“Don’t let the wake drive the boat.”  ~ Dr. Wayne Dyer

Most of us want to feel like we earned our own success. No lucky breaks, no connections, just hard work, brains, and our skill. Get over it, because it’s just not true. Picture yourself born in Bangladesh in poverty. We’ll see how successful you are and how good life is to you. Globally speaking, if you were born in the United States, you’ve already won the ovarian lottery. There are more opportunities for the masses than anywhere else on earth. You did nothing to deserve it, but things worked out and you now have a chance at a better life. Your job is to take whatever hand you were dealt and then strive to play the cards in the best way possible. 

ALL of us have had people trying to help us (parents or other family members, teachers, friends, or mentors) at some point in our lives. Some people may have been born into families that value education, have wealth, and are politically connected. Others have the reverse. 

The point is – don’t feel guilty about utilizing your resources. Rather, view the resources as opportunities, be grateful for your good fortune, and then simply demand yourself to build the best life you can. I’ve known people that came from some affluence that set themselves up to fail with their attitude. If they succeeded, it was because they inherited or got a start in some way, so they weren’t really a winner. If they failed, they were really a loser, because they had a start then blew it. 

Whether you began with nothing, a little, or a lot, get over it. We are all spending a non-renewable resource (our time and life). Setting yourself up to fail or making things harder than they need to be only positions you for another high reading on the dumb-ass meter. 

Under the best of circumstances, with the wind at your back and downhill, life is hard. No one gets a free pass on easy street. I did not make it on my own. I had different forms of help from grandparents, my aunt, parents, siblings, and a mentor, among others. Yes, I had to do the work, but without them, my current success level would not have been possible. So learn to celebrate your resources, and as you travel this journey, don’t forget to give back.

“I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstances, but by our disposition.”  ~ Martha Washington