“I’d rather die enormous, than live dormant.”

Today I was watching a documentary on one of my personal favourite artists and mentor Jay Z (Shawn Corey Carter) , one of the most financially successful hip-hop artists and entrepreneurs in America.

He is one of the world's best-selling artists of all time having sold more than 75 million records and receiving 17 Grammy Awards for his work in the music industry. His business holdings in record labels, clothing lines, various companies, part owner of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, sports agency/management and other ventures have all built this incredible empire with a net worth at over $600 million for the 44year old. Oh and his married to Beyonce… to top that all off!

An incredible story that really made me wonder about myself and my thoughts.

His attitude towards his life and success is on such a high level and this is something I admire and look up to as he did not just start from the bottom and be successfull in one thing, he had multiple dreams and he is going out and making them happen.

2 of my favourite quotes by Jay Z:

“I’d rather die enormous, than live dormant.”

“Everybody look at you strange, say you changed. Like you worked that hard to stay the same.”

The first quote is something I live by.. Dreaming big, going for what is said to be impossible and living the extraordinary life rather than living a boring, normal, 9-5 life being one of the sheep, living dormant. Like most of my class mates from high school I see now, stuck in the same place, drinking away their surrows and spend most their time on iphone games like candy crush. If your one of these sheep I can tell you now you will not like this page, fair enough. This is for the hungry ones who want it and are willing to do what it takes to get it.

I want success more than anything.

I want success in health, relationships, family, business, wealth and football. I don’t care about anything that comes on my journey because I am going to get it, period. That hunger and drive is what gets me up early in the morning to grind, what makes me do that extra 15 minutes of training, what keeps me up late at night visualizing, researching and planning.

And the second is something I found that came up regularly in my life. Friends that said I had changed or wondering why I was not hanging out with them anymore.

It was simple… from a young age I realized that if I wanted to be a great, I needed to surround myself with positive and encouraging people wanting to become great too. If you spend majority of your time around these "norm" people you will take on their thoughts, mindsets, problems, habits and this will take you further from where you want to be. Therefore being around the groups of people who couldn't care less about their future or dreams was not an option, this only infected me into a state of laziness. You need to make your environment one that will excel you, not hold you back. It is a hard and lonely path sometimes because not everyone has that hunger to achieve great things or is inspired or wanting to explore their potential. My mentors, family and close friends with these ambitions helped me through the tough times when I needed it most. Don't be afraid of what these hardships turn you into because this is the developement you need... this is the person you want to become, you will become wiser, stronger and have experience to help you through anything in life.

Why does this guy think this way? Why do I think this way? Jay Z went from living in the projects raised by a single mother, dropping out of school, being involved in gangs to becoming the international icon he is by believing in his vision, taking action to become a better person and making his environment one that helped him to greatness. I have come from a place that was pretty well off… but I have seen my parents working jobs sometimes multiple jobs, over tired, stressed, struggling financially and not happy. This is something that makes me work harder every day because they did what they could for my sister, brother and I to be where we are today and now it is my turn to show them how great I can be and give them the life of happiness and freedom they deserve.

"Im not a businessman. I am a business, man." Jay Z

If you want it bad enough, you will make the changes and take the required action to get what you want.

No matter what your situation is, where you are from, what your education level is, how much you currently have, how big your dreams are, no matter how bad it is or how bad it gets… You can make it.

Your Potential is Infinite. Carlo.

#jayz #entreprenuer #clique