The Day My Life Changed. The Trip I could not Afford to Make.

Morning Folks!!


Money is the single greatest qualifier there is. Fakers can’t fake money. They can fake comments on a blog, but they can’t fake the money it takes to play.


So when you filter out the fakers, you know your time is being spent with pros. So damn simple and of course it pisses off the fakers. There are 100 fakers for every full time legitimate domainer or businessman.


Now I am not trying to put down folks that are starting out. Just trying to explain things. Trying to have them understand what it really takes.


A willing mind and heart and a burning desire will ALWAYS find a way to make something happen. The rest are the 80% of the universe. There is a way to climb out of the 80% and join the 20%. But it takes discomfort sometimes to get there.


I had a decision to make once. I could not afford that trip, but then again I could not afford not to go on that trip. What to do? It took about 6 weeks to decide.


This was my fork in the road the first time I went to China and Hong Kong and Seoul on my own. I could not afford the $$$ it cost. I did not know which way to turn. On one side was a fire and on the other side was a disaster. The decision to go was the one that changed my life. Long before the Internet. Long before 800 numbers. Just 1 credit card with a $10,000 limit. I was going for broke after already going broke.


I could not afford a loss. There was no second chance. My back was up against the wall. There was just leap of FAITH and then I worked and worked and worked and sleep was just a nap for 1-2 hours if that for over 2 weeks. My future was on the line. Everything. The funny thing is the meeting I had planned to have got diverted by an accidental intervention.


I was in Taipei. I was in the World Trade Center there. I stumbled into a showroom. I had a conversation with the guy there. He said instead of seeing company “A” as you plan, I would go to company “B” as that will be to your advantage. I walked out very confused. I had set a course to see one company and now this second company that I also knew of but was not on my agenda became a very tough decision.


In the hours ahead everything got changed. I had to rearrange my travel and went to Hong Kong. That meeting in the hotel room at the Hyatt that I could not even afford, changed my life. I too was a faker. But as a faker there is a choice. Fake it well or fake it like a loser. So how could I have a life changing meeting at the hotel I could afford? How could I have them take me seriously? So I got whatever room I could get at one of the top tier hotels. The 30 minute meeting in my room lasted 3 hours. The owner of the factory was in tears as he told me his story and I was in tears as I told him mine.


I had no money but he knew of me and what I was doing and agreed to help. Imagine going to Hong Kong meeting somebody that I had never met or talked to before and not only did he agree to sell me directly which would cause him problems with other distributors, he financed me as well. 33% down, 33% 30 days after receiving the goods and the last 33% 30 days later. That was incredible. Because when it comes to importing, you pay 100% in advance or work by letter of credit. I could not even get in the same room with a letter of credit in those days so it was cash in advance only. So to get terms oversees like that was very rare if not unheard of.


When I got home, I collapsed. Litterally. I did not get out of bed for some 3 weeks. I was a sick pup. I pushed my soul to a limit it never saw and I was paying the price. I had a mission and all I knew is every ounce of my being and all of my energy was invested in accomplishing this mission.


That was a life changing moment. So I know both sides of the equation. Even as a faker you have to “Play a part”. You can’t be an asshole and a faker and pull it off. Doesn’t work. The asshole part wins every time and they can't hide it. Really.


I am not the smartest guy. I don’t have to be. I am just smart enough to know what I don’t know. That makes me smarter than a guy that knows something and he is wrong. Got it?


Too many folks refuse to adjust their view in light of new information. I re-evaluate things whenever there is new info and most of the time when there isn’t because things change.


We live in a time in history where more opportunity exists than all of history put together. Yet there is high and long term unemployment and more despair than any point I can remember. Something makes no sense and I can tell you that all the world's problems reside in a 6 inch space between the ears. I say that because all success and all failure comes from within. Outside forces are about 1%-5% of the equation. What's between your ears accounts for the other 95%-99%. Problem is the 80% believe that outside forces are in control. They got the equation upside down and until they get that part right, they can never join the 20% and nobody on the planet is responsible for that except themselves.


No force on earth can stop true passion. No force on earth can hold you back. There is only one person on this entire planet that is responsible for your success or failure. The day you learn that is the day your life will change too. Reject this at your own peril. All I can do is share what unleashed my will and has allowed this underachiever to do things I never dreamed of. I sincerely hope you too experience what I have. The younger you figure it out the more rewards you will reap during life.


Have a GREAT Day!

Rick Schwartz

-----