I wanted to share something with the folks of this forum this morning. The day after father's day... Something my father taught me and stuck with me through my life. He wasn't a "fastlaner", but he was one of the smartest people I have ever met. He could make sense of any situation. He was a leader, not in the sense of leading companies, but leading everyone around him. He rarely spoke unless it was from a place of wisdom. He was always the guy that would say if you can count your true friends on more than one hand you are lying to yourself.
I never thought he had many friends, but the day of his funeral hundreds of people I have never met in my life showed up. One after another, the stories poured in, every person there had something to say about his off the charts wisdom and how he somehow changed their lives. He passed away almost 9 years ago, and his influence has stuck with me every single day. It wasn't expressly said, it was expected, and the way he lived his life spilled out into my career in business. He led by example, it was as if he was born to be a father. He took responsibility and lived his life with a rare level of excellence. When he passed, it was as if the patriarchy of my family was passed to me. He didn't ask for it, he didn't need to, like I said... It was expected... and that was just the start.
Studies show that there is a positive correlation between the responsibility one takes and their overall levels of happiness. Often times in these hustling circles it is encouraged to do the exact opposite. To avoid responsibility at all cost. That is bullshit. Responsibility is the foundation for everything an entrepreneur wants and you can almost always get something in return for the responsibility you take.
43. Forty three... That is the number of people I am directly or indirectly financially responsible for. Directly, they are believers in me, in what I am doing. Either by some sort of contingency, investment, partnership or some kind of employment. They may have other things going on, they may not. What they have in common is that they are part of one of my enterprises in one way or another and I, as the leader of every one of these ventures, am responsible for a large part of their financial future. And Indirectly, my charitable contributions and the families of those whom I am directly responsible to.
How did I get here? How do these people believe in me? It isn't my track record. I'm young. I have a lot of road ahead of me in business. It isn't my house. It isn't my car. Some of them have far more wealth than I do. They still wanted to be part of what I am doing. Why then? How did this happen? I owe a large part of this magnetism to living with excellence, and being willing to take the responsibility.
Clearly, with the financial responsibility to others that I carry around every single day, I owe them my absolute best. I gave my best when that number was 1... Myself. I gave my best at 2,5,10 and so on.
We talk about internal vs external locus of control and how important being internal is. We talk about habits we form from eating and exercise, to what I have been harping on lately, dressing the part and having good grammar, etiquette in business situations. It goes on and on. This coming from the son of a man that ironed his jeans and needed his lawn to be the best on his street.
The small things matter...
The car you drive DOESN'T MATTER... but is it clean, and well maintained?
The home you live in DOESN'T MATTER... but is it kept up with perfection?
The brand of clothes you wear DOESN'T MATTER... but do you look professional? Do you look like a leader?
Does your office look like shit or is it well organized?
Do you learn something new every day?
Are you a fat bastard? (Something I had been guilty of for years)
Are you willing to go the extra mile in everything you do? Not just business...
When you think you have done enough... You can always do more. Set the precedent in your life. Be a leader. Strive for perfection during progress, not before, not after, NOW. You'll notice that the HOW becomes easier to figure out when you start taking massive responsibility. Winning breeds more winning.
Happy Monday!
I never thought he had many friends, but the day of his funeral hundreds of people I have never met in my life showed up. One after another, the stories poured in, every person there had something to say about his off the charts wisdom and how he somehow changed their lives. He passed away almost 9 years ago, and his influence has stuck with me every single day. It wasn't expressly said, it was expected, and the way he lived his life spilled out into my career in business. He led by example, it was as if he was born to be a father. He took responsibility and lived his life with a rare level of excellence. When he passed, it was as if the patriarchy of my family was passed to me. He didn't ask for it, he didn't need to, like I said... It was expected... and that was just the start.
Studies show that there is a positive correlation between the responsibility one takes and their overall levels of happiness. Often times in these hustling circles it is encouraged to do the exact opposite. To avoid responsibility at all cost. That is bullshit. Responsibility is the foundation for everything an entrepreneur wants and you can almost always get something in return for the responsibility you take.
43. Forty three... That is the number of people I am directly or indirectly financially responsible for. Directly, they are believers in me, in what I am doing. Either by some sort of contingency, investment, partnership or some kind of employment. They may have other things going on, they may not. What they have in common is that they are part of one of my enterprises in one way or another and I, as the leader of every one of these ventures, am responsible for a large part of their financial future. And Indirectly, my charitable contributions and the families of those whom I am directly responsible to.
How did I get here? How do these people believe in me? It isn't my track record. I'm young. I have a lot of road ahead of me in business. It isn't my house. It isn't my car. Some of them have far more wealth than I do. They still wanted to be part of what I am doing. Why then? How did this happen? I owe a large part of this magnetism to living with excellence, and being willing to take the responsibility.
Clearly, with the financial responsibility to others that I carry around every single day, I owe them my absolute best. I gave my best when that number was 1... Myself. I gave my best at 2,5,10 and so on.
We talk about internal vs external locus of control and how important being internal is. We talk about habits we form from eating and exercise, to what I have been harping on lately, dressing the part and having good grammar, etiquette in business situations. It goes on and on. This coming from the son of a man that ironed his jeans and needed his lawn to be the best on his street.
The small things matter...
The car you drive DOESN'T MATTER... but is it clean, and well maintained?
The home you live in DOESN'T MATTER... but is it kept up with perfection?
The brand of clothes you wear DOESN'T MATTER... but do you look professional? Do you look like a leader?
Does your office look like shit or is it well organized?
Do you learn something new every day?
Are you a fat bastard? (Something I had been guilty of for years)
Are you willing to go the extra mile in everything you do? Not just business...
When you think you have done enough... You can always do more. Set the precedent in your life. Be a leader. Strive for perfection during progress, not before, not after, NOW. You'll notice that the HOW becomes easier to figure out when you start taking massive responsibility. Winning breeds more winning.
Happy Monday!
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Last edited:
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today
