Summary: “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” – Friedrich Nietzsche Becoming the best at something won’t be easy. We already know it might take a lot of pain and suffering, but as long as you have a why you’ll make it through. And there are a lot of examples: Imagine the amount of suffering LeBron James had to go through in the gym to become the world’s best basketball player. Imagine the amount of suffering Elon Musk had to go through to grow three companies from the ground up and take them public with three separate initial public offerings (IPO). Imagine the amount of suffering Barack Obama had to go through to become America’s first Black president. They were all able to succeed because they had a “why” that motivated them and kept them going. You need a “why” as well if you want to conquer any adversity in your journey towards achieving your fullest potential. But, how do you find what drives and motivates you? Pay Attention to People Who Inspire You: You can learn from their experience. Find out how they discovered their inner power (their “why.”) Maybe some of their methods will prove useful. Find a Coach/Mentor: You might need direct guidance in this process. Having a coach/mentor enables you to ask the right questions so that you find the right answer. Your coach/mentor should be someone with experience who has already been where you are. Let me be clear: You can’t reach your full potential if you don’t have a why that drives you. I know that for a fact. I have been able to achieve a tremendous level of success pretty early in life because I have been able to find an answer to one of the most difficult questions: Why? My family is my “why.” My parents have done a lot for me to be successful, so I owe them a lot. I don’t want to disappoint them. I want to pay them back by becoming so successful that my entire family never has to worry about money, ever again. Moreover, I want to leave a legacy so profound that future generations of my family never have to worry about money. My family isn’t the only thing that motivates me to work hard every day. I look at the lists of billionaires and millionaires, and I only see a few Black or African people on them. I take personal ownership in wanting to change that. I want my success story to influence young Black students. I want them to see that you don’t have to be a victim of circumstances. If you have a goal in mind, are committed and work smart and hard, anything can be achieved regardless of your background. However, finding the thing that makes you eager to get out of bed every morning and work is just the first step. If you want to reach your full potential, you need to accept that another harsh reality I briefly touched on earlier. Website: http://ianbalina.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaryofamad... Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/diaryofa... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ianbalina/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/diaryofamademan
