Story time again! So, what makes a Hustler? Travel with me as I relate stories of moments that changed my life.

I used to live in a world just below yours. Some call it the Underworld. When people hear that term they immediately think hardened criminals, shady drug deals and sleazy dens of gambling and partying with danger lurking behind every door.

Some of you all watch too many movies and listen to too much gangsta rap.

This isn't one of my exciting stories, but it did impact the way I Perceived things. Get comfortable.

Before the days where my Hustle was able to afford me a nice home and a vehicle I used to catch the public transportation system here in Atlanta, Georgia known as MARTA.

I was walking up Campbellton Road to the nearest bus stop. I had my plan all laid out. Catch the bus, hit the Oakland City train station, head to College Park and then into Red Oak. When you have to be across town at a certain time, missing 1 bus can really knock you off schedule. It was always in me to be as punctual as possible – I wanted to be a man of my word in every way possible.

I huffed and puffed with a 20 pound bag hanging from a strap across my right shoulder. I arrived at the bus stop and sat down. Both benches were empty.

I was fairly confident I was on time so I relaxed a little and wiped the sweat from my face. I watched the cars on the road pass by. Various beats and rhythms of music rose and fell. People strolled the sidewalks in their usual daze – their minds filled with worry, dread, fear, anger, resentment and other thoughts we all indulge in from minute to minute.

I then realized a short older black man sit down next to me.

He rummaged through his pockets and grumbled something while he fiddled with a couple of plastic shopping bags he placed on the concrete near his worn out coffee-colored dress shoes.

I was paying him little mind while still making sure he was in my side-vision. I didn't feel like a conversation but people have always felt comfortable speaking with me. Even complete total strangers.

“Look,” He said.

He held out his palm filled with 2 disposable cigarette lighters.

He continued, “Those Arab muthafuckas! These used to be 69 cents. Now they want me to pay 99 cents for the same damn thing.”

I responded in the only way I wanted to respond. “I hear you,” I said.

I thought he would get the message that I wasn't up for an idle conversation, but I should have been more direct.

He continued, “And I don’t mind paying 99 cents. I really don’t. But if you want something more from me, then give me something more. Don’t raise the price and give me the same shit I've been gettin’. Why should I give you something more if you’re not going to give me something more? Same lighter, I get the same amount of uses out of it but you want me to pay more? Fuck that. I just took one of these. You’re going to charge me 99 cents, then I think I deserve 2 of these. Greedy muthafuckas!”

The older man opened one of his plastic bags he had placed on the ground. And again, he continued, “The World is full of shit. Everybody wants to take but doesn't want to give. What happened to fair deals? You see this?” He pulled a can of vegetables from the plastic bag, “Same thing. Charge me more and give me less. I took another one of these too. That ain't how the World should work. Things should be a fair exchange. Everything should be fair. But, no! Greedy muthafuckas don’t want you to have shit. Raise prices, then don’t pay you more at your job and you end up with less and less until you don’t have shit. They get more but they don’t give you more.”

He grumbled something else but honestly at this point I had tuned him out.

I already knew where this conversation was going. I just nodded my head. I wasn't nodding in agreement; I nodded because this spiteful little man and his whiny tirade made me realize something.

This man and his Perspective on life caused him nothing but frustration. I learned that day the World doesn't work the way you want it to work. To him, he was 100% right. He claimed he wanted things to be fair, but what he really wanted was things to be easier, for him.

He justified his theft by making claims he was being taken advantage of. Justifications are a sign of a weak mind. It’s the cover that you pull over your eyes so you don’t have to see clearly and accept things as they are. It’s the mask we wear so we can convince others that we look like something we’re not.

This is the mask of the faker.

The truth is, despite your best efforts, you can lie to everyone, but yourself. Other people may buy into your justifications, but on some level, you never will.

The spiteful little man I met that day screamed out for fairness and justice but acted out in pettiness and weakness. Sure, he had a valid point, there should be fair exchanges, and there should be reciprocation. But when looking at matters from the Perspective of The Game, you see why certain things are the way they are.

Powerless people will always whine and complain. They will sing the doctrine of injustice. And with all that energy and time they have, they won’t use it to change their situation.

I realized that bitching, whining, complaining, moaning and justifying your actions to others isn't strength, its weakness. That line of thinking and what it produces is weak. Players don’t sit around in groups complaining – we move around and seek ways to improve our situation.

