Study Hard!

I see everyday people with this mentality that the world owes them something.

The simple answer here is that you need to work harder and faster. There's really nothing else. Life is a series of choices. At that moment, that choice was quite honestly hard work.

Put your head down and do the training and take the pain and eventually it's going to pay off and on those days where you just got to get through an impossible to-do list. You really have to feel but if you put your head down and you take the pain it's going to pay off.

And say, I'm going to do this, I'm going to harness my will. And I'm not going to let anything stop me. I deserve this. Hard work is the most precious asset you have.

You know while the other guys sleeping, I'm working, while the other guy is eating, I'm working.

But it don't work if you don't work. I found that nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Nothing.

There is no inbetween, you're either growing or you are decaying. If you want something you have got to be relentless. This is a winner's quality, you have that quality within you. When you're hungry you don't care about the facts. You don't care about the odds.

If you want to be an anomaly you've got to act like one.

Why are you only giving 50%? What's wrong with you?

You said your goal was to pass every class. You said your goal was to never again finish last.

Most people, what they're doing is they're all at this mountain called success and they're all strolling around the bottom of this mountain and they're looking for an elevator to carry them to the top. See they haven't realized yet that there is no elevator and I'm already halfway up the stairs.

I'm not getting up on time. I'm not going to work on time. I'm not putting in 120% when I'm at work. I let me down.

Alright, if you work hard and you never give up you can literally achieve anything. Break it down and add just a little more effort. Add just a little more focus. Add just a little more time management. Add just a little more patience. Add just a little more studying. Add just a little more listening. Add just a little more discipline.

To get something you never had you have to do something you never did.

There are two fixed points in your life: Birth and Death. And what happens in between that's under your control. It's the only thing under your control. Now we have no idea what the distance between birth and death is going to be. And you've heard the story so many times, somebody gets really bad news they find out they've got life-threatening cancer, they've only got a few months to live. They quit their job, sell all their possessions and go volunteering in a far-off country, giving back to other people, spending time with the people important to them and spending time doing the things that really matter the most. So why is it that we wait for such a massive moment, for us to take massive action? What if you could change everything today? What if you could change everything in an instant, right now? Watching this video on YouTube, on your phone or your laptop or wherever you are. What if change could happen?

I don't care how good you are, I don't care how talented you are, I don't care how much you work on yourself, there are some times when things aren't going to go right. They just are not going to go right. There are times when anything that can't happen will happen. Murphy's Law will be knocking at your door. Why? I don't know why, that's called life. And you have to deal with it. Sometimes your life will be in a slump. Just like sports. Some of the best shooters can't hit baskets different times and games. They get in a slump Do they sit on the sidelines and say "you know, I just didn’t hit a basket today?" No. They continue to execute. I suggest to you that if you are facing a challenge don't stop. Stay busy, work your plan, continue to do those things that you know that work for you. After you have evaluated yourself in the situation, continue to move, stay busy, stay busy, stay busy. Repeat after to me, "help somebody and help yourself" Because what you give is what you get. Find somebody that you can help so you can forget about you for a moment. See sometimes the best thing to do is to be. Sometimes you have to just back up and go within yourself.

If you're going to really change the first thing that you have to move from an opinion to a belief and a belief into a conviction is that you are the one that can change. You are the one that is responsible for who you are, where you are in life right now. The things that you do, the things that you don't do that you know that you should, the things that you have become, the person that you've become, and as a result the things that you have and there's all kinds of things going on right now. There's all kinds of thoughts going on right now. There's all kinds of feeling but.. Amidst all of those things, amidst the sea of confusion that you might feel. Let me ask you a very simple question, a very basic question. Do you believe that you have the power to change?

