Being 'ok' is more dangerous than being broke.

I got good at making money not because I wanted to get rich.

I did it as when I was broke I felt powerless.

And when I was doing ok I didn’t feel much of anything at all.

One moment sticks in my mind.

It was a cold Thursday in London. The year was 2004.

Months after arriving and finding jobs I was only bumping along.

I was being paid on Monday.

But when I checked the bank account there was £21 in there.

I had a little food in the fridge but not much else.

I vividly remember feeling helpless.

After growing up in comfort, being poor was a new experience.

I felt similar in the early days of my own business when I had a ‘surprise’ $42k tax bill that cleaned me out.

And when I had to pay for a commitment I had made on 3 different credit cards.

and many such other occasions.

Broke.

Talk to anyone with money and they will speak to some version of this fact.

That it’s not really about getting rich.

It’s much more about not being broke.

When you have no resources you are powerless.

Powerless is only a single step away from helpless.

Even when you are just doing ok you are one event away from being less than ok.

I spent many years being ok.

Until I realised that being ok was more dangerous than being broke.

One small thing that sets you back and drags your power away from you.

One step from anything is a danger zone.

Being ok is more dangerous than being broke.

At least when you’re broke you know you are and can do something about it.

Ok is an illusion of security.

I could still lose it all but there would have to be a series of catastrophic events for it to happen.

I prefer to play games with the best odds.

Society has put weird and conflicting ideas around money into your head.

Where people with money are seemingly better than people without it while people with ‘too much’ money are immoral demons.

Someone with money is simply more steps away from being powerless than someone doing ok. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I’ll also tell you a secret.

Being not broke is far more motivating than being rich.

I don’t really have to do anything but I choose to do everything in my power not to be powerless.