1) The first step is to have money. It could be any amount. This seems painfully obvious, but what I am saying is that with ANY amount of money, you can be rich. The key here is to have the necessities covered. It’s hard to feel rich when you are hungry or out in the cold. You can pay for these things, or use a little ingenuity to get the basics covered. Now comes the most important step.
2) Step two is all about mindset, which is the only factor determining whether or not you are rich. Realizing that being rich is %100 completely relative. There is no absolute point on the scale where someone can proclaim that they have made it, that they are rich. This comes from mental strength, creating your own scale on which you evaluate your conditions. Look at history; It is easy to feel rich comparing your situation to that of the dark ages in Europe. Take a global perspective; it’s no stretch of the imagination to feel wealthy when compared to parts of Africa, the Middle East, North Korea, and even some areas closer to home.
Mr. MM gets this. He covered the first step early in life and has shifted priorities over to step 2 to carry him through. Note that while he may be “retired” he’s still working on step 1. You may choose to have more money, and less mental strength (risking getting punched). Or you may choose to live a highly conscious lifestyle with little money. Either way, you can be rich by balancing these two steps.