I bumped into some people I used to know from high school.
It surprised me to see that they still hang out together after almost a decade (if you are putting in the work, your social circle changes as you spiral up).
For newer readers who are unaware – I did not have a pleasant time in school. Back in high school, I was the poorer kid who spoke little to no English and was thus a target for bullies.
My father was a farmer who had finished his education and moved to the city. My mother was 20 years old. Neither spoke much English either.
I learned to lift, learned English, started businesses and made money later in life – but at the ripe age of 14, I wasn’t nearly at my best.
Needless to say, I did not like any of the people I went to high school with (especially the people I bumped into since they liked to rub their parent’s money in everyone’s faces), but what the hell – I said hello.
It’s been over a decade since high school and you would expect that these kids who had a massive head start to me would be doing much better in life than I am.
Interestingly, this was not the case. Even back in school, many of these kids had been distracted students – from weed and drugs to Facebook and video games. They did not put in the work back then and it was clear they hadn’t put in the work in the decade since.
From a brief catching up session, here were my major observations:
- The ones who had a family business just joined the family business. No innovation needed. The life plan is to replace the father’s job and sit on his chair.
- About 80% of them were overweight to obese. A few people looked “normal” (i.e. skinny fat) and only one guy looked fit.
- The ones who did not have a family business were working jobs.
- The ones who managed to work towards a professional degree were working “prestigious” jobs making… $30K a year (If you live in a third world country, you need to start an online business and earn in a first world currency. You won’t get anywhere earning in rupees or pesos.)
- The others worked low level jobs that I estimate paid $300-$500 a month for local businesses.
- One guy was extremely annoyed that I did not remember him.
Are they good people? I don’t know. I just met them once in over a decade and was only around for a short time, so I cannot say if they are “good” or “bad” people.
What I can tell with certainty is that for the vast majority of people, life does not get better with time. In fact, it gets worse.
Their bodies grow older, they put on weight, their income doesn’t rise much, and the stress from their jobs shows on their face.
I made more money than all of them combined, was fitter than them, had more influence (literally reach out to almost a million people each day on social media), and owned multiple businesses and had no boss.
I started out with far less resources than every one of them and here we are. Life has gotten much better for me.
This is not a “humble brag” of any kind. It’s simply a fact.
Life does not get better unless you make it better. If you are not working to actively make life better, it will only get worse.
On the other hand, if you put in the work and actively make things better, then things will get better with time.
- You will get fitter and stronger.
- You will build multiple streams of income.
- You will not have a boss and will own your time.
- You will live the “good life” and have lots of energy and happiness to conquer each day.
- Your friends will be powerful and influential (since winners want to befriend other winners).
I know quite a few people who’ve gone up the latter trajectory and many more who have ended up like my high school classmates. Life is not communism where everyone ends up equal regardless of effort.
It really is revenge of the nerds out there.
It’s that simple.
Where are you headed in 10 years?
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