I have a problem with MJ DeMarco (Follow your passion gets a beatdown)

[raywhite]

I had a similar conflict when I first read the book a few years ago.

Being an artist at heart I wanted to paint all day, be a world famous artist and make millions. Art is my passion.

I put the book aside and focused on my passion. No money came in. I ended up going back to work for someone else and hating it.

Picked up the book again and gave it another shot. Now I work for myself and allocate time in the day to create art and focus on my passion. I'm not a millionaire yet but I make enough already to have time to paint when I want or take days off.

Think of it like a ladder.

Building a freedom business is just one rung on the ladder to your dreams.

While it's possible to become successful at your passions first, the odds of that are slim without business knowledge anyways.

Even successful passion business, artist, musician, etc started somewhere else first usually anyways.

I didn't like my odds of either being the next Picasso who lived rich as an artist or dying broke like Van Gogh. Also didn't want to beg galleries to show my work and be at the mercy of the art elite. Instead, I decided to commit as many years now as it takes to build a freedom business that can will give me all the money and freedom I need to never need a gallery or be told what I should paint.

I've learned to love business as much as art. And have grown faster as artist using the business principles I've learned.

Just my 2 cents.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi! What you're talking about here has been on my mind a lot lately - the whole topic of whether it's actually a good financial decision to do the whole major gallery thing for art (fellow artist here.)

I was actually doing a lot of research on making some in-roads with the Gagosian galleries in NY before reading The Millionaire Fastlane , just because they make such hugely expensive sales. But what makes me uneasy about it is that the gallery has all the control, and I don't want to kiss their a$$ only for what's "in" at the moment to change.

So I'm brainstorming business ideas and prototyping an invention at the moment, trying to do something like what you're doing. If you don't mind me asking, what business did you end up going into?

p.s. thank you for sharing.

 

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[Isaac Odongo]

Thank you all for your rebuttal. Great work there.

"I want to do what makes my heart tick." Who the hell gives a shit?

For God's sake, and for the sake of humanity, put your passion on the back pocket of your trousers and sit, on it, it below your a$$.

And if you can't, I suggest you go flash it down the sewer and forget about it. Then go find some purpose in life. Help people. Solve a problem or problems. That's what entrepreneurship is for. Not giddy headed passion following.

Follow your passion if and only if you have successfully solved the problems of millions.

 

[WJK]

Thank you all for your rebuttal. Great work there.

"I want to do what makes my heart tick." Who the hell gives a shit?

For God's sake, and for the sake of humanity, put your passion on the back pocket of your trousers and sit, on it, it below your a$$.

And if you can't, I suggest you go flash it down the sewer and forget about it. Then go find some purpose in life. Help people. Solve a problem or problems. That's what entrepreneurship is for. Not giddy headed passion following.

Follow your passion if and only if you have successfully solved the problems of millions.

I totally agree. Passion is a fleeting feeling. And as Mom said, feelings lie. They change directions and turn on a dime. That usually happens at the worst moments.

Here is something you can pay attention to. Every human has a gift. There is a talent that you are good at and other people can't excel in that direction. Rather than following your passion, discover your gift and use it to create your success. Maybe you are good at math. OK. What can you do with that? Maybe you are a high-energy person. How can you use your energy to create a business?

I personally don't try to do stuff where I have no natural talent. I hire people to do those jobs who are inclined that way. They can do them faster and better than I can. But there are other jobs that I can do with one eye half closed. I make them look easy. I try to spend my time working on those issues.

 

[biophase]

Hi! What you're talking about here has been on my mind a lot lately - the whole topic of whether it's actually a good financial decision to do the whole major gallery thing for art (fellow artist here.)

I was actually doing a lot of research on making some in-roads with the Gagosian galleries in NY before reading The Millionaire Fastlane , just because they make such hugely expensive sales. But what makes me uneasy about it is that the gallery has all the control, and I don't want to kiss their a$$ only for what's "in" at the moment to change.

So I'm brainstorming business ideas and prototyping an invention at the moment, trying to do something like what you're doing. If you don't mind me asking, what business did you end up going into?

p.s. thank you for sharing.

Question, would there be a market for something like this? Could I fly you in to paint a custom art piece at my house? I know that you wouldn't want your name on a lower priced piece, so it could be unsigned or anonymous.

The reason I ask is I build my own canvas for my art and it's usually too big to transport or even take out of the house. For example, I built a 16' x 8' canvas for my living room. It would be cool if I could get someone to paint it in the living room as it can't be moved.

