To illustrate the importance of mindset, let me tell you a story of two girls…

The first girl is an African American child who was born into poverty to a single teenage mother. She experienced overwhelming hardship during her childhood. At the age of nine, she was raped by several family members and later became pregnant at the age of fourteen. She had no stable home and was told she would go nowhere in life.

The second girl was born into incredible wealth and fame. Her family was extremely successful in business and had grand plans for her to carry on building the family empire. She attended the most prestigious schools and was preened to take over a multi-billion dollar empire.

Fast forward a few decades, and who do you think is in a more empowering situation?

It’s easy to jump to conclusions. But without the right mindset, always remember that no amount of money, power, opportunity, or encouragement can ensure success.

The first girl had a dream, and she knew that despite her troubled childhood, she could rise above adversity and achieve it. She became an extremely successful businesswoman, actress, producer, and philanthropist. At one point, she was ranked the richest African American of the 20th century and was the world’s only black billionaire. She has touched the lives of billions of people around the world and has been hailed the most influential woman on the planet. You may have heard of this girl, her name is Oprah Winfrey.

On the other hand, the second girl was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and was presented with every opportunity from a young age. Although she could afford to flaunt her $4,000 handbags and luxury cars, she spent little time, money and effort on improving her mindset and focussing on her “inner game”. Consequently, she grew up taking her family’s wealth for granted and her life began to spiral out of control. You may remember her from that sex tape in 2003, or her numerous legal battles (which landed her in jail, sentenced to community service).

Paris Hilton is an example of the modern phenomenon known as becoming a “celebutante”, the celebrity who rises to fame not so much because of their creativity, talent or work, but due to their inherited wealth and controversial lifestyle. In addition to her tarnished reputation, Hilton has had ongoing financial issues. This is most certainly not designed to be an attack on Paris Hilton, or similar celebrities in her situation. In fact, there is a great number of studies and texts written on the burden of inheriting wealth. Most don’t realize that such a life comes with an extreme amount of challenges and hurdles as well.

Just know that despite whatever happened (or didn’t happen) in your past, you have the ability to create a future to your exact specifications… and it starts with your state of mind.