The Best Psychological Trick To Boost Your Wealth Beyond Belief

Believing you deserve to be rich is one of the most powerful psychological tricks to boost your wealth. With trillions of dollars circulating in the world, you have to ask yourself: Why not me too?

Think about the knuckleheads you grew up with—people no smarter or harder working than you—who somehow ended up making vast fortunes. The difference? They took calculated risks and gave themselves permission to try. Remember who they are and say it again: Why not me too?

The words you say to yourself carry real power. All the self-doubt—I’m not good enough, not smart enough, not likable enough, not connected enough—sabotages your potential. Your body can’t distinguish between real and imagined limitations. Fill your mind with negativity, and you’ll defeat yourself before you even begin.

Anyone who plays competitive sports, launches a business, or takes on any high-stakes challenge understands the importance of mindset. Your beliefs will either act as a tailwind or a headwind to your success.

The Best Psychological Trick I Use To Build More Wealth

Here’s the psychological trick that has motivated me to keep grinding—even after retiring in 2012 with $3 million. I could have twiddled my thumbs and done nothing. Especially as my wealth grew with the bull market, I had every reason to kick back. But instead, I chose to:

Many readers thought I was crazy, especially during my Uber driving phase. Newer readers simply thought I was lying. What kind of bozo drives strangers around at 6 a.m. for $18/hour when he could be sleeping in, letting passive income work for him?

But I enjoyed it—getting out of the house early, chatting with strangers. It felt like playing the lottery with each new passenger. Was I going to get a lovely person who would share with me their hopes or dreams? Or would I get a hungover grump who vomits in my car? So fun!

Working For Near Minimum Wage Keeps You Grounded

Driving for Uber was humbling. It forced me to relive the embarrassment I felt as a teenager working at McDonald’s when classmates walked in and saw me behind the register. Instead of saying hi, I’d slip to the back to make apple pies so they wouldn’t see me.

Looking back, I’ve always felt ashamed of that moment. At 15, I should’ve been proud I was earning money to buy what I wanted, not just asking my parents for an allowance. So years later, when I picked up an old finance client of mine as an Uber driver, I faced those lingering feelings head-on. I took him where he needed to go, and in doing so, found a sense of closure I didn’t know I needed.

Deep down, I knew $3 million wasn’t enough to stay unemployed forever—especially if I wanted to raise a family and remain in expensive places like San Francisco or Honolulu. So I told myself an additional phrase that fueled my drive:

“Everybody I know is richer than me. Why can’t I be rich too?”

The Additional Phrase Made All the Pyschological Difference

Mathematically, I know not everyone is richer than me or you. But I’ve found that combining these two phrases—“Everybody I know is richer than me” and “Why can’t I be rich too?”—creates the ultimate combo for belief and motivation.

Think of these phrases as counterforces that work together to propel you forward on your wealth-building journey.

“Everybody I know is richer than me” can trigger a sense of inferiority. That sting? It lights a fire. It motivates you to take action, to catch up, to close the gap. At the same time, the phrase keeps you grounded. It reminds you that there’s always someone doing better—so stay humble.

And humility is crucial.

Humility prevents you from confusing luck with skill. Without it, you might start believing you’re an investing genius—when in fact, you were just riding a bull market. You might even get cocky, buy stocks on margin, and lose everything.

Without humility, you might think you’re an exceptional employee or a brilliant entrepreneur—when really, you were born into wealth with connections that cleared your path long before you started walking.

So yes, the phrase can be powerful, but be careful. Don’t let it crush your hope or paralyze you into inaction.

That’s where the second phrase comes in: “Why can’t I be rich too?”

This is the one that lifts you up. It affirms your self-worth. It reinforces the belief that if you work hard, take smart risks, and live with intention, you too can achieve financial success.

As a thoughtful, kind, and driven person, you deserve good things. So let this phrase remind you that building wealth is inevitable for someone like you.

Most People Actually Believe They Are Poorer Than They Really Are

The beauty of the phrase “Everybody I know is richer than me” is that you probably already believe this unconsciously.

In fact, there’s academic research to support this feeling. An economics article published by MIT titled “Richer (and Holier) Than Thou?” shows that most people misperceive their position in the income distribution—they tend to believe they are poorer than they actually are.

If survey participants were unbiased, their perceived and actual income rank would align closely along a straight line. But as the chart in the article shows, most people place themselves lower than where they truly are. We are all middle class, whether we truly are or not.

Hooray for widespread underestimation!

Given that most people believe they’re poorer than they actually are, all they have to do is consciously repeat this narrative—either out loud or in their heads—to help make it feel real. When paired with the phrase “Why can’t I be rich too?”, this mindset can activate their motivation muscle and spark action.

Try it every day for a month and watch yourself transform!

It’s Easy To Convince Yourself Of Anything

Since graduating from The College of William & Mary, I’ve only lived in two cities: New York City and San Francisco. As a result, I have no problem feeling poorer than others. These two cities have the highest concentration of millionaires, centi-millionaires, and billionaires in America.