A 16x8 painting would probably cost $25k-$50k from any art studio. But if I could get an artist to paint it for say $5k it would be worth it for me.

 

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[WJK]

Question, would there be a market for something like this? Could I fly you in to paint a custom art piece at my house? I know that you wouldn't want your name on a lower priced piece, so it could be unsigned or anonymous.

The reason I ask is I build my own canvas for my art and it's usually too big to transport or even take out of the house. For example, I built a 16' x 8' canvas for my living room. It would be cool if I could get someone to paint it in the living room as it can't be moved.

A 16x8 painting would probably cost $25k-$50k from any art studio. But if I could get an artist to paint it for say $5k it would be worth it for me.

The history of art has many artists painting murals in people's homes. Whether they do it directly on a wall or on a canvas, it's still the same type of work. The painting has to be planned on paper and approved by the person paying the bill. The artist can submit several different designs. Then the approved image is projected on the wall/canvas, sketched out, and completed.

We have a city here in Alaska where the community painted murals on many of the buildings in the downtown area.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

When I get a bride, I will hire an artist to paint her a portrait.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

The history of art has many artists painting murals in people's homes.

This is definitely big here in Utah, although usually centered around children's murals. I'm sure it could work for any type of murals, especially in higher class areas with lots of disposable income.

 

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[Dark20]

First of all I have read the Fastlane Millionaire every year for the past 3 years or so. I love the book. And yes I already order Unscripted I'm still waiting for it in the mail.

I respect MJ DeMarco and his work but since the the first time I read his book I can't get over the fact that he says that money is more important than your passion. That doing what you love will not make you rich.

Imagine you're on your deathbed sweaty, nervous, trying your best to stay awake because you know that as soon as you go to sleep that will be the last time you close your eyes. You're dying on a 24k gold bedframe. But you don't care nor notice all that, you keep going back to that one thing you always wanted to be. A guitarist.

That was your dream and what you enjoyed most. But it wasn't paying the bills or putting food on the table. Nobody was buying your music either because they were been torrented. Yet you still enjoyed yourself and could survive off ramen noodles as long as your guitar was properly tuned.

But the pressure from your family to provide food and shelter made you take a detour on your dream. That detour led to riches but it also robbed you of your time with your precious guitar. Yet everytime you saw your dusty guitar in the coner of your room you told yourself next week I'll have free time to play. But you never did.

And yes I know money can buy you some good guitar lessons, your own record label, and even a recording studio. But unless you're Fastlane it won't give you time. So you either choose to strive to be rich or to follow your passion. Comfort in life or regret while dying.

Both passion and riches are essential for your life so is it possible to combine them both? Or are we forever force to decide for either or?

I have read less than half of Unscripted (still reading), and the idea was to stop temporal prostitution so that you have more freedom to do what you love. (correct me if I am wrong)

 

[WJK]

I have read less than half of Unscripted (still reading), and the idea was to stop temporal prostitution so that you have more freedom to do what you love. (correct me if I am wrong)

Yes and no. It's a blueprint for how to choose, structure, and run a business successfully. The results are that the person can break the mold of being an employee. They can be self-directed. BUT, owning a business does NOT mean that you don't work, and in many cases, work longer hours than the people who are their employees. Owning a business is NOT for lazy people. As far as doing what you love, that is not a good basis for starting a business. That's a good way to go broke.

Edit: Finding your special gift or skill is different from doing what you love. Using that gift can be golden.

 

[Awakened2022]

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Edit: Finding your special gift or skill is different from doing what you love. Using that gift can be golden.

This couldn't be truer. I love reading and have been reading since the day I learned how to add syllables to form words. Can I make millions reading? I am not sure.

I also enjoy teaching Literature and would willingly teach it without pay. You can guess how rich I am, having spent the last seventeen years doing what I love!

I, however, have a gift of meticulousness. If it is washing clothes(we hand wash them as washing machines are a thing to dream about as of now), I will take long, but no stain will survive my probing hands!
In school, teachers were forever falling in love with my neat handwriting. My sister grows and sells her beans and cassava to buy mine because I care for the cleanliness of every piece.

And that is how I have come by the venture I am currently pursuing. People love clean food, but most traders only think about the profit they are taking home as long as people buy albeit grudgingly when they have no option.

I can't plant the cassava, but I can supervise its drying process, and that is where my meticulousness comes in handy. Therefore, post-harvest handling will be my focus.

So, know your gift, and turn it into your unfair advantage.

 

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[WJK]

So, know your gift, and turn it into your unfair advantage.

