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It is 3:15 am in london while I write this, three hours ago I tried to sleep but I was so restless I gave in and decided to read a book. I am so glad that I did because I am going to share with you something I believe changed the course of my life.
This is the second time reading this book...the first time was roughly two years ago when I was in my last year at university. The book is "How To Get Rich" By Felix Dennis. The reason I want to share this with you is because when I first picked this book up I had no real desires of being an entrepreneur I was still modelled into thinking go uni and get decent job.

Anyway After reading this book my mindset had changed and the standards I set were high, very high. It was because of this book I went on to ordering more books that went on to further my education such as napoleon hill think and grow rich, the magic of thinking big, the richest man in babylon, the greatest salesman in the world, rich dad poor dad and on and on...I also believe were it not for this book I might not have found this forum two years later, which will be part of my future for years to come.

I had completely forgot that this book set it all off, if it wasn't for this book I might be a "wage slave" as Felix Dennis puts it. Not that there is something wrong with that, I just am reluctant to be pursuing this goal of working for myself rather than making someone else money and earning just enough to get by.

I want to take some wisdom from the book and share it with you...you have heard it many times before but I hope it will give advice to people struggling or lacking hope with their online efforts. I see some posts out there where people are finding it hard to reach their goals and question their ability to "make it" I hope to bring some faith back into their situation with the magic of Felix Dennis.

Here comes some great text from Felix Denni$, Author of "How To Get Rich";

"Van Gogh's obsession and talents drove him mad. And he knew it. They goaded him and scourged him. He said himself that he had given his life and his sanity to his art. There was only one shining star kindliness in his universe. His brother, Theo.
Theo, despite the sensible entreaties of his sensible wife, kept sending what little he could afford for Vincent to purchase brushes, canvas and paint. These acts of charity, which Theo could not easily afford and which grieved Vincent to receive, changed the course of the history of art.
Because Vincent often had no money. None at all. He would sell his paintings to peasants or inn-keepers in exchange for food and board. Canvases that would later sell for tens of millions of dollars were exchanged for the roof of a barn and a breakfast or lunch. (I wonder if any of those canvases are still lying, undiscovered, in a dusty old dutch attic?)
His clothes were worn out. He wandered the countryside like a tramp. He knew himself to be a disappointment to his family and to those few friends who remembered his existence. He had been a disappointment to the only woman he ever lived with. He was certainly a disappointment to himself. Nothing went right, except, very occasionally, a particular painting. Above all it grieved him to be a burden to his brother.
But he would not give in.
He would die first. He would kill himself first. And that's what he did. To our eternal shame, he did just that. He died having written: "I cannot help it that my pictures do not sell. Nevertheless, the time will come when people will see that they are worth more that the price of the paint."
Aye, they were, Vincent. They were worth more than that.

Go buy yourself a copy of vincent's letters. If his paintings had been judged to be daubs fit only to kindle a fire, his letters would still shine like diamonds in the mud of everyday life. Go buy a copy, and when the going gets rough, my friend, or appears to be rough to you at the time, think of Vincent van Gogh, tramping his way across a nightmare landscape of destitution and rejection for what he believed in. A man who believed he had failed.
But a man who never gave in.
You must choose. Life is comfortable enough in Western world for most people. In most parts of Europe there are the safety nets of the social services and of government-subsidised medical care. There are decent jobs at decent salaries with decent colleagues and a decent retirement; and all without the heart stopping fear of bankruptcy, of years of risk amid fears of ignominious failure.
Why do handstands on the rim of hell? Why bother to punish yourself in such a way? Nobody else does it - why should you? Go on, make everyone around you happy.
Why not give in?
If you are merely a wannabe, then the siren of voices will prevail, and they will be right to prevail. If you are a gonnabe, then they will not prevail. Like Odysseus you will stop your ears with wax or blind yourself to the mast. You will learn to walk your narrow, lonely road - and to hell with the siren voices.
You will not give in.
And you will be rich."

