99 Life Lessons Learned from Quitting Corporate America

This was written by someone else, Edith Yeung from Edith Yeung.com, I believe! (and I modified it a little bit with red text and fixed some typos) but it echoes my sentiments regarding the corporate world that bleeds you dry with promise of a pension that you never get! Enjoy!

In March of 2007, I said goodbye to corporate America (This was the same time that I also said goodbye to Corporate America).

Ten months have passed, I want to take the time and write down what I have learned from these past few months.

Regardless if you want to quit your job, you have already quit or you just want to read this for the heck of it.

Enjoy!

1. Stop thinking about what other people think about you. It will drive you crazy.

2. Einstein once said: Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. It was time for me to quit corporate.

3. You stop being a whiner when you start doing what you love (This is so true, I am happier than I have ever been).

4. You start getting up early when you start doing what you love (I get up every morning around 5 am whether I have to or not because I can choose to work or not to since I am self-employed).

5. You start exercising everyday when you start doing what you love (In Corporate America, i.e. as an employee, I never had time to work out but now I work out 2 hours a day playing Racquetball and Tennis, also I eat healthier).

6. You know who your real friend is and who is not (I have new friends and those friends I share my business ideas and advice with because I want to see them succeed, as well).

7. Some people will give you a strange look, but who cares? (I get strange looks from people who are in Corporate America because it looks like I never work which is quite the contrary, I work all the time but I get more free time than those in Corporate America)

8. Everything in life is a choice. (I chose to be self-employed, the best decision I have ever made other than buying real estate)

9. The only opinion of you that matters, is your own.

10. Do what you love and you will never have to work a day for the rest of your life.

11. Life is a buffet. There are so many choices along the way. In order to get to one dish, you have to stay in line and make sure you choose the right line.

12. Life is not about winning, it is about how you are going to play the game.

13. Software and high-tech is not the only industry in the world. People become billionaires and millionaires making ketchup, selling hairagami or making dumpling.

14. For anything to change, I must change.

15. Hoping I am going to succeed is not the answer.

16. Have to make my unique idea somehow stick with someone.

17. Becoming an entrepreneur is about solving a problem. It is never about me and it is never about money. (I disagree with the last statement, it is always about money or why would I do it but it is also about providing top-notch service to my clients)

18. You are who you believe or say you are.

19. Do something even you are not sure about the outcome.

20. Everyone who is now in front of the line started at the back of the line.

21. Find a way to help someone everyday. Remember Godfather. (I mentor other people who are looking to get out of the rat race, btw if you get a chance to play CASHFLOW the board game, do it! It will change your outlook on finances. Before CASHFLOW, I was trying to accumulate wealth and was somewhat successful but now that I have worked on increasing my passive income through real estate and business acquisitions, I am on my way to becoming financially independent. Thanks Robert Kiyosaki!)

22. Don’t let perfection keep you away from doing. You will never be perfect and no one is perfect.

23. Most people who tell you “This is risky” have never done it before. Take advice wisely. (There are many financial advisors out there and you should be careful when picking your financial advisor, ask for some of their richest clients and set up a meeting with them before contracting for their services.)

24. Successful people do whatever it takes, not just try your best.

25. Pain is inevitable. Misery is optional. BTW – you don’t have to be miserable.

26. The only free people in this world are the ones who are willing to take risk.

27. It is never too late to become who you are supposed to be.

28. Appreciate the people around you. Don’t take anyone for granted.

29. Visualize what you want everyday. Night & Day.

30. Act and speak like you are already there. (I may not be wealthy yet but I am on my way there and when I talk, I act like I am already there and so should you!)

31. Be trust worthy for yourself. You should trust you.

32. If I don’t do this. No one will. (One of my newest business ventures is very mucky and yucky but also very lucrative. Go to IDumpsterDive for more details on this nationwide venture.

