In the song If I were a rich man from the musical Fiddler on the roof” Reb Tevye asks plaintively: “Lord who made the lion and the lamb/You decreed I should be what I am/ Would it upset some vast eternal plan/ If I were a wealthy man?”

This was one of my favourite songs as a child, and I would sing along at the top of my lungs, laughing because it is a funny song, but also totally understanding his plight.

I did a very enlightening exercise last year, and it goes like this: I was asked the following question by Tony Robbins (well, not me exactly, but through his YouTube videos): What are the first things that come to your mind when you think about money?

Did you know that a very large number of people only have negative things coming to mind? When you were little, you were probably told that the “love of money is the root of all evil”; this was then shortened to “money is the root of all evil”.

Due to thinking like this, many people find themselves to be poor stewards of money. If they get a little extra for whatever reason, they quickly find a way to get rid of it. They spend it on something extravagant, they give it away, or by whatever means, it is quickly disposed of.

Without understanding your deep subconscious attitudes towards money, you may be inadvertently sabotaging your ability to gain wealth. With that in mind, I have done a little research on rich people, and there are a few things that stand out.

Did you know that rich people are optimists?

Yup, it’s true, when everyone else is pessimistic, rich people shake off negativity and avoid negative people. It is this positive spirit that leads them to make investments when others are too uncertain or fearful. They usually gain more than they lose.

Rich people think long-term.

They know how quickly time goes by, and they tend to always make very long- term decisions. I remember asking an aunt of mine why she would be embarking on further studies when it would take five years to complete. I’ll never forget her response: “Whether I do the programme or not, the five years will pass.” And indeed that was about 15 years ago, and she successfully completed the programme.

Rich people follow their passions.

The oft-recited quote from Confucius goes like this: “Choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.” So many times we hear of people mortgaging their house, using their life savings or borrowing to the hilt to pursue their dreams. We might vehemently oppose such a decision because the statistics to back up the chance of failure are massive! However, rich people tend to follow their passion.

The important thing to note, however, is that some rich people actually have a passion for money itself. This is unusual since most people like money only for what it can give them, but rich people just love the idea of holding money for its own sake.

Hence, this is the reason that the rich rarely have the biggest house, the most expensive car or clothes, or the finery inside. They prefer to watch their money grow rather than spending it on depreciating assets.

Rich people don’t mind using other people’s money (OPM). A lot of us do not like debt, and, truth be told, find it difficult to sleep when we owe too much money to others. However, it is difficult to get rich without OPM or leverage.

Would you borrow money to invest? Most people probably wouldn’t. However, there are some brave people who do it and get rewarded. Of course, you have to be getting a larger return from the investment than the rate of the loan.

“Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves.” The words of Benjamin Franklin. Rich people are not careless with money. They watch every cent. My rich clients over the years have been 100 per cent consistent in that area. They monitor their investments. They double-check all calculations. They are on top of everything concerning their portfolio, down to the last cent.

If you are seeking to build wealth, this article is meant to help you compare your actions with those of rich people, and determine how far or near your attitude to money is from theirs.

Many people don’t want to be rich — just comfortable. Rich people don’t think like that, and chances are they always knew they would be rich, even though they might have come from humble beginnings. However, do what is comfortable for you. Happy Investing!

Yanique Leiba-Ebanks is the AVP, Trading & Business Development at Sterling Asset Management. Sterling provides financial advice and instruments in us dollars and other hard currencies to the corporate, individual and institutional investor. e-mail us at: info@sterlingasset.net.jm.