I am a fan of Grant Cardone. The dude is incredible. He makes me want to go out and take over the world.
I get about 5 emails a day from him because I watched a video that promised me there’s a lot of easy money out there if I just buy his course and implement his strategy. When I watch Grant Cardone it fires me up. I want to go out there and get things done. But, I’ve had to make a choice to stop following Cardone. It’s great for many of us. But, for about 85-90% of us, his content sucks! I’ll share my thoughts on why that’s the case in a bit.
First, let me tell you about this amazing organization I used to be a part of. They connected me with some of the most amazing people I’ve known. Many of them are still my dearest friends and I’ve been out of the organization for a year. They did multiple in person meetings a year. I could rub shoulders with industry professionals that were amazing in business and at just being people! These people were huge successes and they would sit down at a table, one on one with me. Their ideas were so practical. Their courage was inspiring. I adore these interactions.
A couple years ago the CEO of the organization reached out to share that he noticed I hadn’t signed up to go to the big annual event. I thanked him for reaching out and acknowledged that it feels good to be wanted. I told him that I am not attending because I don’t need more new ideas; I need to get serious about the ones I’m already implementing. That’s not my historical operating style. But, I was in a season where I just needed to focus.
In the past, when I would go to this event, I would get fired up. I’d want to come back and change things. I’d want to fire myself from roles, hire new people we could afford YET, and build a million dollar company. I’d want to win!!!! Then, all the things I had already been doing to build the company would get dropped to take on the new ideas that sounded better. Three weeks after the conference, the chances were high that neither my old ideas nor my new ones would be in effect. I’d literally be weeks, if not months behind where I should have been if I just stayed focused on the important things I’d previously identified.
Here’s the truth about me: I’m incredible easy to get emotionally fired up. I get the warm feels every time I hear the story of someone who got off the struggle bus and took hold of their lives and built an amazing empire. They are brilliant to me. But, I’ve come to realize that their brilliance is different than mine. And, that’s a good thing.
I’ve sat in the sessions and talked about goals. I’ve envisioned myself running my business on the beach. I’ve had conversations about retiring in my 50’s and having all the fun in the world. The only problem is, I can get so easily inspired but I’m not driven by the same things that drive some of those other people.
Those people made huge sacrifices to get to where they are. They’ve taken extraordinary risks to get ahead. They’ve accomplished things very few others have accomplished. Why? Because they had a drive to achieve something. It may very from person to person. But, at the end of the day, these amazing successful people set their vision on something they wanted in their core and they went after it hard.
Here’s the problem. I’m not that person. And, I don’t want to sacrifice the things it will take to be that person. I don’t want to give up my time with my family. I don’t want to give up my flexibility. I don’t want to drive myself so hard my body doesn’t want to function anymore at the end of the work week. While I like the idea of having a $20M net worth, getting there requires a sacrifice that I’m not willing to make with the abilities I have. My brilliance won’t let me do that.
Some people’s brilliance can get there without giving up all the other stuff. They have extraordinary abilities to achieve that. But, I’ve come to realize that we are not all wired the same. Despite the latest book you’ve read, YouTube Short you’ve watched, or conference you’ve been to, if the inspiration doesn’t align with your core values you’re pursuit of that endeavor is destined to fail.
For years I’ve dreamed of the wealth. But, I’ve finally realized that wealth has been a horrible motivator for me. I’m in the process of rediscovering my new metrics. I’m in the process of evaluating what success is. I’m in the process of naming the benchmarks that I’ll set my sights on to live the life my brilliance is fully capable of living. It’s not going to align with the metrics of many of the conference speakers, podcasters, or best-sellers. But, it is going to align with my unique passions and abilities–my brilliance. It may not result in early retirement. But, it will result in a fulfillment and a connection with practices that I may never want to retire from.
Grant Cardone’s advice is exactly what about 10-15% of the population may need to hear. His drive for building wealth, living the big life, and all the other allure is in perfect alignment for many of us. But, for the rest of us, we need to stop listening to his advice because it doesn’t align with who we are.
Cardone doesn’t suck as a human being. He doesn’t suck as a business person. He doesn’t suck as an inspiration. But, his operating system may completely suck for 85-90% of us when we try to install it into our brains and hearts. It’s time to quit running the “update” we’ve been trying to install with all of its’ bugs and issues that cause our operating system to lock up. It’s time to reboot the system.
Shut off Cardone’s podcast and audiobook. Unsubscribe from his email list. Fight your way free from his incredibly inspiring spell over the raw and flawed nature within you to have it all. Then, look inside you and find the part of your life you want to have wealth in. Find the brilliance within you. Let’s start there and call that your foundation. Now, build your beautiful life.
