Giving thanks to people is important. In this life we can't really say we did anything on our own because whether it be from the support, influence, love and even hate from others, we would not be able to accomplish the things we would like to accomplish.
Typically, we say thanks to our parents, friends, family, significant others, co-workers and colleagues. Today I am going to take a different approach as I will discuss why I couldn't have accomplished anything without the discouragement, frustration, and the betrayal from people I've had relationships with in my life. If it wasn't for the list below, I would never have the courage to do what I've done in my life and be the person I am today.
1.) High School Teachers
Thanks to 90% of you for completely writing me off because I was terrible at math and science. Special shoutout to my 11th grade English teacher. Instead of honing my writing skills and creativity you laughed me off when I said I have the ability to take Honors Writing.
2.) High School Classmates
Thanks to a select few of you for also writing me off and treating me like some buffoon with no future. Although I love to bring out the best in everyone it was a select few of you who made sure I never felt good about myself. Thank you for motivating me to always to do what I do and make sure everyone I ever interact with leaves me with nothing but positive emotions and an uplifted spirit.
3.) Extended Family
Most of you don't even know what I do or care to know. Growing up as the youngest in the family I was never treated with any respect at all. Hearing all your stories of failure and betrayal motivated me to never be like a good portion of you. Thanks for paving the way and never giving me the time of day even when I'm nearing my 30's.
4.) Law School Classmates & Professors
Thank you. Thank you for being boring robotic people who convinced me every single day that the position I was in as a law student was the biggest mistake of my life. Thank you for also telling me that being a writer will never make me any money. Thank you for telling me that law school is not for creative people. Thank you for making me feel bad about myself because I didn't understand a case from Contracts. Special thanks to my legal writing professor for laughing at me and saying "you're supposed to be a good writer, huh?" because of my lack of legal writing skills. Thank you law school, you might have cost me 7 months of my life but after living in hell for so long I had no choice but to claw my way out of it and find daylight.
5.) Previous Employers
After I dropped out of law school I got a job at a software company ran by a family. This experience was so terrible but it shaped me unlike no other. Thank you to Mr. Surani for telling me I'll never make over $60,000 in my life and that no company would ever want to deal with someone as overly passionate as me. Thank you for calling me annoying, stupid, and lazy. Thank you for never showing up to work to grow my potential. It's because of your lack of attention I spent 6 hours a day watching videos on how to be the best online marketer I could be and if it wasn't for all the videos I found on YouTube I wouldn't be as successful as I am today. Thanks for being a total jerk, you really changed my life.
*Spoiler Alert* I make way over $60,000 now. Don't get into professional gambling Mr. Surani, you're not great at seeing future outcomes.
Honorable mention to Mr. Hayward of your classic online marketing firm for firing me of me on my birthday after stringing me along for 6 months while trying to find an employee who was considerably cheaper than me. You're a real piece of work but you motivated me beyond belief the day you told me I was "overpriced". Thanks to my diligent efforts, the company who hired me after you let me go has done over $2.5 million dollars in sales and went viral across the Internet thanks to my ideas and sales abilities. Take that for "overpriced".
It's important to take all the negative you've had in your life and turn it into a positive. Find strength from your failures. Find power from those who put you down. Let all the negativity burn you up and take that inferno of pain and make something positive of it.
Let's not let people who hurt us define who we are in a negative way. Let's instead lay the bricks of our foundation with their negative comments and emotions towards us.
Thanks to All the Dreamers
Now it's time to give you my real thanks to the people I love. 8 months ago I started D.R.E.A.M. because of a multitude of reasons. My passion for fashion and Mental Health Awareness needed to be translated into something. For years I worked my tail off for other people. I've helped grow their dream and decided to put mine aside. 8 months ago I said no more and took the plunge and took what was burning inside of me and put it into practice.
8 months later and D.R.E.A.M. has raised over $4000 for Mental Health Awareness with our two great partners at the ADAA and BBR Foundation. Our goal in 2018 was $5000 and we're more than 75% away in 7 months.
Thanks to my beautiful wife for sticking by my side through all this. Thanks to my son for motivating me to be a harder working person. I hope in 16 years you will inherit D.R.E.A.M. and continue my vision side by side with me. Thanks to my parents for supporting me and especially my father for telling me I shouldn't sleep on this idea. Thanks to my friends who have helped me set up everything and support my vision, you know who you are.
However, none of this is possible without all of you who have supported my vision. Thank you to all the e-mails you send praising my designs, my writing, my creativity, and everything else I do for D.R.E.A.M.
Nothing makes me happier than when one of you reach out to me and tell me I helped impact your life and your struggle. As I've said, my DM's and heart is always open to all of you. As someone who struggles, together I know we can help each other out and ensure that none of us stop dreaming.
If you'd like to support my vision at D.R.E.A.M. check out our shop. From today until July 5th we are having a 35% off sale for Independence Day. Use promo code DREAM4TH to save.