so I recently saw this video of micro on
entrepreneurs YouTube channel when you
follow your passion when you follow your
dream when you grow up being told that
you’re a precious little snowflake and
all you have to do is look inward and
identify that thing in you that you want
more than anything else that’s a trap I
think when you put passion first you
erect a giant wall if you can get over
it
and get down to the other side then you
get to write the biography and tell the
world about how you identified your wish
and people love to read that crap in my
view that’s simply not how most success
works then I got this comment on my
youtube channel
[Music]
what do I think I think you should be
careful who you’re taking advice from
here’s who I listen to people say you
have to have a lot of passion for what
you’re doing and it’s totally true and
the reason is is because it’s so hard
that if you don’t any rational person
would give up it’s really hard and you
have to do it over a sustained period of
time so if you don’t love it if you’re
not having fun doing it you don’t really
love it you’re going to give up and
that’s what happens to most people
actually if you really look at the ones
that ended up you know being successful
unquote in the eyes of society and the
ones that didn’t oftentimes it’s the
ones that are successful love what they
did so they could persevere when it you
know when it got really tough and and
the ones that didn’t love it quit
because they’re saying right who would
want to put up with this stuff if you
don’t love it so it’s a lot of hard work
and and it’s a lot of worrying
constantly and if you don’t love it
you’re going to fail so you got to love
it you got to have passion really really
liking what you do whatever area that
you get into given that you know even if
you if you’re the best the best there’s
always a chance of failure so I think
it’s important that you really like
whatever you’re doing if you don’t like
it life is too short you know I’d say if
and also if you if you like what you’re
doing if you think about it even when
you’re not working I mean it’ll just
it’s something that your mind is drawn
to and and if you don’t like it you just
really can’t make it work I think my
advice would be the same for any kind of
entrepreneur and that is make sure that
you are focused on something you’re
passionate about
so if you look at the early internet
companies they were started and focused
on doing something that they thought was
very interesting long before the
internet was fashionable in anyway you
know I I you know we are currently an
underdog once again we’ve been in
business for six years and there was
exactly one year where we were not the
underdog and that was 1999 I like the
the underdog years because it makes a
you know I liked it when all the people
we hired their parents told them they
were crazy like that was the that was
kind of the good era fortunately it’s
back in 1999 all the parents were like
you know given their brothers and
sisters high fives you know my son is
working at amazon.com so that’s a very
you can’t follow the fashion when you’re
trying to do a startup company or I
think really anything in life but you
have to as an entrepreneur if you’re
going to if you’re going to build a
company pick something you think is
interesting that has the intersection of
genuinely creating real customer value
and then just stay right there and let
the weight of catch you everybody has a
calling and your real job in life is to
figure out as soon as possible what that
is who you were meant to be and begin to
honor that in the best way possible
for yourself we have seen over the years
on The Oprah Show so many people who’ve
been able to rise to success in their
life and only able to rise to success
because they answered the call lots of
people think that it’s about being
famous or about being known or about
doing big big incredible things what
you’re going to hear today and see
through the stories is that sometimes
the calling is right in your own
neighborhood sometimes the calling is
something that was just a whisper to you
and when you begin to honor that whisper
and to follow that you end up being the
best that you could be so in my own life
I have to say that I had no idea that I
would end up being who I have become but
I had a strong belief that the calling
was something greater than what
Mississippi was showing me the calling
was greater than my front yard the
calling was greater than what my
grandmother believed that my life could
be in your book the art of the deal
you said that money really isn’t that
important it’s just a means of keeping
score it’s playing the game that excites
you I love the game I like the money and
the money is certainly a method of
keeping score but I don’t do things for
money I do things because I enjoy doing
that really sometimes can translate into
more money than you would have made if
you went just after the money I say that
you know you should pursue your passion
if you’re passionate about something and
you work hard then I think you’ll be
successful if you if you start a
business because you think you’re going
to make a lot of money at it then you
probably won’t be successful because
that’s the wrong reason to start a
business you have to really believe in
what you’re doing be passionate enough
about it so that you will put in the
