Those of us who look in from the outside only see the finished product, but many success stories begin with one key step: you need to invest in yourself. It is common for us to see others experience success and feel that the successful person is just fortunate, blessed, or lucky.
We see other people’s highlight reels while we toil through our seemingly unglamorous behind-the-scenes. We don’t see the hard work, time, and investment that went into the finished product.
As a teenager, most days I would come home from school, complete my homework, and rehearse music until bedtime. Over time, I kept repeating that pattern and working hard to better myself and my family.
The time spent writing lyrics, recording, and performing was an investment, and that is the only way you can reap the benefits of your work. No one is going to hand you your dreams, you have to take many steps to achieve them yourself.
The number one Billboard Records and Gold plaques seemed to come out of nowhere. Not because I was lucky, but because I understood that one key principle: invest in yourself.
My oldest son has recently finished his sixth year in the NFL. What many people do not know is that he did not have a single scholarship offer coming out of high school.
He had natural ability going for him, being 6’5” and athletic, but very little football experience. He decided to attend Junior College, at a school that attracted many All-American and top football recruits.
Every day after completing practice and finishing studying, he would go back to the field to run on his own, with parachutes attached to his back. He would hit tires with sledge hammers, and lift weights.
He went from weighing 240 to 310 pounds of sculptured muscle within months and began to be recruited by most major colleges. This work ethic led to a pro career.
I’m not saying you have to pull yourself up by the bootstraps. This is a message of hope, and to set goals for yourself.
This is a message that your dreams are attainable if you invest in yourself.
Chicago Devotion was created from years of invested time and countless hours of hard work. It is a vision developed to be a support to many in the community to help provide resources so that we may experience more success stories within our community.
Success may be someone finding a job, or even better, learning how to start a company of their own. I am proud to invest in myself, Chicago Devotion, and in my community every day.
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