In life, one of the most important lessons I have learned is to focus on the things you enjoy in life rather than the things and people that hold you back, and then going ALL IN on that happy focus. Your mind is so much more open and receptive when you are excited about something. Excitement creates happiness, and happiness will ultimately lead to your success; however, that road to success isn’t going to be the easiest.

“If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

– Unknown

Make Life What You Want

Growing up, I spent too much time listening to everyone other than myself. My Mom was (and still is to this day) constantly pushing me to go down the traditional path of going to school, getting good grades, and getting a good job. My old friends and family used to tell me that life was tough if you didn’t have a college degree and that I would never get anywhere in life without it. As much as I respect their wishes and thoughts, I still feel every person in this world should be able to choose their own path without having their peers judge them.

…I chose the path to start my own businesses; and I couldn’t be happier for it. Why?

Because it was something I enjoyed.

Unfortunately my first few business ventures didn’t work out in the long run. I gained a very valuable and eye opening experience on passive income and personal development, but I also ended up in about $19,000 worth of credit card debt from poor financial management.

What I thought would be my last attempt at a business venture ended up being just the thing that turned my life around and led me on the right path into entrepreneurship. (To read more about my story, click here.)

Starting a business or being an entrepreneur may not be for you, and that’s OKAY. The important point I am making is you should focus on being you and doing the things you love and are passionate about.

The Everyday Entrepreneur

Take Instagram fitness models. These are regular people who were uploading content of things they were already doing, like going to the gym, and eating healthy and nutritionally in their everyday life. The only difference between them and the “Average Joe” is that they took action and capitalized on platforms that were openly available to everyone (Instagram, peers, the Internet, etc.). They shared their genuine, passion-driven content to the world and gained a devoted audience. With their large following, they are now in a position to do product/brand advertising. Check out this interview on Randall Pich of “Live Fit”, someone I have been following for a bit now, to see how he built his Live Fit empire through social media.

My new barber, @kingjamesthebarber whom I had the pleasure of interviewing, is another prime example of going in on your passion. This man has been cutting hair since he was 13 years old! It started as a fun side project until one night, a friend said that he should start charging for his haircuts, and it changed his perception on everything. He eventually went on to get his official Barber license and is now working towards his dream goal of buying a loft in LA to start his own home based Cosmetology business.

Dealing With Negative Nancy

One thing I would caution you is that negativity and peer pressure telling you to give up CAN and WILL be much more apparent once you start going down this road. If your peers start to ask you if you’re still doing “that thing” or why you are still wasting time with “X” over “Y” because you’re not going to get anywhere, just ask yourself if what you’re doing is making you happy or not. Consider getting some new friends, changing your association, or avoid talking to your negative family and friends as much as possible if they are bringing you down.

Ultimately, the only person that determines what your self worth is is you.

FUCK EVERYONE ELSE.

If you have a career path you want to go down because it is your passion, DO IT. With hard work, persistence, consistency, and a little bit of luck, you can focus on your happiness and generate income while doing so!

Pursue your passions! Make life what you want!

What struggles and challenges are you going through right now and how are you dealing with them? Leave your comments below!