class people work very hard for many hours with only slight progression in life. Yet there are people with little to no education, equipped with only a dream and determination who are able to lead lives beyond most of our wildest dreams?

One of the factors impeding the journey to success is our fears. Fear is a reaction to a deep seated emotion. Fear is also a feeling that can be passed down from generation to generation. In 2013, neuroscientists from Emory University School of Medicine published a cherry blossom experiment with mice. The mice were taught to be afraid of cherry blossoms. When the mice give birth, long after the training to place. the progeny also had a fear of cherry blossoms. The mere scent alone caused fear. This fear can be carried on for multiple generations.

Co-author of the study Brian Dias explains:

“Knowing how ancestral experiences influence descendant generations will allow us to understand more about the development of neuropsychiatric disorders that have a transgenerational basis.”

If your foreparents faced traumatic events such as famine, the Holocaust, 911 or slavery, fears experienced by those present inadvertently passed down the inherent fears from generation to generation. This is fear is known as epigenetic inheritance. This can account for one of your blockages regarding success and it’s attainability.

If your foreparents experienced trauma, anxiety or stress dealing with money, such feelings could have been easily passed down to you. Thus, whenever you think of achieving something you really want, self-doubt and intense negative emotions can surface. In fact, it may be so debilitating you would rather live a life of ‘normalcy’ rather than pursuit your true dream. I know this experience first hand. Within my life, whenever I tried to strike out on my own,my self-doubt would become intense despite the fact my intuition believes strongly about what I am pursuing. In the past, I ended up doing things that would sabotage instead of supporting my success. One would say that I had a fear of success. Quite the contraire. It was factors passed down generation to generation which taught me that standing out is not a positive thing, was where my self-doubt derived. Only when I understood the source of fear did I start to understand the source of my triggers. By creating a strong visual map for my success, recreating my life’s narrative, followed up with daily affirmations, I have been able to confront and address my fears.

As you work to identify your triggers that activate your fears, you can slowly reintroduce the principles to reprogram your mind. Visualization techniques and affirmations can help to overcome negative thoughts and self-doubt. Once positive habits are developed and introduced to your daily routine you will be able to contain your fears and steer your path towards success in order to live the life you always dreamed of living.