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I woke up this morning - ran a few errands - and I said to myself - I bet the luck card is going to get played.
There was no luck and there were many adjustments along the way. I had no advantages when I realized early in life I wanted to escape the life my parents had. I suppose the only advantage would be my parents weren't crack heads and we weren't living in the Robert Taylor homes in Chicago. Some start that way - and you know, many got out of that life also. There isn't much to my life that is unique to others. Growing up - I see kids who wanted to mimic the poor circumstances of their parents - and others who wanted to escape it. The hard part is the plan to escape a poor life growing up is harder - too hard for many people. But it is achievable.
Had I not gotten scholarships to school there was a backup - I would have joined the military. Or, I could have gone to community college.
Luck has nothing to do it for people who succeed who started with nothing - but it always seems like luck to those from the outside.
I agree.
We weren't poor growing up but I knew my parents could not afford to pay for my college. I joined the military for a way to gain work experience and pay for college. They paid for my undergrad and my graduate school is fully paid for when I go.
OTOH, I had many friends who were poor/lower class and given golden opportunities because of their talent. Full rides to college on scholarship. They choose to not take school seriously and hoped to become pro. A dumb idea that I see often. They now work labor jobs and have no fulfilling professional career ahead of them. You can lead a horse to water....
Information and career paths are available anywhere. Every school has a library to read books. I found my career by doing research and working hard in school. I talked to counselors and looked for mentors to help me.
The problem is that the poor in Hawaii are content with being poor. Much easier to blame the haoles then take responsibility for your actions. It's considered uncool to be smart and hardworking in Hawaii schools. Parents don't help by encouraging sports over academics.
Aloha Kaua, ok we all know what is bad about Hawai'i, cost of living, traffic etc, etc. If you moved away from Hawai'i and then wantted to move back later? What were the reasons?
Me i want to go back to Hawai'i because i miss the culture, people, the weather, nani wahines. sun, more sun lol. Everything is more colorful and vivid(as long as u stay away from waikiki lol) even more light lol, i also miss the celebrations, like lei day, chinese new year, obon festival, king k days etc etc. U can share for any island k.
Guys, the only problem i have with your arguments is that you assume if people just follow your same map of life they would be as successful as you? What you forget is, life is a compatition, how did you get your job if you didn't beat someone else? Or if your logic was true, then everyone would be a SEAL if only they worked hard enough or all athletes if they work hard enough will make the olympic teams and win medals. Or in your case guys, anyone can be phil knight, or a supreme court justice.
My point is god gives each of us strengths and weakness. Take for example my business, now we have beatten out most of our competition locally, we win more awards for our quality then our local competitors. But we don't have the budget to advertise in a large scale. But eventhough we have beaten out even our local competitors(some corporate) we are still one of the poorest business in sales and profits. Does that mean we work less hard or not as smart?
Guys, the only problem i have with your arguments is that you assume if people just follow your same map of life they would be as successful as you? What you forget is, life is a compatition, how did you get your job if you didn't beat someone else? Or if your logic was true, then everyone would be a SEAL if only they worked hard enough or all athletes if they work hard enough will make the olympic teams and win medals. Or in your case guys, anyone can be phil knight, or a supreme court justice.
That is such an incredibly flawed argument.
It has nothing to do with my path of life - or others taking "my path". It has everything to do with what I wanted to do in life - which was to get out the circumstances of my childhood. I don't know if I was 6, 7 - certainly younger than 10 - I knew only I controlled my destiny. Not my parents. Just me. I could have taken the easy way out - but I choose not to do so. Heck, I could have been a janitor - and if I chose that path - I'd have nobody but myself to say why I was in that position. Then I'd guess I'd be one of the posters all mad at Walmart and all sad I wasn't able to afford to move to Hawaii. Or sitting around dreaming.
If one decides to not take action then so be it.
Not everyone can be a Supreme Court Justice - but I bet they wouldn't tell you they got where they were in life because they were lucky. They were successful regardless of becoming a Supreme Court Justice - but getting the chance to be one started very early in their lives.
I woke up this morning - ran a few errands - and I said to myself - I bet the luck card is going to get played.
There was no luck and there were many adjustments along the way. I had no advantages when I realized early in life I wanted to escape the life my parents had. I suppose the only advantage would be my parents weren't crack heads and we weren't living in the Robert Taylor homes in Chicago. Some start that way - and you know, many got out of that life also. There isn't much to my life that is unique to others. Growing up - I see kids who wanted to mimic the poor circumstances of their parents - and others who wanted to escape it. The hard part is the plan to escape a poor life growing up is harder - too hard for many people. But it is achievable.
