James I hope you read this because your story isn't unlike mine. I graduated with a bachelors degree in Psychology and absolutely could not find a job in my field whatsoever. I slacked off and hated high school, and I did quite well throughout college. I worked at the same restaurant for about 4 years, in spite of my education I found myself telling table after table what the hamburger specials of the day were.
I am an intellectual at heart, I think too much often to my disadvantage, and constantly crave mental stimulation. I felt like working this job was the most soul sucking activity I ever engaged in. I even worked at a pool party with half-naked girls everywhere and still felt empty. I live in town where service/tourism literally RUNS this town. Tech/startups are non-existent here.
At some point I got to the breaking point. I was tired of being surrounded by people who were perfectly content waiting tables the rest of their lives. I was tired of feeling depleted from my job. I couldn't take it anymore. I was depressed, miserable, and hated my life. I saved up enough and quit my job with NO backup plan and just a savings.
I worked for over a year everyday on the same web site before I ever saw any positive return. I literally just lived off savings. My girlfriend at that time had said behind my back, "He's never going to make any money with that." She rarely supported me or took interest in what I was doing because she couldn't wrap her mind around the possibility.
My mom signed me up for job bulletins sent to my e-mail address without my permission. My parents were always inquiring about when I was going to a "job"... and my dad is even a self-made man himself. Many people looked at me like I was a lunatic when I explained how I was trying to make money. The fact is while much of my family and friends appeared to outwardly support me, they seemed to brush off what I was doing as wasting time on the computer. Even now, part of me thinks "hmm should I get a real job?" I ask myself this now NOT FOR THE MONEY, but for social stimulation.
I lost my girlfriend, she never got to learn of my success. I'm tempted to rub it in her face but this would be a cowardly thing to do. My family, and friends now tell me "dude, you have my dream job!". I even went to a therapist because I still suffer from depression on and off (as a result of a sedentary lifestyle, drugs, and eating poorly) and he told me the same thing, "I wish I had your job".
Basically, until those $$$ hit your bank account most people won't take you seriously. There are a very few individuals who can see a diamond in the rough and appreciate it for what it is, I met a few people like this. People who are successful in IM are an entirely different breed whatsoever. We aren't like those people taking orders at McDonalds, we are the kind of people who GIVE orders.
Often times I feel resentment when I come on this forum and see newbies demanding to make a shit ton of money in one week, or people who ask why isn't my site #1 on Google 2 days after starting their link building campaign. I worked hard, in isolation, with little to no support, for a year, destroyed by Penguin, and now people are asking me "OMG teach me how did you do that!" Guess what I didn't do it buying some "system", I didn't do it by finding the "secret", I did it by finding there were no secrets. I did it by failing worse at anything I've ever failed at in my life. But penultimate failure for me was NOT an option, because if at some point I didn't make a return on my investment I wouldn't have food on my table. I had NO CHOICE, but to succeed at least that's how I saw it. I'd rather be dead than return to the 9-5 lifestyle.
Your mindset is everything. If you believe you can, you can. I even offered to teach my cousin (who is desperate for cash) my methods FOR FREE (what douchebag gurus would probably charges $1,000's upon $1,000's to teach) taking time away from my business and he said he wasn't interested because it was "too much work".
Honestly, I couldn't give two shits what people think of what I do. All I know is that I am a self-made man. Every time I heard people's negativity or indifference toward my business it pushed me HARDER, because I wanted to show that they were WRONG. I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't who they said I was.
People are ignorant. Most of the time when they give you strange looks what we do is too much for them to even wrap their head around. Most people are like fish in a fishbowl, they don't know there's a world outside the water. They were conditioned by society to grow up and behave, act, and fall in line like little sheep so the powerful can stay powerful and the poor can stay poor. We're all fed this story of go to school, go to college, get a job, get married, etc.... Most people live their lives how other people tell them to. They can't think for themselves, because it's far too scary. There are far too many uncertainties, and some people don't even have the ability to think outside the box. Their minds aren't able to comprehend that they don't have to work a job where somebody else get's rich and they slowly die living paycheck to paycheck. You see it even on this forum when individuals come here and they want an easy answer to solve their financial crisis. It was embedded into their psyche that they are entitled to some sort of "magic pill". A lot of marketing gurus exploit this for their on financial gain laughing to the bank while n00bs continue to struggle.
Not everyone was cut out to be an entrepreneur. They shouldn't be. But we should thank our blessings that we were exposed to a different way, a better way, and followed the path come hell or high water.
Hi people,
I got told to "get a proper job" today. It's not the first time I have been given sh*t about how I make a living (IM) either. Even "friends" have criticized how I make money and I often get strange looks from people when I tell them what I do.
I'm not rich yet, I'm basically at the stage where I can make a living from this, pay my bills, have a beer now and then, buy new clothes, go on the odd vacation here and there. I'm basically making an average wage from IM and I intend to go further and make a sh*t ton of money (I'm not just in this for the money btw, I'm in this for the freedom it brings me, not having to get up at 5 am every day and commute, not taking crap from a boss, etc etc).
It's taken about a year a lot of hard work to get to this stage and I know that in another year from now, I will be in a very comfortable situation.
I am happy.
But...
What is it with some people? They see you doing OK, but because you don't follow the herd, they look down at you. I have lost count at how many times people have said negative sh*t to me about what I do (not everyone; some people have been very supportive and positive, but they are in the minority).
Sorry, I am ranting on a bit now. My point is that you should NEVER give up or be put off by negative people. This time last year I had just been fired from my job and I didn't even know where my next meal was coming from. Today I am comfortable, my own boss, not afraid to open my bills and most importantly to me, I lam doing something that I enjoy. Just keep learning, moving forward and keep positive. You WILL get there.
You will always get people trying to put you off for one reason or another...DON'T LISTEN TO THEM, YOU CAN DO THIS.
Rant over,
James
