This post is 37 years in the making. Really, it goes back to my childhood; remembering why my late grandfathers despised each other.  True story: my maternal grandpa loathed my paternal grandpa.  Why?  I’m still not sure, other than the fact my paternal grandpa was extraordinarily successful in real estate and had an unbreakable “happy” demeanor about everything in life. This made him nauseously annoying to others around him.  On the other hand, my maternal grandfather was a back-breaking, knee-crushing carpet layer who worked his hiney off, day in & day out, to put bread and butter on the table for his wife (my grandma), and his 4 kids (my momma).  My back-breaking grandpa couldn’t stand the seemingly “effortless” success of my other grandpa and made us all aware of it.  Carpet laying grandpa made sure everyone knew how much he disliked successful grandpa and hastily verbalized everything he could about every move he made.  I’ve never forgotten this, and it become a subconscious lesson I’ve never let go of.

ENVY IS UGLY

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Thing is, my nauseously annoying grandpa, along with my relentlessly happy mom, have been my mentors and life guides. Grandpa and mom were always the two I could count on when I had a new “out of the box” idea, another risky, hair-brained plan, when I was about to sign for another house, or when I was moments away from securing a loan to start a business.  It’s these two, steadfast happy people and their constant reminders that negativity has no room in a successful person’s life, that got me to where I am today.  Mom and grandpa never had time for naysayers.  They never worried about things they couldn’t control, and never let others dictate who they were, how happy they could be,  or how far in life they could go. I heeded this example from a very young age.

2^nd thing, successful grandpa was a hustler. His success didn’t come effortlessly or without damn hard work; it just came differently.  He learned ways to make a respectable income my maternal grandpa couldn’t fathom.  He followed and executed the guidance of other succesful real estate investors without leaving any room for doubt. The difference between what angry, bitter grandpa did, and what successful grandpa did was almost in his mindset alone; he chose happiness and did what other successful people did before him.  And then, he’d do what worked again. And, again. This is exactly what I feel is the “magic” (for lack of a bettter word) behind my own success.  I choose happy, and I repeat what my successful predecessors did.

IF YOU WANT WHAT OTHERS HAVE, DO WHAT THEY DO!

THEN, DO IT AGAIN

See, I’m an observer of all things.  Throughout my life I’ve observed those around me; both grandpas included.  Happy grandpa is currently 94 years old, just stopped driving his motorhome around the country, lives with his “sweetie” in Las Vegas, and has enough money to leave a little behind when he passes.  Bitter grandpa spent everyday of his retired years in a recliner watching re-runs, bitching about news and politics, complaining about other people, and passed away with diabetes, no feeling in his fingers, or pennies to his name.  I’m no dummy, the later is not the way I’m choosing to live my life, or go out.

Why make a post out of this?  Because the world is full of ugly, and I’ve recently been reminded of this.

Below is insight into my own experiences:

Joined the Army at 19:  

“Only losers join the military”

“Only thugs leaving jail join the Army”

“Kids with no other options join the service”

Despite what others said, joining the Army at 19 was an instrumental stepping stone into my adult life.  It was the 1^st time I learned about camaraderie, differences in management style, working alongside varied personalities, mingling with vastly different cultures and economic backgrounds, and most importantly, it made me a US Veteran, which comes with an abundance of pride and tangible benefits.

Graduated Massage school:

“That market is saturated”

“Gosh, you won’t be able to find any clientele”

“Massage therapists are a dime a dozen”

My schedule was booked 6 months out and it was the 1^st time in my life I made over $30 an hour.  There I was, a 23 year old divorced mom making over $30 an hour with complete job security and benefits.

Bought my 1^st house at 25 (as a divorced, single mom):

“That’a big purchase for a single gal”

“You won’t be able to afford the mortgage”

“How are you going to manage that yard?”

This house, for the last 11 years, has been a cash cow earning me over $1650 a month in passive income.  Also, it holds enough equity to have financial freedom and to pay our children’s university costs in full without worry or additional savings.

Bought a Seattle area coffee shop:

“99.9% of small businesses fail in their 1^st year”

“Oh man, you’re going to be paying that off forever”

“Don’t you think Seattle has enough coffee shops?’

