I am glad I didn’t listen

What is the worse that is going to happen?  Answer.  You are going to die.  And guess what? We are all going to die.  There is a one hundred percent chance that it is going to happen.  Not if, but when.

I have watched this day come for too many people in my life already and I am sure I will watch a few more, unfortunately.

What it has taught me, is that we must seize every moment of existence we have on this earth.  Instead of going for good, going for stable, going for security, going for what’s easy, what is comfortable, what makes total sense.  I am vowing to go for what is the riskiest, what doesn’t make total sense, what has a big, HUGE upside, than just a little upside, etc.

I am guessing you are probably a lot like me.  We both probably grew up in a situation where our families may have had a lot or a little.  They may have been super supportive or not supportive at all.  They may have taken a lot of risks or none at all.

Whatever your story is, it has brought you to this place.  This current place, called the “present”.  I am thankful for what my upbringing has done thus far.  However, I know how the story could end based on my experiences. I also know how I want it to end, when it ends. I am vowing to make my story end the way I want it to.  For better or for worse.

When I left a secure and stable job that was comfortable and paying me well, and a position that I totally understood.  I had some friends tell me that I shouldn’t.  I had some family members tell me to stay put.

I am glad I didn’t listen.  

When I decided to buy my first rental property, I can remember everyone.  Yes, I mean everyone. Telling me that it is risky.  They said, “What are you going to do if your tenants don’t pay?” They said “Tenants will mess your stuff up and you will have to get it fixed.”  They said “You will get phone calls in the middle of the night.” Everything was negative, nothing was positive.  I bought the property anyway.

I am glad I didn’t listen. 

When I decided to take a risk and start a business on the side.  I can remember everyone saying “How are you going to do that?”  “That is a lot of work.” Then, when I decided to leave my stable secure job and pursue this business I started.  Everyone said “You are crazy, what are you going to do if it fails.”  “Are you sure this is the right thing to do right now?”

Guess what happened.  It didn’t fail.  It is still going today.  However, at the time I learned a lesson and many lessons by doing it. I learned that I still needed to find a better way to build a business.  At the time we weren’t ready.  Guess what happened?  I got a great education and I went back to work.

I am glad I didn’t listen. 

When I decided to sell one of my houses (the one I was living in) and rent an apartment instead. Everyone again said all the same stuff. “Why would you do that”, “You are wasting money on rent.” I did it, and it set me up to make several other great moves with my money and my real estate portfolio.

I am glad I didn’t listen. 

I decided to leave a well-paying job, move to another state, and purchase a business all at the same time.  You know the routine.  Everyone said the same “Whoa, you are crazy.” “Good luck” they said, with a smirk on their face. “It is going to be hard work”.  Yep, duh.  Anything worthwhile is hard work, or everyone would be doing it.

I am glad I didn’t listen. 

I am not saying that everyone during each of these decisions were negative and trying to talk me out of it.  However, ninety-five percent of them were. And you know why?

Because it is not something that they would do.  Period. They wouldn’t do it, so they either didn’t want me to do it, because they couldn’t.  You know ego, jealousy. Or they sincerely believe that I shouldn’t have done it, and that is just their belief based on how they were raised and who they are.  Both of these reasons are pure crap by the way, and I am so thankful I didn’t listen to any of them when I made those decisions.

Now here is the thing.  I am completely disgusted with myself.  It has taken me this long to figure out that all along the way. Even though I was making good moves and good decisions. I was completely wrong in how I was doing it. You know why I was wrong?

Because I wasn’t thinking big enough.  When I bought that first rental property, I should have bought a bigger one.  Instead of a duplex, I should have bought an eight-plex  or bigger. When I started that little business. Instead of trying to conserve my money that I had saved, I should have spent every dime on that business to make it grow and grow quicker.

I have learned that even though I made all the right decisions, because if I hadn’t I wouldn’t be telling you about them today. That, my biggest problem with the decisions I made was that they were too small.

I am right in the middle of making some of the biggest decisions of my life.  Thankfully, because of my experiences. I am looking at things with a different perspective than I have ever looked at them before.

I have the mindset of “What is the worst that is going to happen?”  Since I know the answer. I am only allowing my imagination and my ambitions make my decisions. Not fear, and especially not anyone and everyone who has never been where I want to go.

To your success and your future.