Inspiration

April has been one helluva month. One filled with motivation and inspiration. I thought I was fired up before, well I'm really fired up now. I am crazy. Hence the Insane part of the title of this blog.

Three Saturdays I travelled back home to New Jersey to take care of some family business. I spent some time with my nephew and found out first hand how hard it is to keep pace with a 1.5 year old. I got to inhale the East Cost flavor, bask in it and bring it back to Michigan.


With that being said I go to Walmart. Now I hate Walmart. I hate it with a passion, but you can't beat the prices, their inventory, and their customer service is pretty good. As I'm checking out,(it's about 8:00 AM in the morning) I look at the faces of the cashiers. They look like the saddest most depressed bunch of people I have ever seen. Then I'm thinking, "These people have succombed to life". You can't convince me that these people want to be Walmart cashiers.
There is no way in hell!
Life has took them out behind the woodshed for a good ol' Southern a$$ whippin. The sad part is, life is kicking the $hzit out of a lot of us, and we don't even realize it. They don't even know that life just bit their ear off, like Tyson. They are in a post knock out stupor where they will stay for the rest of your lives.

If you believe in god or not, you know you have free will. That means you can make decisions. Some of them are hard, tough decisions but they can impact the rest of your life forever. People always ask me why I work so much? The simple answer, "I DON'T WANT TO BE A 40 YEAR OLD WALMART CASHIER". That's why.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with being a cashier, because my job is just as mudane and unsatisfying. I AM a Walmart cashier right now. Right F'ing now, I am a Walmart cashier. I need to hustle and kick my own ass, and make the right decisions so that I can free myself. Then my family. It would be great if my nephew never had to be a Walmart cashier. Then my friends. If you are a Walmart cashier with a plan; and working at Walmart is part of your plan. That is OK, but make sure you are working your plan and not just talk.

Robert Kiyoski (of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame), says, "the No. 1 thing people can do to increase their wealth is to start a part time business. They can start a small home based business, an internet company or network marketing business. " Many people fail to become rich because they value a steady paycheck rather then going through the learning process of becoming financially smarter and richer.

I have a new found respect for Robert Kiyoski. The Rich Dad Poor Dad books are amazing, but aside from that he was the first person to say that your house is not an asset. Something that I have learned and one of the main reasons I still have an apt today. If I had not read Rich Dad Poor Dad, I would be bound by a depreciating asset because I would have brought a house at the top of one of the worst real estate markets.

Not to sound like that annoying commecial but, get off the couch and go make your dreams happen. Please! You owe it to yourself. This life is nothing if you can't dream big, and the go make them come true.

Done!

Walmart

New Jersey

Robert Kiyosaki

Millionaire

Rich

-MJL

Keep small things small to make it Big

Every so often I have the pleasure of traveling to Three Rivers. Not the Three Rivers of Pittsburgh,PA but Three Rivers MI-Population 7,320.

I really have nothing bad to say about Three Rivers (not to mention it's my girlfriends' home town and I don't feel like arguing). It's a small community that is everything that small-town America represents. The average income is approximately $32,000.00 per year. There is very little glitz and glamour, a lot of religion and everyone knows everyone.....and everyone knows every one's business. I think if you fart to loud, you might make the local paper or even headline on the 5:00 news.


It's not the statistics of the small town but the mentality of those that dwell there that is the focus of this blog.

When you compare these places with the rest of the nation you will see quickly that 19.3% of the population of Three Rivers is below the national poverty line and the percentage of College degreed residents over 25 is 9.7%.




In order to realize there is more in life, you have to see more and know there is more out there. You also have to believe that the "more" is tangible.

It's similar to a poverty stricken child. He doesn't know he's poor until he compares himself with others. Only when the child learns there is more that they want more and become disappointed when they can't have get it. Do you think a poor kid in a China orphanage wants a tickle me Elmo? If he doesn't know that a Tickle me Elmo exists, he's not sad when he doesn't get one for Christmas. Hell, he probably doesn't even know what Christmas is.

The issue is that it's too late for us. We know there is a Tickle me Elmo out there. Thanks to TV, MTV Cribs, Movies and real life exposure (depending on where you live); you know there is a tickle Me Elmo out there, and you deserve yours!

The best way to escape the small town mentality - is to leave the small town.

I reference the small town and small town mentality to make this analogy. Your current 9to5 job is just like a small town. If you get caught up in the day to day drama without realizing it, for what it is; then you will mentally exhaust yourself when it's time to work on your own hustles.

