The Mentorship Digest

When I was in high school I considered myself broke. As I looked around at my popular peers, I realized that I didn’t have as much influence as they had.  

Some of them stood out because they had charisma and others stood out because they had the latest fashions.   

I was naturally a quiet person unless I was around my friends. Therefore, acting like an extrovert was out of the equation. However, I thought I could try to get some of the latest fashions (clothes, shoes, etc.) to try and “fit in”.   

There was a school program where low-income students qualify for lunch tickets to receive free lunch. Even though my household income wasn’t low enough to qualify, I stood in line to get some tickets. I got kicked off the line the first few times by the worker who was responsible for checking the list to see if my name was on it. The fourth time she gave me the lunch tickets (I guess she was tired of checking the list and just gave them to anyone who came up)   

The lunch was $1.50. I started selling the lunch tickets for $1 to students who didn’t qualify for the free lunch program. Once I made enough profit, I would buy a shirt. Then I would buy a pair of pants the week after, etc.   

One day, when I was talking to a girl, I was feeling good about myself. She then said, “Don’t you go on the lunch ticket line for that free lunch?” I tried to defend myself by saying that I don’t need free lunch (as if it was a stigma).   

I then felt like I had a decision to make. Stop going on the lunch ticket line to be accepted or continue to go to accomplish what I set out to do.   

Fast forward to today, some of us are in that same position. When people see us, they may say things like, “ . . . aren’t you in that thing?”, “Isn’t that one of those pyramid schemes?”, or " . . . so you joined one of those cults huh?”  

After a while, you may feel depressed hearing things like this all the time   

You may feel like you have a decision to make. Stop working your business to be accepted or continue to accomplish what you set out to do.   

In the words of Eric Worre, “You must accept a temporary loss of social esteem from ignorant people.”   

Once you realize that and take emotions out of the equation, you will improve the results of your business beyond your expectations. Eventually, you will be known as the person everyone wants to know.  

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