4 Tips from The Pursuit of Happyness
The Pursuit of Happyness is one of our all-time favorite movies. We share four tips from the life of a homeless-father who made millions.
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On The BIGG Success Show, we talk about a homeless father who built a multi-million-dollar fortune. Here’s a summary of that discussion.
We talked recently on this show about a new way of looking at money. Ken Honda has written a fantastic book called, Happy Money: The Japanese Art of Making Peace with Your Money*. Is your money happy with you?
It made us think of one of our favorite movies, The Pursuit of Happyness. It’s the true story of a once-homeless single father, Christopher Gardner (played by Will Smith) and his son, Chris Jr. (fittingly played by Will’s son, Jaden).
Chris Sr. raised himself up, from extreme poverty, to become a successful stockbroker and multi-millionaire. This happy ending didn’t come easily, though. At his lowest point, Chris had lost his wife, his home, and even his bed at a homeless shelter. Imagine spending the night in a public bathroom with your child!
What makes this story compelling was Chris’s determination to live the American dream. Let’s look at four tips from this wonderful movie, The Pursuit of Happyness.
1) Get the dream job
He got a job in a lab, but it didn’t pay enough to support his family. So he got hired as a medical equipment salesperson.
On a sales call at a hospital, he met a man with a red Ferrari. Chris asked the man what he did for a living. He said he was a stockbroker.
Chris had found his career! He took a demanding unpaid internship to get that job. There was no guarantee he would get it, but he took that chance.
And he got his dream occupation! Eventually, he started his own brokerage firm. And, in case you’re wondering – yes, he got that Ferrari!
No matter your circumstances, you can rise up. It starts by finding and landing the job you were born to do. When you find your calling, money is often one of the rewards.
2) Get past obstacles
Chris faced many obstacles on his way to becoming a multi-millionaire. Somehow, some way, he got past them.
And that’s a significant point. Everybody faces obstacles. That’s not the question. The question is: How do you respond to them?
Most people get crushed. Successful people find a way to overcome the inevitable obstacles.
So, when you run, full-speed ahead, into the proverbial wall, find a way to climb over it, dig under it, go around it on one side or the other, or get through it.
Don’t make excuses. Do what you have to do (as long as it’s legal, ethical, and moral, of course).
Don’t complain. Find your source of strength. For the two of us, it comes from God.
Don’t give up. Stay focused on your goals. And why it’s so important for you to achieve those goals.
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3) Protect your dream
In the movie, Chris tells his son: “Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t do something. Not even me. You’ve got a dream; you’ve got to protect it. You want something, you go get it. Period.”
Protect your dream. We hear a lot of people talking about dreams. But we don’t recall ever hearing the phrase “protect your dream.”
And it’s so incredibly important. Because a dream is a precious thing.
Others have their own dreams for you. They don’t mean any harm by it. It’s just that their dream for you fits with their dream for themselves. If your dream doesn’t align with theirs, you must stand firm for your dream.
We’ve already talked about obstacles. It’s important to note that a dream can get derailed by circumstances. Keep the faith and keep fighting, no matter what conditions you face.
Protect your dream. It’s like a child. It needs to be nursed when it’s young, so it grows strong. That’s the only way your dream will come true.
4) Pursue happyness
Don’t count on happyness to come to you. After all, the movie isn’t called “The Receipt of Happyness.” It’s called “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Notice the three points made earlier all require action on your part.
You can’t predict the future, especially in the chaotic world we all face today. All you can do is to pursue your dream one step at a time. Step by step, you reach BIGG success.
(Oh, and when you need a bit of inspiration to take that next step, curl up and watch this movie.*)
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Here’s to your BIGG success!
George “The Professor” & Mary-Lynn
Co-Founders, BIGG Success
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