I would later learn in the Game the difference between strong and weak thinking and how to recognize one over the other. When you don’t live the life you advocate, when you justify weakness trying to make it look strong, when you choose to constantly place yourself in positions that you don’t like – then guess what? No one is Playing you. You’re Playing yourself.

Are you complaining about things you're not going to change? Put that time and energy elsewhere. There are many things you can get back, but time and energy aren't one of them. Until next time…

Curious about the Game? Subscribe to the Uncommon Sense Adviser – Free news, early access to future books, discounts and answers to questions too controversial for the blog. Join now by clicking [HERE].

Do you fear failing? Of course you do. Accept it or not this is a very natural human condition. In this blog post I’ll explain where it comes from and how to use it to your advantage. We’re going in deep but first let’s get a few things out the way.

Let me first thank the Ladies of W.O.W. (Women of Wisdom) for allowing me to be a sponsor at their first event. The day went off fantastic and I look forward to speaking at one of your upcoming events – this one was definitely inspirational.

All these women empowerment groups - Men, we need to step up our Game!

To all my readers Worldwide, welcome back!

A quick announcement before we get into this week’s post.

If you’re in the Atlanta are come out on November, 13th to the Medu Bookstore at Greenbriar Mall. I’ll be giving a 2 hour lecture on the Game!

The Game was also meant to be passed from mouth to ear. So come out and hear the Game broken down in detail. You won’t be disappointed. Check the graphic below for details.

Now, let’s chop up some Game…

If you don’t know you have a problem then there is nothing to be fixed. But if you do know you have a problem then you should be looking for solutions.

The knowledge of the Game here is leaps beyond almost everything else out there. That’s quite a claim now, isn't it? But it’s a claim I can easily back up.

I’ll be a jumping around a little in this post, so please excuse me. But I want you to see something.

For those looking for specialized knowledge, I have it for you. The Game has many “layers” or aspects. Each “layer” of the Game operates from the original Game itself but has different rules, regulations and codes of conduct.

So, here’s something you won’t hear anywhere else!

(1) Anything that requires a structure of power to “hold it together”, requires the Game. When there is a structure, there is the Game. It’s automatically there. At this point, it just needs to be Played.

I know that just went over many people’s heads out there and that’s fine.

Now, why is this true? Because the Game is about knowledge - and as the old saying goes, “Knowledge is power,” but most knowledge has tremendous power over those who don’t know what you do.

All knowledge has its purpose, all knowledge can be used for “good” or “bad” (I use those terms loosely) and all knowledge has its limitations. Knowing how tune-up a car isn't going to help you much if you’re stuck in a forest and must hunt and forage to eat that day.

The knowledge we have, has limitations. So this is where knowledge of the Game comes in. The Game can propel you to greatness in many areas of your life.

Since the Game is knowledge, doesn't that mean it has limitations as well? Of course it does but here’s the rub on that…

Again, here’s something you won’t hear anywhere else!

(2) Proper understanding of the Game allows you to break-down and absorb ANY information so that it can be used for your benefit.

This is powerful because it means you can overcome many limitations in your life. Not only will you be able to recognize garbage (useless) information so you don’t waste your time; but you will be able to get to the root of most information. You can discover what you need and where to start.

Here’s more information you won’t hear like this, anywhere else!

(3) Do you realize that every relationship is a power structure? Business relationships, parent/child relationships, student/teacher, boss/employee and even a family unit. And yes, even romantic relationships!

50 / 50 relationships won’t advance you anywhere. In order for a vehicle to go from point A to point B then to point C and so on, someone needs to drive. Someone needs to lead. Someone has to know where to turn right, where to turn left or when to keep straight.

The split can be as minor as 55 / 45 but a relationship must be going somewhere, or it’s not going to advance.

Most friendships “try” to be 50 / 50 and that’s all well and good. But how many friendships advance? Having fun together is great, having support is great but most friendships aren't designed for both people to advance together in life – and they’re not supposed to be. 

Such is the price of playing 50 / 50.

When we look at many romantic relationships, you see a constant struggle for power – even if it’s subtle. Each person tries to make their opinions and views heard and demand respect for them. There is always a direct and indirect push by both sides – each person feeling that their way, is the best way. There is a war of Perspectives.

While in a relationship there are certain situations where one person is going to be dominant. Maybe they have more experience or knowledge in a certain area. And this same person may be almost powerless in other situations – at this point, their partner may have to lead. The flow should go back and forth when necessary, but this isn't always the case.

