The Silent Wounds of Poverty

Being raised in poverty affects you in ways most people will never be able to relate to. Worrying about money, the stress within the home, and knowing your parents are making sacrifices to keep the lights on can leave invisible scars on your mind and spirit. You learn what struggle looks like and how to make do, and this knowledge can sometimes be a gift and a curse.

When you see your parents struggling or getting stressed out about bills, working multiple jobs to get by, or bickering about money, you learn to either fight for a better situation or, sadly, accept struggle as usual. And if you don’t work on breaking these patterns, it’s easy to replicate the behaviors you grew up with. Many people don’t realize how much financial struggle permeates their habits, choices, and mindset.

When it comes to financial struggle, it’s not just about lacking money. Growing up without financial resources leads to a constant worry about never having enough, a scarcity mindset, and various forms of psychological trauma. Sometimes, this insufficiency mindset can be so deeply ingrained that even when you start to earn more money, you still live in fear of losing, wasting, or lacking it. When you think about changing circumstances, it’s not just about finding a better job; it’s about transforming your entire perspective on money, security, and what is possible for your life.

To break the cycle of poverty, you must have the strength to transcend your environment. It is not easy to walk away from individuals, friends, and family, as well as the habits that keep you trapped in your upbringing. However, you must realize that if indeed you are with individuals who have no dreams, no goals, and no standards for themselves, they will drag you down too. Regardless of anything you say, you cannot help but convert to the very thinking of those you spend your time with.

It is all well and fine to spend time with no intention or designated purpose, whether it is talking about what everyone is doing, wasting hours lying around watching TV or old movies, or wasting your life in ways that you hate to imagine. You may think it is good company and all you have the energy for in that moment, but in the long run your future will pay for it.

You are not being selfish when you separate from people who do not require more from themselves; rather, it is self-preservation. If your circle of people does not discuss building businesses, investing, saving, or acquiring proper knowledge, you do not have a circle; you have a trap.

Be ruthless about your goals; protect your time and your peace of mind. Find individuals who will challenge your thinking, individuals who inspire you to grow, and individuals who are living proof that there is an alternative way of life. Read books, learn things, and do risky things that get you outside of where you think you are in life.

Breaking the cycle of poverty transcends merely increasing one’s income from employment; it encompasses a fundamental reconditioning of one’s mindset to unequivocally reject anything less than what is deserved. Yes, the journey is tough, and solitude can often be a part of it. Still, every lonely night and every misstep we take in the pursuit of freedom, stability, and opportunity will be worth it in the end.

Remember this. It is easy to stay stuck; it is a choice to break that cycle—a choice you must make over and over again until your life story is not a struggle.