hours and the hard work that it takes to
actually succeed there and then then
you’ll be successful do you need more
need people that look for great ideas to
make money you know are nearly as
successful as those who say okay what do
I really love to do what am I excited
about what I know something about you
know what’s kind of interesting and
compelling my advice is do things that
are true to you most things that I’m
involved with are extension of being
creative you know Rockaway is a clothing
company you know it’s part of who you
are and hip hop is your attitude and
what you’re trying to express express
how you dress I love sports growing up I
grew up in a household where sports was
on 24 you know 7 so these are things
that are you know are comfortable for me
you know these are things that I like so
I would just say get involved in things
that you love and also have you know
have a standard for yourself and have
some sort of integrity and try to you
know find some sort of truth in what
you’re doing you can spend your whole
life imagining ghosts worrying about the
pathway to the future but all there will
ever be is what’s happening here in the
decisions we make in this moment which
are based in either love or fear so many
of us choose our path out of fear
disguised as practicality
what we really want seems impossibly out
of reach and ridiculous to expect so we
never dare to ask the universe for it
I’m saying I’m the proof that you can
ask the universe for it please and if it
doesn’t happen for you right away it’s
only because the universe is so busy
fulfilling my order
my father could have been a great
comedian but he didn’t believe that that
was possible for him and so he made a
conservative choice instead he got a
safe job as an accountant and when I was
12 years old he was let go from that
safe job and our family had to do
whatever we could to survive I learned
many great lessons from my father not
the least of which was that you can fail
at what you don’t want so you might as
well take a chance on doing what you
love I’ve been telling people for a long
time if you’re doing something that
you’re not passionate about or committed
to then you compromising yourself every
day and you know what you cannot fake
the font for long just don’t take no for
an answer and I think if you you know if
you believe in what you’re doing
many people will tell you you know what
why you’re mistaken why you’ll never
work and you know if you’re ready leave
passionate what you’re doing just
distant and I you know keep going you
don’t keep keep pushing on I feel so
strongly that the reason I’m here is I
dreamed big dreams I dream the kind of
dreams that other people said would not
be possible I’m also living proof this
isn’t a Hollywood movie I come literally
from the other side of the tracks if you
saw where I grew up and we took a
picture of it the neighborhood the
setting you say it’s not it’s impossible
that someone could come from there and
get here but it is possible and not to
sound too trite it’s possible because we
still live in a country where the
entrepreneurial spirit is so alive and
so well and anyone in this country if
you dream big and surround yourself with
great people and leave your ego at the
door and share a success with others and
have a little luck along the way you can
do anything but there will be people
along the way and I remember this who
will say to you you know you’re dreaming
too big
it’s not possible those things just
can’t happen don’t allow anyone friend
family acquaintances teachers whoever it
is don’t allow anyone to tell you that
what you are dreaming for yourself and
your family is not possible it is
possible don’t be one of those people 20
years from now are going to be walking
around a nine-to-five job
miserable and angry and bitter because
you let your dreams get away from you
because you did not believe stronger
enough strongly enough in yourself and
what was possible don’t allow that to
happen
this is an unbelievable time and I can’t
encourage you enough to continue to
think that things are possible and that
your dreams can come true and as it
relates to finding your calling in terms
of what the opportunity or the
entrepreneurial adventure is going to be
it has to be linked to something that
you are so passionate and crazed about
that you’re willing to knock down walls
and climb mountains and do the things
that are going to put yourself in a
position of sacrificing so many other
things for its success and you can only
do that when there’s a compelling
underlying feeling that you have that
this is something I’m going to fight to
the death for and without that I think
it’s going to be a commodity based
experience not only for the customer but
for you and I think you can’t really
succeed at the levels that you want to
unless you find that thing that you’re
so passionate excited and in love with
and I think because you’ve got it along
the way you’re going to have to convince
so many other people to believe in you
and the idea and the opportunity and the
struggle and the obstacles that are
going to come can over only be overcome
by this passion that you have in which
you’re going to be able to get people to
follow you over the over those hurdles I
know it sounds a little bit sophomoric
but it’s so true so does that answer it
for you
