It takes a special kind of person to become a self-made millionaire. I’ve found that they look at the world – and their lives – in a different way than the average person.
If they followed the herd, they would end up with everyone else. Today that might mean deep in debt, worried about their retirement, tied to a job they hate, and unable to afford the lifestyle they deserve.
While many people say we should live every day like it could be our last, few people actually do it because they are too busy with these other distractions.
But successful people seldom look at things that way. They excel not because they work to live – but because they live to work. They love what they do.
When you love what you do, you are able to do it with a passion and zeal that most people can’t give. You are not working for a paycheck; you are putting your heart into it. And it shows.
I just saw an interview with Jennifer Aniston on CNN. ABC News says she has a net worth of approximately $80 million. That means she’s worth about $80 million more than me – and there is plenty I can learn from her.
Aniston said a few things that really brought the point of loving your job home for me.
In the CNN interview, the reporter asked her what was ahead in her life. As a successful actress – and a multimillionaire – was there anything left to look forward to? What could she possibly want or need to do since she has enough money to do absolutely nothing?
Aniston said that she has a lot to do. I’m not sure if the reporter was expecting to hear this – but I was. Jennifer Aniston’s words hit a common theme that I have seen in Warren Buffett and many others. Self made millionaires and billionaires all seem to love what they do.
Most people dread going to work every day. But instead of doing something about it, they just accept it as an inevitable part of their lives.
They rationalize it to themselves by saying that work is not supposed to be fun; it is about earning money. Though they might focus on the outcome (earning money), they seldom try to enjoy the journey.
From what I have learned so far, that can make all the difference in the world.
Warren Buffett is the second richest man in the world. He could have stopped working years ago. So what gets him up in the morning?
Berkshire is my landscape that I get to paint. I love my job and I literally tap dance to work.
–Warren Buffett, as quoted in Warren Buffett Speaks His Mind in Burden Auditorium
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But indulge me for a few seconds and answer one question: if you go to work every day just to earn a paycheck, and spend 40 hours per week for the rest of your life doing something you hate just to earn a dollar, how can you be living life to its fullest?
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