You are your worst enemy

I am my worst enemy.

You’re either in control, or you’re getting controlled. That’s life. The harsh truth is, most people don’t want to admit this. They’d rather sit around, scream about how life dealt them a bad hand, and demand someone fix it. But guess what? Life doesn’t owe you a damn thing. And if you keep thinking it does, you’ll be your own worst enemy.

Control Variables vs. Non-Control Variables

Let's talk about the idea of control vs. non-control variables. If you want to win the game, you have to master the things you can control. That’s how Kanye did it, that’s how Elon did it, and that’s how anyone who’s ever made it out of the mud does it. The problem is, most people spend all their time crying over the variables they can't control instead of focusing on the ones they can.

Take control of your environment, your habits, your mind, and the people you allow into your life. These are your control variables. And when you master these, you can trick your brain into believing whatever you want. You think Kanye wasn't tricking his brain into believing he was the greatest rapper alive before anyone else did? That’s how you create reality—by controlling your narrative.

The Non-Control Trap: Screaming in a Box

Then there are the non-control variables—the ones people love to whine about. The cards you were dealt, your race, your socioeconomic status, or that BS affirmative action policy that kept you out of your dream school. Yeah, I’ve been there too. I got rejected from my dream university because of some bullshit quotas, while my friends with lower GPAs and weaker résumés got in just because they checked the right boxes. Should I have cried about it? Maybe. But instead, I chose to continue playing the fucking game.

Here’s the secret: life isn’t fair. Crying about it won’t change anything. You can either scream in your little box or you can get out, play the game, win it, and change it. The system might be rigged, but the only way to fix a rigged game is to become the one who’s rigging it

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Control Variables: Who, What, Where, Why

Here’s where it gets juicy—the control variables. Let’s break it down:

• Who: You are who you surround yourself with. If you’re rolling with losers, guess what you’re gonna be? Find people who push you, challenge you, and understand your goals. If your crew is more interested in Netflix binges than in grinding, cut them off. You need killers, not couch potatoes.
• What: What you spend your time on is the biggest indicator of where you’ll end up. You wanna be great? Then everything you do should be in pursuit of that greatness. Kanye didn’t become a musical genius by dabbling; he became a musical genius because that’s all he did. Every minute of his life was dedicated to his craft. Your actions need to align with your goals.
• Where: Your environment shapes you. If your workspace looks like a bomb went off, so will your brain. Create a space that inspires you, that pushes you to think bigger and work harder. Control your physical environment, and you’ll control your mental environment.
• Why: This is your mission. If you don’t have a "why," you’re a ship without a sail, drifting wherever the tide takes you. Find your purpose and anchor yourself to it. And make sure it’s a purpose that matters. Don’t just aim to make money—aim to make an impact. Money’s a side effect of greatness, not the goal.
• When: Yesterday. You should have been doing this shit already.
• 
  

You Can Trick Your Brain

Ignorance is bliss, right? If you grew up eating McDonald’s your whole life, you’d think it’s the best thing ever without ever eating at Nobu. The same principle applies to everything else in your life. You can trick your brain into loving something if that’s all you feed it. You can make yourself obsessed with your goals if you block out all the noise and distractions.

Your brain is a powerful tool, but most people let it run them instead of the other way around. Take control of your inputs, and you can reshape your reality. That’s why I eat, sleep, and breathe entrepreneurship, business, and self-improvement. My favorite games are about building, my favorite movies are docuseries about business, and my favorite conversations are about growth. I’ve tricked my brain into making this my life. And that’s how you create a mindset that’s unshakeable.

Non-Control Variables: How to Play the Game

Now let’s address the ones crying about non-control variables—the people demanding reparations, the ones who think the world owes them something. Sure, life’s not fair, and sometimes the cards you’re dealt are straight-up trash. But let’s be real: you’ve got two options. You can either whine about it or find a way to turn those trash cards into a winning hand.

For example, yeah, I could’ve sat around and cried about being rejected from my dream school. I could’ve played the victim and blamed the system. But instead, I used that rejection as fuel. I focused on what I could control—my work ethic, my skills, my network—and I made my own opportunities. And you can bet your ass that I’m going to use my success to work towards fixing the broken education system

someday.

Why Musicians Fail and Kanye Didn’t

Most musicians fail because they’re out here chasing clout instead of controlling their environment. They’re waiting for the world to validate them instead of validating themselves. Kanye wasn’t waiting for someone to hand him a record deal; he was out there spending every last dime he had to produce his own music and prove he was the best.

The difference between success and failure is control. Kanye knew this. He controlled every aspect of his journey until the world had no choice but to acknowledge his greatness. You have to take that same energy and apply it to your life.

Kobe Bryant Became a Legend

Kobe Bryant didn’t just play basketball—he breathed it. The "Mamba Mentality" wasn’t just a catchy phrase; it was his entire way of life. While others were sleeping, Kobe was in the gym at 4 a.m., grinding, perfecting his craft, and pushing himself to the edge. He wasn’t just aiming to be great; he was consumed by the need to be the best. Every shot, every dribble, every game was life or death to him. That’s why he became a legend—because he let the game consume him and gave it everything he had, every single day.

Work-Life Balance Is Bullshit

Let’s talk about that thing everyone’s always preaching: work-life balance. It’s bullshit. You think Kobe Bryant was out here balancing his basketball career with a bunch of hobbies? No, he wasn’t. He let the game consume him. When you love what you do, when your work becomes your life, there’s no need for balance. It’s all one path forward, one goal, one mission. Trying to split yourself between work and life is a surefire way to do both half-assed.

If you want to be the best, you have to let your dream consume you. There’s no separation because it’s all intertwined. I’m not saying neglect everything else, but when you’re serious about your mission, it stops being "work" and just becomes who you are. When you align everything in your life with your goals, that’s when you become unstoppable.

You Can Trick Your Brain

Ignorance is bliss, right? If you grew up eating McDonald’s your whole life, you’d think it’s the best thing ever. You’d be convinced those greasy fries and Big Macs are peak cuisine. But then one day, you walk into Nobu and experience real quality—the kind of flavor, texture, and experience that McDonald’s can’t even dream of delivering. Suddenly, McDonald’s feels like a joke. But here’s the kicker: if you never stepped into Nobu, you’d never know any better.

The same principle applies to everything in your life. If you limit yourself to mediocrity, you’ll convince yourself it’s the best there is. But if you surround yourself with excellence, push yourself to explore beyond the ordinary, you’ll realize what you’ve been missing. You can trick your brain into loving something if that’s all you feed it, but once you taste greatness, there’s no going back. That’s the level of obsession you need with your goals—constantly striving for the Nobu-level experience instead of settling for McDonald's.

Your brain is a powerful tool, but most people let it run them instead of the other way around. Take control of your inputs, and you can reshape your reality. That’s why I eat, sleep, and breathe entrepreneurship, business, and self-improvement. My favorite books? Business. My favorite conversations? Business. Even when I was a high school kid crushing hard on a girl, I managed to turn the conversation into a comparison between women and stocks (which, yeah, in hindsight, it was cringe). The point is, I know what I’m about, and I’m not afraid to let that consume me.