It’s Not Going to Just Be Handed to You….Do you ever think that life simply isn’t fair?
Ever think that you are entitled to something ‘just because’?
Ever look at another person or company and think they have it so easy?
Of course you have. Well stop thinking like that right now. It’s not doing you any good. It’s holding you back in business and ultimately: in life.
I see this type of thinking everyday. Our communities are littered with ‘it’s not fairisms’. And they are slowly killing us….
Let’s think about Internet marketing & ecommerce for a minute. People look at Amazon and think: ”It’s not fair. They rank so well for everything. They sell EVERYTHING. How can I compete? Boo-hoo.” They forget the fact that Amazon.com started and was run out of a garage in Bellevue. They don’t want to know that Jeff Bezos hustled his ass off to raise money and continue to grow Amazon with the vision of what it would become. They forget that it was nearly was slaughtered in the Dot Com Bust. They don’t want to think about those parts. They just want to think about the ‘injustice’ and ‘unfairness’ of it all.
Now let’s take it a step further. Forget not acknowleding simple facts. What if the same people that were complaining actually did something about it? They channeled that energy into something productive. They said “I’m going to take out Amazon.” Yeah it would be tough but not out of the question. Like Jay-Z once rapped:
“Difficult takes a day. Impossible takes a week.”
There are very few instances in this world where something just gets handed to you. Aside from being born a billionaire (and that’s not even a guarantee) it’s not going to be served to you on a silver platter. You are going to have to work for it everyday. When my wife and I started 10e20 (one of the companies merged into BlueGlass Interactive) we were dead broke. And we stayed that way for quite awhile. We didn’t know what a holiday was for a long time. Vacation was a four-letter word. We made a bunch of mistakes along the way. There were times when things seemed really hard and that things weren’t fair. Did that mean that we sat back and just felt sorry for ourselves? Not a chance. We worked harder and kept learning to work smarter and it paid off. And we never, ever quit.
A lot of it comes down to people. Surround yourself with the right people and they will help to make you better. I can look back at different points in my life and see when I wasn’t surrounded by the right people. It took its toll. I can look at points in 10e20′s life and see where I put my faith in the wrong people and how it backfired. Eventually I learned from it and it has helped me so much. Knowing who you can count on and who to trust is essential. It’s what guided me into BlueGlass.
When we formed BlueGlass, it was almost like starting from the beginning again. Sure we had more recognition but the stakes were now higher. But one of the common bonds that we shared was a “We shall overcome” attitude. None of us had ever been handed anything. Dave was homeless. Greg has been hustling in the SEO field since before it was even called SEO. Tony is a Chinese immigrant who came here with nothing. And on & on for all of the partners. And everyday we still have to hustle. We never took VC funding but are still developing out a full suite of software, launching new ventures, employing an army of super-talented people and making sure that our clients are getting the best possible Internet marketing services each day. That doesn’t come by complaining or thinking “What if”. That comes by working hard and working smart. That is the culture that permeates throughout BlueGlass. It’s not always easy but it’s always worth it. If someone makes a mistake, we want to learn from it.
And don’t forget – there’s always another level. This was never put better than Jay Z describing the first time he met Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov at the Four Seasons in Manhattan:
“I’d been staying there for 10 years, and I always thought I was at the top level,” Jay-Z said. “But when I met Prokhorov, they took me up to this extra, extra room that I had never even heard of before.
“Now there’s something else to shoot for. There’s always an extra level you don’t know about.”
Let’s take it to the next level together. We can change things. Don’t ever let someone else tell you to give up. And especially don’t ever tell yourself to quit.
What do you want to change?
Man this is so true. I was thinking about this just this morning sitting on the toilet. (I do a lot of thinking there.)
About 5 years ago I was one of those “if people”. It sucked, it really does suck to envy others, it builds resentment and lack of motivation.
“Surround yourself with the right people and they will help to make you better.”
That was the real turning point for me. Meeting folks that were doing amazing things that were down to earth and just like me. And everyone of them busted there ass to get to where they are. Hell some of them never stop and make the hustle a life style. And today now that I have that hustle mentality I am more confident and optimistic about the future then I have ever been.
Good post Chris!
Thanks Joe, I’m glad you liked it.
For me, you are definitely one of those “good people” that I referenced.
