I have been watching the Netflix series Inventing Anna , a tale of a young woman who "cons" her way into high society by pretending to be a rich heiress. It is based on a true story.

This show depicts everything that is wrong with our beliefs about money. Everyone one wants to "look" rich but nobody wants to actually put in the real work to "be" rich. Being rich entails providing some sort of value to the world equal to or greater than the sum of your fortune. You must gain wealth by providing something valuable to an exceptional number of people, or provide exceptional value to a few. Maybe even both. 

This is REAL wealth. People give you money in exchange for something they find valuable. It is a value for value exchange. Anything other than that is stealing or luck. The universe strives for balance and by upsetting the natural order of things, you are creating the potential for a disaster - the universe will balance itself out. 

This "Anna" person tried to act rich and sponge off of the wealth and privilege of people who actually earned their money. The show is chock full of euphemisms like:

"I would rather work for it than inherit it"

, or

"I vowed to never work for someone else"

..etc. 

Being an heiress is great work of you can get it, but alas, not many of us have that opportunity. The rest of us poor, dumb slobs have to earn it. This is not a bad thing, actually. 

By earning your wealth you gain the most valuable asset there is - the ability to earn more. You can lose it all and get it right back because you have the skills and the know-how to create a fortune. This is true wealth. Being given money is not very effective at eliminating poverty. 

You see the people like Anna or "The Tinder Swindler" (Also on Netflix)  who are "putting on" that they are wealthy, but they always seem to need more money. They never stop the con, because they don't really know where money comes from or how to manage it. They believe, as do many people, that money is some nebulous cloud that you just need to tap into somehow. If you say the right things or dress the right way it will magnetically attract to you without you having to earn it. This disrespects the whole system. This attitude disregards the very nature of money and it will come back to bite you, guaranteed. Money, capitalism and wealth creation are all based on laws that are unfailing. If you counter these laws, there will be consequences. For example - Anna is now in jail. 

Please do not be like Anna. Be like the millions of wealthy people in the world who earned their wealth by providing something of value to people.

Create something.

Build something.

Be of service.

This will bring you wealth while conforming to the basic laws of money and will most likely continue to do so. You will create wealth and be able to keep it. 

By thinking money is just something that needs to be accumulated, by any means possible, is so mundane. Money is a representation of value. It is not worth anything by itself. Having a suitcase full of money is not real wealth. It is just a tool. If you decide that suitcase means you are rich, then you will spend it all and then you will be poor again (still). Simple formula . 

If you take that suitcase full of money and invest it into something that provides value to people, it will continue to exist and continue to feed your lifestyle forever. This is true wealth. 

Such a simple concept, yet TV and movies would have you believe otherwise. I am here to tell you that there is really no better way to gain wealth than to earn it. 

How? 

Read books.