Some years ago, when I was writing a daily blog about entrepreneurship and wealth building, I received a letter that disturbed me.

It was from “Jim Mason,” a 47-year-old mechanic who said that although he’d learned “a lot” from some of the lessons I’d written about, he felt that much of it was for rich people, not “ordinary folks” like him:

What’s the average person to do, Mark? I make $27 per hour with no chance for overtime. I have debts. I need a new car. I can’t invest in real estate like you. I can’t open six businesses in Nicaragua like you. And I don’t write newsletters with 170,000 readers earning millions every year.

Moreover, he said he didn’t want to become a millionaire at 70. “I want that million dollars now!”

Jim wasn’t the first reader to make this comment. I’d heard it repeatedly since I began writing books and newsletters and essays about money in 2000.

I must say: These letters challenged me. On the one hand, they seemed sort of whiney and defeatist. On the other hand, the problems they presented were real.

Most of my colleagues who write about wealth write for the benefit of relatively affluent people—people who can afford to put aside $50,000 to invest in stock options and another $50,000 to get into real estate or start a business.

The advice they give can be helpful to wealthy investors, but to those who are not yet wealthy? They are formulas for disaster.

What makes the situation worse are the conditions we are facing in the economy today. We are seeing ongoing labor shortages, continued pandemic-related supply chain issues, climbing inflation, and disruptions in the energy market causing gas prices to reach all-time highs.

There are so many things going on that taking the first step toward even thinking about growing your wealth can feel overwhelming.  

Despite this, some people have been getting richer: the brokers, the bankers, the insurance agents, and more. Multinational corporations have been reaping record profits.

But the rest of America? The other 95%? They have seen both their earnings and their wealth steadily diminish.

Jim’s situation is similar to the average American. According to my team’s research, the average American makes $27 an hour, has $6,006 in credit card debt, a $207,861 mortgage, and $28,882 in auto loans.1

His cost of living—especially medical care, food, and housing—has been rising faster than income within the past few years. To top off this news, 36% Americans don’t have enough money in their bank accounts to cover a $400 emergency.  

To make matters worse, 45% of Americans have some sort of chronic illness that would make working more difficult as well as cause strain on their finances should they lose their job and health insurance as a result.

The economic situation that we are facing is scary, but does it mean you should give up your dream of retiring comfortably one day?

Should you accept the prospect of living in a shabby apartment and subsisting on ramen noodles? Should you grow bitter?

Should you curse big government and big banking and big business for putting you in this situation?

Or…

Should you take a deep breath, forgive yourself for whatever financial mistakes you may have made in the past, and take responsibility for your future well-being?

Those questions are, of course, rhetorical. Yet when I read letters like the one Jim sent me, I wonder if people in Jim’s situation understand that they have options.

You don’t have any choice about how our government is going to spend your tax money.

And you may not have a choice about whether the company you work for is going to be in business next year.

And you don’t have a choice about where you were born, how you were educated, how much or how well your parents loved you…

But you do have a choice about what you think about your current financial situation—and what you do about it.

I believe—no, I am sure—that anyone who has modest intelligence and a positive attitude can become wealthy in seven years or fewer. That is, if he or she is willing to work smart and hard for that period of time.

Why seven years?

For one thing, that’s what it took me to acquire a net worth of more than $10 million after I decided to make getting rich a priority.

It is also the number of years in which I was able to make additional millions many times after that. And it is the time in which I’ve seen others achieve that goal, others who listened to what I’ve had to say about building wealth.

But I also understand that when you are barely making ends meet, it seems like the only chance to become financially secure is to win the lottery (either an actual lottery or the stock market equivalent).

If you feel that way, you are wrong.

You may not be wealthy now and you may have all sorts of financial challenges, but you absolutely do not have to give up on your dream of living rich.

You must begin with an open mind. And a belief in yourself—that you have untapped mental resources and can once again develop a strong heart.

You must accept the fact that it will take some time and patience. You may have to change some of the thoughts and feelings you have about wealth.

And you will certainly have to make changes in what you are doing, for what you have been doing has brought you to where you are.

If you can do these things, I am certain you can succeed.

What do you think? Are you ready to take the first step?

Here it is:

Accept the fact that you are solely and completely responsible for your current financial situation.

Before you react defensively, read that sentence again. I didn’t say you are the cause of your situation. I said you are responsible for it.

There may well have been unavoidable reasons that prevented you from becoming rich.

But guess what? They don’t matter.

The universe isn’t going to give you a free pass for them. It is your—and only your—responsibility to change your life.

The government can’t and won’t help you. Nor will your banker, your broker, your friends, or your relatives.

Your future is your responsibility. It is up to you.

By taking responsibility for your current situation—even if it was “not your fault”—you will assume responsibility for your financial future.

That is a good thing. Hoping for someone, something, or some event to fix your problems is futile and foolish. Time ticks on as you sit and wait.

Accepting this responsibility may not be easy. In fact, it may be the greatest challenge you have ever faced in your search for wealth.

I was poor once. I remember how that felt. It felt bad. I felt angry. I felt ashamed.

But I had one advantage. I never spent a moment blaming anyone else for my situation. I knew I had only one chance and one choice—and that was to change what I was doing.

The sooner you accept the reality that you are going to be your own salvation, the sooner your fortune will start to change.

The first and most important benefit is that you will shed the anger and frustration you have been carrying around for so many years. And then, gradually, as you apply your new thinking to taking action, you will begin to feel the opposite of anger and frustration. You will begin to feel financially empowered.

When that happens, every step that follows will feel easier. You will, from that moment, begin to feel wealthier already. This is because feeling that you have the capacity to create wealth is the single most important tool in your wealth-building kit.

I’m not a believer in the power of attraction. I don’t think you can simply think yourself rich. But I do think that believing in your power to work hard and smart—and therefore create wealth—is essential, and especially so when one of your efforts fails.

If you are already turned off by what I’m saying, I hope you will have the courage to face the truth about your situation and move beyond it. If you can’t do that, unsubscribe from these emails. Everything you receive will have no value to you.

Likewise, you might find what I have to say condescending. You might feel “above it.” Again, I hope you don’t feel that way. I am not being condescending. What you are hearing is my earnest and enthusiastic desire to excite and motivate you. I assure you, that is all that is behind my words.

You also might find this—and what I have to say in the coming days—to be too obvious. If you do, then ask yourself: If it is obvious, why haven’t I already done it and achieved success in doing it?

I’m telling you, every journey begins with a single step.

And the first step toward building true wealth is accepting responsibility for your future.

It is entirely up to you.