“Why are you here?” I asked him and he told me his story. This is a story for all of you who want to be millionaires.

Chris came because he was unhappy. He had no motivation to get up in the morning at all. Beer was his companion. He got up in the morning and he could only think of beer. Driving a Mercedes Benz and thinking only about beer did not seem right to him.

Chris grew up and spent most of his life in Europe. He had a tough life, a really tough life – a strong abusive mother and a weak father who never defended him. He was a trouble maker and never got along with his older sister. When he was eighteen, his father “threw him” out of the house.

“I started all kinds of business”, he told me, “I had a hot dog stand and sold vacuum cleaners from house to house”. I could see his eyes light up a bit as he told me about these ventures. “All that time, I knew I was going to make money. Being poor was not an option”, he continued.

Many people come to coaching wanting to improve their finances. “If they only had that attitude”, I thought to myself.

“I am a creative person. I like that feeling of starting something new and working towards making money out of it”, Chris said. At that point, I still could not understand why he was unhappy.

During his adventures, he met Lisa. From the first minute they met, they were one. “After 30 years, I still love Lisa and she still loves me,” he said with a smile.

In the back of my head, I had this annoying question, “Chris, it all sounds very loving and happy, so what is wrong?” but I didn’t want to ruin the fun.

“Seven years ago, I opened a new business”, Chris went on, “I really believed it was going to work but it did not. I paid the people who worked for me but had no money left for myself. I used all my credit and finished all my savings. Lisa had a job all that time and told me to keep working on my business, and so I did. With Lisa backing me up and having such confidence in me, a year later I had a very successful business”.

“Two years ago, we had a major breakthrough in the business. We now turn over 2 million dollars a year from this business alone.”

Everyone’s dream, wouldn’t you agree?

“I wanted a Mercedes Benz so much, but now I feel uncomfortable driving it. I can get up in the morning whenever I want, I can have everything I want, I have money, I have Lisa, I am successful in my business but I am depressed and sad.”

Do you ever think to yourself, “If only I had a million dollars, I could have everything I want”? Think again! What would you do with that much money?

You see, Chris did not think of this for over 30 years. Since he left home and wanted to make money, being poor was not an option, but being wealthy was not an option either. He wanted money for the sake of having money. Just like most people in the world, 96% to be exact, Chris went to work every day with many desires but no purpose. He practiced making money, but not enjoying his money. He was very good at working hard for his money but not very good at knowing what to do with it.

Chris was a millionaire, but did not have a wealthy mindset. The difference between wealthy people and poor people is not how much money they have in their bank account but what they do with that money. Material possessions can give you only so much, so make sure you concentrate on the real things. Learn to enjoy what you have, even if you have just a little, so when you have your breakthrough, you will still want to be a millionaire.

Marina was a beautiful 19-year-old model when she met Peter, who was a handsome, loving man. They dated for a long time and were a happy and successful couple – big love, great jobs, good pay and an active social life. This perfect picture changed when Marina got pregnant.

They stopped going out, stopped the late nights, the wine and the dancing and Peter started spending more and more time away from home.

Marina had a feeling he was fooling around and felt very sad and lonely. She cried a lot and did not want to do anything. She gained weight and could hardly recognize the model she had been in her teen years. She felt really bad.

After a month of emotional stress, she decided to talk to Peter about her feelings. Peter assured her he was a devoted husband and referred her to one of the top psychiatrists in town who, told her she had prenatal depression.

After the delivery of their first son, Marina felt even worse and her psychiatrist prescribed some medication to deal with her increasing depression. Just like many other women after delivery, Marina entered the depression statistics.

Four years later, things happened exactly the same way. Marina was in her last months of her pregnancy and Peter was working overtime to support their growing family.

Marina suspected him again. Peter told her he loved her dearly, bought her presents, but was nowhere to be found when she went into labor with their second son.

Marina’s depression did not help improve their relationship. Once a social and friendly person, she became reserved, with low self esteem, a negative body image and no confidence, while Peter traveled many days every year.

18 years later, Marina decided to take stock of her life. She was still married, there was no real communication with her husband, little fun, 2 children, 18 years of anti-depressants. 8 times, she had suspected Peter was having an affair. 8 times, he denied. She had no family support, few friends and a really bad feeling about herself.

Marina’s situation was painful. She was ready to move on.

Peter went overseas for work and Marina was about to pick him up from the airport on Wednesday noon. He called her from overseas and told her he was going to stay one more day for meetings and he’d take a taxi home.

That time, Marina did not go crying to her psychiatrist. Instead, she called one of her friends who worked for the airline and asked her to find the real day and hour Peter was supposed to arrive. Her friend told her he should be back as per the original itinerary. On Wednesday at noon, Marina stood at the airport looking at all the welcoming people, unsure if she was as happy as the rest. About half an hour later, Peter appeared, holding hands with a woman with whom he worked!

The divorce went really well. After signing the divorce papers, Marina asked Peter about all the incidents she had suspected and he admitted that in all of them, he had been having affairs.

“And I thought all that time I was crazy and imagining things”, Marina said when she first came to see me. “I have been taking anti-depressants for 21 years, but now I want to stop. Will you help me?” she asked.

“This is something you need to discuss with your psychiatric”, I told her.

“I have”, she said, “And he told me I couldn’t. He said that without it, I’ll be worse.”

“And what do you think?” I continued.

She thought about it for a minute. I looked at her. She was in her late forties and overweight. I could see the model in her, because she still had style. A person needs a lot of courage to stand at the airport and face her greatest fear. She was a brave woman and she was ready to start living.

“I think I can,” she said in a confident tone.

I smiled. “If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right”, I told her.

During coaching, Marina gradually stopped her medication with the help of her wonderful doctor. She goes out and is has entered a happy new relationship. She has improved her relationships with her kids and is communicating amazingly well with Peter. She has been promoted at work and is considering publishing her story “to help others believe they can”.

I am inspired. I hope you are too!

The Man Who Thinks He Can
- Walter D. Wintle

If you think you’re beaten, you are;
If you think you dare not, you don’t;
If you’d like to win, but think, you can’t
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
If you think you will lose, you’re lost;
For out in the world we find,
Success begins with a fellow’s will,
It’s all in the state of mind.

If you think you’re outclassed, you are;
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to hustle before
You can ever win a prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the one who thinks he can.