Just Getting Started

It wasn’t that long ago that I was baker at grocery store chain out west called Safeway. I was making $11.76 an hour and I worked every weekend and holiday. Also, bakers have to be at work early. Early is an understatement. Many days I had to be at work at 3am to make sure everything was ready for the morning rush. The pay was low, the hours were crazy and long, and I had very little control over my future.

I worked at Safeway for over 3 years and almost everyday was the same as before. Make donuts, fry donuts, decorate donuts, make bread, bake bread, and then clean up and go home. I had worked myself into a nice “safe” place where to show up to work required little thought and planning. Every day was essentially the same as the last.

The good thing about a job like that is it does give you quite a bit of time to think. I did a lot of thinking during those 3 years and a lot of talking. Of course I wanted a better life, more money, and more time to spend with friends and family which led me to what I believe most people want, security. I wanted to know that my future was bright and at some point in time I would be able to retire and never worry about where the money was going to come from.

I just couldn’t see how to get there. No clear path lay before me where I could achieve and realize all of my goals and dreams. Luckily for me my best friend Jason who had recently come back from a tour in Iraq (apparently when he wasn’t being shot at he was reading) and said I had to read a book that changed how he thought about everything. That book was “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki.

That was 3 ½ years ago and I still remember the excitement and energy I felt as I finished reading the book. I began to see the world in a new light with new opportunities and different choices. This world had always existed; I just didn’t know how to see it. Excitedly I began to share my new thoughts and visions with my friends, family, and coworkers and unfortunately the reactions I got were seldom positive and encouraging.

I spoke about financial freedom through buying real estate, making investments, and buying businesses and how I could have a new life where opportunity exists everywhere regardless of how much money I had or how much education I lacked. It was disheartening to me that few people that I was then associating myself with couldn’t see what I saw and refused to read some of the same books I was reading.

When I began to take action and steps towards achieving my new life I began to realize several truths that were shocking and sometimes painful. What most people think and do is wrong, all success and opportunity begins in your mind, doing something is better than doing nothing even if it doesn’t work out, and most importantly you may have to hear 1,000 “no’s” but all you really need is 1 yes.

My life today is unrecognizable from my life 3 ½ years ago because I followed the truths above. It didn’t happen overnight and most people told me I was crazy and stupid but every day I did something that I thought would take me to where I wanted to be. I made many mistakes (and still do!) and I have heard thousands of “no’s” and they have all led me to my new life.

For those of you, who are sitting by the side of the pool watching others have fun, jump in! If you have resources to realize some of your dreams and goals, take action! If you have no resources, create resources by saving and making partnerships with those who do! If you lack the required knowledge, start learning even if you have to go to the public library to do so! And most importantly, if your current circle of friends and family don’t see and or support your dreams and goals, find others who do!

Just get started!

Jeremy Burgess
The Detroit Market Expert

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