It's your natural gift, not "unfair" at all. It's golden!

 

[Chrisrod2597]

First of all I have read the Fastlane Millionaire every year for the past 3 years or so. I love the book. And yes I already order Unscripted I'm still waiting for it in the mail.

I respect MJ DeMarco and his work but since the the first time I read his book I can't get over the fact that he says that money is more important than your passion. That doing what you love will not make you rich.

Imagine you're on your deathbed sweaty, nervous, trying your best to stay awake because you know that as soon as you go to sleep that will be the last time you close your eyes. You're dying on a 24k gold bedframe. But you don't care nor notice all that, you keep going back to that one thing you always wanted to be. A guitarist.

That was your dream and what you enjoyed most. But it wasn't paying the bills or putting food on the table. Nobody was buying your music either because they were been torrented. Yet you still enjoyed yourself and could survive off ramen noodles as long as your guitar was properly tuned.

But the pressure from your family to provide food and shelter made you take a detour on your dream. That detour led to riches but it also robbed you of your time with your precious guitar. Yet everytime you saw your dusty guitar in the coner of your room you told yourself next week I'll have free time to play. But you never did.

And yes I know money can buy you some good guitar lessons, your own record label, and even a recording studio. But unless you're Fastlane it won't give you time. So you either choose to strive to be rich or to follow your passion. Comfort in life or regret while dying.

Both passion and riches are essential for your life so is it possible to combine them both? Or are we forever force to decide for either or?he

First of all I have read the Fastlane Millionaire every year for the past 3 years or so. I love the book. And yes I already order Unscripted I'm still waiting for it in the mail.

I respect MJ DeMarco and his work but since the the first time I read his book I can't get over the fact that he says that money is more important than your passion. That doing what you love will not make you rich.

Imagine you're on your deathbed sweaty, nervous, trying your best to stay awake because you know that as soon as you go to sleep that will be the last time you close your eyes. You're dying on a 24k gold bedframe. But you don't care nor notice all that, you keep going back to that one thing you always wanted to be. A guitarist.

That was your dream and what you enjoyed most. But it wasn't paying the bills or putting food on the table. Nobody was buying your music either because they were been torrented. Yet you still enjoyed yourself and could survive off ramen noodles as long as your guitar was properly tuned.

But the pressure from your family to provide food and shelter made you take a detour on your dream. That detour led to riches but it also robbed you of your time with your precious guitar. Yet everytime you saw your dusty guitar in the coner of your room you told yourself next week I'll have free time to play. But you never did.

And yes I know money can buy you some good guitar lessons, your own record label, and even a recording studio. But unless you're Fastlane it won't give you time. So you either choose to strive to be rich or to follow your passion. Comfort in life or regret while dying.

Both passion and riches are essential for your life so is it possible to combine them both? Or are we forever force to decide for either or?

He’s not saying money is more important than passion. He’s telling readers that passion does not always pay the bills unless you are the best at it. Once you have a CENTS based business you are free pursue your passion as much as you want.

 

[WJK]

First of all I have read the Fastlane Millionaire every year for the past 3 years or so. I love the book. And yes I already order Unscripted I'm still waiting for it in the mail.

I respect MJ DeMarco and his work but since the the first time I read his book I can't get over the fact that he says that money is more important than your passion. That doing what you love will not make you rich.

Imagine you're on your deathbed sweaty, nervous, trying your best to stay awake because you know that as soon as you go to sleep that will be the last time you close your eyes. You're dying on a 24k gold bedframe. But you don't care nor notice all that, you keep going back to that one thing you always wanted to be. A guitarist.

That was your dream and what you enjoyed most. But it wasn't paying the bills or putting food on the table. Nobody was buying your music either because they were been torrented. Yet you still enjoyed yourself and could survive off ramen noodles as long as your guitar was properly tuned.

But the pressure from your family to provide food and shelter made you take a detour on your dream. That detour led to riches but it also robbed you of your time with your precious guitar. Yet everytime you saw your dusty guitar in the coner of your room you told yourself next week I'll have free time to play. But you never did.

And yes I know money can buy you some good guitar lessons, your own record label, and even a recording studio. But unless you're Fastlane it won't give you time. So you either choose to strive to be rich or to follow your passion. Comfort in life or regret while dying.

Both passion and riches are essential for your life so is it possible to combine them both? Or are we forever force to decide for either or?

Where does passion come from? Why do humans have these feelings? Are they real? Where do they come from? Can a person intentionally create a passion in their life?