Flipped this business in less than 1 year for five digit profit.

Started flying free and sharing my knowledge with others:

“That’s gonna ruin your credit”

“No one cares that you fly all over for free”

Gave me material to start a profitable blog (I’ve made over $400 in 4 weeks) that will allow me the income necessary to resign from my career, then I’ll be able to actually use the miles and points I’ve banked, all while paying forward by sharing free flying information with others.  It’s also allowed me to take my family on free flights all over the world without paying any more than taxes.

Launched my blog; stated I’d leave my $80k+ career to do what makes me happy:

“Why would you risk that?”

“What are you going to do about health insurance and retirement?”

“You’ll be begging for your job back in no time”

“Everyone’s a blogger these days”

I’ll be happy.  What is “life” if we’re miserable in what we do?

The most recent experience and driving force behind this post: Published an informative blog post on how I had made $200 in affiliate income 3 weeks into blogging:

“Your post provides no value”

“You’re copying what other bloggers do”

“You lied and mislead readers in your post”

“You should be ashamed of yourself”

“You’re a sell out, this is click bait”

Society has its fair share of people standing by waiting to rain on every happiness parade. Individuals everywhere love to remind happy people they are annoying, and, in my experience, show disdain toward others who are successful. I’m a happy person. I also happen to be successful (success is in the eye of the beholder).  Seemingly, people enjoy tossing a helluva-lotta “naysay” in the direction of happiness and success.  The amount of bitterness, anger, envy, doubt of success or the way success is earned is disheartening to me.

I can only chalk this up to naysayers, like my grumpy grandpa, erroneously believing success comes easy to us.

Success does NOT come easy.  Not for grandpa, not for any person or blogger I know, and certainly not for me. Success, in my opinion, comes easier for happy people who implement what other successful, happy people did before them.  It comes easy to those who have no room for negativity, judgement, self-placed limits, unproductive critisim, pessimism, condemnation, doubtful thoughts, or holding back.

Life is far too short to worry about what others think of my blog post, or, what others think of me in general.  In the words of my kick-butt grandpa “You do you!”  Seriously, I have to question who has time to worry about what other people do….unless that is, they have a subliminal desire to emulate.  If you are spending any amount of energy or time worried about what other people are doing or how they are doing it, you better make darn sure it’s someone you want to mirror, be like, support, compliment and share success with.  Otherwise, you’re undoubtedly churning your wheels in negativity and not finding your own happiness or success.

Don’t waste time worrying about what others are doing.  Don’t be afraid of change. Take risks. Bear in mind others are never your competition (your only competitor is your mind), and don’t critique others unless it’s constructive.  Don’t be a negative Nancy or naysayer. 

Be loving.  Be supportive.  Offer advice and find good in everything. Have an optimistic personality and an opportunistic mental frame of mind.  Take risks. Be complimentative and kind.  Don’t place limits on yourself and don’t be doubtful or envious of others’ success.

This post was not intended to “toot my own horn”, rub my annoying cheeriness or success in others’ faces, or even force anyone to agree with me.  Nor was it to reminisce about my grandpas.

It’s simply to say: If you want success, be happy and do what other successful people do!

Have you had a look at some of my most recent FREE flight & hotel deals? How about how I plan to retire by 40? Or how I’m quitting my high paying career to do what I LOVE!

• Want to LEARN HOW TO FLY FREE? Start Here! 
• I’m still on board to retire by 40 by blogging! 
• How I made over $200 in my first 3 weeks blogging (AND HAVE NOW MADE OVER $400 in 4 weeks!)
• 3 Roundtrip Tickets to Maui, Hawaii   Total Cost: $33.60
• I’M QUITTING!  Leaving my $80k+ career for happiness! 
•  3 Roundtrip Tickets to Chicago   Total Cost: $33.60
• 2 One Way Tickets from Cancun     Total Cost: $90 
• One Way Ticket from Seattle    Total Cost: $5.60
•  FREE: 4 Nights at the 5 Star All-Inclusive Hyatt Zilara in Cancun

All the Happiness & Success,

-Serena