Jean Chatzky says that anyone can prosper in even the toughest economic times…if they possess the key traits and abilities that will set them apart. She calls these traits The Difference, and in her new book Jean describes how you can go from the person who lives paycheck to paycheck to the person who lives in comfort.

    Do you have The Difference? And, if not—how can you get it? Jean shares the eight things that matter most to help you become financially free.

    Happiness and Optimism

    Some people believe money leads to happiness. Not true. Once you're living comfortably, more money doesn't buy more happiness. The reverse, however, is true: Happiness leads to money. And success. Likewise, so does optimism. Both enable you to solve problems, conjure ideas, take long-range consequences into consideration and come back and try again if you miss the first time.

    Resilience

    People who have moved from a bad financial situation into comfort or wealth have resilience. They can overcome—on the job, in their personal lives, with their finances. They don't deny the bad things that happen, but they're able to turn their focus to things over which they have control with the belief that they have the ability to effect change. The good news is you don't have to be born with resilience—you can learn it by controlling the things you can control and letting go of the others.

    Connectedness

    Ever heard of social capital? It's the asset created when relationships between people change in ways that lead to action, generally for good. It's an important component of The Difference, and the wealthy and financially comfortable not only have more of it than people living paycheck to paycheck, they know how to use it. They cast a wider net, socializing with neighbors, co-workers, people who can help them advance financially or in their careers. To get your share of social capital, you have to make time for people and put yourself forward as a leader.

    Passion

    It is a key element that moves people from a life of financial struggle to one of financial success. The wealthy, simply put, want it more than the rest of that. Some want it in the form of money, but most are quite passionate about the careers they choose to pursue. And, at a time where doing what you love may seem not so possible, it's important to know you can learn to love what you do.

    Intuition

    Over the years, your brain has scored up scads of patterns, information that tells you that if one thing happens, something else is likely to follow. We feel these signals in our gut—and we call them hunches. They are really our intuition, a sixth sense that is more developed in the wealthy than in anyone else. You can learn to bring yours forward by adopting strategies like giving your intuition a little room to breathe: Jean herself says she has the best aha! moments when she's not searching for them.

    Habitual saving

    The wealthy people in our study certainly have the funds to be crazy spenders, but most are not. Both wealthy and financially comfortable individuals say that saving more money has been an "absolutely essential" financial goal as an adult. If you're not a habitual saver already, The Difference will show you how.

    Invest in stocks

    Jean did the research for this book when housing prices were cratering and the markets were falling out of the sky. Yet, one lesson emerged again and again: The wealthy understand the need to take risks in the market—in good times and in bad—in order to make their money work as hard as they do.

    Gratitude

    The Karma Kickback. The people who get rich—and stay rich—are not just grateful. They practice gratitude by giving back to their communities, to organizations they believe in and the people they care about. Even if you are thinking of something you view as mundane—like your job—when you think about it as a gift, you focus on what life might be if you didn't have it.

    Jean Chatzky在她最近的新書The Difference裏描述了如何從一個每月都捉襟見肘的人變成一個能略有盈餘，生活富足的人。她談到：任(ren)何(he)人(ren)都(dou)可(ke)以(yi)在(zai)最(zui)嚴(yan)峻(jun)經(jing)濟(ji)形(xing)勢(shi)時(shi)期(qi)獲(huo)得(de)成(cheng)功(gong)，隻(zhi)要(yao)他(ta)們(men)都(dou)具(ju)有(you)某(mou)些(xie)關(guan)鍵(jian)特(te)點(dian)和(he)能(neng)力(li)，那(na)麼(me)他(ta)們(men)就(jiu)能(neng)從(cong)眾(zhong)多(duo)艱(jian)難(nan)處(chu)世(shi)的(de)人(ren)當(dang)中(zhong)脫(tuo)穎(ying)而(er)出(chu)。她(ta)把(ba)這(zhe)些(xie)特(te)點(dian)叫(jiao)做(zuo)“用心生活，大有不同”。

    你有這些特點嗎？如果你沒有，你要怎樣去做到呢？Jean跟我們分享了最最能幫助你獲得財務自由的八個特點。

    1，快樂和樂觀

    有(you)些(xie)人(ren)認(ren)為(wei)有(you)錢(qian)就(jiu)能(neng)快(kuai)樂(le)。這(zhe)不(bu)對(dui)。一(yi)當(dang)你(ni)生(sheng)活(huo)富(fu)足(zu)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)，更(geng)多(duo)的(de)錢(qian)並(bing)不(bu)能(neng)買(mai)到(dao)更(geng)多(duo)的(de)快(kuai)樂(le)。反(fan)過(guo)來(lai)才(cai)是(shi)對(dui)的(de)。快(kuai)樂(le)的(de)人(ren)會(hui)獲(huo)得(de)更(geng)多(duo)的(de)財(cai)富(fu)，還(hai)有(you)成(cheng)功(gong)。同(tong)樣(yang)，樂(le)觀(guan)態(tai)度(du)也(ye)是(shi)這(zhe)樣(yang)。快(kuai)樂(le)


、樂觀能讓你找到問題的答案；幫你想到更多的點子；將各種長遠的目標結果考慮在內；假如你第一次沒做好
，你可以回來再嚐試。

    2，順應力

    那些從糟糕的金融狀況中走出來獲得富足的人都很有彈性。他們能克服工作
、個人生活中的財務困難。他們不排斥發生壞的情況，他們隻是能轉而專注在那些他們能把握的事情上，因為他們相信：自己有能力讓事情發生改變。好在你不必天生就富有彈性，你可以關照好你能關照的事情，而其他事就隨它去
，這樣你就學會了。

