Broke vs Poor

Money is a tool used to live life. The more money in your possession, the more you are able to afford to do. The less money in your possession, the less you are able to afford to do. Food, housing, vacations, luxury items, clothing, and anything you can think of generally has a price tag attached. A general statement assumes that most people want to live lives where they are financially stable and can afford to spend their time and money on the things they enjoy doing. They generally do not desire living lives below the poverty line or paycheck to paycheck. Maintaining a life of financial stability is living a life where you have the freedom to live a life you want to live. Thinking on the opposite side of the financial spectrum, poor and broke may be synonyms when thought of in relation to monetary balance, but they are worlds apart when thought of in relation to life.

Poor is a state of mind. Being poor is throwing in the towel and accepting your situation. When you are poor there is no drive to change. The wheels in your mind slow down to a standstill. There are no new ideas, no new passions, and no purpose for elevating and escaping your external circumstances. When you are poor you are shackled to the tethers of your life. You are chained to a repeated schedule of living the same day over and over again. Being poor spreads to other areas of your life where you begin to lose relationships, joy, and reasons for living. The perspective of being poor is a more permanent state of being compared to being broke.

Being broke is a temporary condition. It is a temporary situation to be financially down on your luck. It is a temporary situation to have a business deal fall through, a recession put you out of a job, and a medical accident burn through your savings. You can be broke from a financial spirit while still being rich in spirit, ambition, courage, and determination. You can be broke from a financial perspective while still having an eternal flame firing inside you. You can be broke from a financial perspective while having your mind’s neurons constantly firing and exploring new synapses. Being broke means you continue to search for ways to escape.

Being broke is temporary if you are rich in other ways. If you maintain your drive, curiosity, and relentless pursuit to improve, your financial situation will not bother you for the rest of your life. If you are poor, you are stuck in the life you live. Being broke is a temporary stop on the path of life. As you stumble upon new questions you will carve out the answers for how to quit being broke. The poor and the broke are two different beings. Two different beings with two different outlooks on life. Finding a way is what it means to be broke, giving up is what it means to be poor. Find a way, never give up.