Real Game: Life’s Little Guarantees

​I was sitting one time talking to a very prominent black Atlanta businessman. I was in my late 20s at the time while he was in early 50s. Needless to say he was doing well for himself.
 
On this particular day he was excited about how he had just bought his daughter a “baby Benz” as he called it. She was doing outstanding in college and he felt she deserved it and it made him feel good to buy it for her.
 
Like most older businessmen I spoke to (and successful street Hustlers) that had well-padded bank accounts, just by looking at his appearance you would have never suspected he was a millionaire. If he was on one of his “off-days”, he didn’t flaunt his wealth. However it was hard to overlook his car – a black E-Class Benz; and that wasn’t even his “work-day” vehicle, to him that was keeping a low profile. Lucky him.
 
There’s a mental shift that every Hustler needs to make. Sometimes it happens naturally (like it did with me), other times you’re fortunate enough to get this piece of the Game blessed upon you. That mental shift is to remove all feelings of envy, jealousy and disdain when you see wealth and money. This isn’t easy especially when you don’t have any money of your own.
 
Instead the Perspective to take (in my opinion) is: If they did it, I can do it – just as long as I’m willing to pay the price.
 
Those status symbols of wealth and success become motivations to step-up your Game instead of symbols of how unfair things can be. Trust me; I’ve met some very successful people who I didn’t think were very bright. But it’s not always intelligence that makes a person wealthy. Sometimes they’re just geniuses at what they do. And sometimes that’s enough.
 
There are very few guarantees in life. I think we can all agree on that. But here are a few:

• If you were born, you’re eventually going to die. Some people hate to hear that, but it’s a reality.
• If you don’t put anything down, you can’t pick anything up. That’s just a slick way of saying: If you do nothing, you get nothing. Or you could even use the old saying, “A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.”
• You’re always right, even if you’re wrong. Another slick way to say: The way you think, determines what happens to you. If you think you can’t do something, then you can’t. And if you think you can do something, you can (or you will find a way to do it).

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​So with those little life guarantees in mind let’s examine success and failure. In general, people don’t like to fail. I mean who wants to try and not succeed? It can be a blow to your ego, and depending on your Perspective, it can affect your overall self-image and self-esteem.
 
But on the other side of the coin (and every coin has 2-sides), there is 1 very simple and effective way to guarantee failure. And that is NOT to try. That is undoubtedly a guarantee that’s iron-clad – don’t even think about asking for a refund.
 
I meet people from all walks of life; from every corner of the United States, to other countries around the globe. Some of the most intelligent people I’ve met are also some of the most sacred people I’ve met. They usually over analyze situations and opportunities. And they take so long in doing it that they usually just make the decision to do nothing. Once again… if you don’t put anything down, you can’t pick anything up – guaranteed failure (at least in that area of their life).
 
When I was younger I used to debate with people about all manner of subjects (except politics, that was never really my thing). We could go on for an hour or 2 about what is what, and how something should be, or how something actually is. And at the end of this mentally exhausting exercise, you know what happened? 9 times out of 10, they would go their way still thinking how they thought, and so would I. Once again… you’re right even when you’re wrong.
 
The Game is heavily based in Perspective. Have you ever listened to 2 people explain their opposite points of view and you’re saying to yourself, “Wow, she might be right!” and “Hmm, he might be right too!” How can that happen? Because when a person thinks they’re right, that’s it – you usually can’t change their mind.
 
So what does this have to do with The Game? Well, it’s simple really. If something works well for someone, who am I to argue that they’re doing it wrong? Is it really worth it to have a 30-minute discussion about the correct way to button a shirt? That’s sounds silly because it is. Most people would never be caught dead arguing about that. When it’s all said and done, it’s the result that’s important – and as we say in The Game, “Results don’t lie.”
 
This leads me back to one of life’s little guarantees. If you’re trying to fail, then don’t try at all. But if you’re trying to win, then you have to put in some effort to make that happen. We all only have a certain amount of time to live. Where is your time going?
 
Time is a Valuable asset. Why? Because every single person on this planet has the same amount. Time is the greatest equalizer in existence. You can’t borrow it, ask for more or return it. Once you “spend” it, it’s gone.
 
So since time is an asset, then like most assets it should be invested in. Because what you choose to do today, or NOT choose to do today, will determine what returns you get in your future. Peep Game.
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