    3，連通

    聽說過社會資本嗎
？它是人們通過關係的改變來創造資產。這些改變能促成行動，通常是好的行動。連通是The Difference這本書裏一個非常重要的組成部分。那些生活富足的人不僅僅是比捉襟見肘的人有更多的“連通”關係，他們更知道如何去運用這些連通關係。他們的社會關係網更大，他們跟鄰居
、同事
、以及那些能在財務上或職業上有所幫助的人交往。想得到社會資本的好處
，你就必須花時間跟人們交往
，讓自己像一個領袖一樣前進。

    4，似火的熱情

    這(zhe)是(shi)讓(rang)一(yi)個(ge)人(ren)從(cong)財(cai)務(wu)鬥(dou)爭(zheng)走(zou)向(xiang)財(cai)務(wu)自(zi)由(you)的(de)關(guan)鍵(jian)要(yao)素(su)。富(fu)有(you)的(de)人(ren)
，簡(jian)單(dan)的(de)說(shuo)
，他(ta)們(men)想(xiang)要(yao)比(bi)財(cai)富(fu)更(geng)多(duo)的(de)東(dong)西(xi)。有(you)些(xie)人(ren)想(xiang)要(yao)的(de)是(shi)財(cai)富(fu)
，不(bu)過(guo)大(da)多(duo)數(shu)人(ren)都(dou)對(dui)自(zi)己(ji)追(zhui)求(qiu)的(de)職(zhi)業(ye)有(you)非(fei)常(chang)高(gao)的(de)熱(re)情(qing)。當(dang)然(ran)，當(dang)你(ni)還(hai)沒(mei)法(fa)去(qu)做(zuo)自(zi)己(ji)喜(xi)歡(huan)的(de)職(zhi)業(ye)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)，你(ni)要(yao)能(neng)學(xue)會(hui)去(qu)喜(xi)歡(huan)自(zi)己(ji)正(zheng)在(zai)做(zuo)的(de)事(shi)情(qing)，這(zhe)點(dian)很(hen)重(zhong)要(yao)。

    5，直覺

    多duo年nian以yi來lai，你ni的de大da腦nao已yi經jing獲huo得de了le大da量liang模mo式shi，信xin息xi，告gao訴su你ni如ru果guo發fa生sheng了le某mou件jian事shi情qing，接jie下xia來lai就jiu會hui發fa生sheng什shen麼me。我wo們men本ben能neng地di感gan覺jiao得de到dao這zhe些xie信xin號hao，我wo們men把ba這zhe些xie信xin號hao叫jiao做zuo直zhi覺jiao。這zhe些xie信xin號hao的de確que就jiu是shi我wo們men的de直zhi覺jiao
，或huo者zhe第di六liu感gan，富fu有you的de人ren常chang常chang比bi其qi他ta人ren有you更geng多duo的de直zhi覺jiao。你ni可ke以yi給gei自zi己ji的de直zhi覺jiao留liu一yi點dian空kong間jian，用yong這zhe個ge方fang法fa來lai讓rang自zi己ji對dui這zhe些xie直zhi覺jiao更geng敏min感gan。Jean自己就說：當她沒有刻意去尋找直覺信號的時候

，她常常會有最好的直覺。

    6，讓節儉成為習慣

    我們做的研究中富有的人當然有瘋狂購物
，血拚的資本，然而大多數富人並不是這樣大肆揮霍的。富有、財務自由的人認為：作為一個成年人
，省下更多的錢是一個絕對必不可少的目標。如果你還不是一個習慣節約的人

，The Difference會告訴你怎麼做。

    7，投資股票

    Jean為(wei)寫(xie)這(zhe)本(ben)書(shu)做(zuo)了(le)研(yan)究(jiu)。當(dang)時(shi)正(zheng)是(shi)房(fang)價(jia)猛(meng)跌(die)，市(shi)場(chang)疲(pi)軟(ruan)，有(you)一(yi)個(ge)教(jiao)訓(xun)一(yi)次(ci)又(you)一(yi)次(ci)地(di)出(chu)現(xian)。富(fu)有(you)的(de)人(ren)懂(dong)得(de)在(zai)市(shi)場(chang)中(zhong)冒(mao)險(xian)，無(wu)論(lun)是(shi)經(jing)濟(ji)好(hao)還(hai)是(shi)經(jing)濟(ji)糟(zao)糕(gao)的(de)時(shi)候(hou)

，就(jiu)是(shi)為(wei)了(le)讓(rang)自(zi)己(ji)的(de)錢(qian)活(huo)起(qi)來(lai)。

    8，感激

    “一切都是因果。”那些獲得大量財富的人—並bing且qie一yi直zhi擁yong有you財cai富fu的de人ren不bu僅jin僅jin是shi心xin存cun感gan激ji。他ta們men用yong實shi際ji行xing動dong回hui饋kui給gei他ta們men的de社she區qu
，他ta們men信xin奉feng的de組zu織zhi，還hai有you他ta們men關guan照zhao的de人ren。即ji使shi你ni覺jiao得de自zi己ji看kan到dao的de事shi情qing（比如你的工作）不過是平常事的時候，隻要你把這些都當作是上天給予的一份禮物，那麼你就專注在生活的價值上了，即便你之前並沒有看到這一點。