I've been asking these questions for my entire lifetime. That's a long time since I'm a senior citizen. And I have developed some strong opinions on the subject.

New Flash! Passions don't just fall on you. You aren't born with them. You are born with special talents and abilities. Sometimes we develop corresponding passion with these gifts. It depends on IF you get attention and wins from using those gifts. People do what works for them, so the passion part of it is not automatic.

I equate creating a passion with creating a good mood. The reason for this association is that passion is a feeling just like our moods and basic levels of happiness. So where do you start? It's really simple. Fake it 'til you make it. Sing to yourself. Take a shower and towel yourself off with great vigor. Smile. Pretend that you are happy until you are.

Use the same techniques to create a desired passion. It's a deliberate choice. YOU MUST DO THE ACTIVITY IN ORDER TO CREATE A PASSION FOR IT! People don't like to do things where they don't excel. You must do that activity enough to gain mastery over it. Getting your head into your work "zone" helps too -- since time stands still.

I am saying that we don't have to be at the mercy of our passions. They can be created, expanded, controlled, and directed.

FYI -- I have had two near-death experiences. There was no pain. I can tell you that I felt completely calm and happy during those moments. It felt like finally going home...

 

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[TheFrancophile]

""I want to do what makes my heart tick." Who the hell gives a shit?

For God's sake, and for the sake of humanity, put your passion on the back pocket of your trousers and sit, on it, it below your a$$.

And if you can't, I suggest you go flash it down the sewer and forget about it."

Big words, dude. Where are your qualifications for typing them? Are you a Fastlane millionaire already? No? Thought so.

Whether other people follow their passions or not is none of your business.

By the way, before you even TRY to succeed in business, learn correct spelling first. You made TWO errors in the two sentences in italics.

Regarding the topic of this thread:​

Yes, it's absolutely true that the world doesn't care about our passions. Just like no one cares about whether we're happy with our significant other, with our jobs, with where we live today, or whether we'll even have a roof over our head today.

Yes, the world is VERY SELFISH.

So yes, it's true that no one else cares about our passions. But we should - because to give up on our passions is to give up on who we are.

Now, I'm not saying by any means that people should make a business out of their passion. But it doesn't mean that they absolutely can't succeed if they do.

This is for two reasons :

1) To succeed at ANYTHING, whether it's business, attracting the opposite sex, or anything else, you'll need a VERY POWERFUL MOTIVATION. It's been proven that poorly motivated individuals do not achieve their goals.
2) People who are passionate about something are likely to be experts at it (at least, far more expert than the average Jane or Joe). And to succeed in business in ANY industry, you absolutely need to become an expert.

And this is crucial because ...

These days, virtually EVERY industry is competitive.
​

Even AI, one of the youngest industries, is already competitive, with big names like Microsoft/Open AI and Google vying for a slice of the pie.

There are no more "blue oceans" anymore.

True, some industries and types of activity (e.g. hairdressing, martial arts/fitness studios, restaurants, etc.) are SUPER competitive, more so than others. But the grass is always greener on the other side.

Don't fool yourself, folks: EVERY industry is competitive. To succeed at anything these days, you need to be an EXPERT. People don't want to listen to salespeople/beginner entrepreneurs who just have a "working knowledge" of the industry; they want to listen to EXPERTS.

Now, think about it: what are you more likely to become an expert at?

1) Something you love and you're intimately knowledgeable about; or
2) Something you hate and you're doing only because you've read/heard/seen that there's demand for it?

I expect that few people here will agree with me. But I don't care. I've added my two cents, and that's it

 

[WJK]

So yes, it's true that no one else cares about our passions. But we should - because to give up on our passions is to give up on who we are.

I'm not sure that I equate my passions with my identity. I believe that passions are malleable and reflective. They drastically change over our lifetimes. The part that is more immutable is our basic core values and belief systems. I've developed several passions from that moral center that really defines who I am.

 

[TheFrancophile]

I'm not sure that I equate my passions with my identity. I believe that passions are malleable and reflective. They drastically change over our lifetimes. The part that is more immutable is our basic core values and belief systems. I've developed several passions from that moral center that really defines who I am.

Yep, but as long as you're passionate about something, it's part of "who you are", contributing to make you the specific you, Mr WJK, and not some ordinary Jane or Joe.

But yes, passions can and do change over time.

Disclaimer: I am not claiming that you should start a business simply out of passion. Businesses should be started to solve problems/fulfill poorly met needs of others. As Bruce Lund says, "money changes hands when problems are solved."

