Hey, everyone. Before I start, I want to thank the people who sent me private messages (you know who you are) to encourage me during my darkest hours. You probably have no idea how much your words of encouragement help. I have lived an immensely lonely life. That's how it goes, I suppose, when you're home schooled for six years, and then start college at 13. I mean, look. No bullshit - I don't have many friends. In fact, the only person who has stayed close to me for the past three years has been my girlfriend, and it looks like I don't even have her anymore.
If you've ever watched Al Pacino's classic Any Given Sunday speech, you know he starts off by saying that he's wasted all of his money, and that he chased away anyone who has ever loved him. I can relate.
Just understand: I've been dealing with shit. Shit that I tried to chase away with muscle relaxers, sleeping pills, Xanax, alchohol, and weed. On the worst nights, it was all of the above. On the worst nights, I would cry myself to sleep. Yup. And you know what? At this point, I don't care if I sound like a bitch to you, or anyone else. I'm not writing this for you. Lol. I'm just playin'. I am writing this for, especially if you're depressed; especially you're lonely, and you think no one gets it; especially if you're so angry at everything in your life that's so effed up that sometimes you feel like you can't even think straight anymore; especially if you know what it's like to risk it all - lose it all - and fall all the way back to the bottom again; especially if it feels like you just don't have anything left; especially if you feel like quitting and giving up.
Because, I'm telling you, it comes back around. No matter what you're going through, you can come back from that sh*t. I don't care if your parents are against you, if your boyfriend or girlfriend are against you, if all of your friends are against you. I don't care if you don't have any friends at all. You can come back. You can rise. You can win. Even when it feels like this world has taken all of your self-esteem, self-respect, and self-confidence - everything except the hyphens - you can come back.
I think that's what inspires me most about MJ. To be honest, I haven't even read all of your book, bro. Not yet. I don't have to. I read your story, dude. And that sh*t has stuck with me for years. I mean, the fact that we're both from Illinois and whatnot is cool, but the fact that you dealt with emotional pain, bounced to the West Coast, and hustled until you finally blew your business out of the water... I read that over and over and over again, man. I read it to my cousin. I read it to my friends. I read it at night, before I went to bed. I read it when I had no more gas in the tank. I read it when I was on empty.
I'll be honest. I've got tears streaming down my face right now. I'm pouring my heart out. I don't know why. There are nothing but strangers on this site, but you know what? Life is short. And somehow, pouring my heart out feels good. Sh*t. Talking to therapists doesn't seem to help, and they cost thousands of dollars per week. This is free, and who knows... maybe someone reading this right now needs to read what I'm typing as much as I need to type what I'm typing.
I've been grindin' my a$$ off, man. Every day. Every night. Cross country trips. Chicago to Ohio. Ohio to Kentucky. Kentucky to New Jersey. New Jersey to Ohio. Ohio to Chicago. Sometimes, all of the above, in a matter of days. Six hour drives. Nine hour drives. Twelve hour drives. Meeting strategic partners. Negotiating higher percentages for the deals I close, because I'm closer. At the end of the day, that's what I do. I research. I research my a$$ off. I plot. I strategize. Then I research more and more. Then I strategize until it all makes sense.
And then I strike.
I can taste the freshness of the markets I'm in, and I can literally smell the money. I just closed two six-figure deals, and I know I can close more. Much more. Last time, I was there with some of the early adopters. Now, I'm way ahead of the curve. In some cases, it may take a year or two for the competition to catch up. By then, it'll be too late.
So here's where I am Fastlane. I think I have it. I think I finally have that fastball coming right down the middle... and it's time to swing with everything I have. It's time to put all of the blood, sweat and tears that I've shed to get myself to this position - where the bases are loaded, in the bottom of the 9th inning, three men on base...
And I know I can crack this one. I know I have what it takes. I know it. I know it. I know it. I know I can fulfill my promise to buy a Bugatti and post the pics. I just need to keep my head straight. I just need to keep focused.
I know this might sound stupid. Or even lame, but I need you to cheer for me. I need to you to motivate me like Rawr has. Like MJ has. I need you to want me to win. I need you to know that I'm no different than you. I'm just a guy, who found this site years ago, after dropping out of college, and found just enough inspiration to get keep going. I need that sh*t more than ever now, because sometime sit feels like every nanosecond of my life hurts. I just need to keep these tears out of my eyes, and focus on the pitch. Focus on the swing - and swing away.