entrepreneurs YouTube channel when you
follow your passion when you follow your
dream when you grow up being told that
you’re a precious little snowflake and
all you have to do is look inward and
identify that thing in you that you want
more than anything else that’s a trap I
think when you put passion first you
erect a giant wall if you can get over
it
and get down to the other side then you
get to write the biography and tell the
world about how you identified your wish
and people love to read that crap in my
view that’s simply not how most success
works then I got this comment on my
youtube channel
[Music]
what do I think I think you should be
careful who you’re taking advice from
here’s who I listen to people say you
have to have a lot of passion for what
you’re doing and it’s totally true and
the reason is is because it’s so hard
that if you don’t any rational person
would give up it’s really hard and you
have to do it over a sustained period of
time so if you don’t love it if you’re
not having fun doing it you don’t really
love it you’re going to give up and
that’s what happens to most people
actually if you really look at the ones
that ended up you know being successful
unquote in the eyes of society and the
ones that didn’t oftentimes it’s the
ones that are successful love what they
did so they could persevere when it you
know when it got really tough and and
the ones that didn’t love it quit
because they’re saying right who would
want to put up with this stuff if you
don’t love it so it’s a lot of hard work
and and it’s a lot of worrying
constantly and if you don’t love it
you’re going to fail so you got to love
it you got to have passion really really
liking what you do whatever area that
you get into given that you know even if
you if you’re the best the best there’s
always a chance of failure so I think
it’s important that you really like
whatever you’re doing if you don’t like
it life is too short you know I’d say if
and also if you if you like what you’re
doing if you think about it even when
you’re not working I mean it’ll just
it’s something that your mind is drawn
to and and if you don’t like it you just
really can’t make it work I think my
advice would be the same for any kind of
entrepreneur and that is make sure that
you are focused on something you’re
passionate about
so if you look at the early internet
companies they were started and focused
on doing something that they thought was
very interesting long before the
internet was fashionable in anyway you
know I I you know we are currently an
underdog once again we’ve been in
business for six years and there was
exactly one year where we were not the
underdog and that was 1999 I like the
the underdog years because it makes a
you know I liked it when all the people
we hired their parents told them they
were crazy like that was the that was
kind of the good era fortunately it’s
back in 1999 all the parents were like
you know given their brothers and
sisters high fives you know my son is
working at amazon.com so that’s a very
you can’t follow the fashion when you’re
trying to do a startup company or I
think really anything in life but you
have to as an entrepreneur if you’re
going to if you’re going to build a
company pick something you think is
interesting that has the intersection of
genuinely creating real customer value
and then just stay right there and let
the weight of catch you everybody has a
calling and your real job in life is to
figure out as soon as possible what that
is who you were meant to be and begin to
honor that in the best way possible
for yourself we have seen over the years
on The Oprah Show so many people who’ve
been able to rise to success in their
life and only able to rise to success
because they answered the call lots of
people think that it’s about being
famous or about being known or about
doing big big incredible things what
you’re going to hear today and see
through the stories is that sometimes
the calling is right in your own
neighborhood sometimes the calling is
something that was just a whisper to you
and when you begin to honor that whisper
and to follow that you end up being the
best that you could be so in my own life
I have to say that I had no idea that I
would end up being who I have become but
I had a strong belief that the calling
was something greater than what
Mississippi was showing me the calling
was greater than my front yard the
calling was greater than what my
grandmother believed that my life could
be in your book the art of the deal
you said that money really isn’t that
important it’s just a means of keeping
score it’s playing the game that excites
you I love the game I like the money and
the money is certainly a method of
keeping score but I don’t do things for
money I do things because I enjoy doing
that really sometimes can translate into
more money than you would have made if
you went just after the money I say that
you know you should pursue your passion
if you’re passionate about something and
you work hard then I think you’ll be
successful if you if you start a
business because you think you’re going
to make a lot of money at it then you
probably won’t be successful because
that’s the wrong reason to start a
business you have to really believe in
what you’re doing be passionate enough
about it so that you will put in the
hours and the hard work that it takes to