 

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[WJK]

Yep, but as long as you're passionate about something, it's part of "who you are", contributing to make you the specific you, Mr WJK, and not some ordinary Jane or Joe.

But yes, passions can and do change over time.

Disclaimer: I am not claiming that you should start a business simply out of passion. Businesses should be started to solve problems/fulfill poorly met needs of others. As Bruce Lund says, "money changes hands when problems are solved."

I have found that work itself many times doesn't matter. The subject of the business is toward the bottom of the list. It's the ultimate results and the influences that count. It's like throwing that stone into the pond and watching the ripples fanning out to the far reaches of the shore. The intrinsic features of the pebble itself don't make or create the effects -- it's the interaction of the pebble with the water and the character of the pond that creates the ripples of change.

I've played the game at several different levels over my lifetime. I moved to downtown LA when I was 19 years old to make my fortune and get my education. I was an awkward, broke, country girl who was completely out of my element. Then, I was a young trophy wife and we ran in the top executive circles of a huge corporation. Later I had a high-power RE career and I played with the big boys in the LA market. Now I'm retired and I provide affordable housing and services in a rural community in Alaska.

Each step of the way, I had the same core values and morals. The steps looked different and the passions appears to morph over the years. The truth is that each of my passions had the same basis and unlying goals. Time and success have intensified who I am and distilled the essence of my values.

I'm very results orientated rather than focusing on the work side of the equation. I start by looking at where I want to end up. Then I design a path to get there by laying out the individual stepping stones. Most people around me only see the ripples fanning out in my pond as I work my program. The inside joke is that they think I can walk on water since they can't see the stepping stones I have laid under the water across the bottom. Each of my steps sends new ripples of change toward my goals. Those ripples become intertwined, and therefore more meaningful.

Yes, I'm silly or egotistic enough to believe that one person can change the world by working in and cleaning up her little corner...

 

[B-qiri]

First of all I have read the Fastlane Millionaire every year for the past 3 years or so. I love the book. And yes I already order Unscripted I'm still waiting for it in the mail.

I respect MJ DeMarco and his work but since the the first time I read his book I can't get over the fact that he says that money is more important than your passion. That doing what you love will not make you rich.

Imagine you're on your deathbed sweaty, nervous, trying your best to stay awake because you know that as soon as you go to sleep that will be the last time you close your eyes. You're dying on a 24k gold bedframe. But you don't care nor notice all that, you keep going back to that one thing you always wanted to be. A guitarist.

That was your dream and what you enjoyed most. But it wasn't paying the bills or putting food on the table. Nobody was buying your music either because they were been torrented. Yet you still enjoyed yourself and could survive off ramen noodles as long as your guitar was properly tuned.

But the pressure from your family to provide food and shelter made you take a detour on your dream. That detour led to riches but it also robbed you of your time with your precious guitar. Yet everytime you saw your dusty guitar in the coner of your room you told yourself next week I'll have free time to play. But you never did.

And yes I know money can buy you some good guitar lessons, your own record label, and even a recording studio. But unless you're Fastlane it won't give you time. So you either choose to strive to be rich or to follow your passion. Comfort in life or regret while dying.

Both passion and riches are essential for your life so is it possible to combine them both? Or are we forever force to decide for either or?

the whole thing about the fastlane is to be able to fully get back to your passion once you have achieved the necessary level of wealth. So it's not "either or" rather than "first and then"
And IF (which IS possible) you don't achieve that necessary wealth, in that case you have sacrificed your passion.

But even then you must have achieved at least some wealth and knowledge so that at least your children get a better life or you can live with dignity when you get old and don't have to turn every penny twice.

 

[WJK]

the whole thing about the fastlane is to be able to fully get back to your passion once you have achieved the necessary level of wealth. So it's not "either or" rather than "first and then"
And IF (which IS possible) you don't achieve that necessary wealth, in that case you have sacrificed your passion.

But even then you must have achieved at least some wealth and knowledge so that at least your children get a better life or you can live with dignity when you get old and don't have to turn every penny twice.

I went to my 50th high school reunion last year. I talked to the people I grew up with. I revealed nothing important about myself or my situation. Telling them that I was successful in my life would have caused them to feel uncomfortable. I just asked questions about them. I didn't dress up for the main dinner, so I was "flying under the radar." I realized I had nothing in common with almost all of them. Some had jobs at Walmart to supplement their SS payment. Many were still working at their jobs to make ends meet. If they asked, I just told them that I'm in real estate and they assumed that I was a RE broker selling RE. I listened to everyone. Then in the middle of the dinner, I stood up and excused myself. I didn't belong there anymore. I called my husband to pick me up. We left the area and spent the rest of our trip having a wonderful unplanned vacation. I'll never go back again. I left that life and those people behind long ago.