33. Act valuable to other people everyday.

34. Smile.

35. Be grateful.

36. Other people’s opinion of you is none of your business.

37. Create your own story.

38. Become a master on something. Not a master on 4000 things, but master on 6 things (per Warren Buffet) and do it 4000 times. (In my Private Investigation Business, I have become a master on 6 things: Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation, Family Law, Legal Trash Recovery Investigations, Auto Locates, and Skip Tracing)

39. Controversy drives attention. (I found this was true when I was a police officer and spoke to a reporter, they twist around everything that you say and that is why I don't speak to journalists anymore unless I provide them with a written statement)

40. Don’t try to find it. Create it. Thank you Douglas!

41. Bring a notebook and write down your thoughts anywhere anytime.

42. Leap forward for the right reason.

43. Be yourself.

44. Success will happen when your heart, your brain and your action all come together. (T. HARV ECKER says in his book, "Secret of the Millionaire Mind" that T->F->A->R which means "Thoughts lead to feelings, Feelings lead to Actions and Actions lead to Results")

45. Give 200% everyday.

46. Question what truly matters to you everyday. Is it just about the money?

47. “I only set out to get really good at something that really matters to me.” Alice Water once said.

48. Create a system for everything. Make sure everything I do now is documented and repeatable by someone else. (This will help you later when selling your business or creating a franchise!)

49. The best marketing is when people talk about you while they are eating.

50. Be a big fish in a small pond and later on jump into a big pond.

51. Don’t act too smart. Ask for help.

52. Internet is amazing. PEW research is great!

53. Bring your business cards with you at all times.

54. Practice your elevator speech.

55. Empathy. Put yourself in other people’s shoes.

56. Define your own non-negotiable values(your life principles) in life.

57. Anything worth doing is also worth failing.

58. Thank your audience.

59. Presentation is not about you. It is always about them.

60. When you see someone on stage and you said to yourself “I can do better than this guy”, you should
also ask yourself, “Why am I not there?”

61. You will always win an arm wrestle when you have a team behind you. (All of the worlds greatest leaders would not have been as great if it weren't for them surrounding themselves with the most knowledgeable advisors. The same is true in business!)

62. Create massive values for some specific money and the money will come.

63. Income does not equal profit. (It is tough going from the Employee to Employer mentality for most people, there are people who charge very little for their services and don't understand why they are not rich. They have not yet discovered that the American public believes that the more something costs, the more valuable it is. This includes services as well as products!)

64. Financial statements are not that scary.

65. Burn your boat. Remember the Battle of Hastings. (Anything that causes you to have a monthly payment is going to keep you from your goal of being financially independent, get rid of any possessions that are depreciable unless needed for your business)

66. Size of my belief determines the size of your success.

67. You can’t go forward if you look backward.

68. You can’t become who you want to be if you are still the person you were yesterday.

69. Stop being a victim.

70. Visualize a successful day everyday.

71. Nothing is impossible.

72. Promise yourself. Don’t just set goals.

73. It is okay to let everyone know what is going on with you. Otherwise, how can you expect people to trust you.

74. Build emotional equity with people.

75. If I can do it, you can.

76. If you are not on top of your game, figure out why not and do something about it.

77. The best players are the ones already in the game.

78. Let it be and mind your own business.

79. Make the decision and just freaking do it.

80. There is very little difference between people; but the little difference makes a big difference.

81. A setback is just a setup for our comeback.

82. Don’t listen to what Simon said. Great job Jennifer Hudson!

83. You can be an expert too!

84. If your mother says a six figure income is too small; it is time to quit.

86. Network and network!

87. There is a Law of Certainty: “If you do a certain thing in a certain way, certain results will always happen”

88. You can sell anything if you are solving a problem. (Some of the greatest entrepreneurs have found solutions to problems and now are among the world's wealthiest!)

89. It is possible to have both money and happiness.

90. If you can’t define your customer, you can’t find your customers.

91. Niche rhymes with rich.

92. Some people will never understand what you are doing, but that’s okay.

93. Take and accept the compliment you deserve. Give yourself some credit. You are probably just better than who you think you are.

94. Give out your best products for free! (Once in a while, you can offer a free trial of your service or product if it will bring you more business!)

95. Write everyday!

96. Learn from people who have done it and been there. (Find a Mentor in the business community who is willing to share their secret to success. Their friendship is worth more than anything you can purchase.)

97. Take pictures of everything. Pictures are worth at least three thousands words.

98. Thank God for the internet! Did I say that already?

99. What you are doing now is not new. Someone else has probably done it before. Just seek and you shall find. (Sometimes, if you can find a easier or more financially feasible way to do something, you have found your niche! Time to market it and sell it!)

Until next time. Live your dream! Be Successful! Be Rich!