Had I not gotten scholarships to school there was a backup - I would have joined the military. Or, I could have gone to community college.
Luck has nothing to do it for people who succeed who started with nothing - but it always seems like luck to those from the outside.
As an entrepreneur, I am always attempting to get other people involved. I give them a little Tony Robbins, or whatever his name is, talk.
One of the things I tell everyone who I give these talks to (and it amounts to 1 or 2 a year, if that many), is when you go through life, you will see an infinite number of things go by, Try to evaluate as many as practical of the things you see as to their "opportunity potential". New products, new ideas, improvements on existing products. Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. One day, a thing will enter your sphere of observation, and you will have that ah-ha" moments, and you will know that what you are seeing is a possible opportunity that fits you.
That sort of thinking, or something very close to it, is, in my opinion, what OpenD refers to luck, but it isn't really luck, it is a mindset adjustment operated on an ongoing basis. A lazy person, especially an intellectually-lazy person hasn't a snowball's chance in hell in that arena.
Sometime opportunity knocks, but usually, the best you can hope for is for it to walk past you. The rest is up to you.
Guys, the only problem i have with your arguments is that you assume if people just follow your same map of life they would be as successful as you? What you forget is, life is a compatition, how did you get your job if you didn't beat someone else? Or if your logic was true, then everyone would be a SEAL if only they worked hard enough or all athletes if they work hard enough will make the olympic teams and win medals. Or in your case guys, anyone can be phil knight, or a supreme court justice.
My point is god gives each of us strengths and weakness. Take for example my business, now we have beatten out most of our competition locally, we win more awards for our quality then our local competitors. But we don't have the budget to advertise in a large scale. But eventhough we have beaten out even our local competitors(some corporate) we are still one of the poorest business in sales and profits. Does that mean we work less hard or not as smart?
Your "concern" is no concern at all since we all seek our own arenas, or own specific paths, or own specific dreams.
Guys, the only problem i have with your arguments is that you assume if people just follow your same map of life they would be as successful as you? What you forget is, life is a compatition, how did you get your job if you didn't beat someone else? Or if your logic was true, then everyone would be a SEAL if only they worked hard enough or all athletes if they work hard enough will make the olympic teams and win medals. Or in your case guys, anyone can be phil knight, or a supreme court justice.
Life is not fair. I agree. Not everyone is going to be born with incredible intelligence or gifted genetics. That doesn't mean that hard work and drive won't return results.
Not everyone gets into Harvard or can be in the top 1% of smarts or athleticism. That doesn't mean their destined for poverty and lower class life. You can still get an education, be smart with you money, and find a well paying job. Companies are always looking for talented people.
The other option is just do nothing about your situation and blame others.
To give you an example of the way of thinking that helped me get my job:
When I was in school I knew that I had to finish in the top of my class. I worked hard to achieve that goal. I sacrificed my time in hopes it would help me land a job. It did. Others in my class didn't care. A C was good enough to them. They didn't think it mattered. That's not my problem. They had the same tests I did. Nothing was stopping them from trying harder.
At work I always look for ways to advance my career. What do I have to do next to get the next promotion and move up? What do I need to learn? Who can I find to mentor me? Some people are content with coming in and going home. They don't want more responsibility or to venture out of their comfort zone. They just expect a promotion to come to them. They don't have the mindset or personality to push the people standing in their way.
Life is not fair. I agree. Not everyone is going to be born with incredible intelligence or gifted genetics. That doesn't mean that hard work and drive won't return results.
Not everyone gets into Harvard or can be in the top 1% of smarts or athleticism. That doesn't mean their destined for poverty and lower class life. You can still get an education, be smart with you money, and find a well paying job. Companies are always looking for talented people.
The other option is just do nothing about your situation and blame others.
Like ive said b4, i think there is a misunderstanding im not poor, im successful ok(i own my own company , the only reason im not in Hawai'i is because i have obligations here, and i haven't reach the level of success where i can open a business in Hawai'i yet or buy a home. If all i wantted to do was be in Hawai'i i would just buy a ticket, take what money i have and go there and startover. I have started over a few times in my life.
So it doesnt scare me, but im 43 now and i don't want to start over so i wait intell i have a nest egg. Ya i miss home. The only reason im fighting for poor people is i used to be poor, haven't forgotten and am greatful for my success and im humble. Yes i was lucky. Maybe i will share why at another time.
And anyway guys don't you think we have beatten this horse long enough?
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