The following blog posts were written on my original blog over five years ago. This article is part of my 37 Life Lessons From My Youth Series. Note: I've matured a lot since then and my "voice" has changed since. Enjoy.
Have you ever been in bed half-asleep, wishing you didn't have to wake up?
That's what it felt like coming back to the US. Like it was all a dream.
The moment my foot touched American soil, I woke to reality.
I had nothing. I felt alone. And I had no home to go to.
So the journey wasn't over.
Aimless and no where to be. All I could think was "What am I going to do? How am I going to survive?"
Chinese military strategist and philosopher Sun Tzu once said:
"Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape. If they will face death there is nothing they may not achieve. Men alike will put forth their uttermost strength." - Sun Tzu
And he was right. I became a one man army.
When I had nothing, I fought for everything.
Fighting for better circumstances.
Because every man is a king of his circumstances, or in another word, his kingdom.
And I fought to claim my own.
Because like many of you out there, I was a king without his crown.
And no one is bolder than a king without his crown.
Find your deathground
You won't know what you're made of until you have your back against the wall.
A sense of urgency and desperation to get out of your situation.
Because when you're enslaved by your present circumstances, all you can think of is how to get out of this hole.
And the lifestyle you've been living isn't going to cut it. The person you've been isn't going to cut it.
You've hit a wall.
And you feel the pressure. It feels like a slow death that you'll do anything to escape.
That feeling is a special feeling.
It's called Necessity.
It's what drives people to commit crimes. To see their own darkness and break bad.
And it drives people to do great things. To be the light that changes the world.
Results are the only remedy.
Until then, you feel the deadline internally.
It lights a fire under your ass. And you can't get your mind off it until it stops burning.
It isn't until you turn yourself around 180° that you will see the way out.
Then you will lose yourself.
You won't live in the moment anymore. You live in the future. Your eyes only see what you need to do.
Visualizing every move you can make to get out of where you are.
Because there is no time to mess around. And there aren't any crutches left.
No time to think. Only act.
You're on your own path and you will go through anything that's in your way.
You are either with me, or you get left behind.
And that's why death ground is the only condition that guarantees results.
Because if there's anything that you're not, it's useless.
Necessity destroys any last trace of uselessness within you.
Comfort perpetuates uselessness.
Those people living dormant, safe lives are too comfortable. They know there are things they should do. Yet they are too useless to do them.
But don't worry, they're only human. And neither their kingdom, nor their king, demand it.
But a king without a crown will have his mental powers awakened.
Your focus and creativity will peak. And you will use your free will properly.
Possibilities have opened up and you are no longer restricted. You are no longer dependent. And you will break your limits and rebuild who you are.
Because when you have nothing, you will fight to create your kingdom. And you will spill your guts for the sake of glory.
So you can capture what's yours.
Because a king without his crown is the boldest man you will be.
Until next time,
- Rich