The struggle for “control” is there, because there is a power structure there. When there is a power structure, the Game is automatically present – at that point, it just needs to be Played.

So as we say in the Game, “Play or be Played.”

Some of you might say, “Isn't this a terrible way to look at life?”

And my response is, “What has your current thinking and knowledge done for you? Are you honestly satisfied with your current life situation?”

If you desire to live a better life, then that means you’re unsatisfied with the life you’re living now. Are you going to continue down the roads you've already traveled? Or are you going to get yourself a new road map and venture out to better places? 

Are you in the driver’s seat of your own vehicle? Or do you always feel like you’re a passenger in someone else’s? Peep Game.

Enough rambling, I just wanted to expose many of you to the knowledge and information that has been kept away from you. Now you know it’s out there and if you want more, it’s your job to seek it.

Be good to yourself. Take a few moments to enjoy life. Until next time…

Curious about the Game? Subscribe to the Uncommon Sense Adviser – Free news, early access to future books, discounts and answers to questions too controversial for the blog. Join now by clicking [HERE].

This past week has been fantastic! Big thanks to the Women of the L.E.A.D organization for inviting me out to speak with them. It was a great session, I covered some seldom taught business basics and everyone really understood where I was coming from.

I also have a lecture coming up this November (possibly 2 lectures). I’ll be covering a lot of information about the Game and I guarantee you've never heard it like I’m going to bring it. I’ll make the official announcement next week so stay tuned. 

So, moving on to this week’s post…

Atlanta is great! It really is. I've been out here for over 17 years now and there’s plenty to do and most importantly a lot of opportunities. I love opportunities. Seriously, I mean having a lack of opportunities makes for a pretty dull life, don’t you agree?

I learned tons out here. I learned to break out of my proverbial shell, I learned to Value the simple things in life and even with all the highs and lows of my experiences in the Game, I wouldn't change a thing. Regrets? Yes I have them but I've gained so much I really can’t complain. Life moves on.

It was here in Atlanta that I was first introduced to the real Game of business. It was a rocky road filled with dangers and pitfalls but I never let that stop me. The opportunity was there so I took it. Not in the best way possible, but I took it.

I talk with people and I can see their passion to want more out of life, but I also see their fear. Here we are, living our day to day life hoping, praying and wishing for better things. These better things are already laid out in front of us like a delectable buffet – But only a few of us sit down and eat.

I was once asked, “James, what is the secret to success?” It didn't take me long to respond. There is no 1 secret to success; it’s a combination of many little things done well with laser-like focus. Ambition runs deep in the young mind but as we get older we learn to settle for less. And if you haven’t already figured it out, settling for less sucks!

I desired many things when I was younger but the thing I desired most (other than the company of young ladies) was plain simple freedom. Freedom to make the best decisions for my life. Freedom of my time. Freedom to become what I dreamed of becoming. My whole life revolves around this and I can be extremely stubborn about it sometimes. It has its strengths and weaknesses. The concept of freedom is simple but getting yourself free is a long journey.

Opportunity and freedom go hand in hand. It’s the perfect marriage of ideals, values, goals, dreams and self-empowerment. But just like everything in life, this comes at a price. Getting away from fear and pushing forward despite of it is not easy, but necessary. It’s a skill that can be developed. Fear and doubt are real human emotions, but so is courage and assurance. There’s a choice, there’s always a choice. The concept of choice is simple, but at the same time actually making a choice often isn't.

We are so overloaded with information that often times we “know” 10 different ways to deal with 1 situation. We remember what our Grandmother told us, what our parents told us, what our teachers told us, what our friends told us, what we saw on Oprah, what we read in an article, etc., etc. It takes us so long to make a single decision that sometimes we end up doing nothing at all from fear of making a mistake. The dis-empowering side effects of information overload!

As I sit back and look at the misery people inflict upon themselves and the useless battles we all struggle with, sometimes I’m amazed. You see, a Hustler always moves towards beneficial things. But I wasn't always a Hustler and I didn't always look at life this way. My challenge to you is to keep simple things as simple as possible. A great teacher once said, “It’s very easy to make simple things complex.” And I can say without hesitation he hit that nail on the head.

Until next time… Keep it moving and keep it simple in the process.

Tune in next week for a new PODCAST – more Real Game coming at you!

Intrigued by the Game? Subscribe to the Uncommon Sense Adviser – Free news, early access to future books, discounts and answers to questions too controversial for the blog. Join now by clicking [HERE].