What exactly is it that separates the wealthy from the rest of us? This is an essential question that isn't asked nearly often enough. On first considering the question, you may be tempted to give answers such as, "Having wealthy parents" or "Winning the lottery" or even "Working at a cushy, high-paying job." Indeed, anyone in any of the aforementioned circumstances can count his or herself among the very lucky.

The truth is that not all of these lucky people can be truly considered to be rich. It is the belief of "Rich Dad" author Robert Kiyosaki that the true measure or wealth isn't really the amount of money you take in, but how much you manage to keep.

Kiyosaki's father, the titular "Poor Dad," was no bum; his work earned him more than enough to live on. The problem was, however, that none of his money was left at the end of each quarter

Fortunately for you, the circumstances of your life, such as the family into which you are born or the salary you receive at your job, are not what will determine whether or not you become rich. Being wealthy depends on internal factors, not external circumstances.

That's right, folks-- becoming rich has more to do with how you think than who you are and what you've got.

The man Kiyosaki dubbed his "rich dad" broke people down into four types and set them on a graph he called the Cash Flow Quadrant. On one side of the quadrant are the E's and S's, or the Employees and the Self-employed. On the other side are the B's and I's, or the Businesspeople and the Investors. According to Kiyosaki, each of those quadrants represents which sector a person's money comes from. It also represents the way that person thinks.

The quadrant into which an individual falls isn't determined simply by the luck of the draw; on the contrary, a person's perspective on money and the world, and their resultant decisions are the key.

In to book "Cash Flow Quadrant," Kiyosaki states that the people inhabiting the four corners of the graph are, in fact, totally different people. Their different intellectual and emotional mindsets are the main determining factor of how each group deals with money.

Because of individuals' innate natures, says Kiyosaki, they are drawn to different corners of the graph. This is because different people have different values, and will treat money differently based on these attitudes. A person who values security above other things will definitely be drawn to the 'E' corner of the graph, and the consistency is offers. There's nothing wrong with that-- if security truly is what you desire, a life spent as an employee will be satisfying and fulfilling. It is worth noting, however, that it is highly unlikely that an occupant of the 'E' corner will ever become truly rich.

This may seem a little bit daunting at first, but in reality you should feel encouraged-- since being rich really isn't the result of blind luck, that means that all you have to do to become rich is change the way in which you think of money.

One of the best things you can invest in is real estate. That is what Kiyosaki's rich dad did, and it made him...well, rich. In order to think like a real estate investor, simply tell your money that you are through working for it. It is time for your money to get to work for you.

About the Author: Alexandria P. Anderson is an St. Louis Park real estate agent that helps people to find and purchase St. Louis Park Homes and properties in the Twin Cities of Minnesota.