My Experience With Success

As we begin our journey, I would like to share with you my personal experiences with success as the world and popular society defines it and what I have come to know as true, lasting and real success.  My journey began, like everyone else, as a child.  It’s when we are young and impressionable that our beliefs, attitudes and behaviors are formed.  They affect the rest of our lives, and for many people, it is never realized that they may develop these characteristics in an atmosphere that isn’t or wasn’t supportive of real success. 

My first experiences with worldly success revolved around sports and money.  These two areas were given major emphasis.  As I remember, I was strongly persuaded to practice baseball everyday and I also had a paper route.  I remember hearing from people who had an influence on my life that I could do anything and have as much money as I wanted.  Wow, what’s wrong with that?  So the race was on.  Like many young people, my ambitions began to revolve around power, importance, prestige and money.  The cues from society, in general, were the same.  I should want “stuff” and I should do whatever it takes to get that “stuff.”  That was success! 

I took a job as an insurance and investment broker out of college, after seeing the movie “Wall Street.”  I felt important and there was some feeling of power.  After all, I was helping people with their money. There was some feeling of prestige, especially among friends and people who didn’t know the industry that well.  I didn’t make much money though and found out later why.  It was not what I was supposed to do.  In an industry where they hire almost anybody who walks through the door, I wasn’t making the money I thought I deserved.  I came to realize years later, that I wasn’t working nearly as intelligently or efficiently as I needed to in order to make that money.  I would work twelve to sixteen hours a day; I realize now that I was sitting at a desk for twelve to sixteen hours a day, but not really working. 

I remember telling everyone, with an absolute degree of certainty that I was going to be the richest man in the world; I was going to be successful.  I don’t know if anyone bought into that or not.   So off I went chasing success.  After some time of this I figured out what I thought the real problem was, it was the insurance and investment industry.  So, I quit my job and took other sales jobs, working equally tiring hours; driving myself insane with no time for fun or leisure. 

I don’t think it was until my son came along in 2004 that I realized what I was doing to myself.  I was working and expending energy toward goals and ideals that were not my own.  So what I we do?  I quit my job.  I would be successful on my own, without the help of anyone else.  I went and bought some computers, desks, chairs and a two-line phone and went into business for myself.  Doing what? Well, selling insurance and investments of course.  Needless to say, I was not “successful,” but I kept up the chase.  I don’t think it was until my daughter was born in 2007 that I realized what I was doing. 

Now I have always been happy with my life.  I have the two best kids anyone could have asked or hoped for but I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t make any money.  Why I couldn’t be “successful.”  I could run 4 miles and workout everyday.  I could eat fairly good food; have energy and health.  I could have great relationships with some people and my kids, but I couldn’t be “successful”.  As could be anticipated, I was very frustrated.  Then, through a series of financial disasters and failures, my eyes began to open.  I was successful.  This program will help to show you how I did it. 

Michael at R2W