The clapping stops and the resentment starts one you remind them they didn’t chase their dreams and you did.
“When you first start, people will clap for you.
When you get going, people will wonder how long it’ll be before you fail.
When you gain traction & establish yourself, the clapping stops.
Those who clapped initially will even start to resent your success.
Keep going.”
-Ray Zingler on X
I was talking with a couple of my Middle School boys at the gym recently and they asked how I got my start with Zingler Strength.
I am often asked this question and I backed it up to the very beginning for them.
I talked about my mentors and the positive influences on me and how I grew a passion for S&C.
From there, I talked to them about how I started before I was ready and how I learned and embraced criticism along the way.
When I got to the end of the story, like I always do with kids, I asked them, “What do you guys want to do when you grow up?”
I don’t ask them what their parents want them to do or “what makes most sense”, but as a young teen with a world of abundant opportunity ahead of you, what do you want?
The first boy said, “I want to start my own business, but I just don’t know what, yet.”
The second boy said, “I just want to make money.”
Entrepreneurship & Hustle.
I like where we’re at guys.
While one could take second boys answer of “make money” as shallow, it’s a very real, important thing, and pretending like it’s not is stupid.
I told the boys that they didn’t need to know exactly what they wanted to do just yet, but what I did tell them was the secret.
And that secret is this:
You must establish what you are passionate about and you must use your passion to SERVE other people.
If you can do that, success will find you.
Of course there are other ways to go about it, but the key component of success is fulfillment within your work.
Notice how there are a lot of people who make money but are miserable?
I explained to them that whatever they get into, it won’t be easy.
It will be unfathomably hard.
They will get support from others on the front end, but watch it slowly (sometimes quickly) diminish on the back end.
And the reason is because when you follow your dreams and earn success, you remind people that they didn’t do what you had the discipline, courage, and ability to do.
GO, anyway.