Chris…love this post, “The it’s not fair negative naysayers will kill you all the time,” they are toxic
Living in a world where the average is the accepted norm, one can see how many fall into this trap
The contract more often then not goes to the lowest bidder, not the best services or skill set resulting in the best quality
An example are people that join a profession becasue the union has a 20-year and out to get their retirement pension fund and not choosing that profession becasue their hearts are in it for the right reasons
They are ‘entitlement flotsam and jest um’ of our society and deserve what they haven’t achieved on their due to their own lack of effort
As a die note, they are usually the jealous ones that aren’t excited or remotely happy to see others succeed and there is an especially cold place in the afterlife for that level of negativity
Thanks Chris! I agree about the jealous & negative people of the world. That’s why it’s important to get away from them (and to be able to spot them) because so many times they are just looking to bring you down with them. The old saying: “Misery loves company” definitely comes to mind…
Chris,
This is an extremely inspiring post, I wish you had time to write more often here.
What people that never really tried hard (or just tried, even) fail to realize is that greater the success story is more had work there is behind it. I live in a country full of lazy people unhappy with their lives and still, all they do is b**ch about it, never trying to do a thing about their lives. Sitting in a cafe 10 hours a day probably beats working your butt off, but it kind of takes away your right to complain, doesn’t it?
I’m extremely proud I had a chance to get to know you and work with you, and it was then that I saw top players are also the ones that work hardest.
One thing I’d add to your post is that once a person really realizes all the things you said, that with no hard work there’s no success, it’s extremely unlikely they will go back to a “complainer mindset” ever again.
P.S. Go Knicks :)
From what I know about you Slobodan, you have an amazing work ethic and amazing attitude. Don’t lose either.
Could not have said it better myself.
On another note, I love how forward-thinking and positive everyone at BlueGlass is.
Thanks very much Astrid! We truly love what we do and hopefully that shows.
How many time we fall before we did learn to walk?
That is life ,just do not give up and DO something.
Just because some people do not complain ,it do not mean they have it easy.Hmm,maybe they just do not have time to complain ,becuase they work:)
Great and inspirative post ,thx :)
P.S. Life is not fair – when children/people get sick and die…..
All other things depends of our self.
I like that idea of people being too busy to complain Jelena :)
Wow! Great write up!
I belong to Internet Marketing field and many of the clients or lets say every 1 of 4 clients have the same problem, they come with the really non user friendly website and wanted to compete to the industry giants forgetting the fact that the giant was not always a giant and he might work his ass off to become where he is write now and i am sure that he is still on his toes.
Love this sentence of the whole article.
Difficult takes a day. Impossible takes a week.
“Difficult takes a day. Impossible takes a week.”
That’s one of my all-time favorites Moosa. I used to have that as my Twitter bio :)
Chris-
Kick ass post man, as always! And so true ! NOTHING! will be handed to you, and those that sit by the sidelines, whining and bitching about the unfairness of it all, simply don’t understand the way life works!
Hardly, anything in life is “fair” or “just” . But, I do believe in Karma, and I do believe, like you said, that eventually, if you keep at it, and pick yourself back up when you fall on your face, you will reap the rewards for your persistence. And better yet, you will know, that it was not handed to you, and the rewards will be that much sweeter!
Just a little background, like Dave, I was once homeless and on the streets! With literally nothing to eat and life looking darker by the day! But through hard work, determination and a “Hustlers Spirit”. I managed to turn my life around, and achieve things I never thought were possible. But it is these life experiences that have made me into who I am today! And I wouldn’t trade them for the world!
It’s funny, but I always say Online Marketing saved my life. Thanks for the reminder and the great post!
And as always, thanks for the awesome hip hop song references. :)
“I always say Online Marketing saved my life. ”
Amazing Manny.
I enjoyed reading the blog and I agree that there is a lot of the ‘it’s not fair’ attitude around and it really is poison.
Years ago I got to visit the Middle East. The particular country I visited was one that the people were controlled by the state. When they wanted anything they asked the state for it. Over in the next province the state couldn’t control them so they gave them nothing. what was strange was that when we were there to help them rebuild it was the people who had been given everything by the state that needed everything where the others just needed a little pointer in the right direction! They had everything under control.
Sounds like a lot of waffle I know but the fact is all you really need to know is what you want to do and are you willing to pay the price! As for me, I know how much i am willing to pay.
“it was the people who had been given everything by the state that needed everything where the others just needed a little pointer in the right direction! They had everything under control.”
Awesome analogy Lawrence – thanks very much for sharing!
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” -George Bernard Shaw
Love that quote Patrick!
Great points Chris! Very inspiring way to start my Friday :)
Thanks Sujan – glad I could help :)