Overcoming Generational Poverty-->

I’ve spent most of my life with one major goal. That goal is to not be subject to the same poverty I grew up under. There are boundless opportunities for those who are resourceful and have a willingness to succeed. However, when you grow up being poor there are some major obstacles you have to overcome. It really seems simple when you point out what the things you have to overcome are. But actually overcoming a sense of self-limitation and belief in lack that one has engrained in their mind and spirit is very, very difficult.

The primary difference between poor and wealthy families is that wealthy families and their children feel like they deserve wealth. They feel entitlled to wealth and thus attract wealth in their life. I remember growing up and thinking that there was a core limitation to what I could achieve because we didn’t have enough and because I wasn’t worthy. Every time we would get some money my mom would spend it quickly like someone was going to take it from us if we didn’t. There was no concept of saving or investment. There was no theory of wealth and really no feasible way back then that it could be achieved. The only thought of exceeding the circumstances of poverty was the possibility that I could finish school and get a grant or loan to go to school where I could get a degree and then provide a better future than my mother had built. Of course I had no love for school and that turned out to not be in my future but that’s been went over in other posts. The only other way we could escape poverty was if my mother magically won the lottery or some new work-at-home scheme she had bought in to started to work.

My mother had 2 jobs most of the time when I was growing up so she could provide for us. We lived with my grandmother during my entire youth. There were a few times where we were so poor we had to accept handouts for both food and clothing. I remember and now regret being embarrassed that my mother was using food stamps. I walked out of the grocery store because I was embarrassed we had to get help and i didn’t want anybody to know. I understand I could have been way worse off. I could have lived in a country that didn’t have such assistance where we could have starved. So, I understand that by our standards we were poor but by the standards of the world we weren’t bad off. However, event the taste of poverty I had was far more than enough.

I promised myself I nor my children would ever be subject to those circumstances. I also promised myself that I would do things on my terms throughout my life. Sometimes these promises have contradicted one another and i have had to live life on other people’s terms in order to not live in poverty. I’ve had some rough times in my career where I wasn’t sure how I was going to eat or where my next dollar for my power bill was coming from but mostly I’ve been blessed. There are still things I struggle with. Overcoming generational poverty is overcoming something you are raised with when you grow up poor. Some of the things you have to overcome are:

1. Self-worth - Growing up poor you sometimes start to believe that you are worth less and have less potential. You have the same potential as anyone and must build that sense of self-worth up. If you don’t have a strong sense of self-worth you will have a difficult time because you will be swayed by everyone who pushes you around.


2. There’s not enough - The mindset that there is not enough to go around and/or that you don’t deserve a substantial amount of anything is a hard thing to get past. The world is unlimited and you have to understand that you are always capable and deserving of whatever is out there.


3. Nobody’s gonna eat off your plate - I don’t know if this one was just my family but my mother spent like it was going out of style when we had a little bit more money than normal. I understand she really wanted more for me and wanted to treat me but there was no concept of saving which is still embedded in the way I do things. I am a firm believer that children should learn the concepts of investment and saving as early as possible. I feel that because I didn’t learn this early I’m fighting an uphill battle.


4. We can’t get it now and pay later - This is one is very hard to learn. Credit should be used as little as possible. It’s best to buy only what you have money for. That desire and drive to get what you want will push you to get the money to have it. Don’t get yourself so far in debt you could never escape it. Banks and loan companies don’t want to help you they want to enslave you.


5. You are the one that breaks the cycle - Generational poverty is common. We are very much more likely than not to live under the same circumstances as our parents did. This is true even in the good ole’ USA. If your parents were poor or middle class or wealthy you are likely to fall under the same or similar circumstances. Be unique and be better than your parents… create wealth and opportunity so you and your children can live better. Society as a whole benefits from this.