When I wrote this at 35, I could look back at 19 years in business and say I had seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I wrote this series for my younger self, hoping someone going through similar consequences, challenges, or ordeals could learn from them. Believe me, there isn’t a book out there that warns you of what the world will throw at you…as you achieve success. Most of what makes your life is based on the decisions you make, and the rest of it comes from the blessings you get from above.
For starters let’s talk about relationships and money. Over the course of my career, I had watched many people around the companies I built become wealthy. I was fortunate to give opportunities to some individuals when they were at their rock bottom. When I mean rock bottom, I mean rock bottom. But, see I was naive. I believed humanity was built on the notion of loyalty. But, I lost myself from this golden truth, “If you’re helping someone and expecting something in return you’re doing business, not kindness.” By 2018, how many of those well-off individuals were still in contact with me? Zero. Yep, you got that right. As surprising as it may sound, it’s a reality not just for me – but for many successful individuals. They did their job, served a purpose, got rewarded. And, life went on.
If you’re naive like I was and believe…because of that result, that when you are going through any dark days that any of these individuals will come to your rescue, you’re just being foolish. Life is a revolving door for humanity. People come into your lives for all sorts of reasons. Some to help you, some to learn from you, some teach you, some may hurt you, or even betray you. Just because you served a golden chapter in their life, don’t expect humanity to return that favor. It just doesn’t work that way. Point being, just because you helped someone from rock bottom, so what? Humanity is built on desire. And, that’s okay. You just need to protect yourself from it, and not consider business – a friendship. Business is just about going from point A to point B. God just has a higher plan for you, as they say, “Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.”
Here’s the upshot. Wanting to be successful is not enough. That’s just desire. If you feel you have something to give this world, something worth fighting for, and your conviction understands why you are doing it, dedicate every breath to achieving it. Then wanting anything in return from anyone will not matter. You will go on living your life. And, humanity will serve its role.
You’ll have something better: a life with purpose.
