“She’s stuck up. She wouldn’t even give me the chance to talk to her.”
I listened on as this drunk dude complained about how the girl he wanted to court had refused his advances. To be fair, I was also drunk the night before, so I couldn’t judge him for being wasted. We were in sunny Dominican Republic having a good time. I chilled out by the pool as I applied baby oil on my skin (yes, I’m that guy!). He was really offended with this young lady who had turned down his advances. I just laughed because I’m always in a good mood.
Here’s one huge secret that’s going to change your life forever:
Nobody owes you anything.
It’s not a reader’s obligation to buy from you. A girl doesn’t have to go on a date with you just because you asked. Your boss doesn’t have to give you a promotion just because you’ve been around for a long time. The world doesn’t owe you anything. Hope isn’t a game plan.
There’s a game being played around you at all times. You may think that everyone has some secret sauce that you don’t have. You may think that you’re owed certain things. Hey, you might even feel that you work hard so that you deserve a little bit of [insert whatever you think it is]. That’s not the case.
There’s a game being played around you and you have to learn how to master it.
I had to go through this the most painful way possible, through repeated failure. I was offended when I experienced some of the following:
- Left by a girlfriend.
- Having a product not sell well when released.
- Not being invited to parties.
- Being turned down for jobs I applied for.
- Getting looked over for various opportunities.
I used to blame the world. It was the chick’s fault for not going out with me. I blamed readers for not buying from me. I got mad at my friends when they didn’t call me up about a party.
Then I stopped blaming the world for my problems and took accountability.
Your attitude determines your altitude.
I’ve covered this topic too death on here. You can read about why you’re always going to be broke or how to avoid being another heartbreaking statistic.
Stories on playing the game…
Story #1:
“Today’s my last shift as an employee.”
My friend Kucho came to Canada in his teens unable to speak the language. He had no understanding of English at all. Now ten years later, he just quit his safe job (very high paying) to pursue his own business.
Folks that were complaining about their situation or dreaming about the future are still doing the same thing while he’s actually executing.
He understood the rules of the game in Canada and worked within the rules to save up, fill a market need with his business, and move on to bigger things.
Story #2:
“Our drinks are here.”
I entertained my new friends while the server brought us our drinks. My buddy then handed the server a $5 tip. I jumped in with a $5 as well. We’re not the most generous guys in the world (I write about personal finance).
The resort was all-inclusive and tipping wasn’t mandatory at all. Yet we tipped Wilbert non-stop. Why? He was friendly, cool, prompt and on the ball. We didn’t even have to order. He would bring the drinks to us without asking. He would even go out of his way to find us and bring us our drinks.
While the other servers slacked off, he actually took the time to memorize the orders and be nice to the visitors. He makes the most tip money, has the most friends on Facebook, and has a blast while everyone else whines.
[Helpful article: How-to Start an Online Business in Five Minutes.]
How do you master the game being playing around you?
Decide what you want to do. Find others that have done it. Learn from them. Pay them for their secrets, read their books, and offer to work for free. Branch off on your own when you’re ready.
This applies to dating, business, learning languages, and everything.
Everything we could possibly want to do has been written about! I always forget this. I’ll experience an issue and stress about it. Then the light bulb goes off and I remember that I could just ask someone about this on my Facebook or hit up a quick Google search.
Know the rules of the game.
What are the rules of the game? I’m not talking about the formal rules. I’m talking about the unwritten code.
Figure out the rules and accept. Don’t play the game. If you can’t win, then play another game.
Be bold.
We all know that fortune favors the bold. Yet this is just another quote that we share around the campfire. Then we do nothing about it. We got back to being lame. As you already know, motivational quotes don’t pay the bills.
Zzzzz.
You’ll never win the game if you’re not bold. So stop playing it safe.
How does this apply to Studenomics, personal finance, and financial freedom?
Studenomics is all about financial freedom on different levels. Some of my friends love to work their jobs and go on a few trips a year. Some want to travel full-time. Some students are working towards paying off their student loans. Some of you guys just want to get laid more often. Some of you want to make an extra $100 off freelancing. That’s cool.
Are you ready to launch? Grab your copy of my book Failure To Launch No More! The book is at 16 five star reviews. The readers are raving. This book will take you from zero to hero when it comes to launching.
I’m calling you out. Are you going to keep on complaining or will you follow up on your goals? Your move.
“If you’re prepared and you know what it takes, it’s not a risk. You just have to figure out how to get there. There is always a way to get there.” — Mark Cuban