 

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[The-J]

I went to my 50th high school reunion last year. I talked to the people I grew up with. I revealed nothing important about myself or my situation. Telling them that I was successful in my life would have caused them to feel uncomfortable. I just asked questions about them. I didn't dress up for the main dinner, so I was "flying under the radar." I realized I had nothing in common with almost all of them. Some had jobs at Walmart to supplement their SS payment. Many were still working at their jobs to make ends meet. If they asked, I just told them that I'm in real estate and they assumed that I was a RE broker selling RE. I listened to everyone. Then in the middle of the dinner, I stood up and excused myself. I didn't belong there anymore. I called my husband to pick me up. We left the area and spent the rest of our trip having a wonderful unplanned vacation. I'll never go back again. I left that life and those people behind long ago.

Wow. Sounds like you handled it well. Any takeaways that might help younger people avoid ending up like them?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

I went to my 50th high school reunion last year. I talked to the people I grew up with. I revealed nothing important about myself or my situation. Telling them that I was successful in my life would have caused them to feel uncomfortable. I just asked questions about them. I didn't dress up for the main dinner, so I was "flying under the radar." I realized I had nothing in common with almost all of them. Some had jobs at Walmart to supplement their SS payment. Many were still working at their jobs to make ends meet. If they asked, I just told them that I'm in real estate and they assumed that I was a RE broker selling RE. I listened to everyone. Then in the middle of the dinner, I stood up and excused myself. I didn't belong there anymore. I called my husband to pick me up. We left the area and spent the rest of our trip having a wonderful unplanned vacation. I'll never go back again. I left that life and those people behind long ago.

Some people represent the life we left behind.

I had a good friend in high school who wanted to reconnect and I originally tried to do so.

But she represented a life I left behind and I couldn't nurture the friendship without rekindling memories of days long gone, days I wanted to forget.

Nothing she did was her fault and I felt bad that I wasn't able to hold the relationship.

 

[Isaac Odongo]

Big words, dude. Where are your qualifications for typing them? Are you a Fastlane millionaire already? No? Thought so.

Don't get too personal.

I didn't attack your person. And if that's how you felt, I apologize.

Don't start a competition of writing English with me. You have no idea.

Don't tell me what to say on this forum and what not to say.

It is called The Millionaire Fastlane , not The Millionaire FastDestination.

Those who have a good idea what I have written appreciate.

And your approval or the lack thereof is worthless to me. I have no idea what you are.

Let's leave it here.

 

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[B-qiri]

I went to my 50th high school reunion last year. I talked to the people I grew up with. I revealed nothing important about myself or my situation. Telling them that I was successful in my life would have caused them to feel uncomfortable. I just asked questions about them. I didn't dress up for the main dinner, so I was "flying under the radar." I realized I had nothing in common with almost all of them. Some had jobs at Walmart to supplement their SS payment. Many were still working at their jobs to make ends meet. If they asked, I just told them that I'm in real estate and they assumed that I was a RE broker selling RE. I listened to everyone. Then in the middle of the dinner, I stood up and excused myself. I didn't belong there anymore. I called my husband to pick me up. We left the area and spent the rest of our trip having a wonderful unplanned vacation. I'll never go back again. I left that life and those people behind long ago.

Thats what I mean. Sounds more important to me to not live that kind of life than follow a passion which btw is pretty choosable imo

 

[WJK]

Wow. Sounds like you handled it well. Any takeaways that might help younger people avoid ending up like them?

After I left high school, I went to a private college where I worked my a$$ off. And the young ladies who also attended made fun of me. All I did was work and go to school. They told me that I needed to get a life. I was there for my education. They were there to party and their daddies paid for it. I was on my own. I've worked almost every day since I was 11 years old. In high school, I was working after school and on the weekends. I learned how to find jobs and do them to please my customers. I learned to have grit and be successful. I learned how to handle money and business pressure. Now I work because I chose to work. I do a lot of the fun stuff -- like making the deals.

