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Years back, I had $147 in my bank account, I'd dropped out of school, and I was working for $10 an hr.

I told myself I was too smart and talented to be a bum, so I got pissed off enough to change

Here's how I radically transformed my life using anger (and how you can too):
I didn't have some cruel or tragic upbringing.

The hole I dug was the product of my own mistakes:

- I screwed off in school
- I drank, partied, and did drugs literally every single day
- I got arrested for selling weed

I was just young, dumb, and reckless
Eventually, I found myself totally stuck.

With no degree and a felony conviction on my record, I was living in a ratty apartment for $250 a month.

At one point, I only had $147 to my name.

Dead broke, I needed a job, so I applied to work at a video store.
This sounds dumb...

But the day I walked into a video store to apply to be a job as a clerk changed my entire life.

I walked in and applied. I was a bum, but I was still a sharp kid. I dressed well and spoke in an articulate manner.

The manager was impressed.
I had come in just to get a job as a clerk but she said they were looking for a new manager to run the store.

Up until that point, I'd been fired from every job I ever had.

For me, it felt like a big opportunity and a chance to start over. So I took the opportunity to heart.
I got the job and I started studying personal development so I could become a good manager.

I studied all the classics - Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins, and Tai Lopez who was huge at the time.

Anyway, I was working away at my job and doing well, but I was still PISSED off
As much as it felt good to finally have some stability in my life, I was still broke.

As much of a learning opportunity it was, I still felt like being a manager at a video store was beneath me.

Hell, they only paid me $10 an hour
I used to go eat lunch at Taco Johns

They had a hiring sign that said they were paying $11 an hour. It deeply irritated me that people were getting paid more to make TACOS than I was being a manager.

It was one of the many 'slights' I cataloged.

What do I mean?
Michael Jordan was known for using perceived slights by others as motivation. Sometimes he literally just made them up to motivate himself.

I started to collect these little moments in my head and use them as fuel for escaping the trap I had built for myself.
- I'd eat lunch at Taco Johns daily, getting pissed that the people who made my food earned more

- I'd think about all the times shitty customers barked complaints at me

- I thought about the time my boss said no to a raise for more than TEN FUCKING DOLLARS

Then it happened...
There was a literal day, a moment in time when I decided to change my life.

I'd been watching these videos from Tai Lopez and he had this self-help course for sale

I was still broke, but I figured I needed to do something to change my life, so push myself over the edge
Right before purchasing the program, I had an out loud conversation with myself about how frustrated I was with my life.

@briannawiest actually quoted me in her book about this moment in my life.

I screamed:

"I'M NOT FUCKING LIVING LIKE THIS ANYMORE!!!!!"
That day began an 8-year journey that led to where I am now:

- Millions of readers each year
- A multi-figure business
- 3 published books
- TEDx speaker
- Making a living doing what I love

I started my journey of 1,000 steps with anger as my motivator
I took this 67-day self-help course.

Most of the students never made it to day 67. I did.

I kept reading, studying, learning, & growing.

Any day I didn't want to be productive, I thought about my promise to myself.

One day a friend asked me to write articles for his website
I started sharing the things I was learning by writing posts on his site.

I was hooked.

I've been writing every single day since the first time I wrote an article.

I've had ups and downs in these past eight years, but I always went back to one source of motivation
ANGER

There's nothing wrong with being upset with your situation.

Often, you have a right to be angry

- With your situaition
- With your results
- With the BS you have to deal with on a day-to-day basis
- With yourself
ANGER with all of its negative qualities at least provides some FUEL.

There's this new societal trend that wants to protect you from all negative feelings.

You're not supposed to be happy and feel good all the time. Negative emotions mean something is wrong.
Frustration, anger, and a chip on your shoulder might not be the healthiest sources of motivation, but they're damn useful.

You can graduate to peace, light, and love later. For right now, you have worked to do.

Get PISSED so you can do it.
A few plugs:

Every Monday, I write hard-hitting wisdom like this to start your day right. Join the Monday Motivation letter here - bit.ly/mondaymotivationletter
My book, Real Help: An Honest Guide to Self-Improvement, has 300 five-star reviews.

Dozens of people have called it the best self-help book they've ever read.

Seriously, go read the reviews.

Grab a copy here - amzn.to/2Wuyw9l
That's a wrap!

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