My friend, a young brother seeking to start his own business, said that he was shocked to find that there was nothing extraordinary about the billionaire: No Rolls Royce parked in front of the building, no secretary in a bikini serving him Martinis at work, no $10,000 suit, no office the size of Taj Mahal. Nothing.
The only thing extraordinary about the billionaire was that he was pretty intelligent when it came to his craft, he loved to work hard, he loved his family, and he wanted to make the world a better place. That’s it. In fact, he is planning to give half of his wealth to charity when he dies.
My friend concluded, after meeting with the man, that he’d obtained his massive fortune largelybecause he DID NOT spend his time “stuntin,” “flossin,” “shining,” and all the other stuff that a lot of people might do if they had that kind of money. Instead, he was focused on grinding and working hard to be successful. He wasn’t judgmental about other people who spent most of their time engaged in leisure, but he was the one in college burning the midnight oil while others were seeking out the latest party.
I think about this as I recall a recent story about NBA star Deshawn Stevenson, who actually installed an ATM machine in his house, just because he thought it was cool. I think about all the rappers who wear 100 pounds of jewelry, toss money in the air at the club, and feel that they need to have 15 cars in the driveway. The number of cars in the driveway, in many cases, is only exceeded by the number of baby mamas who will be sucking him dry once his economic opportunities run out.
The buffoonery is both sad and pathetic.
The bottom line is that running away from education and economic responsibility is the best way to run right back toward slavery.
You can’t complain about the White man having his foot on your neck if you laid on the ground and placed your neck right underneath him. All of us have to call out buffoonery when we see it and encourage one another to make better and more productive choices. It all starts with what you do with your time, your money, and your mind.
Perhaps it’s time for us to elevate our thinking.
wasted by entertainers/ athletes. This wasted money is money that could have been used to build institutions and bussinesses in black communities across the country. This is the only way black america will improve, through businesses and institution building. The government and no one else will save us or fix our communities.
1. Do you have any assets?
2. Do you own a business?
3. Do you know what your credit score is?
3. Do you have a mortgage or pay rent?
4. Do you have any savings in the bank for yourself
or your children?
5. If you lost your job tomorrow what would you be able
to pay all your bills for 1 year or until you found
another job?
6. Do you have money to retire?
7. Do you expect to retire?
8. Are you on welfare?
9. Is the mother of your children on welfare?
I have no doubt that the majority of them wouldn’t be able to answer these questions positively. They most likely still live in their mothers basement,or are renters etc. There is a lack of financial literacy in our community. Its not just about getting money. Its about having something of value to show for it, something that appreciates over time and will create more wealth like a bussiness.
As blacks we need to purify the various sub-cultures and mindsets that hold us back. Easier said than done. We seem to believe the hype and live out stereotypes only to leave more black men in prison than in college.
good article.