Before you discard this article thinking it is about cars or coverage of some show, take a step back and read on. Today, we are discussing the experience of belonging to a new level of greatness. Is the point of life to earn as much money as possible? Drive exotic cars? Buy boats and mansions? Perhaps life has more to do with the experiences we get to live through. The point is not to earn more money to buy things but rather to experience them and expand your state of mind.
People often ask me “Can I borrow one of your cars for the day, week or weekend?” and I often ask them “What do you need a Ferrari for?” The answers are all disappointing nuances of wanting to impress mass crowds and fake a level of status not yet attained. The problem here goes straight back to my point on instant gratification in Stay Poor. People want success for all the wrong reasons, and the rewards they seek, they do not wish to work for.
One could look at an exotic car rental as the perfect example, 80% of those that rent those cars are the furthest away from actually owning them in their own life. Another great example is if you look at someone’s Facebook and see them posing with a random car pretending to own it, or having borrowed it when in reality it simply sat on the side of the road.
Belonging to an elite group of people or being part of an exclusive event is a position earned in life. It is a reward that allows us to appreciate what we have accomplished. I often go to gala events held at various prestige dealerships across the country and appreciate being part of that level of success. It is my reward for all my past hard work and the status I have been able to establish for myself in society.
Attempting to belong to the elite without putting in your time simply puts you at huge disadvantage, one that might hurt you more than help you. As with any other job, it is often difficult to know what to do or how to act when faced with people that you are unfamiliar with, ultimately causing you to hurt yourself with every conversation and not taken seriously. Moving up from a leisure standpoint in society should be similar to moving up the ranks in the work force, the privilege to belong to that next rank is always earned, never given.
This brings me to my next point…
We often try to belong to the next crowd and forget to celebrate how far we’ve come simply cause we are not where we ultimately want to end-up. There needs to be a celebration often of the real progress we have made in society and not so much the final frontier we hope to reach. The results may not quite be there however the hardest part is done therefore do not forget to acknowledge your effort in getting there and not get caught up with the fact that a status change hasn’t occurred yet.
It is important to not forget that our current status is just as admirable to some, as we admire the next step for ourselves. Think about those way below you and appreciate how far you’ve come rather than just focus on that group well above yourself, but more importantly remember that until you have earned your right, pretending to belong won’t take you there nor will it help you get there faster.
Just remember that greatness is different in everyone’s mind, as you might look at others above you and identify them as individuals who have reached that level you strive for, others are looking at you with the same admiration… so don’t forget to celebrate your progress and the experiences you have the opportunity to be part of that others only dream of.
