50 Cent Hustler’s Ambition  I have been mad busy.  Super Bowl Sunday is coming up and I am trying my plans laid out for that.  I created a movies tab above.  Let me know what movies you think should be added.  There are a lot of movies that are on the edge of making it and I am not sure if they should be there.  The list is definitely not complete so let me know what you feel is missing. 

“I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful” - Warren Buffet

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No matter what you think, there is always someone out there trying to be the best at what they do.  These are people that aim to be better than the current best.  Basically do not try to be Donald Trump, try to one up him.  Set big aspirations  Set goals along the way that you meet, but do not make that the final goal. 

You have people like Carlos Slim slamming Bill Gates and Warren Buffet for “playing Santa Claus.”  After doing so he passed them both to become the richest man in the world.  Then Mukesh Ambani from India passed them all. 

It was not too long ago where a back flip was an amazing thing on a motorcycle, now they are doing double backflips.  They are even flipping snowmobiles. 

Many people think that everything that can be created has been created.  This is not the case.  There will always be something new and creative. 

Just to drive things home, check out the video below.  It seems every 5 years or so dunk competitions peak out.  When Jordan dunked from the free throw line or when Carter put his elbow in the rim (after doing a hand switch of the ball between the legs).  Just because I thought everything that could be done had been done, does not mean that people stopped hustling.  Just when I thought dunk contest were over…  

“Some people dream of great accomplishments, while others stay awake and do them” - Anonymous

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This is a track to keep the week moving.  The Clipse were hungry when this album dropped.  Grindin was a huge hit. 

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What does not kill me, makes me stronger.
Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1888
German philosopher (1844 - 1900)

I have seen this Nietzsche quote used in many fashions, from fitness to debt.  It is a motivational quote that can also be used as a strategy.  The lesson that I see in this is that you can do more than what you are currently doing.  Your capacity can be expanded.  Your goals can be met.  If it does not kill you it will only make you stronger. 

 Taken to the extreme can hamper your ability to survive.  But if interpreted correctly this idea will allow you to go beyond what you feel are your limitations.  You can grow as a person by pushing yourself.  You can realize your full potential by going full steam ahead.  Read the rest of this entry »

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I read quite a few magazines each month.  I read a bit for educational purposes, and a lot for motivational purposes.  Many of the magazines I read for educational purposes are online.  I read a bit of the economist and BusinessWeek.   The are great magazines for educating people.  I am sure there are mad amounts of magazines out there that I could get smarter by reading. 

 However for me, those types of magazines do not make me money.  The do not generally motivate me either.  They just get me where I can talk with certain groups.  To get into the grind and hustle mode I check out a different variety of magazines.  I enjoy reading Rides magazine to get me into the mood to make money.  It gets ideas flowing on what I can do once I get the money.  It also gives me suggestions on how to impress with whips.  How else would I know what the Hummer HX was?

I also read a bit of Architectural Digest.  This is a good magazine to get ideas flowing to me about what is possible with houses.  I enjoy seeing what houses can look like.  I then try to apply them on my scale.  This magazine was hot before MTV Cribs came out.  How would I know about infinity pools that waterfall?

 I also read Mens Journal.  This magazine is the best “Mens” magazine I have seen.  It covers topics from sports, travel, fitness to adventure.  It generally displays activities I want to do now and when I retire.  It is all about getting the most you can out of life.  How would I know about where to hear trance and house music in Thailand?

I also read Maxim.  I do not like the magazine itself.  I think it does a horrible job of entertaining and a horrible job with content.  I use it more as a reference to new things that are coming out.  I can sit down with it and circle things I will google later on.  I felt it was going to improve when Robert Greene started doing his piece, but I have not seen his bits in a while (he is of course the author of the 48 laws of power, 33 strategies of war, etc…). 

I get these magazines at a decent price from Magazine City.  What magazines do you read?

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I am going to go ahead and drop a few more gems from “The Art of Worldly Wisdom” by Balthasar Gracian. This is an amazing book. I have been rereading it and being inspired. Here are some great parts from the beginning. Cop the book for more or all.

Create a Feeling of Dependence.

Not he that adorns but he that adores makes a divinity. The wise man would rather see men needing him than thanking him. To keep them on the threshold of hope is diplomatic, to trust to their gratitude boorish; hope has a good memory, gratitude a bad one. More is to be got from dependence than from courtesy. He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well, and the orange once sucked falls from the golden platter into the waste-basket. When dependence disappears, good behaviour goes with it as well as respect. Let it be one of the chief lessons of experience to keep hope alive without entirely satisfying it, by preserving it to make oneself always needed even by a patron on the throne. But let not silence be carried to excess lest you go wrong, nor let another’s failing grow incurable for the sake of your own advantage.

Read the rest of this entry »

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From “The Art of Wordly Wisdom” by Balthasar Gracian.  This is an amazing book.  This quote is the third section of the book.  It is a deep piece about not revealing everything at once. 

“Admiration at their novelty heightens the value of your achievements. It is both useless and insipid to play with your cards on the table. If you do not declare yourself immediately, you arouse expectation, especially when the importance of your position makes you the object of general attention. Mix a little with everything, and the very mystery arouses veneration. And when you explain, do not be too explicit, just as you do not expose your inmost thoughts in ordinary conversation. Cautious silence is the sacred sanctuary of worldly wisdom. A resolution declared is never highly thought of - it only leaves room for criticism. And if it happens to fail, you are doubly unfortunate. Besides, you imitate the divine way when you inspire people to wonder and watch.”

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This is the reason why people grind, hustle, steal, work, etc…  Anyhow, here is a bit of distraction to help you finish the day and get you motivated to finish the week strong.  A bit of a classic, Bone Thugs in Harmony “foe the love of money.” 

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I have been thinking of how to get this piece of land that I want.  I am a bit stretched on my credit and do not want to over extend myself.  One of the creative financing methods for bridging the gap between me and the property that I am thinking of is through owner financing.  I have been successful with this before. 

Benefits for owner financing:

No credit needed (generally)
Does not show up on credit
Faster closings
You can negotiate terms, not conform to a banks “programs”
Good option when buyers are desperate
Lower closing cost

Negatives to owner financing:

Potentially higher interest rates
You might lose bargaining chips in other aspects of the deal (higher price/rates)
Not always possible

The biggest thing though is that you can make the deal through owner financing where you might not be able to get the loan.  Each deal will be unique and every detail will have to be watched but this is a way to make things happen when you might feel you are out of options.  The seller might also feel they are out of options…

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I wanted to write an article on sweat equity.  I feel that sweat equity is the best equity in any type of investment.  Then I ran across this blog post by Mark Cuban.  Mark Cuban is the owner of the Dallas Mavericks.  He got to that position through unbelievable investments and timing.  His story is amazing (if you forget about Nash leaving the team).  He was able to sell his Internet company to yahoo before the Internet bust and make out great.  He has worked his way up the money ladder through sweat equity.  He is still investing and doing big things.  Check out his post on sweat equity. 

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