I Am Great Because I Believed It First

GET CRITICIZED “They say I’m crazy, they call me crazy…. you know what I be thinking when they say that, YEP! I was crazy enough to believe what the F**K I was saying was going to happen. That’s why I was persistent enough and consistent enough to exist now.” Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” David Brinkley Who am I…who am I to even be writing this book when at this very moment in actual physical reality I’m living with my momma, no car, no current or immediate love relationship prospects, just got fired from my last job (which probably makes number 10 of jobs I’ve been fired or quit) no immediate cash to feed, clothe, clean, or house myself. By the way I have a one-year-old daughter in which her mother cheated on me (Yeah Mr. I am great because I believed it first got cheated), hell I didn’t find out my daughter was mines until she was about 1 years old after we had already been living together for about 2 years (and that was by accident). She kicked me her house a few months back after trying to reconcile for the baby. Which ain’t nothing new, my granny kicked me out…hell my momma kicked me out so many times I thought my name was “get the f*ck out” at once upon a time (I’m not gon’ lie most of those times I definitely deserved it; I got a really smart mouth). I depend on her right now to carry most of the financial load in providing for my daughter (in which pisses me off even more, because she likes to throw that in my face and kick me while I’m down), I do everything that I can without digging a deeper hole for myself. I even became a stay at home dad and put my own hustles on hold so she could work more hours, get herself together, and we both save money on babysitter expenses. I keep her at bay from putting me on child support, keep her patient and work with me with promises that my entrepreneurial pursuits will pay off providing a life of financial abundance, prosperity, and security for my daughter plus a little extra to kick her down. It’s kind of hard to stay too mad or dislike somebody for too long when they promising to kick you down more money than you’ll ever see in your lifetime; (even if they don’t really believe it, in the back of their head they know there is always a chance). But to be honest I’ll say anything to stay off child support (child support is like kryptonite to wealth building), especially when I’m doing my job as a father. It’s funny because, I’m actually sitting in my momma’s kitchen, infested with mice (I can actually hear them running back and forth from the fridge and the stove), dirty dishes everywhere, dirty stove which hasn’t been used in about 2 years because the gas been cut off for so long; and I’m writing my ass off on a second hand wooden kitchen table in bliss! Even though I’m up here writing a book dropping jewels while I’m still mining myself, I am a success. Why, because I’m writing. Also I never been one to down or feel sorry for myself, so the best way I believe to weather any storm is to do something that will take your mind off it (not like getting high or drunk, or a mindless distraction, but a productive activity that takes your mind off of it), while still being ready to be in an even better position when it’s over. Like I told you before I always feel like I will eventually come out on top and so will you; just change how you look at things and learn as much as can. Plus, like the great Bob Marley said, “Every man think his burden is the heaviest.” So you also got to stay humble and know first off you are not the only person to have gone through or are going through what you are right now. Believe that. And also remember that there are always others who are going through way worse or have even less then what you think you do. So smile baby, let your last excuse be the one you said yesterday, and go for what you believe you can have; which is it all! So with that being said, I choose to do what I love despite, through hell and high water IMMA BE, I ain’t got nothing to lose! As the great Maya Angelou said, “Still I Rise.” My translation of that is I choose to be so transparent, because despite your own cynical thoughts, someone else’s, and even external circumstances that do no match your state of being or vision; we must all know that how your life on the outside is only, “What it is right now”, but all your moves despite the outside “What is” should be geared towards “Still Rising” to your future desires, visions, and goals. You can be, have, and do whatever it is you exactly dame well desire to! See the thought behind criticism which is (I believe is a close cousin of rejection) to distract, weed out the weak minded, illusioned, non-committed, complacent, comfortable and false sense of security seeking people. Take the actual definition of criticism into perspective, “The expression of disapproval of someone or something based on “perceived” faults or mistakes. Criticism and rejection are illusions to me, right, and I have learned that the truly successful people from studies and observation make them both well-acquainted friends; growing themselves to receive more criticism and more rejection calling their bluff each time. Because you must remember a very important thing is that; the only way to avoid criticism and rejection is to do nothing, and that’s a guarantee way of never succeeding. I know I may be going over some people’s heads, so take this for example. I was in the army and I attended boot camp 9 years ago at Ft. Knox, Kentucky for about 6 weeks and most of my drill sergeants were straight infantry dudes; straight from down range (overseas or recently back from a deployment) door kicking, terrorist killing machines, tough guys, right. They had no patience or care for whiners, complainers, and definitely not quitters, or entitlements. They definitely didn’t give a damn about how black, white, brown or yellow our asses were; anybody can get it. So the drill sergeant’s main job is to “break” you, and create a soldier out of the debris. So the hardest thing in boot camp or really any military training besides the isolation from your family, the intensity and pace of the training, is the constant criticism and chest tising especially in boot camp. It is a constant, “I’m damned if I do, but I’m really damned more if I don’t.” If you do 80 push-ups in 2 min (which is already challenging enough), your criticized for not doing 90 or 100. If you’re on time for an exercise and your squad or comrades are not; you’re criticized and punished because you didn’t get everybody else accountable and on time. Now initially in about the first few weeks of boot camp this was very stressful, everybody getting pissed off, arguing with each other, trying our hardest to work together and focus on who the drill sergeants wanted us to become. Looking back on the experience now, I’ve realized a lot. The understanding was that the drill sergeant’s job was to create high levels of stress. Be as critical as possible even if the environment did not call for it (illusion); the drill sergeant wisely knows his over the top criticism of you cannot be the equivalent to your actual performance, therefore you might get comfortable rest on your laurels and never push to reach your max potential. It is your thoughts that make it real.