You are the end game. 

They say the path of self awareness follows a cyclical pattern:

First - you look at your own flaws and say "I am not good enough"

Second - You look at the world and say " the world is against me"

Third - you look back at yourself and say "I can become more"

The first two realisations are necessary but painful. As teenagers we start to become self-aware enough to compare ourselves with our peers. We tend to try to conform to the crowd to be accepted and thought of as "cool". This is us in the first stage.

We then reach adulthood and start to interact with the world at large. Our small peer group was "easy" compared to the big bad world. We try to make ourselves as relevant as we can through accomplishments, and status symbols. We try to gain the approval of our boss, our significant others and our expanded peer group. This is the second stage. Many people get stuck here.

Eventually we come full circle and start to pay attention to ourselves again. We need to do this complete journey in order to figure out that the world begins and ends with us. 

Most importantly, we realize that if we want to have a life that we dream of, we need to begin with becoming the people we need to be to experience that new reality.

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

― Leo Tolstoy."

This is the crux of the matter. We need to realize that in order to change our circumstances we have to look inwards. 

Einstein said "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result"

Our life's circumstances are a reflection of our daily thoughts and habits. If we spend all of our money and are constantly in debt, we will always continue to be broke and in debt unless we change our money habits. So many people live their lives in unsustainable ways yet they imagine their only escape is some sort of deus ex machina-type intervention, like winning the lottery or inheriting a fortune from a long-lost uncle. This is victim thinking. If you are putting your hopes of prosperity or happiness on the whims of the universe you will be sorely disappointed. The natural state of the universe is entropy or decay. The universe is, by its very nature, eventually going to be a completely static matrix of atoms all spread evenly apart through all of existence. 

The only thing that creates order from the chaos or the static field is consciousness. Or put another way, the only thing that produces a higher order of existence or anything of value is thought, followed by effort. 

We must focus our attention and labours towards creation. We are the keepers of that power. Consciousness is the driver that makes new things. Ideas are great, but we must execute on them. By thinking about new things and putting forth effort (actual physical ACTION) towards the creation of anything, we counteract the natural entropy of the world. If we rest on our laurels and allow the universe to "take the wheel" we will end up in despair. Depression is what happens when we allow the outside world to tell us how to act and feel. Poverty is what happens when we put our financial well being in the hands of someone else. (our boss, our financial advisor, or our rich uncle).

We have the power and the opportunity to create massive abundance, but we need to act upon it ourselves and be the project managers of the journey. We need to make a decision to be wealthy and then execute on our plan. This is the only way. We must take ownership of our destiny. If we create a plan and follow through with it, we can make progress. Few plans go as expected, but the movement forward is the catalyst that enables miracles to happen

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves, too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. - William H. Murray 

The universe is probably a giant field of consciousness, of which you are a small part" It can only amplify that which you send to it. If you put out a vibe off prosperity and happiness it will resonate with you, but if you are always transmitting a feeling of sadness and desperation. It will amplify that too. Think of it as an echo chamber. What we say and think will be reflected back to us. If we shout loudly "My life sucks!" the universe will send that back to you in the form of happenstance and "bad luck" because that is why you told it to do. 

The opposite is equally true. If you send out a vibe of I am making something of myself and I am going to become the master of my destiny. The universe will agree with you and perhaps serendipitously send good thing your way that are in sync with your vibe. 

So it is your choice. But the key point is the is that the place to start is inside of you. YOU need to change, in order for things to change. Don't wish life was easier, wish you were better.

As Dr. Phil says:

"God don't drive no parked cars"

I always say, imagine going back to being a teenager and facing the so-called "problems" you had. As a mature adult, you would laugh at how easily you deal with things that were "the end of the world" when you were 15. Did the problem get easier or did you get better?

The same is true for all your problems. By changing yourself you become more capable of dealing with the world. This is the only true way to happiness. 

I send this message in my books and courses about money. 

Should you pay off debt or invest? Well, imagine if you were rich. Would the debt be a problem?> no

Why? Because your "ability" to pay it off has increased. So now ask the question again. 

Should you pay off debt or invest?

By paying off debt, your ability to pay off the decreases. You have less money. 

By investing, your ability to pay the debt increases. Therefore, the debt becomes less of a burden. I will also toss in the fact that the value of debt decreases over time due to inflation. I remember my parents saying they bought their first house for $5000 - and they thought they would never pay that off in their lifetime. A debt of $5000 would mean nothing to them today. So service the debt, but prioritise investing - you will eventually become greater than your debts. 

So becoming more is the only long-term solution to your problems. This is a proactive stance that many are afraid to embrace due to the Ego's natural fear of death. To our Ego, change is the same as death. It cannot tell the difference. It thinks "this is who I am" and truly believes it. That is why we sometimes cling to old ideas and beliefs even though we have encountered evidence to the contrary. Because if we believe something different, due to new evidence being presented, then we will no longer be who we were and the ego is terrified of that.

We can overcome that fear and change anyways. We can become more and realize that we are still "us" but a different version of us. Perhaps even one we like better. You can decide to change. It is everyone's sovereign right to do so. If you think that staying the same will change your circumstances, you are deluding yourself. 

The cool thing is, we are a combination of our thoughts and our behaviours. By adopting new habits, we can bit-by-bit chip away at the old stone of ourselves and find the "David" awaiting inside. We can become more. We do it a little at a time. Huge changes really stick, but daily habits accumulated over time will eventually seem quite natural and we will do them almost unconsciously. This applies to all your habits, including your money habits. 

By adopting good money habits and spending time learning the best methods of spending, saving and investing, we change our circumstances. Why? Because we have increased our ability to deal with our money problems. We must not wait for some divine intervention or stroke of luck to get us out of our dilemma. We must not gamble. We must not hope. We must act. We must do SOMETHING - ask yourself "What CAN I do?" - (My wife taught me that precept and I have written about it extensively - thanks, honey)

There is a magic formula to wealth. I can give you a recipe for financial freedom. There are many ways to do it. What I must tell you is that any plan you adopt must contain the primary elements of focus, self-discipline and grit. These are internal qualities. My plans work, but only if you are the person who can stick to it through the inevitable ups and downs. The secret ingredient to financial freedom is you becoming the right person. As Jim Rohn said:

“If someone gives you a million dollars, you better hurry up and become a millionaire.” 

Ever wonder why so many lottery winners are broke within 3 years? Because they didn't change. They were not willing to become millionaires. Money will not solve your problems, only YOU will. Money is just a result of you becoming a rich person and then behaving that way consistently over time. 

I hope I have offered you some helpful advice. It is hard to hear because change is hard. New habits are hard. Believing something new is especially hard. I know. But it is a battle worth fighting. A mind expanded can never go back to its original dimensions. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose.