Happiness

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, happiness is "a state of well-being and contentment - joy." That's a difficult one for me. I mean that to say that I am not content. There are so many things that I need to accomplish. But I do have a large amount of well-being and joy.
What I mean is that I don't feel as though I have everything that I need. I think that I need to do more before I reach the level of "contentment," that is if such a thing exists. The hard part for me is figuring out how. How does a man who everyone was certain would never amount to much supposed to increase his stature in the world and make himself a force to be reckoned with?
According to Merriam-Webster's, content merely means satisfied. I am so totally not satisfied. But the scary part is, maybe I am and I just don't know it. That would explain a lot - the way I act, the way I speak, the way I dress. What if I'm really content and just pretending to want more?
Whether or not I am truly content, I have unprecedented levels of happiness every day. It is a feeling that I cannot describe, other than to say that I have created a life like no other. I can express my highest self every day, and create wealth where there was none before. Though it's hard to find out how. I did incorporate at about the midpoint of this year. It's been a rough road, but I'm glad that I made it through.
The most important thing to remember is that I never even expected to live this long. As a black man from the projects, my success was anything but guaranteed. I needed to figure out how I was going to survive, first of all. And then I had to execute on my vision. I had to make myself indispensable somewhere, and that's what I did.
There are a few things that make me happy. They are:
1. Family
2. Freedom
3. Rest
4. Health
5. Money
6. Sex
7. Entertainment
8. People
9. Food
10. Love
Family seems obvious, but it's really not. I have no family, but family is at the top of the list. Why is that? Even though I will likely never have a family of my own, it is one of my top values. It is the thing that really comes out ahead. I can't think of one era of my life in which family wasn't an important part. Having a mother and siblings certainly opened doors for me early on, especially since I was the lowest performer in the family. They sort of boosted  me up artificially.
Freedom is the absolute best. If I want to sleep  all day, I can. There are consequences, of course, but I'm more than willing to deal with them, because I am free. I can go to the library and read a million books. It's not hard. I love to read. In a country that incarcerates more people than any country in the world - most of them black - I have survived on the outside for a lifetime that I would only describe as magical. I have done things that I never would've thought possible, seen things that would make my younger me blush.
Rest is the sneaky one. I need lots of rest. I can't be up all day and all night like I could when I was a kid. I need to sleep and let myself recharge. It seems as though I rest a little bit too much, but the payoff is immense. I have just the energy that I need, just when I need it. I can travel across the city and engage in a wide variety of activities, all meant to bring a bright future for me. It's so hard to go to bed at 8pm. Why not 5? Like I said, there are consequences for everything that a person does. But who wouldn't want to get some extra rest every once and a while?
I am one of the healthiest people alive. It shows up in my workout routines, in my fitness, in my energy, in my diet and in my behaviors. It's in the way that I largely cut out sweets from my diet. It's in the way that I'm always drinking healthy fruit juice. It's in my way of creating wealth where there was none before. I'm just happy to be where I am now, always at the cusp of something great, never being uncertain. Always having my own methods and, yes, imperfections. I'm really imperfect, you know. I just wish that there were some way to convey all of the great dreams that I have. I truly am a dreamer.
Money is the great equalizer. I can spend, and therefore I exist. People have to cater to me because I am a customer. And as a customer, I have requirements. I need quality food at an excellent price. I need quality housing. Quality entertainment. I just wish that I could've made things easier for myself earlier on. It was truly a war of the worlds back then. But I handled it well for someone who was so new. My old debs are paid, and I'm headed towards a new future of opportunity with an open mind and an open heart.
I love sex, though I've never had it.
Entertainment is the thing that keeps me from sleeping 24/7. The great orators and the great storytellers are all here, wherever you look. I recently saw a movie called Flatliners. All rookie cast. It was very interesting how misleading a movie's advertising can be. I remembered it as this cerebral thriller, sort of like Solaris with George Clooney. It turned out to be a very schlocky, yet very surprising, trip into the world of the past. Not what I was expecting at all, really. The amazing thing about entertainment is that it's so ubiquitous now. You can check out your Jackie Chan classics at the library.

On Success

The first lesson that one should learn about success is that success builds upon success. There I was. I had just paid back 90k in a day. I was on top of the world. So what did I do? I took my already prepared business plan and decided to apply for a business loan. It wasn't much, just an attempt to kickstart my life. Maybe get a little advancement where there was none before. What happened? Maybe this sounds familiar. I called the business loan company thinking I was a hotshot after having jumped three levels in a week with my credit score. What were the first words out of his mouth? "What is your monthly income?" It was short, simple and sweet. After that, he asked me how much I wanted. With just a slight hesitation, I blurted out "Three hundred thousand dollars."

"Absolutely not." was his paraphrased response. "At your income level, the best you'll ever have to hope for is $12,000, maybe $20,000 if you're lucky." Here is the most important lesson to learn if you want to become successful. People only loan money to people who are guaranteed to pay them back. People only help people who can help them in return. Don't believe me? When was the last time that you got a substantial loan? How much income requirement was there? Did you read the fine print? Have to give up massive amounts of collateral?

What I'm saying is that success builds upon success. If you want to become successful, become a success first. And then you're assured to eventually become a success. This is true in almost any arena. Do you want to be considered for the Heisman? Work your butt off from pre-school to the 16th grade, get more results than anybody else your age, and then you may be "considered" for the Heisman. Do you want to become the president? Have a spotless record, resonate with people of every race, age, gender and background, learn a new language, stay out of trouble and have an air of being a "bad boy," and you will be president.

Success is the only way to succeed. Success builds upon success. Have you ever seen someone pull of a physically feat? This can be in combat sports, dancing or just weightlifting. What they never show you is that it was success that led to them ultimately succeeding and pulling off that physical feat. The daily success of diet and nutrition. An early morning run. Even the success of saving enough money every month to purchase new athletic shoes, for when the old ones become garbage. Success builds upon success and it is evident.

If you want to be a success, first succeed. Then the success part is easy. You have to succeed in any way you can. It doesn't matter if you are new. All you have to do is succeed, to show the world that you are capable of it, so that they can help you to create your dreams.

Before You Take On Credit

Before one takes on credit, one should learn about credit. I can still remember being young. I was eighteen years old, having just graduated from high school and moved on to college. There was very little gap between the two, maybe a month. In this situation, I was focused on making things better for myself. But I couldn't possibly have made the right decisions without knowing exactly what I was doing. I needed to find a way, any way, to make it work. I had to come up with any possibility that would allow me to pursue my goals. What happened? I got an unsecured credit card. Perfect for someone with no job and no income, the card came with a $500 credit limit and 0% APR. Naturally, I was elated! But the situation became clear before long. I had fallen for the age-old trap of expecting something for nothing. And it hurt me. Just remember that there is a price for everything that you do. It may not seem obvious at the time, but it's true. Remembering to keep yourself grounded and focused is important if you wish to create a great life. "What will I do with my life? How will I live?" These are both important questions that you must answer early on. The short answer is that you have to become an investor if you want to see a return. You have to invest in your future. But it's more than that. You have to remember to set yourself up to succeed in every way. It has to be almost automatic. Like, you see so many people who succeed and it seems automatic. You look over your shoulder and that person who you weren't even thinking about suddenly comes through and makes a killing. It can be hard, but remember that you're here to play the long game. I had everything invested in that credit card with 0%  APR. But I had no income, no way of making it work. It should be obvious how that worked out. You have to always remember that you're being watched. Credit rating agencies, banks, your employer. Always remember that you have to set the example for other people. Even when it doesn't feel right. Even when your back is against the wall. Everything you do has to be a reflection for others of how to live. Because that's what it is. Everything that you do shows the world what you value. Everything you say shows exactly what's on your mind at that time. Try to change your mind about the things you know little about. Try to change how you think so that you can change the outcome. Remember, you can achieve tremendous things; but, as they say, it all starts out with an idea. You have to conceive of a better life before you can achieve it. Always think in the back of your mind: "How do I really want to live? Where do I want to go?"