You must be brave enough to be different. You must stand out from the crowd and follow your own drumbeat. And you must be tough enough to take some hits. The crowd's job is to get you to conform and to be like them. Now, in the end, they tell me how lucky I am to be successful. They forget about the work, blood, sweat, and tears I put in while they partied. So, when I meet up with people from my past, we talk about them and things that don't mean much. There's no reason for me to make them feel bad. I'm just not up to those angry painful conversations and all of their excuses. They cannot admit it was their choices that have made the difference. They only see that we have ended up in different places when they must acknowledge that fact.

 

[srodrigo]

1) To succeed at ANYTHING, whether it's business, attracting the opposite sex, or anything else, you'll need a VERY POWERFUL MOTIVATION. It's been proven that poorly motivated individuals do not achieve their goals.
2) People who are passionate about something are likely to be experts at it (at least, far more expert than the average Jane or Joe). And to succeed in business in ANY industry, you absolutely need to become an expert.

Now, think about it: what are you more likely to become an expert at?

1) Something you love and you're intimately knowledgeable about; or
2) Something you hate and you're doing only because you've read/heard/seen that there's demand for it?

This reminded me of this tweet:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1712899802843824288

View: https://twitter.com/AlexHormozi/status/1712899802843824288


There's a thin line between the above and falling into the do what you love trap. If there is no intersection between our interests and what people need, there will be no money coming in. Getting this sweet spot right is what makes it or breaks it.

I've read "it doesn't matter what you do if you make money with it" countless of times on this forum. Without going to the opposite extreme ("do what you love and money will pour in"), this advice didn't work out for me. Other people here actually warned about doing something you have enough interest in to endure the difficult times. Maybe I could make a lot of money creating a handbags boutique brand, but I wouldn't be able to thrive there as I've got 0 interest in it and wouldn't get obsessed with it enough to get to the top of the game. Maybe it works for others though, happy for them!

Having said that, as much as I love composing music and playing the piano, I'm not betting my financial freedom on this, as A) it'd still take quite long to position myself, and B) it's rather a starving artist industry. So I'm focused on something else I've got interest in (fading interest though, trying to fix this) and fits the requirements to lead to a fastlane business.

 

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[Davago17]

First of all I have read the Fastlane Millionaire every year for the past 3 years or so. I love the book. And yes I already order Unscripted I'm still waiting for it in the mail.

I respect MJ DeMarco and his work but since the the first time I read his book I can't get over the fact that he says that money is more important than your passion. That doing what you love will not make you rich.

Imagine you're on your deathbed sweaty, nervous, trying your best to stay awake because you know that as soon as you go to sleep that will be the last time you close your eyes. You're dying on a 24k gold bedframe. But you don't care nor notice all that, you keep going back to that one thing you always wanted to be. A guitarist.

That was your dream and what you enjoyed most. But it wasn't paying the bills or putting food on the table. Nobody was buying your music either because they were been torrented. Yet you still enjoyed yourself and could survive off ramen noodles as long as your guitar was properly tuned.

But the pressure from your family to provide food and shelter made you take a detour on your dream. That detour led to riches but it also robbed you of your time with your precious guitar. Yet everytime you saw your dusty guitar in the coner of your room you told yourself next week I'll have free time to play. But you never did.

And yes I know money can buy you some good guitar lessons, your own record label, and even a recording studio. But unless you're Fastlane it won't give you time. So you either choose to strive to be rich or to follow your passion. Comfort in life or regret while dying.

Both passion and riches are essential for your life so is it possible to combine them both? Or are we forever force to decide for either or?

Look a very good example is the following.
I'm sure that cleaning out sewer pipes is no ones passion. But because no one wants to do this job, the people that are doing it make a ton load of money. Because high demand, very low competition. At the end of the year, when that person see his bank account , we will start to love that job, because It makes things now possible for him. Like buying his favourite car or invest in real estate that will generate every month and extra income. And if he repeated that process a couple times, he is off the smell and can now hire people to do the job for him and pay them well for there services.

 

[Seeker816]

That people here are saying that "passion" can change says to me they don't know what people mean when they say "Follow your Passion". Your real passion never changes. It is part of your identity. Like MJ says, it chases you. How can you ignore it? And if you devote yourself to it, how can you not become better at it, and create value for others?

I believe the Passion in "Follow your passion" is the same as Motivation and Purpose. A real passion is Motivation, Purpose, and a living energy that animates you.

the whole thing about the fastlane is to be able to fully get back to your passion once you have achieved the necessary level of wealth. So it's not "either or" rather than "first and then"
And IF (which IS possible) you don't achieve that necessary wealth, in that case you have sacrificed your passion.

But even then you must have achieved at least some wealth and knowledge so that at least your children get a better life or you can live with dignity when you get old and don't have to turn every penny twice.

