I was doing some self reflection about 10 years ago and wondered why I was the way I am when it comes to my ambition. Money motivated. The unwavering desire to be successful, financially.
What I came up with was that my parents were not wealthy. My father worked, started his career at Georgia Power as a trouble-men at the age of 17 and retired there. They do not make men like him anymore. But this allowed my mother to never work a day in her life. She was a teacher to her children, a mother, a wife and home keeper. With 5 children, we were all happy to have clothes, food and a roof over our head.
My father was a very simple man. Needs only, not wants. My mother tried to stretch this to get us what we wanted, not just what we needed.
So, the bully... I remember when I was riding the school bus in middle school, these new shoes came out that everyone had. Literally everyone. Reebok pump up shoes. These were the cool thing to have. I might have had velcro shoes (seriously). So I begged my mom, being the brat I am. And she came home one day with knock off pump up shoes from K-Mart. At that age, I didn't know any better, I was thrilled I had what the cool kids had.
I walked on the bus thinking I was hot-shit. Strutting the shoes, putting them up for the other kids to see. They looked and said 'what is that!?'. What do you mean? They're pumps just like you have. "No... no they are not, these are Reeboks...". And so the bullying started. I never wore the shoes again.
Looking back, I believe this was the time in my life I became obsessed with success and what that meant to me. Today, I work hard for my family to provide them anything they want. I did this because I didn't want them to experience the bullying I did. But will that hinder who they will become? So now my wife and I focus on teaching our children the importance of needs, not wants. The importance of not being trendy. The fact that brands are not what makes you cool. That is brand tactics that are getting one over on us, so be you, be original.
Harder to do than I say, but practiced none-the-less. The point is - if I was not bullied, what would I be today? Should I be grateful for the bully? Is it okay for some bullying in our life to mold who we become? Did that give me purpose and a fire? I don't know, but interesting to think about.
