Why Success Crushes Most People.(And How to Avoid It)

Dear Andre, (2.7 min read)

Do you remember failing a test in school?

How devastating that was?

Like your world was shattering? (Like a baseball thrown through a window)

What kept you going? (I’ll get to that in a bit)

Success bows to character.

If you don’t have this one thing, success won’t make you. It will break you.

What is it? Resilience.

And resilience is made up of three things:

• Humility

• Faithfulness

• Gratitude

Over the next few weeks, I’ll unpack each one and how they help you move from Resilience → _________ → ___________.

This probably isn’t for you, but…

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Okay, back to it.

Success is not your friend.

If you’re looking for systems to succeed, they’re everywhere. Just go on YouTube. Watch Alex Hormozi, Dan Martell, or anyone else handing out blueprints for winning.

But here’s what they don’t tell you.

Most people spend their lives chasing success, never thinking about what happens when they "arrive."

Side note: Most people never feel like they arrive. The goalposts just move.

But even when they do "make it," many get crushed.

Ever wonder why so many leaders fail?
Why elite athletes who seem unstoppable self-destruct?

It’s not because they’re dumb. It’s because success creates a pressure cooker.

And that’s why character matters more than talent.

Why Talent Isn't Enough

Okay, back to my questions at the beginning. What kept you going?

I don’t know. But I know what kept me going.

It was 8:37PM on a Monday night. Raining.

Driving home from Sierra College (a community college) in my 2006 chevy cobalt.

I call my dad. I knew I’d done terrible on this test. (Business law) Why am I doing this? How do I try so hard. Yet fail so badly. I don’t remember exactly what he said.

But he was there.

And there are so many moments where I failed. And without this one thing. I would have quit. And I’d be without SO many beautiful things in my life. What is that one thing?

People.

I was never the most talented guy in the room. I’ve failed tests. I’ve struggled as a drummer. I’ve thought about quitting my business.

But people want to see humble people succeed. And they love to watch arrogant people fall.

There are talented people who don’t need others until they fail. (And everybody does) But when they do, no one is there to pick them up.

Andre, you’re going to need people. No matter how skilled, smart, or successful you are.

The Character Matrix

(Shoutout to Erwin McManus’s Uprising and The Arena for inspiration.)

There are three tiers to this framework. I’m not revealing all of them today. Boo, so mean, I know. But I will give you the foundation.

What’s the first thing that gets tested as your life grows?

As more responsibilities pile on?

Resilience.

And resilience is made up of three things:

• Humility

• Faithfulness

• Gratitude

Over the next few weeks, I’ll unpack each one. And I’ll share real stories of how I’m applying these in my own life.

Because I want you to build this muscle.
So that when the hard times come, and they will, you’ll stand strong.

How to Start Building Humility Today

Want a practical way to build Humility? It’s through action.

Unload the dishwasher.
Take out the trash.
Clean the kitchen.
Fold the laundry.
Walk the dog.

These tiny, "boring" acts build the muscle of humility, one of the core foundations of resilience.

These are depths. Not steps.

Your purpose must be rooted in the person you're becoming.

See you next week.

- Daniel

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