Time is all we have. This moment, right now. There's only one thing in our lives that we're never able to reacquire once it's gone. And I'm not talking about money, I'm not talking about material items. I'm talking about time and it's such a unique concept, a unique idea because when utilized correctly it contains the ingredients to success, to happiness, to growth, prosperity, all the things we want. But at the very same time if neglected it leaves us with very little. Because the truth is, every morning when you wake up you are living minutes you will never get back. You are breathing air you will never take in again. It is your one opportunity to embrace this gift. And every second sees a little of it slip away. And my point is, that there is no moment more important, more perfect than right now. Not in a week, not after your promotion, not in 30 years when you plan to retire and relax, right now. See we have this mentality that the future is going to somehow mean more than the present, that if we suffer now or if we're unhappy now, that we'll save the best in life for some other time. But the reality is we don't get younger. Yes, we should be working hard. Absolutely, success comes from effort, hard work, dedication, persistence. But the key is, allocate your precious time to the work, to the things that make you feel like today is powerful. That right now is so amazing you don't want it to end. Today is when you take the first step towards the things you want. When you become who you want to become. No one is ever or will ever keep you from that other than yourself. There is no ceiling, there is no limitation, there is no special requirement. There is you and what you allow yourself to accomplish. You are the gatekeeper, you have your foot on the gas pump. And it's so easy to point to others, right, to point to our environment, to blame things on everything. But our own decision, our decision to stick to the status quo because believe it or not, it is that simple you are where you are because that's where you decided to be. And you've accepted that as okay. Look if you want change then manufacture change. Create a plan and move go, transform, step out of your head and into the real world. Think about how lucky we are to be alive in this day and age with access to all the information we could ever dream of, technology that enables growth, freedom to pursue any path that looks appealing, anything we could ever want is right in front of us. Yet, we don't embrace it. Why, why in the world would we let that be? Nothing is more important in life than living it. Nothing makes us feel more energized, more free, more happy than following the path we were meant to take. It's having the courage to step over the obstacles, to face the challenges, to be uncomfortable and at the beginning it's tough, right? Change is tough. Getting what you want isn't easy. There's a period of struggle, of growth, but once you get through it you understand what living really is. Which brings us right back to the concept of time our small existence on this planet. The greatest gift a human being can receive you by default have it. Don't ever let it be in vain. The future isn't when happiness someday occurs it's a continuation of you living every moment to the fullest from now until your last. Make every trip around the sun better than the previous. Never let a moment of sunshine, clouds or rain deprive you of your gift. Be the best version of yourself you can be. Live the life you were meant to live. All it takes is a simple decision.

Stop whatever it is you're doing right now. Focus and block out whatever it is that has you distracted. Lock in and listen.

Ultimately, your daily actions determine what your goals are. It's up to you to make sure your actions and goals know what their roles are. Meaning, you must self assess and know where the holes are and execute towards your true passion and soon you'll get that gold star. See stars like you know that on the road to glory there will be moments that will define your story. And this is one of those moments because at this very moment in time you are ready to break. You're ready to break like a glass jar. You are ready to break like a speeding car. You are ready to break. But let me be the first to remind you that breaking is not who you are. I'm gonna say that again. "Breaking is not who you are". See right now my friend, it's simple you are in the dark. And you know what I need you to do for me when you're in the dark, right? Turn the lights on when I'm talking to you because you said your goal was to graduate. You said your goal was to make yourself, your parents, and your family proud. Those are your words not mine. But you're in a bad place academically because your goals and actions don't align. Your most valuable commodity is time. Your most valuable asset is time. Your most precious gift is time. Your most important ally is time. But for no apparent rhyme or reason you've decided to start wasting it. And now you're mentally exhausted and numb because that flavor of success you're no longer tasting it. And all of a sudden you want to quit. All of a sudden you want to drop out. All of a sudden you want to give up. Lock in and listen harder than you've ever listened before. Because quitting is not an option. Dropping out is not an option. Giving up is not an option. The only option is for you to start living up to your potential. See it's not coincidental that those who achieve at the highest level shake off their demons and devils and channel their inner rebel to jab, stick, move, kick, grind, and never settle.

Okay. I get it. I know, right now, you feel like the world's biggest loser. But this is the moment that I need you to transform and become the world's biggest chooser. Because I need you to choose to start digging. I need you to choose to start climbing. I need you to choose the start redefining. I need you to choose the start realigning and priming yourself for a major comeback. And you are falling into that woe-is-me syndrome but I need you to detox and get that whine out of your system and change that woe-is-me syndrome into the oh-it's-me syndrome because yes, my friend you are the problem.

