The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

MJ, You Have Brought Me To Enlightenment!!!

D

Deleted52409

Guest
After watching my slowlane father for years I knew I could not follow in his footsteps....

I remember when he got laid off in 2008. I remember when we moved to a state on the other side of the country because there was no work in the Rust Belt. I remember when we moved again after he landed his "dream job" only for both the union and management to disrespect and ridicule him.

"I'll just get another job", he'd say. But today he's unemployed (previously underemployed), 55 years old, and miserable. It is now my moral obligation to make sure he reads both of your books. I don't want my father to give up on life just yet. I want him to at least be as happy if not happier than he was during my early childhood pre-2008.

As for me, I have been questioning the public education system since I was 12. Every time I would do the math, watch youtube, read forums, or browse through random statistics I found on the internet, it continuously made me feel like college would be a waste of time; an extension of the drama, the nonsense, the brainwashing, and "the sleeping in the middle of class" type of severe boredom that I battled throughout my entire K-12 experience.

The worst part of it all was that I could never find anyone in person who agreed with me. People shut me down every single time. As an 18 year old who graduated last year with no desire to go to university, my mother has done all she can in order to push me onto the SCRIPT. She even tried to manipulate me into joining the electrician's union where I have been rejected twice. If I had gotten in I would be in a 5 year apprenticeship, working over 40 hours + overtime with 8 hours of night college classes a week. I feel lucky that I did not get in!

It wasn't until countless hours of browsing through the internet, finally stumbling onto your forum, and reading your books that I was able to finally connect the dots. Many of my own thoughts were found in both of your books and for the first time in my life I know that none of them are crazy or stupid despite being told so by EVERYONE ELSE!!!

Anyone who has made it this far I applaud you. This is 5 years worth of steam I waited too long to let out. Currently I work at the grocery store as a stocker and have no aspirations to leave. All I know to do is finish UNSCRIPTED . Re-read both of the books again. Browse the gold/notable threads again and again. Find a problem and a solution. And finally (the hardest part) take action.

I probably won't respond to anyone who comments in this thread (What more can I say?) but just know I am very very grateful this community exists and that I have been welcomed into it.

Thank you so much MJ, and I thank every reader and contributor also!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
446%
Jul 23, 2007
38,175
170,305
Utah
Glad to hear the books resonated with you.

Unscripted Entrepreneurship is like hitting a baseball -- you have to take multiple swings and be a player for life. Foul balls, strike outs, it's all a part of the game, but you can't let those short-term failures make you quit.

Expectations is everything.

It is now my moral obligation to make sure he reads both of your books.

What are the odds he:

A) Takes the books
and
B) Actually reads them?

I put it at 1%. Not because your Dad is lazy, but because he probably isn't looking for water.

People are either in survive or thrive mode. Sounds like he's been in survive mode for decades. Giving him a book on thriving is like giving a treadmill to a double-amputee.

I probably won't respond to anyone who comments in this thread

Why not?
 
D

Deleted52409

Guest
What are the odds he:

A) Takes the books
and
B) Actually reads them?

I put it at 1%. Not because your Dad is lazy, but because he probably isn't looking for water.

People are either in survive or thrive mode. Sounds like he's been in survive mode for decades. Giving him a book on thriving is like giving a treadmill to a double-amputee.

There has got to be something I can do for him. There has to be.


Well I suppose since it's only my introductory thread I'll respond. I just don't want to draw too much attention to myself until I have proven myself.
 

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
446%
Jul 23, 2007
38,175
170,305
Utah
I just don't want to draw too much attention to myself until I have proven myself.

Just because you haven't proven yourself doesn't mean your opinions and ideas need to be muzzled. Everyone here is welcome to contribute.

We get into trouble when anonymity is the basis for arrogance and trolling. Other than that, everyone here is welcome to participate, and it doesn't matter if you're 17 and in high school, or 48 and a lifelong slowlaner.

There has got to be something I can do for him. There has to be.

Does he want to change in a manner that creates change?

In other words, someone who plays the lottery wants CHANGE, but it is NOT a manner that creates change.

Has he ever committed to something? Say, a fitness competition? Losing 200 lbs? Learning to play piano on his own?
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
D

Deleted52409

Guest
Does he want to change in a manner that creates change?

In other words, someone who plays the lottery wants CHANGE, but it is NOT a manner that creates change.

Has he ever committed to something? Say, a fitness competition? Losing 200 lbs? Learning to play piano on his own?

He's renovating the house as a hobby and last summer began to teach himself gardening. It's not 200lbs but he has lost some noticeable weight over the last few years.
 

Wolfman

Bronze Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
89%
Nov 12, 2017
205
182
64
Pittsfield, MA
Glad to hear the books resonated with you.

Unscripted Entrepreneurship is like hitting a baseball -- you have to take multiple swings and be a player for life. Foul balls, strike outs, it's all a part of the game, but you can't let those short-term failures make you quit.

Expectations is everything.



What are the odds he:

A) Takes the books
and
B) Actually reads them?

I put it at 1%. Not because your Dad is lazy, but because he probably isn't looking for water.

People are either in survive or thrive mode. Sounds like he's been in survive mode for decades. Giving him a book on thriving is like giving a treadmill to a double-amputee.




Why not?
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

Wolfman

Bronze Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
89%
Nov 12, 2017
205
182
64
Pittsfield, MA
Hiya MJ, How are you? You deserve a bit of a compliment. But this is genuine, not flattery b/c you'll make me a success. (hopefully true)
Anyhow: "Perilous guillotene ready to behead an unsupervised child...the sky is littered with an entangled mass of electrical cables and telephone wires, feeding each house like breathing tubes to a comatose patient."
"...guadier slaughterhouses rise into the sky, feeding their hustlers steady drips of cash while the sheep they impress get slaughtered..."
Sound familiar? That is some very good writing my friend! Combine your honesty, creativity and generosity and that is what I admire about you. You better be writing your next book!! And use more of those cool descriptive passages.
Greg
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

More Intros...

Top