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There’s an untold variable that plays a key role in creating wealth that most people are not aware of at all. In fact, the common myths about building wealth obliterate this variable so completely that very few people know about it. And to make matters worse, it is not a variable that can be very easily communicated. In fact, as I begin this piece, I have to admit that I do not know how to state it succinctly let alone in a compelling way. Perhaps that’s because of the content of this secret principle of wealth creation. But I will give it a go and let you be the judge.

I’ll begin by seeing if I can put most of it in a singular paragraph. This secret principle of wealth creation and success in general involves—

Using the power of compensation so that you develop a stubborn resolve that has so much steel and commitment within it that you experience as it were an immunization to failure that makes you so undefeatable that no matter what the odds, you succeed anyway. From this you develop a resolve made of steel so that you develop such a powerful will-to-win that you out-perform against all odds and persist until you do.

Whew! That was a mouthful. Did you get all of that? To give this some embodiment, think about Lance Armstrong. While he was a good cyclist, and a committed athlete, there was something about facing a life-threatening disease that evoked something within him that then became the winning factor.

But I’m not finished. There’s something else in this secret. To identify that we have to ask the probing question, What calls forth this kind of resolve of steel that makes the difference? And the answer is one that you won’t like. At least, I don’t like it.

What calls forth a resolve of steel in people and becomes the catalyst for an undefeatable spirit is typically a humiliation, defeat, adversity, or conflict. It is usually something unpleasant, distressful, challenging, disappointing, even painful. More typical than not, it is precisely something along a path that we don’t want to travel.

See, I told you that you wouldn’t like it. Was I right? So, what exactly am I talking about? Well, in The Millionaire Mind, researcher of the rich, Stanley Thomas exposes several of the myths of wealth creation and among them is that those who became the first-generation self-made millionaires were not the whiz kids at school, not those voted “most likely to succeed,” not those with the highest grades or IQ tests. Only 2% of those with the Millionaire mind scored high scholastically. The majority were “C” grade students and “… they are more likely to have one or more components of inferiority in their self-image.” (p. 88).

He found them self-depreciating and that

“… during their formative years, some authority figure such as a teacher, parent, guidance counselor, employer, or aptitude testing organization told them, You are not intellectually gifted. … They were degraded by someone or something during their formative years … [They] responded by over-working and eventually out-performing the so-called intellectually gifted.” (p. 88, 89)

What’s the point?

“In the real world, who succeeds? People who have built up immunity to pain.”

“Questioning the norm, the status quo, and authority are hall-marks of the thinking of self-made millionaires and those destined to become affluent.” (92)

So they compensated and developed a strong work ethic (99). Facing various obstacles or handicaps, they compensated for their deficiencies.

“… most self-made millionaires were confronted with one or more significant obstacles in their life. … Our self-made millionaires chose another path than accepting the negative evaluations by some authority figure], they discredit the authority figure who attempt to degrade them … They had the insight, courage, and audacity to challenge the assessments.” (101)

Underline those words, “insight, courage, and audacity to challenge.” They are the ingredients of the kind of tenacity that enabled them to “fight and compete for important goals” (106). As steel cannot be hardened unless it’s hammered,

“… it’s no different with people. Self-made millionaires report that degrading evaluations and comments by certain authority figures played a role in their ultimate success in life. Hammering built the antibodies they needed to deflect criticisms, and temper their resolve.” (102)

“Adversity is essential in bringing out the best in people. Some call it character.” (108)

Have you ever heard about this secret ingredient of success? And what specifically is it? We are talking about the steel resolve to fight for important goals and to not expect it as an entitlement or as a natural consequence of intelligence or inheritance, not to look for a panacea or easy path to quick riches. We’re talking about the stubbornness to compensate, to learn to play the game with whatever handicaps one starts with, and to nurture such courage that one fights against all odds. Somehow it is in the very process of overcoming problems, labels, the odds, humiliations, and challenges that strengthens a person from the inside out. It is like adding titanium to steel—that very process makes steel many times strong than it is alone.

“Life is not one short race—it is a marathon of marathons. Labels come and go. If you believe that you can succeed in life in spite of degrading labels that predict your failure, you are likely to win most of the marathon. This is the common experience among millionaires. The large majority report that at some point or points in their lives they were labeled inferior, average, or mediocre, but they did not allow critics to forecast their future achievements, and they overcome their label of so-called inferiority.” (98)

Have you ever had a process that was like the forging and hammering of steel? Like adding titanium to steel to create a steel resolve about something? Those are the kinds of experiences that make and/or break people. It’s from that kind of furnace that self-discipline, courage, commitment, and passion arises. It puts a fire in one’s belly that makes one ready to take on the impossible challenges. In this, we see why over-protection and over-cuddling creates a softness that leaves one unprepared for life and unwilling to devote the necessary effort.

It is the disciplined person who takes charge of his or her life and assumes complete responsibility for the results one gets and for succeeding in one’s specific area. As such, a disciplined person is not easily side-tracked, not given to self-indulgence, and doesn’t expect a path of roses.

“If you lack discipline, the chances of your ever accumulating wealth are very, very small. … A person with self-discipline possesses an internal compass, a control and navigation system. … To become wealth one must be disciplined in thought and deed, disciplined enough to search for great economic opportunities.” (85)

Now you know another wealth creation secret. What you may not know is that this is a complex meta-state comprised of numerous ingredients and that in Meta-States we have a process for putting them together, shaking well, and baking until we create a batch of a new gestalt state. Today, we know how to generate such rich gestalt states, states made of a titanium enriched steel resolve, without having to put people through painful experiences and how to convert painful experiences into a rich core. And, in fact, that in part is what Mastering Your Wealth Matrix is about.

Author: L. Michael Hall is a psychologist, entrepreneur, runner, writer, researcher, modeler, and many other things who lives in the Rocky Mountains and travels all over the world. www.neurosemantics.com P.O. Box 8, Clifton, CO. 81520 USA