actually succeed there and then then
you’ll be successful do you need more
need people that look for great ideas to
make money you know are nearly as
successful as those who say okay what do
I really love to do what am I excited
about what I know something about you
know what’s kind of interesting and
compelling my advice is do things that
are true to you most things that I’m
involved with are extension of being
creative you know Rockaway is a clothing
company you know it’s part of who you
are and hip hop is your attitude and
what you’re trying to express express
how you dress I love sports growing up I
grew up in a household where sports was
on 24 you know 7 so these are things
that are you know are comfortable for me
you know these are things that I like so
I would just say get involved in things
that you love and also have you know
have a standard for yourself and have
some sort of integrity and try to you
know find some sort of truth in what
you’re doing you can spend your whole
life imagining ghosts worrying about the
pathway to the future but all there will
ever be is what’s happening here in the
decisions we make in this moment which
are based in either love or fear so many
of us choose our path out of fear
disguised as practicality
what we really want seems impossibly out
of reach and ridiculous to expect so we
never dare to ask the universe for it
I’m saying I’m the proof that you can
ask the universe for it please and if it
doesn’t happen for you right away it’s
only because the universe is so busy
fulfilling my order
my father could have been a great
comedian but he didn’t believe that that
was possible for him and so he made a
conservative choice instead he got a
safe job as an accountant and when I was
12 years old he was let go from that
safe job and our family had to do
whatever we could to survive I learned
many great lessons from my father not
the least of which was that you can fail
at what you don’t want so you might as
well take a chance on doing what you
love I’ve been telling people for a long
time if you’re doing something that
you’re not passionate about or committed
to then you compromising yourself every
day and you know what you cannot fake
the font for long just don’t take no for
an answer and I think if you you know if
you believe in what you’re doing
many people will tell you you know what
why you’re mistaken why you’ll never
work and you know if you’re ready leave
passionate what you’re doing just
distant and I you know keep going you
don’t keep keep pushing on I feel so
strongly that the reason I’m here is I
dreamed big dreams I dream the kind of
dreams that other people said would not
be possible I’m also living proof this
isn’t a Hollywood movie I come literally
from the other side of the tracks if you
saw where I grew up and we took a
picture of it the neighborhood the
setting you say it’s not it’s impossible
that someone could come from there and
get here but it is possible and not to
sound too trite it’s possible because we
still live in a country where the
entrepreneurial spirit is so alive and
so well and anyone in this country if
you dream big and surround yourself with
great people and leave your ego at the
door and share a success with others and
have a little luck along the way you can
do anything but there will be people
along the way and I remember this who
will say to you you know you’re dreaming
too big
it’s not possible those things just
can’t happen don’t allow anyone friend
family acquaintances teachers whoever it
is don’t allow anyone to tell you that
what you are dreaming for yourself and
your family is not possible it is
possible don’t be one of those people 20
years from now are going to be walking
around a nine-to-five job
miserable and angry and bitter because
you let your dreams get away from you
because you did not believe stronger
enough strongly enough in yourself and
what was possible don’t allow that to
happen
this is an unbelievable time and I can’t
encourage you enough to continue to
think that things are possible and that
your dreams can come true and as it
relates to finding your calling in terms
of what the opportunity or the
entrepreneurial adventure is going to be
it has to be linked to something that
you are so passionate and crazed about
that you’re willing to knock down walls
and climb mountains and do the things
that are going to put yourself in a
position of sacrificing so many other
things for its success and you can only
do that when there’s a compelling
underlying feeling that you have that
this is something I’m going to fight to
the death for and without that I think
it’s going to be a commodity based
experience not only for the customer but
for you and I think you can’t really
succeed at the levels that you want to
unless you find that thing that you’re
so passionate excited and in love with
and I think because you’ve got it along
the way you’re going to have to convince
so many other people to believe in you
and the idea and the opportunity and the
struggle and the obstacles that are
going to come can over only be overcome
by this passion that you have in which
you’re going to be able to get people to
follow you over the over those hurdles I
know it sounds a little bit sophomoric
but it’s so true so does that answer it
for you
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