The Brutal Truth Between the Rich and the Poor
Most People Will Never Know About
Have you ever felt trapped in an endless cycle of waking up, going to work, getting paychecks, and paying bills?
Or missed a birthday, a wedding, a family trip — just because you had to work?
Or maybe you have to think twice every time you want to buy something, always checking your balance before you can actually enjoy anything.
And you absolutely have no time or any freedom to pursue the things you actually want.
If this sounds like you, you are poor.
The conventional path that 90% of the population takes is to get a degree, find a job, trade time for money, and work for 40 years until you’re old.
And if you’re lucky, still healthy, and have a bit of money saved up, you can finally enjoy your life for a few more years until you end up dead at some point.
If you think this is fine, you should just stop reading here, this newsletter can’t save you.
If you find this ridiculous and unacceptable, keep on reading.
What I’m trying to say is, the road that most people take — This job-focused path will never make you truly rich and happy.
True wealth is financial freedom, control over your time and the ability to pursue your dreams.
And in order to do that you need to understand the differences between the poor and the rich.
It is not about how much money they earn — It is about the differences in their mindset, decision-making, behaviors, and lifestyles.
How being Poor Limits Your Life
To reiterate, focusing on a job will not make you rich.
Sure you may not starve to death, you still have a roof over your head, you still have money, but you will never be truly free.
You still have to always think twice before paying for anything. You have to live frugally just to save money. You have to say “no” because you can’t spend money.
For me that means not being able to pay for dates like a real man, wanting to travel but not being able to, wanting nice clothes and good meals but not affording them, wanting to join social activities or just go out with friends, but not being able to — All because I don’t have enough money.
Having to save money all the time means you can’t afford anything above the bare minimum — It means:
Worse healthcare
A worse home, in a worse neighborhood
Cheaper, lower quality food
Outdated or broken-down belongings you can’t afford to replace
And this gets even harder if you have a family to provide for.
It also means you can’t invest in your future — no money for better education, no acting on a great idea, no jumping on an investment opportunity when it strikes.
Combine that with the “Scarcity Mindset” you’ve developed from years of living as a penny-pincher, and you’ll never be able to grow and reach your full potential.
Not being financially free and independent means you’re forced to take jobs you don’t like, work with people you hate, and stay trapped in an endless cycle of work — just because you need the money.
Being dependent on a job ultimately means sacrificing your personal well-being and family time just to make ends meet.
You’ve probably heard the story of someone whose boss refused to let them go to their kid’s birthday, or someone forced to work overtime doing things they absolutely despise .
Or like my mom, who couldn’t fly back to Vietnam when my grandpa got sick and …. tragically, he passed away before she could see him one last time….
Working a job means trading 5 days a week for 2 days off, 11 months a year for 1 month of vacation, often even less. And for what? A lifetime of work until you eventually die? That’s bullshit.
Sadly, most people don’t even see this — including my own parents. Growing up, it hurt me so much watching them work their entire lives with no time left to enjoy any of it — while still struggling and stressing about money the whole time.
Not being financially free means you can’t pursue your interests and dreams, it means living a life of basic standards, it means your growth is limited, it means staying trapped in a job you hate — one that drains your well-being and your precious time.
The emotional stress is even worse than the financial stress itself — it’s the shitty feeling every time you have to say ‘I can’t,’ the quiet shame of feeling like you’re failing the people who depend on you, the helplessness of watching your parents struggle without being able to do anything about it, and watching opportunities pass you by knowing there’s nothing you can do.
And on top of all that, the constant stress and anxiety over money keeps you from ever being present — stealing what little joy you have left
And I don’t want any of that — Neither do you.
What True Wealth Really Buys You
Imagine being able to wake up daily with no alarm, spending mornings with your loved ones, then work on projects you enjoy.
Or taking month-long family trips, while managing your automated systems remotely.
Or go for a night out, buy that outfit you just saw online, book a last-minute trip, try that expensive restaurant you’ve been eyeing, or just do anything spontaneously — simply because you feel like it.
Doesn’t that sound so wonderful.
Being wealthy is more than about just having money.
Being financially free means you can do whatever you want, buy anything you want, and travel anywhere you want, whenever you want — without ever having to worry about money. It means you can simply be in the moment and enjoy life to its fullest, free of financial constraint or stress.
You’ll have the time and freedom to do things that matter to you, work on things you love, and pursue your personal hobbies and interests — because you genuinely want to, not because you need to make money from them.
With money, you can improve your health and living standards, pay for education that fuels your personal growth, and seize financial opportunities as they come your way.
If being a philanthropist and making the world a better place is what you care about, now you can. With the resources available, you can give generously to causes you care about and impact millions of lives — creating a lasting legacy of your own.
Perhaps most important of all, you’ll be able to spend precious time with your family and friends, and support them whenever they need it.
To sum it up, by becoming wealthy, you can:
Eliminate financial stress and gain peace of mind
Gain complete financial freedom and independence
Pursue continuous personal growth and experiences that enrich life
Control your time and schedule completely
Retire early and in optimal health, not just when you’re old and tired
The Blueprint of Wealth: Mindset, Decisions, Behaviors, Lifestyle
Being rich is not about how much you earn, but how you think, decide, act, and live.
—Me
This is why if you have rich parents, chances are you’re going to be rich as well — because they passed on the blueprint of wealth to you while you were still a kid. And that blueprint is what helps you become and stay rich for the rest of your life.
But if you’re like me and come from a working-class family, you have to figure all of that out by yourself.
That’s exactly what this blueprint is for. It consists of 4 components:
Mindset
There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.
—Napoleon Hill
You’ve probably heard something like “your mindset sets your ceiling” — and it’s 100% true. If you don’t believe you can succeed, you’ve already lost the battle.
Everything you do, every decision you make, every way you live — it all starts with your mindset.
Decision Making
You are exactly where you decide to be. And if that’s unhappiness, you need to start making better choices.
— MJ Demarco
Behavior
Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.
— Napoleon Hill
Lifestyle
The idea of living in the rat race for fifty years must be more painful than working your ass off to escape it. You can have mediocre comfort now or meteoric comfort later.
— MJ Demarco
The traditional path of going to school, getting a degree and working for 50 years is absolutely ridiculous.
You should only have to work hard and live frugally for some years to create wealth, not for the rest of your life.
The Choice Is Yours: Which Path Will You Take?
Wealth is a process, not an event.
— MJ Demarco
True wealth is a lifelong process driven by a shift in mindset, decision-making, behaviors, and lifestyle — moving from consuming to producing, from being a victim to taking control, from procrastinating to acting with urgency, from accepting the lifelong rat race to building a system that generates money for you.
Go through the tables above and ask yourself honestly — which side do you stand on?
By being honest with yourself, recognizing where you’re lacking, and committing to improve, you can start adopting the ‘rich’ distinctions and become truly wealthy.
And being wealthy isn’t just about having a lot of money — it’s about achieving freedom, impact, and a life well-lived.
You are as you have chosen — Your current life is the result of every choice you’ve made up to this moment.
And if you’re unhappy with it, good — That means you’re ready to change. You have the power to build a better life, starting with the choices you make from today.
The good news is there are more opportunities to get rich now than ever before — with AI, the internet, and social media, everything you need is already in the palm of your hand. You just need to act.
With that being said I’ll leave you with a final quote from the great Naval.
The Internet enables eight billion monopolies.
— Naval
Thank you for reading, and see you in the next one.
— Kien
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