Lesson #1: Find Something That Gets You Excited

“You have to be committed, and you have to find something that you are passionate about,” says Gardiner. “And forget about money. I’ve learned that money is the least significant aspect of wealth.”

Gardner is the first to admit that in the early days of his career, his major motivating force for finding work was money. He needed to pay the rent, he needed to be able to afford food and clothing, and he needed to look after not just himself, but also his young son. Nevertheless, it was only by choosing to focus on a career that truly got him excited, that Gardner was able to rise to the top of his field.

“Do something that you love,” says Gardner. “Whatever you’re going to do is going to be tough enough. Find something that gets you so excited that the sun can’t come up early enough in the morning because you want to go do your thing.”

For Gardner, that thing was becoming a stockbroker. Being a poor black man with little education and no experience, Gardner knew that the odds were stacked against him. Of his childhood, Gardner says, “I didn’t grow up in a household where dinner conversation was ‘How did the market do today?” Nonetheless, Gardner had finally found something that he could get excited about and he wasn’t about to let his chance at happiness pass him by.

“You have to be bold because there will be folks who will say ‘You can’t’ or ‘You shouldn’t’ or ‘Why?’” says Gardner. “There is a certain boldness to saying ‘Well, I really don’t want to be a high-powered corporate lawyer. I’m really passionate about painting.” Gardner had struggled through years of hard jobs that had left him unfulfilled. In dreaming of becoming a stockbroker, Gardner was finally excited about his future.

“The first things kids want to know is how much money I make,” says Gardner. “For them, that’s a validating question because it means: ‘Why should I listen to you?’ My answer is always the same. If I were in the NBA, I might not be making as much as Shaq, but I wouldn’t be on the bench, either. I tell them forget about money; money is the least significant aspect of wealth. It’s more important to do something that makes you happy.”

Gardner does not purport to be an expert on making money and achieving success, but the fact that he has come from where he did to where he is today, invariably makes him one. “No matter how much money is involved or no matter how easy it is for you to do, if you’re not happy, you are nothing more than a slave to your talent and money,” he says. “Do something that makes you happy and makes you feel good about yourself. Do something that makes you feel your work is significant and meaningful. If you just want to make money, that’s a whole different trip. I can’t help you with that.”



Lesson #1: Find Something That Gets You Excited

Like this article? Share it with your friends

E-Mail | Print | Post | Republish | More

Related Articles
More on Compelling Reasons
	This is a good example of what happens when you don't have the real compelling reasons for someone to spend money with you.
The Law of Attraction vs. Nonattachment
	Dear Jane, I’m excited about a potential new job but I’m holding myself in check, trying to practice the Buddhist concept of nonattachment. But The Secret teaches that if I don’t let myself get excited about the jo...
SEO Myths
	SEO Myth #1
Hiring Former Fortune 1000 Employees
	If you are considering a salesperson, sales manager or VP of Sales from a big, name brand company, there is a crucial point that executives from smaller companies usually miss. You probably don't run a large, name ...
HOW TO SELL YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK
	The art of selling creatively

---

Related Forum Posts
	Why is a patent important?
	Dan Kennedy Marketing Methods
	Re: Women entrepreneur millionaires
	Re: Dan Kennedy Marketing Methods
	Re: Invest in Real Estate or Stocks?
	reframe what you want to accomplish
	Allow for searches all the time
	Re: Definitions of merger