We’re Being Sold a Life Most Of US Can’t Afford!

Scroll for a few minutes and it starts to feel like everyone is winning at life except you. Designer bags casually hanging off an arm. Luxury trips framed as “work travel.” Grocery hauls that somehow cost a thousand dollars but are described as “normal.” Influencers telling you this life is achievable, relatable, and just one purchase away. And if you can’t afford it? The message—quiet but constant—is that you’re doing something wrong.

That’s where the problem starts.

Influencer culture didn’t begin this way. At one point, it was about sharing ideas, creativity, inspiration, and connection. Somewhere along the way, influence became sales. And not just sales—pressure. Pressure to buy. Pressure to keep up. Pressure to believe that if you just worked harder, manifested more, or followed the right system, you’d have the same lifestyle.

Do I dare speak it out loud, well yes, yes I will, that messaging is damaging.

When someone is struggling to pay rent, manage medical bills, afford groceries, or keep their family afloat, watching someone call a five-thousand-dollar bag “an investment” doesn’t inspire. It stings. It almost enrages you. The audacity, to be so callous as to act as if that lifestyle is normal. It quietly take any self esteem away,  especially from younger viewers. It makes them feel embarrassed their family isn't able to do that. There is shame, embarrassment, anger and sadness! Sometimes all at the same time.

And the lies make it worse.

Influencers tell us things like “Anyone can do this,” while leaving out the trust funds, family money, or years of behind-the-scenes support that made it possible. They say “I built this from nothing,” while glossing over connections, timing, privilege, or financial safety nets. They talk about passive income while working full-time teams behind the camera. They sell courses on how to make money online while making most of their money selling the course itself.

But, recently I stumbled on a video that showed 7 quite well know influencers who were caught lying about how much they had. One showed designer bags she bought and wanted her audience to choose which $7,000. bag to keep. Turned out the bags were fake knock offs. Which brings into question, wouldn't you connect more if you were honest about your situation and shared that the bags were knock offs?

I believe in this world there are more of us struggling than there are of those who are able to use passive income on a $7,000.00 bag. More of us are struggling just to pay rents and mortgages, put healthy food on the table and provide a happy life for our families. I don't understand, how they think that is ok?

They tell you, you’re just one mindset shift away from abundance.

They tell you, if you can’t afford it, you’re playing small.

They tell you, You're thinking like an employee and not a CEO.

They tell you, that struggling is a choice.

And that is where self-esteem falls off the cliff.

Because when those messages are repeated over and over, people start internalizing them. You start thinking you’re something is wrong with you. You start thinking you’re failing because you don’t have luxury trips on your calendar. You start questioning your worth because your grocery budget doesn’t include organic everything and specialty brands.

What never gets mentioned is reality. And boy do a lot of people need a good dose of REALITY!!!

Reality is that many people are working harder than ever and still falling behind. Reality is that inflation, healthcare costs, housing, and basic living expenses have outpaced wages. Reality is that survival takes more energy than dreaming sometimes. And there is nothing wrong with that.

But influencer culture often refuses to acknowledge this reality. Instead, it sells aspiration wrapped in relatability. “I’m just like you,” they say, right before linking a product that costs more than your monthly utility bill.

And when you can’t buy it, well in pop all kinds of emotion.

You start feeling less than. Like you missed a memo everyone else got. Your self-esteem takes hit after hit—not because you aren’t capable, but because you’re being sold an illusion designed to make you feel inadequate enough to click.

The pitch is designed to make you feel like if you don't get the course then you will remain stuck forever. That you are sabotaging your abundant life

That doesn’t mean influencers are evil. It means the system rewards exaggeration, omission, and performance. It rewards lifestyles that aren’t realistic for most people and calls them goals instead of what they really are: curated, sponsored, and often subsidized.

Here's what we all need to realize.

Real influence shouldn’t make you feel smaller.

It shouldn’t convince you that your worth is tied to what you own, where you vacation, or how expensive your groceries are. It shouldn’t make you feel ashamed for living within your means or prioritizing stability over aesthetics.

Real influence should tell the truth.

It should stop pretending that everyone has the same starting line. It should remind people that success doesn’t have one look, one budget, or one path.

And maybe most importantly, it should stop equating wealth with value.

I bet most of the World is hoping the entitled, abundant influencer mindset would disappear into the sunset. I bet most of the world has gone off line because of the betrayal, because of the lies, because of the pressure. The shopping for more and more and more is nothing more than chaos that leaves me wondering, when is enough enough!!

If you are doing your best to survive, care for your family, manage stress, show up for your responsibilities, and still dream quietly in the background—you are not failing. You are not behind. You are not broken.

I have more respect for someone who is honest about their circumstance. There are very few in this world right now who have all they want. But, if you have all you need you are doing good. And if you have so much abundance what are you doing to help others.

You see I believe we have embraced the influencer because at one time maybe we thought that life was achievable. But then the truth began to come out. And the truth was most were lying about their circumstance, how they actually got started. If you have connections in the financial world that is a leg up most of us do not have.

I don't have everything figured out, but that is exactly why I am here. I have parts of life based on real issues that happened to me or my family somewhat figured out. But I still have a lot to figure out. My goal is not to be an influencer it is to be a kind human who wants to help other however I can!!