Have you ever wondered why people who live a lavish lifestyle often seem to earn more than those who are more conservative?
Do you know someone who, from the very beginning, set a certain standard of living, and instead of falling, has maintained it or even risen to an even higher status?
Back in my university days, I had a coursemate whose room was so beautifully furnished that we loved visiting him, watching movies on cassette tapes, lounging on luxurious rugs, and simply enjoying the comfort his space offered. He set that standard from the beginning and even today, he’s still thriving, living a big life.
This is because money doesn’t respond to how hard you try. It responds to who you believe you are, your IDENTITY.
Usually, the outcome is not only in the effort, but it’s also what you assume is normal for you.
Most of us were taught that if we just work hard enough, money will eventually notice. That effort equals reward. So we try harder, push more, burn ourselves out… and then quietly wonder why nothing really changes.
It is the identity we create within. The constant thought that says…
I don’t think I can go beyond this.
I’m just not someone money sticks to.
I have to struggle for everything.
I can’t relax or I’ll lose it all.
These don’t feel like beliefs. They feel like facts. So we don’t question them, we live from them. And money, very obediently, matches that story.
Wealth isn’t created by trying harder from the same place. It’s created when your sense of self shifts. When your identity aligns with your beliefs.
If you believe money is fragile, you’ll hold it tightly or lose it quickly.
If you believe money comes with stress, every dime will feel heavy.
If you believe you’re only meant to have ‘just enough,’ you’ll always hover right there, no matter how much effort you put in.
The shift usually doesn’t look dramatic. It’s quiet. Internal and an identity created within.
Dear Young One, stop being someone who’s always bracing for the next expense.
Stop feeling guilty for wanting more ease.
Stop limiting yourself, your thoughts and your expectations, your sense of what’s possible.
When you do these, your behavior changes without being forced.
And gradually, you make different choices. You tolerate less chaos. You notice opportunities you used to overlook. You stop chasing money and start relating to it differently.
With that, your identity changes. Strangely, life responds.
Not because you manifested something perfectly, but because you’re no longer showing up as someone who believes they have to struggle to survive.
Money doesn’t need you to become someone else. It needs you to stop living as the version of you who expects limitation.
When who you are (IDENTITY) changes, reality doesn’t argue.
It adjusts.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