Felix Dennis, "How To Get Rich"

Sorry for the long post, I was afraid about "copyright" but I wanted to share it, I hope crediting the author is enough . I also hope reading this has inspired you to follow through with your goals and stop worrying about whether you can do it or not and just do it!! The same way it made me turn my laptop on and write for 45 minutes (its now 4:05 am!!)

I hope it was worth it ...Night

Andy
#give
  • Profile picture of the author Peter Nguyen
    A very nice excerpt from the book "How to get rich", I was unaware of Van Gogh's life up until now and the constant battles he waged during his lifetime. Yet he defied all the odds against him and became one of the most influential painters in the world. Simply inspirational.

    "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going". :p

    I'll think of this story every time I feel like giving up.

    Thanks

    Peter
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  • Profile picture of the author GMD
    Banned
    That's a great post. Some of the best things in life happens around 3am.

    You referred to something that I have personally coined as "The Plan." You see, before we were even born society -- governed by mostly mediocre souls -- layed out all these "rules" and "expectations."

    Once born into this world, we are immediately groomed into playing our small roles in "The Plan." Here is "The Plan":

    1. Be born
    2. Enjoying playing with other kids.
    3. Go to school so you can get a "good job"
    4. Enter the rat race of making somebody else or some other company very rich
    5. Breed (so that your offspring can replenish the pot and continue the cycle)
    6. Work the better part of your life so that you can save money for the time in your life when you can't work
    7. Retire, grow old and live off the savings/support you have built up over a lifetime of working
    8. Die

    Then, repeat ad nauseum.

    The plan sucks.

    This whole life situation really reminds me of the "Matrix" movie. That is where the majority of people do exactly what they are told and what is expected of them. But a few people "wake up" and realize that life is not what it really seems or should be.

    Enter IM. I beleive a lot of the people in this forum have awoken from their sleep. They got whiff of the plan and realizes that it sucks.

    Life is not about being born, going to school, getting a job, knocking up some poor barmaid and having kids, retiring and then dying. Life is about the meaning that you attach to it. There is no "meaning of life" that applies to all of us.

    But the one common ingredient for all of us is money. Money allows us to access the various parts of society that most conforms with our life's meaning. For some, that means buying a plane ticket when they want and being able to travel the world, or getting a loan to build their dream house, having the financial security to simply do what they love to do (whether it makes money or not). In short, when applied correctly, IM allows us to take advantage of this new technology that we have today and evolve with it -- to our financial benefit.

    Money in itself is not the answer, but money is a tool that allows you to do things. And the "things" money can give you access to certainly goes a long way towards shaping our personal visions of what we think life should look like/be.

    Rant over...
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  • Profile picture of the author duncanb
    Thanks that's riveting stuff! I have always had an interest in van gogh, but never actually took the time to properly read about him, maybe this post will spur me on.

    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Sam Mlambo
    Usuallyclueless, what you wrote reminds me of something that Brain Tracy said in his "Maximum Achievement" Course. He says that most people are in trance, day in and day out, never to realize their true potential. But there are some who "wake up" and become self-aware of what's truly possible for them.

    It's because of people like Brian Tracy that I was able to become aware of what's truly possible for me. I've woken up from my 20 year trance. Now it's my turn to help others wake up so we can create a more prosperous world to live in.

    - Sam
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  • Profile picture of the author Simon Lim
    It's your choice: you can either conform with the masses and follow the dreams of the system, or follow your own dreams and live a life that you truly desire.

    It's a constant battle, but as the title says...NEVER GIVE UP!
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    • Profile picture of the author panglima
      what a great story you have,i am sometimes feel giving up when every time log in to my accounts the figures still the same...what else need to do?am i in a wrong route?why some body else can do it?

      BUT i believe No success without sacrifice,dont stop there...sky is the limit.

      this is not the end,but it's just a beginning my friends...
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