There’s a Brian Tracy quote that slapped me across the face years ago:
“Today, the greatest single source of wealth is between your ears.”
At first, I thought he meant intelligence. Or degrees. Or some magic IQ score that only billionaires seem to have access to.
Nope.
He meant mindset — the way you see your life before your life ever changes.
And for me? That quote hit at the exact moment my career stopped feeling like a calling and started feeling like an endless Zoom call with no “Leave Meeting” button.
I had a good job. Good coworkers. Good benefits.
But my creative flame was turning into a flickering Dollar Store candle.
Between the commute, the responsibilities, and the math that never matched the paycheck, the fantasy life in my head and the real life on my calendar weren’t even on speaking terms.
You ever been there?
That quiet tug that says, “There has to be more than this…”
while your rational brain says, “Girl, be grateful — you have a stable job”?
Same tug happened to me.
The Mental Shift That Changed Everything
I was reading “How Rich People Think” by Steve Siebold when I stumbled on the line:
“If you want to be a millionaire, learn from someone who’s done it.”
Simple. Obvious. And yet…
I was learning from people who were just surviving.
No shame — I was them.
But I wanted to thrive.
That’s when the “middle-class mindset” — the one focused on food, shelter, transportation, taxes, repeat — started dissolving.
Poof.
I realized wealthy people weren’t smarter than I was.
They were running different software.
- They used creativity instead of overtime.
- They used systems instead of stress.
- They built assets instead of excuses.
- They treated time like currency — not something to dump into a job forever.
And suddenly… the world-class mindset made sense.
Your Mind Is a Million-Dollar Neighborhood (Even If Your Bank Account Disagrees)
Here’s the truth I wish I learned sooner:
You don’t earn more after you change your life.
You earn more after you change your thinking.
A new mental model creates:
- More action
- Better options
- New connections
- Confidence
- Creativity
- The ability to say “no” to what drains you
- The ability to say “yes” to what frees you
Most people don’t need more discipline.
They need permission to think bigger.
What Changed When I Upgraded My Thinking
Leaving my “good” government job turned out to be the easiest part.
The hard part was admitting I wanted a life with:
- Time freedom
- Creative freedom
- The ability to help people on my own terms
- Income that didn’t require my physical presence
Once my mindset shifted, everything else lined up like dominoes:
- I learned simple online skills
- I launched a side hustle
- I built income streams
- I reconnected with joy
And the smiling, energized version of me came back
Now I help people who are still grinding the 9–5 discover their own mental upgrades — because you’re always one thought away from a new chapter.
If You’re Feeling the Tug… Pay Attention
Your future self is tapping you on the shoulder, saying:
“Hey… you.
There’s more.”
And the good news?
Mindset upgrades are free.
You can start today.
You have to choose the lifestyle you want in your head over the limitations of your habits.
So the question becomes:
Are you one shift away from becoming the best version of you?
If you’re curious where to start, sample this quick read, “All the Time Happiness.”
Charles Mui (Author), at Amazon; Get the book or the Audible version. It’s a great motivator — happy to share.
Let’s all grow the real estate that matters.
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