And so I need you to own and not rent that fact. The fact of the matter is if you're being totally transparent it's apparent that you're not maximizing your time. You are not in recycle mode because you continue to waste countless hours on meaningless time wasting activities. I need you to take an hour. At least an hour. Sit your butt down, reevaluate and that means self assess, look in that mirror and confess that you are not given 1000%, you are not putting every ounce of your heart and soul into it. And thus, you need a remedy.

Now let's fix this... Your teacher or professor assigns the work. Your teacher or professor schedules the test. It's up to you to manage your study time so you can put your best foot forward. So when you're playing video games, when you're shopping at the mall, when you're at the party and the DJ is rocking, when you're surfing the Internet at your leisure, when you're with your friends grabbing a pizza when you're browsing social media for hours, hoping your likes are doubling, when you're chilling with your boo and you're cuddling or doing a host of other things that don't involve studying or completing an assignment. That's what I mean when I say your actions and your goals are not in alignment. Because you wrote down graduate and what's that? Facts! So now it's time for you to reenact this part of your movie by going all in on all things related to passing every class this semester. So replace the wasted time with study. Now watch how quick you become an excellent tester. Your academic stock will soar like an eagle when you become an intellectual time investor. This may require you for a short period of time to become a hangout with friends protester. Because you're so hungry to pass every class with flying colors. You understand you must eat and drink your subjects and become an official scholastic digester.

And never forget. Your daily actions determine what your goals are. It's up to you to make sure your actions and goals know what their roles are. Meaning you must self assess and know where the holes are and execute towards your true passion and soon you'll graduate and get that gold star. A K A, your diploma. So here's to you and the future success that awaits. At your testimony of going from almost flunking out to all smiles with your diploma when your class graduates you've got this my friend. So keep pushing with purpose, focus and determination and never lose sight that you hold a key to your success. It just requires preparation, dedication, calculation and internal motivation. Now throw your cap in the air and celebrate. This is a great day to win.

