People may have heard of Tesla, the car company of the future, or Space X, the new NASA. Yesterday, their Founder, Elon, became the richest man in the world. When he found out, he tweeted, "How Strange.", and then "... back to work". The kind of nonchalant reply to something others might dream of is fascinating. It's clear that being the richest man in the world was not his goal. It was a byproduct of his mission. He defines his mission as being split between two causes. He has decided, 'about half of (his) money will be used to help with problems on Earth and half to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars to guarantee the continuation of life (of all species) in case the Earth is hit by a meteor like dinosaurs, or if World War 3 happens and we are destroyed by ourselves'. Regardless of what people think of his dystopian vision, there's something to learn here.
First, follow a personal mission and not the rewards. If Elon had spent his life trying to create the most profitable lifestyle, and was looking to become rich, he would have probably followed the traditional diversify-a-portfolio, put-twenty-percent-of-pay-into-savings, and buy-a-home financial advice. Here's what Elon had to say about his investment strategy, "It's OK to have your eggs in one basket as long as you control what happens to that basket." Instead of following the traditional investment advice, he took everything he had from the time he became a man and put it into himself and his ideals. Some of the examples he has shared include sleeping where he worked as a adolescent, borrowing money for rent and putting thirty-five million into both Tesla and Space X. Maybe this isn't for everybody, especially those who don't know what their mission is, which is most people, but it definitely is the path to greatest success.
Next, don't care what people think. When you're building, you will hear other people imagine that you are going to fail, and if you agree, then you're right and if you disagree, then you're right. You have never failed until you admit defeat. People will encounter hardships on any journey because we are not all-knowing beings, we are piece-wise. Part of the fun of being a human is meeting people that know what you don't, and to fit your missing pieces like a puzzle. Back to the ignoring what people think: you don't know everything, so don't be afraid of people who might notice that you don't know everything. We are always learning something new, or we're regressing. When we're leaning something new we're growing, and when we're not learning we are either stagnating or dying in what makes us comfortable. Which would you rather be doing? Elon had no intention to listen to people who thought he was crazy for creating a car company in the twenty-first century with major barriers to entry and giants already controlling the industry. It's no doubt he was told he would not succeed. He did it anyway, and it paid him great rewards. We see this everywhere, entrepreneurs are always attacked in the beginning, and praised after they reach success. Some people are lucky, and have friends and family that support them from the start. This is a new age trend, where we know that the people in our lives are capable of great things. In the end, when you die, it is most important that you are satisfied with the path you took, and with whom you chose to share your life. Opinions from anywhere but inside are bonuses, markers on the journey, and not indicators of what people are capable of doing. You are capable of anything you set your mind to. "Don't ever let somebody tell you... You can't do something. Not even me." - Pursuit of Happyness
Finally, the world will adapt to what you imagine is possible. You create your reality in your imagination first. What you focus on, you cultivate. Before you go to college, you have to think to go to college. before you start work, you have to think to start work. Whether it is conscious or unconscious is irrelevant. To be conscious is to be intentional, and to be intentional is to create what you will. Therefore, to be conscious is to create the reality of your dreams. When you start to imagine something is possible, start working towards it. If you love it enough, never stop. You can spend your childhood and adolescent life exploring the potentials you have. Eventually it will be time to try out what you love to do. Successful people make decisions quickly and then change slowly. When you are doing what you love, opportunity will knock. Begin with the end in mind. Start today, and people will show you support along the way. We are more likely to help those who help themselves. Are you more likely to help a neighbor who is struggling to carry a couch inside, or someone not doing anything and expecting help? Start the work. The people will come. Not only will you attract people when you are in your zone, but you will also attract opportunity. Suddenly, you might be eligible for an interview from a local newspaper, or someone might ask you to come speak at a local university or your platform could be showcased in San Francisco. Invest in yourself. Give yourself the opportunity to succeed.
"I always have optimism, but I’m realistic. It was not with the expectation of great success that I started Tesla or SpaceX…. It’s just that I thought they were important enough to do anyway." - Elon
You are everything that you think you are. Step up, into your personal prowess, and imagine you will move mountains, so that you can.