For inspiration, I often drive or jog through the wealthiest parts of San Francisco to marvel at the $50+ million mansions. Every owner either founded a company, was a CEO, or had parents who did. Their wealth is almost unfathomable.

I ended up reading about how they built their fortunes and tried to incorporate some of their best practices into my own habits and entrepreneurial efforts. One thing became clear: the only thing we can fully control is our work ethic.

Many of these founders and CEOs worked 16-hour days for years, sacrificing everything to realize their vision. They would laugh at the idea of people who work 40 hours a week and complain why they can’t get ahead. It was incredibly motivating.

And yet, if they stepped outside their homes for a walk, they were just like the rest of us. They breathed the same air, got soaked by the same rain, and had to look both ways before crossing the street. They still had to use the bathroom (hopefuly with a Toto Washlet). Their kids still threw tantrums and tested their patience.

That’s when I saw the “Why not me too?” in action.

Examples of Self-Belief in Different Forms

The “Everybody is richer than me. Why can’t I be rich too?” psychological trick applies across many areas of life. Here are some personal examples of how this mindset has helped me push forward, even when doors were closed.

1) Overcoming Rejection From Tech Companies In 2012

After being rejected or ignored by every single tech company I applied to in 2012—part of the process to qualify for unemployment benefits—I asked myself, “Why don’t I deserve a job at one of these companies too? I’m just as smart and hardworking.” But instead of continuing to apply once my unemployment benefits ran out, I decided to enjoy retirement and buy their stock instead.

I turned rejection into opportunity by making the people who ignored me work for me instead. Thirteen years later, my investments in companies like Google, Apple, Meta, Tesla, and Netflix have performed extremely well. And the fact that I didn’t have to grind away at these tech firms to earn a solid return makes the outcome feel even more special.

In addition, those rejections motivated me to build the best personal site I possibly could one that has become an incredible source of joy and purpose in my post-work life.

2) Getting Involved in AI in 2024

After reaching out to several private AI companies in 2023 and 2024, I realized I had no real shot of getting hired. Anthropic even implied I was too old! Still, I told myself again, “Why don’t I deserve a seat on an AI rocketship too?”

To avoid getting left behind, I partnered with Fundrise and invested $153,000 into their venture product in July 2024, which holds stakes in private AI firms—including Anthropic, OpenAI, Databricks, and Anduril. Now, private AI employees work for me too. I wish I had invested more, but that was almost all the cash I could muster up at the time.

My hope is that in 10 years, I’ll feel the same way about my current private AI investments as I do about the public tech stocks I bought back in 2012. The reality is, at 47, I no longer want to trade my time for money so I’m happy being a AI reject.

3) Making A National Best Seller List

Once I learned that ~350,000 traditionally published books come out each year—and another ~1.7 million are self-published—I realized making Millionaire Milestones a national bestseller was a long shot. With only 150 spots on the USA Today Bestseller list across all genres, my odds were about 0.04%, or 1 in 2,500. Without working for a major publication or financial organization, I was at a huge disadvantage.

But again, I told myself, “Why not me too? I made the WSJ Bestseller list with Buy This Not That.” To try and beat the odds, I wrote dozens of articles and newsletters, went on podcasts, came up with a 1X1 consulting promotion, sent out hundreds of signed bookplates, and am hosting a fireside chat on May 21 for those who pick up a hard copy of MM beforehand.

Lo and behold, when the USA Today National Bestseller list came out on May 14, 2025, Millionaire Milestones: Simple Steps To Seven Figures didn’t just squeak in—it landed at lucky #21 and in the top 10 for non-fiction! That’s nuts for a stay-at-home dad who isn’t constantly out there in the public eye. Thank you all for your support!

Don’t Get Dejected—Get Motivated Instead

I understand that coming to a personal finance site like Financial Samurai and reading articles like The Average Net Worth For The Above Average Person might feel discouraging if you’re not yet close to the benchmarks. I also get that reading about households with $20 million net worths might make you want to throw your hands up and give up.

But I challenge you to get inspired instead.

Countless people—just like you—are building far more wealth than they ever thought possible. Sure, luck often plays a role in achieving outsized wealth. But most of these individuals started just like you: students from middle-class families attending public schools, wondering what their future might hold.

We all come from different backgrounds. Some of us are minorities who’ve had to push through discrimination and unconscious biases just to get a chance. Others live with disabilities or health issues that make it harder to see, process, or interact with the world. And some come from broken homes with very little financial support, yet still work like hell to break through.

We adapt. We leverage technology. We push forward and keep going. Even if we don’t hit a stretch financial goal by a certain age, we’ll still end up building far more wealth than if we had never tried at all.

So say it out loud: “Everybody I know is richer than me. Why can’t I be rich too?”

Let that question fuel your drive. May fortune shine on your future.

What psychological strategies or phrases do you use to build more wealth for yourself and your family? How important do you think having a positive money mindset is in achieving financial independence? And why do we cling to limiting beliefs when there’s so much abundance in the world waiting to be claimed?

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