I'm not, you know, the classic Silicon Valley CEO. You know, I think that for me I used to believe that that meant that I could never really achieve what they achieved that there were certain parts of the world, certain levels of success certain levels of business that were just going to be too big for me. It's like how can I dare say "I'm going to run an energy company" like that "I'm going to build wealth for a community." Like who am I? I made the mistake freshman year of college of going in and having no goals. Freshman year, you know I actually did horrible in class because I didn't know my goals of what I wanted to achieve academically. I let my body fall apart I just, I let my, I lost myself. And because of that I realized that I'm the kind of person who needs to work to know herself and consistently keep track of who she is. In the end, you know, it's about recognizing the value in our own struggle being appreciative and aware of our privilege. So that we can have empathy for others in their experience it can-we can bridge the gap for them. And then being able to take all of that and own it say "This is who I am." This is who I am. Hello, who to- who you are and to who you are. That's great. But this who I am. Take it or leave it, like I know that... no matter what happens if I stay who I am I will feel good about it at the end of the day. The only thing that's going to be constant in this ever-changing world is who I am. I can hear the advice of a lot of different people and say, "Okay, thank you, thank you, thank you." "This is what I want to do" and I'll stand by it, I will never blame someone for my decisions. No, it's my life. Conflict. Fight back. I'm saying this, put together your thoughts logically and come back at me like I want you to convince me that I'm wrong, like find the holes in my argument, find the gap in my thinking. It's like here's my strategy and I am prepared to do what it takes to stay alive. Like, what I tell my investors is like all you need to know is that I will be standing at the end of this match. That's it, and like if I have to all of a sudden do an uppercut that I've never done or like switch to Southpaw out of nowhere, hey I'll do what I have to do because I'm going to win this fight. In the end say whatever you want to say about someone fighting's style if they won, they won. Wanting very much to make sure that little girls who look like me believe that they can do anything. And believe that they can do more than just media and entertainment in particular and believe in the value of their perspective. And so that's what gets me up in the morning. And then everything else the details, it's like it kind of, I can push through that day. And what I found is that instead of trying to live a successful life if you aim to have a successful day. If you have 13 out of the 24 hours of your day, if you won those hours you won the day. And if you win most of the days in a week you won the week, you know, we just need a simple majority here. If you win, you know most of the weeks in a month, there you go most of the months in a year, most of the years and, and all of a sudden look at that without even trying you've been able to kind of get somewhere. When I say, you know, I know who I am I guess the-the unsaid portion, though, is like and then for the things I don't know about myself I'm open to finding out. And so I think the idea is to think about our lives as a constant research experiment. Who I thought I was, and what I thought I wanted. When I was 19, it's to a certain extent similar, to you know now, but there's also a lot of.. A lot of difference in the nuances and the details of the execution. And I think what it is, is that like we.. We all have a core that like is our soul, that is our kind of ethos that were born with, that's.. That's our ethical nature that we get from our families and our friends and like where we grew up that you know ideally and hopefully it's good. And I think that nugget, that's always unchanging and you have to figure out who that is. What, you know, what that is inside of you as soon as possible. And I've always been a very reflective person. I've always been someone who.. Who will ask myself, you know every six weeks or so am I happy? This, and it's a really simple thing. It's just like the answers are either yes or no. And if it's a no, it's like okay, well am I doing things that well right now maybe I'm not like blissfully happy? Or working towards something that I know will make me happy, you know what I mean, like am I generally happy with the idea of the trade-offs that I'm making right now or that I have to deal with. You know, does that make me happy? And if that's a yes, it's like okay, cool. But if it's still a no, it's like stop everything. No, this doesn't make sense. But so with that you come and go, and you go okay, I need a solution. And so I started doing the check-in which I do just it's more like you can sense if you take some time to be quiet. You can sense when you're not in equilibrium, And then that's when you ask, that's it. Just running running running running running without taking a time to just know where you are. I mean then there's probably going to be other symptoms where you're just overeating or overdoing this or not sleeping, like.. You'll, people will be able to tell you, "Yeah, you don't look balanced" if you asked. I was able to stay who I am by being open to learning about who I am from those who had been working to figure out themselves as well. And I think it takes a certain sense of humility to be willing to listen to those people. But also I think it takes a certain sense of logic I guess and just like dynamic thinking to realize that what they're telling you is simply part of your full concept of yourself not the all you know, not the total of it. And you know, it is your life, it is your unique perspective, it is who you are that has brought you here. So anyone who invests in you is going to want you to be who you are. They're going to have to trust that being who you are even if it's different from who they are. That's going to be the thing that's going to take this to the next level no matter what. And I think for me that was.. That was the critical piece of advice, right? Like we all need someone to say the thing that's been so obvious, but we've just been to head down to realize. You know, we all have our struggle regardless of who we are, whether you're male or female; black, orange, green who cares. We all have our struggle. And we all have our privilege, you know, I consider it a privilege to be born of Nigerian parents like that to me is privilege to have parents who believe in you irrationally so. You know, I feel.. I feel privileged to have gone to the schools I've gone to, right? But in the end, you know, it's about recognizing the value in our own struggle being appreciative and grateful for what you have and the life you have. You, you want to give back, you want to make the most out of it and you want to make sure that on your last day, you don't have regrets because that to me is the only solution, you know, to death is accepting it. And so being a 100% just focused on profit in the end, if you have to look in the mirror, you know, you have to be with just yourself when you close your eyes at night. If that's, if that's, if that completes you, dope, dope.

And I mean and again, I try not to be too prescriptive in what people, you know, I can only speak for myself and what I understand in my limited number of years on this planet about life. But I don't think there's anyone who said on their deathbed "So glad I made that billion dollars." We live in a world that's so complicated that it's not enough to just say, "Oh, well one of us succeeded or there's one example" like it's going to take so many different things happening to really shift the way we not only learn how to love each other but learn how to love ourselves. The solution to the world's problems because I truly believe that there's.. Given how complex our problems are there is no one person or company that's going to solve all of them. The only chance that we have is if as many people as possible are engaged and feel empowered to be part of that solution.