Some people create a false narrative in their mind about successful people. "They got lucky.” "They are snobbish." "They are an overnight success.” "It came easy for them.” "Who needs a Mercedes anyway?” But to create an amazing life you start by having amazing respect, not negativity, toward other people's success. If you want to become rich, powerful, or have an amazing life, you have to respect people who already are what you want to be. These people worked their tails off and sacrificed for their success. So to be successful your dreams have to go beyond what cars are in your neighbor’s driveway and focus on their process. Respect is a must.

This has always been one of the factors to my success. My dreams go way beyond what most people dismiss.

The way I have always gone after my dreams and my goals is by defining what experiences I want to have. Once they are clear to me I find people who have done similar feats. I respect them. I network with them. I never dismiss their hard work and efforts. There might have been some dumb luck along the way or some good fortune, but there has been in my life too, such as: great family; good friends; and I grew up in a nice neighborhood. Are you going to hold those things against me? Not read my books? Not see me speak? I hope not. I hope you understand the hard work I put in for years and respect that.

No matter how successful someone is, or no matter how fortunate someone became, we can all learn something from any successful person. What many people do is they look at that one idiot who does everything wrong, but made it anyway and they say “That looks cool. I am going to wait for that to happen to me.” But, while that person is waiting, some other person is going to pass them by and reach amazing success. Those overnight successes are an absolute anomaly. So, while you are waiting for that overnight miracle, some other person is going to pass you by and become amazingly successful because they respect others and learn from them.

I have networked with amazing people: speakers, authors, and prominent sports figures because I have respected them and found a way to serve them by being an inspiration. The respect was and still is reciprocated. It would be so easy just to say that the speakers who I have met can talk without a speech impediment, so they’re lucky and I’m not. They have it easy and I don’t. They have more experience than me – I’m screwed. But, what I’ve done is respect them and ask myself what I could emulate.

This week I would like you to write down three things that you really want out of life. Then, find three people who have done what you want. Then take a look at what it is and see what parts you can emulate. Here a few things you might emulate: their regimen; their connections; their knowledge. If you see something missing, then go find it. If you need more knowledge, seek it out. If you need more connections, get more connections. If you need a better regimen, go out and become more disciplined.
The more control you have over the process of success, the more likely you are to execute it.

The bottom line? Don’t assume people fall into success. Respect!