[video=youtube;1c2jp8WyXms]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c2jp8WyXms[/video]
If you've ever watched Al Pacino's classic Any Given Sunday speech, you know he starts off by saying that he's wasted all of his money, and that he chased away anyone who has ever loved him. I can relate.
Just understand: I've been dealing with shit. Shit that I tried to chase away with muscle relaxers, sleeping pills, Xanax, alchohol, and weed. On the worst nights, it was all of the above. On the worst nights, I would cry myself to sleep. Yup. And you know what? At this point, I don't care if I sound like a bitch to you, or anyone else. I'm not writing this for you. Lol. I'm just playin'. I am writing this for, especially if you're depressed; especially you're lonely, and you think no one gets it; especially if you're so angry at everything in your life that's so effed up that sometimes you feel like you can't even think straight anymore; especially if you know what it's like to risk it all - lose it all - and fall all the way back to the bottom again; especially if it feels like you just don't have anything left; especially if you feel like quitting and giving up.
Because, I'm telling you, it comes back around. No matter what you're going through, you can come back from that sh*t. I don't care if your parents are against you, if your boyfriend or girlfriend are against you, if all of your friends are against you. I don't care if you don't have any friends at all. You can come back. You can rise. You can win. Even when it feels like this world has taken all of your self-esteem, self-respect, and self-confidence - everything except the hyphens - you can come back.
I think that's what inspires me most about MJ. To be honest, I haven't even read all of your book, bro. Not yet. I don't have to. I read your story, dude. And that sh*t has stuck with me for years. I mean, the fact that we're both from Illinois and whatnot is cool, but the fact that you dealt with emotional pain, bounced to the West Coast, and hustled until you finally blew your business out of the water... I read that over and over and over again, man. I read it to my cousin. I read it to my friends. I read it at night, before I went to bed. I read it when I had no more gas in the tank. I read it when I was on empty.
I'll be honest. I've got tears streaming down my face right now. I'm pouring my heart out. I don't know why. There are nothing but strangers on this site, but you know what? Life is short. And somehow, pouring my heart out feels good. Sh*t. Talking to therapists doesn't seem to help, and they cost thousands of dollars per week. This is free, and who knows... maybe someone reading this right now needs to read what I'm typing as much as I need to type what I'm typing.
I've been grindin' my a$$ off, man. Every day. Every night. Cross country trips. Chicago to Ohio. Ohio to Kentucky. Kentucky to New Jersey. New Jersey to Ohio. Ohio to Chicago. Sometimes, all of the above, in a matter of days. Six hour drives. Nine hour drives. Twelve hour drives. Meeting strategic partners. Negotiating higher percentages for the deals I close, because I'm closer. At the end of the day, that's what I do. I research. I research my a$$ off. I plot. I strategize. Then I research more and more. Then I strategize until it all makes sense.
And then I strike.
I can taste the freshness of the markets I'm in, and I can literally smell the money. I just closed two six-figure deals, and I know I can close more. Much more. Last time, I was there with some of the early adopters. Now, I'm way ahead of the curve. In some cases, it may take a year or two for the competition to catch up. By then, it'll be too late.
So here's where I am Fastlane. I think I have it. I think I finally have that fastball coming right down the middle... and it's time to swing with everything I have. It's time to put all of the blood, sweat and tears that I've shed to get myself to this position - where the bases are loaded, in the bottom of the 9th inning, three men on base...
And I know I can crack this one. I know I have what it takes. I know it. I know it. I know it. I know I can fulfill my promise to buy a Bugatti and post the pics. I just need to keep my head straight. I just need to keep focused.
I know this might sound stupid. Or even lame, but I need you to cheer for me. I need to you to motivate me like Rawr has. Like MJ has. I need you to want me to win. I need you to know that I'm no different than you. I'm just a guy, who found this site years ago, after dropping out of college, and found just enough inspiration to get keep going. I need that sh*t more than ever now, because sometime sit feels like every nanosecond of my life hurts. I just need to keep these tears out of my eyes, and focus on the pitch. Focus on the swing - and swing away.
[video=youtube;1c2jp8WyXms]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c2jp8WyXms[/video]
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