7 truths millionaires embrace that the rest of us don't

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"If you follow the beliefs, philosophies, and strategies of the rich and take action, you have a legitimate shot at becoming a millionaire," writes self-made millionaire Steve Siebold, who interviewed over 1,200 of the world's wealthiest people for his book, "How Rich People Think."

The problem is, most people don't do this, including a young Siebold.

"I spent the first 25 years of my life thinking about money like the masses, which kept me broke," he writes. "Once I changed my thinking, the money started to flow."

Who knows if attaining wealth is really that simple — but it can't hurt, right?

To help you change your thinking, we've rounded up seven truths about money that millionaires embrace:

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Money can solve most problems

The wealthiest people see money for all the good things it can provide — freedom, opportunity, possibility, and abundance — and are not afraid to admit that, logically, it can solve most problems.

"The great ones know money is a critical tool that presents options and opportunities," Siebold writes. "They also know if you're not happy without it you won't be happy with it. But while money has little to do with happiness, it's one of the most important tools in the game of life."

Meanwhile, the typical person tends to view money as an enemy.

"Most people have a dysfunctional, adversarial relationship with money," he writes. But, "If you want to start attracting money, stop seeing it as your enemy and think of it as one of your greatest allies."

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Getting rich has little to do with your level of education

"Self-made millionaires know getting rich has little to do with intelligence and everything to do with focus and persistence," Siebold writes.

Building a fortune isn't necessarily about being smarter, he says: "It's about knowing what you want and being laser-focused on getting it, no matter how long it takes or how hard you have to work. It's simple, but not easy."

In fact, many incredibly wealthy and successful people are college dropouts. While the rich don't necessarily put much stock in furthering wealth through formal education, they do appreciate the power of learning long after high school or college is over and choose to constantly self-educate.

"Walk into a wealthy person's home and one of the first things you'll see is an extensive library of books they've used to educate themselves on how to become more successful," Siebold writes.

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If you do what you love, the money tends to follow

The wealthiest, most successful people pursue their passions.

"The masses think about how much they can get paid to do something, while the rich figure out what they love to do and then find out how to make money doing it," Siebold says.

If you do what you love, other traits required to be successful will come easier, he argues:

Instead of setting out to find work with the most profit potential, focus on work that has the most fulfillment potential. Once you find it, invest so much heart and soul into your work that you become one of the most competent people in your field. You'll be rewarded with uncommon wealth."

See the rest of the story at Business Insider