I used to believe systems were designed to work for everyone. Then, in college, I started seeing the world differently. I was learning about systems, incentives, and statistics, and one day, while sitting in a classroom, something clicked. If the system worked for everyone, why did it feel like it was working against me? That thought lingered.

And the more I learned, the more I kept coming back to the same fundamental question: Who benefits from my condition?

A Lesson From Childhood, The System Profits from Struggle

I remember getting excited once a month as a kid.

That excitement? It was tied to when my mom got her check in the mail.

For about a week, we’d eat good. Real good. But then, just like that, the food was gone.

And after that? Hunger pains. Lack of focus. The cycle started all over again.

Why did the money disappear so soon? I don’t know. Maybe a portion of the food stamps got converted to cash to pay back some bridge-to-nowhere debt from last month.

But here’s what I do remember:

Payday loan places were everywhere. Loan sharks, too.

What I didn’t see? Resources that were truly interested in helping us build a way out.

Of course, I was just a kid. What did I know?

But as a young man in college, I was certain of one thing:

The system didn’t care if I stayed broke. In fact, it profited from it.

And that’s when I started asking the question that changed everything:

Who benefits from my condition?

Who Benefits? Who Pays?

That same thinking still guides me today.

• Who benefits when I’m sick? Who benefits when I’m healthy?
• Who benefits when I’m broke? Who benefits when I build wealth?
• Who benefits when I work a job that drains me? Who benefits when I build something of my own?
• Who benefits when I stay uninformed? Who benefits when I become educated?
• Who benefits when I don’t vote? Who benefits when I do?
• Who benefits when I stay silent? Who benefits when I use my voice?

Here’s the hard truth:

Wherever you are in life, someone benefits from it. And someone doesn’t.

So the real question is:

Are you aligned with those who benefit from where you are?

If they’re benefiting, are you?

Is there reciprocity, or are you just part of someone else’s system?

Because if someone else is profiting off you, then you should be too.

Did you catch that?

The Power of Asking: Who’s Getting Paid?

One of the best ways to understand your reality is to follow the money.

When I look at a system, I ask: Who is getting paid? And how?

Let’s start with work.

• Does your employer profit more when you thrive and grow, or when you stay stagnant and replaceable?
• Does the educational system prepare students to think independently, or to fit into existing structures?
• Do political systems encourage active, informed citizens, or passive, disengaged ones?

And let’s talk about financial systems.

• Banks don’t chase after the “financially sick” because there’s no profit in it. Regulations cap what banks can charge, so struggling families often end up in the ER of payday lenders, institutions that don’t just charge interest; they extract organs for payback.
• Credit card companies aren’t in business to help you build wealth; they thrive on your debt.
• Job markets don’t always reward the most capable people, they reward the ones who know how to navigate the system best.

That’s how the system works.

And if you don’t see it, you’re just a part of it.

The Hidden System You Don’t See

And here’s what most people don’t realize:

The system isn’t just in banks, healthcare, or workplaces.

It’s in your relationships, too.

• Who benefits when you stay small?
• Who loses when you set boundaries?

Because depending on where you start in life, a lot of people benefit when you stay small.

And once you reach a certain level of success? Some people benefit from NOT supporting your platform, from NOT acknowledging your growth.

Because the fear is this:

"What if she outgrows me?"

Trust me, I’ve had these conversations. I’ve lived it.

And that’s why this question, Who benefits from my condition?, applies to every area of life.

Who’s Winning?

Here’s my point:

Business is business, even healthcare, education, government, and career paths are just that—a business.

Where the incentives go, the service and results follow.

So ask yourself:

• Are the incentives working for you or against you?
• If they’re working against you, what are you going to do about it?

Because if you don’t recognize the game, you’re playing it blind.

And blind players don’t win.

The Next Move, How to Make the System Work for You

I don’t share this to make you feel powerless, I share it to wake you up.

Because here’s the good news:

Once you see the system, you can start making moves.

Here’s how:

1. Question the incentives in your own life. Who benefits from your financial habits, career choices, social circle, or even your beliefs?
2. Align yourself with those who benefit from your success. Are you connected to people and institutions that actually want you to thrive? Or are you just another cog in their machine?
3. Build wealth, health, knowledge, and power on your own terms. Because if you don’t, someone else will do it at your expense.

Your Challenge for Today

Take one area where you feel stuck, just one.

Then ask yourself:

• Who benefits from me staying here?
• Who profits from me not changing?

Start there.

Final Thought: Who’s the System Working For?

The system is always working.

The question is: Who is it working for?

And more importantly, how do you make it work for you?

That, my friend, is your next move.

#WealthBuilding #MindsetShift #FinancialFreedom #TakeControl #BreakTheCycle