My grandmother often said this very thing… it is very true. The people you surround yourself with can build you up or knock you down… as cliche as it sounds. Sometimes you have to clean house so to speak of the people who are draining your life energy. As difficult as it may be, some people are simply toxic to be around. It often hurts and maybe one day they will once again have a place in your life, but for your own sanity, you have to let go of those people, situations and life energies that no longer serve you and drain you of your intended happiness.
I try to look for the good in everything and everyone. There is opportunity everywhere, some people just choose not to find it, though it’s right in front of them. Moreover, there is good in everyone, sometimes it is just more difficult to find in some people. Assuming the worst in everything and everyone not only doesn’t serve you, it harms you. How often have you found yourself assuming the absolute worst outcome in a situation? How often does that outcome actually happen?
Though I don’t flock with any billionaires (that I know of anyway).. I often seek out similarities with successful people’s mindset and my own. I want to point out, that money is not the means to an end, it is simply a tool to give you the things you want in life. Personally, I want freedom. The freedom to choose my own destiny without asking permission from anyone to do anything. If I want to work from the beach a half world away, I can do just that, without getting anyone’s permission. If I decide that leaving home tomorrow “simply because” is something I want to do, then I do just that.
I love studying business people. Whether they are selling meat out of the back of a truck or running a multinational corporation, I am fascinated by all them. You never know where someone is on their life journey, that is why it is so important to respect everyone, no matter where they stand in life. It is very easy to go to school, get a job, retire, then die. I’m not saying school is easy or I don’t respect people who choose that path, I’m simply saying that people who risk it all without knowing whether they will get anywhere or not impress me the most.
One person I’ve been studying as of late is Marshall Reynolds. He caught my attention one day when I was dining at a local buffet near my house. He did not garner any looks or stares, I would venture to say most people didn’t know who he was even. It fascinated me that a person of his economic status would dine somewhere such as this… I know a lot of people of only a fraction of his means that snub Golden Corral or any of it’s derivatives.
From my studies of Marshall Reynolds, two stories really stand out to me. To paraphrase, he attempted to get a loan at several local banks in Huntington only to be denied $2800. The last bank he stormed out and said that he “would own this bank someday”. Fifteen years later he did. He also attempted to find opportunity after discovering a plant that he was set to take over had burned to the ground in Canada. After hearing the news from his point man and two minutes of reflection, he instructed him to go to Canada and find out how they can make some money off the ordeal. Finding opportunity everywhere, even in the midst of difficult, I love that. I love people who see the sunny side of life instead of constantly complaining how they have been shorted, mistreated, misled or any other myriad of reasons why they are not the person they want to be. Excuses and justifications keep you from having the life of your dreams. They keep you trapped in a cycle of unhappiness and lock you out of life… like a parrot in a cage.
If you are not living the life you want to live, it’s not because you are not a good and loving person. The life purpose of each of us is to overcome negativity. How much negativity are you putting into the world? What is driving you? Who is driving you? Are YOU in control of your mind? Your mind can take off like a freight train without a driver if you do not keep it busy with your instructions. Out of control thoughts do not serve you, they never will. Train your mind to find the good in everything and watch what happens to your life. If you do this at least 51% of the time, your life will change. Being positive 100% of the time is a tall order, you have to make adverse decisions, do things you don’t necessarily want to do, etc. But if you choose the path of positivity at least 51% of the time, you will tip the scales in your favor.
So who are you flocking to in your journey? Who are you reading about? Who are you researching or interested in? Who do you socialize with? These people, whether good or bad are the people you are “flocking” with. These are the people who will dictate how you travel through your life’s journey. Maybe you are very content with the way your life is. Maybe you’re not? Whatever the case, be very careful who you let into your life and even more careful who you let out.
So what happened in the story where Marshall Reynolds took a controlling interest in the bank who denied him the loan? Did he fire everyone who worked back then? Did he purposely intend to take over the bank? Why did he choose this particular one when multiple banks denied him a loan? I’d like to know the details, but for whatever reason it happened. I wonder what the person who had to tell him he was denied thinks now. You never know where someone is in their life’s journey. It is very important to respect everyone, no matter where they may be in life. They very person you looked down upon could be deciding your future or even your family’s years down the road. We must respect everyone.
So what would I have done if I controlled a bank that had denied me a loan or didn’t see my vision years earlier? I would promptly fire anyone who had anything to do with it of course. But that’s me… no matter how hard I try, sometimes I enjoy being vindictive, even though I know it’s not good. But I am also smart enough to know that as long as I tip the scales with positive energy 51% or more of the time.. I’m fine and can afford some vindictive enjoyment now and again.
With all this in mind, I came across a video that I really enjoyed, it contains a very powerful message.
