How Does The Rich Version Of You Behave?

There’s this common idea that money changes people.

To an extent, I agree.

What I’ve come to believe is that money amplifies who you really are.

• If you’re generous, money gives you more room to be generous.
• If you’re curious, money buys you time to explore.
• If you’re disciplined, money compounds that discipline.

But there’s a counterpoint to this that I don’t hear discussed nearly enough.

A lack of money does the exact opposite.

It doesn’t just limit your options. It suppresses your personality.

A few years ago, I attended a week-long event surrounded by high-level entrepreneurs. On paper, it was exactly where I wanted to be.

Yet during and after the event, I received a few comments that stuck with me.

People said I seemed tense. Distracted. Not fully present.

What no one knew was that I was going through a rough financial period at the time.

I had overextended myself. I was carrying debt. My savings were thinner than I was comfortable with.

Even though I was physically present at the event, my mind couldn’t detach. I was stressed. Still thinking about runway and obligations.

Looking back, the tension people noticed wasn’t my personality.

It was the absence of it.

Through self-reflection and by observing others over time, I’ve noticed a clear pattern.

When someone is constantly preoccupied with survival-level concerns, there’s almost no room left for presence, creativity or enjoyment.

You don’t show up as yourself.

Learning to operate under pressure is a skill in and of itself, but many behaviors we attribute to “who we are” are actually stress responses.

That’s why I’ve come to see financial independence as more than freedom or lifestyle upgrades.

It’s clarity.

You don’t truly know how you think, act or relate to others until that background noise is removed.

Sometimes I ask myself questions like:

If I had $30M in the bank right now, how would I behave today?

What decisions would I make?

Would I speak differently?

Would I structure my day differently?

When I look honestly, nearly every problem I’ve encountered in my life could be improved or removed entirely with enough money.

Which is why, for most people, the version of themselves they identify with is a stress-adapted version.

It’s similar to being in constant physical pain. Over time, you adapt to it.

It becomes normal. That doesn’t mean you’re okay.

It just means you’ve learned to live with it.

Humans are remarkably good at adapting.

It might be that the most important reason to get your finances under control isn’t for what you’ll buy.

It’s to finally meet yourself.