Perspective

The most important thing about life is to keep a good perspective. I've been through some amazing things in my time. The feeling of getting into college. The feeling of having my first apartment. Paying my first month's rent. It was all amazing. But the great accomplishment here is that there was no way that I could've afforded to do this on my own. It was all a great calamity of happenstance that got me here. I think that the trait that got me to this point, the point where I am now, was my honesty. It really shined through these last couple of years. Sooner or later I always tell the truth. It doesn't seem like that in some instances, but I tell the truth. I was so honest about the things that happened to me and about my feelings, that people couldn't wait to help me. I didn't want to be one of these kinds of people who just goes around, trying to put one over on everyone. I must admit that that was not the life for me. I wanted to feel like a true success. I wanted to be there, wanted to see my life unfolding before my eyes. I wanted to be the type of person that I had always looked up to. Not necessarily the richest, but the richest in spirit. People that had truly made an impact on my life, made me feel special and important.  It was absolutely necessary that I tell the truth. Pretty much everything I have with me right now is free. I didn't have to pay for any of it. I know what you're saying: "Oh, that's cheating." But think about it. If you could legally, honestly, have everything you wanted for free, would it not be a moral imperative for you to try to get it? I love to go to the library and check out free books. The library is my shopping spree. I get books on the subjects that I've always wanted to learn. I've got on book now called "The Illusion of Knowing." It goes into how humans cannot possibly contain all of the knowledge, in their heads, to explain everything that they "know," or think they know. I was thinking about my first Kickstarter as it relates to this theory. I wish I had read this book back then. I might have avoided a really costly mistake. The principle discovery here is that the perspective that I had back then was one of "Gotta get that change, mang!" While getting change (mang) is always to be lauded - for, how else would change come to be in one's possession?- but at the same time, there are more valuable things than money. One's good name comes to mind. Peace of mind as well. It's funny. In my perspective, every day I've been a live has been a good day. Wellness is the crown on the well man's head that only the sickly among us can see.

The Amazing Thing About Life

The amazing thing about life is that you never know how good you'll feel. Many times I have been gravely depressed and downtrodden, only to arrive at a revelation which left me...awestruck. Like today for instance. I had gone downtown to fix an issue with my rent. It was a beautiful day out, and I had brought a book along for the long journey from my home to downtown. But something happened just as I arrived downtown. I finished the book. It was an amazing feeling. Not because I would stop reading, but because I had reached my own personal level of mastery. I've finished reading over 200 books so far, and every time I finish one there is just a rush of excitement. It's amazing what a small accomplishment during the day can do. I can think of few things that fill me with such joy. What's so special about reading? Well first of all, it's transformative. Filling your mind with knowledge is a sure way to create new opportunities in your life that will never be taken away. You can do things you could never do before, if you practice what you've learned. And the best part is that if you like the subject, there are always other books in the same or similar subject for you to try. I remember a book I read called Growth Inc., by Herb Rubenstein and Tony Grundy. It was basically an in-depth guide for those who want to grow a business. The amazing thing about this book was that it made so much sense. I had never read anything to spoke to my intellect the way that this book did. It had so many common sense solutions for an age-old problem. Growing a business. Interacting with the public at large. Making beneficial partnerships in your industry. It was amazing what I was learning. And it was all true, in its own way. The teachings of that book wouldn't help me until years later, but they set the stage for what would be my most prosperous five years. That's what books do. In the beginning, I wouldn't read. I do remember reading a lot of Goosebumps books as a child; that, and the Choose Your Own Adventure fare. I remember something happening to me in my college days that turned that all around. I felt that my life was in danger and I wanted to make a change, before it was too late. My first solution was to start reading. I read and read. Almost every singly day that first year I read something. In every book I read, I found something useful. I actually read a book about Napoleon, which really was amazing. The Napoleonic wars were a circuitous, wildly confusing situation which led to immense suffering on all sides. To this day, all of the different ways that those wars went, it fills me with confusion. I mean, how could staunch allies turn on each other, each siding with the enemy in turn?