When I moved to Dubai, I started hearing this message on repeat every time I would meet someone new. They would say something along the lines of, "You can achieve anything, and living here is inspiring because you can see what has been built and done."
I kept hearing this message over and over from people, reading in different local publications, hearing it on social channels, etc. I sort of thought it was some bullshit statement, but I was wrong.
When you live in a city built out of nothing but sand and see the transformation they made, it's quite inspiring.
But you don't have to live in Dubai to be inspired. There is inspiration all around you, everywhere you look. And not only that, you currently have the ability to do anything you want to do, to build anything you want to build, and to live the life you want to live.
I come across people every single day who tell me they have these big goals either personally or professionally, and the truth is the only thing that separates you from achieving them is your own desire and ability to want to make shit happen, and the circles you run in.
Outside of Jay-Z, there haven't been a ton of local drug dealers who became multi-millionaires the right way, and when I watch Shark Tank, it's obvious the people on there have a serious determination to be successful.
So if those are two of the largest drivers, my question for you is, who are you hanging out with, and what's your motivation?
Better yet, let me ask you, "What the fuck is taking you so long?"
The overwhelming theme I see from so many people is the internal debate to get started, mixed with the fact that they're continuing to surround themselves with people who can't imagine chasing a big dream, and they struggle to find the motivation.
Sound familiar? I hope not.
Dubai was such a trip because everyone you met there was trying to do something big. You had influencers who wanted to grow a following and live like digital nomads while working for themselves. You have millionaires and billionaires from all parts of the world hanging out on the beaches there. You'll find a new entrepreneur on every street corner, people with a startup, people with startup ideas, and investors everywhere.
These people aren't hanging around Dubai just because they like the weather; they don't, it's hot as fuck seven months out of the year. No, they're hanging around Dubai because there is opportunity and potential. Opportunity and potential to do big, epic shit, and there is talent who wants to do the same, and a community of energy driving towards those goals.
You don't need timing or perfection to go chase your big goals. You need the right energy surrounding you, the right people, and the right motivation, and until you have those things, you will continue to sit there wondering what success would feel like.
You’re stuck because you’re comfortable sitting in the conversation instead of stepping into the arena, and comfort has a funny way of convincing you that you’re making progress when you’re really just standing still.
The environment you choose is either going to pull something out of you or quietly suffocate what you’re capable of becoming. You don’t rise to your potential, you rise to the standard of the room you’re in, and if that room is filled with people who think playing small is normal, then guess what, you’ll start to believe that too. But when you surround yourself with people who are building, risking, failing, and getting back up again, something shifts. Your excuses start to sound weaker. Your ideas start to feel more real. And your timeline starts to shrink because action becomes the expectation, not the exception.
So if you’re sitting there thinking about the life you want, the career you want, the version of yourself you keep saying you’re going to become, stop treating it like a someday conversation. Get around people who are already moving. Put yourself in environments that demand more from you. And take the first step, even if it’s messy, even if it’s uncomfortable, even if you have no idea what you’re doing yet. Because the truth is, the gap between where you are and where you want to be isn’t some magical secret; it’s movement. And the longer you wait, the longer you’re choosing to stay exactly where you are.
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