You know the type, they come to work and make their job seem soooo hard. Everything is drama "I have been working on this project for weeks". What about the guy who works late and has to let everyone know. "Is it raining out, because it wasn't when I came in at 6:00 AM this morning". Everybody has a bunch of these guys at his job. This guy is his job. If he or she is an Engineer then that's all they will ever be. They choose to ignore what's out there because they don't want to deal with reality.

There are three types at every job:
Type A: Is is job, he or she hates their home life, their families and is defined by their job. This guy is a loser in life until he swipes his badge.

Type B: Comes to work just to get that check and live life to it's fullest. His family life is great; he has hobbies and loves spending time with his friends and family. This guy is rare but does exist.

Type C: This job serves two reason; it's a practice facility to sharpen his tools for business; and a financial means to an end. That end being extreme wealth.

For the Type C People breaking your job down to it's fundamentals is essential: we don't do squat. Really; all I do is just fill out excel spread sheets, and write emails all day. That is the bare bones of my job. I'm not saving lives, I'm not teaching kids, or saving endangered species. I'm just filling out spreadsheets. Any extra effort mental or physical that I waste is taking away from my personal quest for wealth.

(Caution: this doesn't mean don't be the best at your job, it just means be the best using less. Work smarter not harder - The 9to5 is your bread and butter and should be protected at all costs- Ya dig?)

Let's break down some occupations:

If you are Pharmacist - You are just counting pills or dealing drugs
If you are an Engineer - You are just playing Sud0ko All day; Ok advanced level Sudoko
If you are an Administrative assistant - You are a Under paid Adult Babysitter- Sorry but true.
If you are an adult Entertainer - You're just a stripper - Now drop it like it's hot!

When you minimize your job mentally you can really focus on the hard stuff. The stuff that takes "out of the box" thinking that challenges all of your talents, your leadership skills, your creativity, your passions, and your desires. The work that makes you money instead of putting cheese in someone else's pocket.



Remember that the next time you think your job is so hard.

We all know our Tickle Me Elmos' are out there; it's our duty to get them.

Holla at your boy!

Small Town

Money

Think Big

Millionaire

Three Rivers

Rich

-MJL

Gender Standards

Who are you calling a Slacker? Oh..is that me. Are you referring to that fact that I haven't posted in over a month? I guess that does qualify me as a slacker. I have been up to my eyeballs in hustle. Over the last month or so I have been eating, drinking, sleeping hustle. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Actually, believe it or not, I have posts, at least weekly, but I never finish them in time to be relevant. My thoughts are fast and random. By the time I put the keystrokes to the computer my thoughts are dated. Information and technology moves so fast that my Monday thoughts become Thursday old School news!

So how about Jay and Beyonce getting hitched? I'm not mad at him at all. This exemplifies the double standard of society - men are measured by the size of their wallets and women are measured by their beauty. Jay is smart, he found a woman with a chunky wallet who happens to be ranked amongst the hottest chicks in the world. Not to mention that she is a world traveler, talented songstress and a household name. I know she might sound a little hood in interviews but somehow we all overlook that.

Now take the Jay and Beyonce scenario and sprinkle a little real life on the situation. The only way that a guy like Jay-Z would have a girlfriend like that was if his money was right. Charisma, charm and humor could definitely get you the number but you wouldn’t be able to date her and keep her.

That is the double standard – A man who is powerful, wealthy, and confident is attractive no matter how fat, how bald or unappealing he might be physically. James Gandolfini aka Tony Soprano was considered to be a sex symbol, for the way he portrayed the powerful, wealthy mob boss. Sean Combs has millions of chicks screaming “Diddy!, Diddy!". This cat is taking off his shades, licking his lips and winking into the camera. If you saw Diddy in a local mall, you wouldn't even give him a second look.




With no money that would be Sean "No Beyonce" Carter and Sean "Ain't got Didd-ly" Combs

A powerful wealthy woman is either considered getting by on her looks, lucky, or just a man eating bitch. I have heard many people call Tyra Banks dumb. I’m not the biggest Tyra fan, but there is no way that she can maintain the many years of success, branding herself with Top Model, and the "Tyra Show". They call Oprah lucky. The harder I work the luckier I seem to get; I think the same thing applies for Oprah.

Such is life, I don't make the rules I just play the game. Since I’m no Denzel, or LL myself, I better make sure my wallet is chunky. I don't care why they scream my name, as long as they are calling. Then I can take off my shades and wink at the cameras too.

-MJL

For all of those who forgot how great the Sopranos used to be - Here's a throw back picture of the crew

Gender Roles

Money

Jay-Z

Millionaire

Oprah