There's a lot of food for thought in this thread, but I'd like to respond to this. If I sacrificed my passion, I wouldn't have a reason to live. (That's part of what I think real passion means.) I was scared to follow my passion before, because I was afraid I wouldn't make enough money. But I was miserable almost every day going to work.

After I dedicated myself, after I went "all in", my entire mindset changed. All of my life had a purpose, when I became dedicated to my passion.

In my old life, I was too unhappy to think about having children, let alone pretend to be happy enough to attract someone. Having more money so I can buy more food didn't make avoiding my passion worth it. If I was a millionaire, but I no longer had my passion (storytelling), then life wouldn't be worth it. And if I gave up 10 years of my passion to dedicate myself to money, and I lost the skills I'd built up from practicing novel writing and stories from the previous 20 years, then I would feel I fell into a deep hole. And all the people who didn't give up would be far beyond me. (Apply that to any passion.)

Now I am set on my passion. Now my mind is clear. Now people find me more attractive. --This is all to say what I believe the true meaning of "Follow your passion" is.

 

[WJK]

That people here are saying that "passion" can change says to me they don't know what people mean when they say "Follow your Passion". Your real passion never changes. It is part of your identity. Like MJ says, it chases you. How can you ignore it? And if you devote yourself to it, how can you not become better at it, and create value for others?

I believe the Passion in "Follow your passion" is the same as Motivation and Purpose. A real passion is Motivation, Purpose, and a living energy that animates you.


There's a lot of food for thought in this thread, but I'd like to respond to this. If I sacrificed my passion, I wouldn't have a reason to live. (That's part of what I think real passion means.) I was scared to follow my passion before, because I was afraid I wouldn't make enough money. But I was miserable almost every day going to work.

After I dedicated myself, after I went "all in", my entire mindset changed. All of my life had a purpose, when I became dedicated to my passion.

In my old life, I was too unhappy to think about having children, let alone pretend to be happy enough to attract someone. Having more money so I can buy more food didn't make avoiding my passion worth it. If I was a millionaire, but I no longer had my passion (storytelling), then life wouldn't be worth it. And if I gave up 10 years of my passion to dedicate myself to money, and I lost the skills I'd built up from practicing novel writing and stories from the previous 20 years, then I would feel I fell into a deep hole. And all the people who didn't give up would be far beyond me. (Apply that to any passion.)

Now I am set on my passion. Now my mind is clear. Now people find me more attractive. --This is all to say what I believe the true meaning of "Follow your passion" is.

I think you can have more than one passion.

I know how to make money in the RE business and I'm good at it. I have some projects going. And I have my rental base I've built up over the last 25 years.

My self-service Laundromat is going OK.

I've always wanted to write books and now I'm doing that too. And this year I'm gonna publish a few titles. I don't know if I'll be successful or not. We'll see. I have several just about ready to go. I have two different directions with the writing and two different pen names.

 

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[Darklight]

Nice strawman bro, salted with a heaping spoonful of binarism...

What if you were on your deathbed and ..

Suddenly you weren't because ..

You spent your life building wealth and ..

You funded life-extending products that actually worked and ..

You used those products to extend your life indefinitely and ..

You had an infinite amount of time to learn guitar because ..

ugh.

If you're on your deathbed regretting not learning guitar, it's because you believe there's no chance to survive.

Or ..

You don't have the will to fight for your survival so you just gave up.

In either case:

A) Believing you don't stand a chance
B) Not having the will to fight

You lose. Same with business.

If you're nearly dead and believe there's a chance to survive, you wouldn't give a shit about guitar. You would only care about doing what it takes to survive.

It's basic human psychology.

Maslow's Hierarchy level 1 = survival

Survival forms the base of the pyramid. Creativity is at the top.

The drowning man doesn't care about not learning guitar.

He splashes to keep his head above water, even when he doesn't know how to swim.

The man whose foot is trapped beneath a boulder doesn't care about what he didn't create.

He uses a pocket knife to saw off his leg so he can f*cking survive.

In both cases, when survival is secure, the men do not whip out their guitar.

They seek other basic human needs before seeking out family for safety and security.

So even if your theoretical situation were real ..

Guitar would almost certainly be the furthest thing from your mind.

And if there's 0 chance you will live.

Then it doesn't matter anyway.

Because when you're dead, you're dead.

Game over.

(Unless you believe in an afterlife in which case you'll have plenty of time to learn guitar there.)

The most real thing ever written on thread, it was both sweet and cruel