Age is not an excuse to not try. At the age of 32, Julius Caesar broke down in tears before a statue of Alexander the Great, realizing he had accomplished almost nothing in his life while Alexander had already conquered much of the known world. Serving as a minor official in Spain and burdened by heavy debts, Caesar felt his existence was insignificant by comparison. This moment of painful self-reflection that you’ve probably experiences as well at some point in your life, became a turning point that sparked a fierce new determination. He returned to Rome, rose rapidly through politics, conquered Gaul, invaded Britain, won a civil war, and fundamentally transformed Rome into a vast empire. Never doom. Ever.

Here’s some advice for you young guys trying to make sense of money, career, and happiness. I was 25 in 2008. There was little opportunity, people freaked. And yet, I emerged. I empathize w/the younger gen. I know it’s scary. Start here: 1) Get your mind right. Do not allow doom and fear to control you. It incapacitates and weakens you. 2) Understand that businesses are always hunting for positive people and hard workers. Focus on being great. 3) The ability to communicate and build relationships will lead to more opportunities than anything else, including a college degree. 4) How to improve communications? Read books. How to Win Friends and Influence People is a nice place to start. 5) Make it known to everyone in your life what you want and what you are trying to do. Ask for referrals and intros. 6) Not sure where do start? Get into sales. Or at least get adjacent to sales so you can position yourself for a sales job. Sell cell phones, cars, chemicals…anything. 7) Dress nicer than you think you should to job interviews and work. It does send a message. 8) Shaking hands firmly and making eye contact and smiling is wildly underrated. 9) Consumerism is for suckers, especially when you’re broke. You do not need to buy expensive stuff for any reason. Conserve your cash, keep expenses low. 10) Stop thinking about what you want, and start thinking about what you can offer to a potential employer (or biz partner). Comp will take care of itself when you perform. 11) Hard work, taking ownership, loyalty, results, receiving criticism well, and time will lead you upwards every single time. 12) Following your passion is terrible advice that has led millions of young people to functional bankruptcy because of college debt. Get your financial footing first unless you are a unicorn in your passion. Be honest with yourself. 13) Get roommates for as long as you need - or live at home if your parents will have you - to keep costs down. Again, conserve cash. 14) Cut people out of your life that have a victim mentality or lead you to make bad decisions, and do so aggressively. Align with people that have a core value fit for growth and goodness. 15) Do not try to get rich quick. This includes stock trading, crypto nerdery, and gambling - you will lose your money and be worse off. 16) Go back to church. 17) Don’t watch porn, it rots you from the inside out. 18) Don’t know what you want? Be curious. Schedule meetings, take notes, and get referrals. Go seek. Life isn’t required to come to you. 19) Be willing to change if something no longer suits you - a career, a relationship. Beware of the sunk cost fallacy. 20) Do not break the law or screw with the IRS. Jail is to be avoided. First 20 things that came to mind. It’s not an exhaustive list, but if just one point helps you, it was worth writing.

Drew Brees believes he would not have made the hall of fame if it weren't for a film session in 2003 where Marty Schottenheimer told him to stop making excuses “I’ll never forget a film session in 2003. I was coming off a tough game. As we watched the tape together, Coach asked me the question…” “‘Hey, why didn’t you throw to this receiver?’ ‘He was wide open.’ My response was… ‘I couldn’t see him.’ The tape paused. There was a moment of silence. Coach glared at me and said… It’s your job to see.’” “You reach a point in your career when you stop making excuses. It’s usually a moment or an event where you flip a switch. Or make a very conscious decision. And it becomes part of your being. Coach was right.” “And never again would those words or thoughts come out of my mouth. I would need to find a way to play the game a little bit different. Even if it was in a way that had not been done before.”