Never Believe Your Own Legend

Recently I was standing in line to check into a very nice hotel.

In front of me in line was a very attractive woman in early 30s.

There was a man in front of her at the counter so she was second in line and I was third in line.

I observed the woman.

She was very put together.

Clearly worked out and took care of herself.

She was dressed very nice.

She had beautiful perfect black hair.

She was tan.

She wore a Birkin bag.

Had Louboutin shoes.

She had on an all gold Audemars Piguet watch.

She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring so I figured she was somewhat independently financially successful.

When she got to the counter they didn’t have her room ready.

You would have thought the world was about to end.

This lady berated the poor desk clerk for a legitimate two minutes.

It was unbelievable how rude and condescending she was.

She literally told this kid she could “buy the hotel” 🙄

As I stood there listening to the lady go on & on I was thinking to myself how this lady could be self made but still behaving like this.

Surely along the way she bartended or waited tables, took out trash or one of a million jobs we do because we have to along the way.

And even if she hadn’t what was her problem?

It was just rude.

She was way overly pissed off for the context of the situation.

I was confused because that’s not typical behavior from financially successful people who have had to earn it.

All my truly successful friends...have the most amount of respect for others.

They are the most humble...with the least ego.

This is no coincidence either.

To be great you have to be able to constantly get better....

To constantly get better you have to be able to learn...

To learn you must admit you dont know.

This requires humility.

This is why you see so many people get some success in life and then lose it later.

They get cocky.

They stop learning.

They are the expert now.

They start believing their own news clippings.

They start believing their own legend.

They start believing they are entitled to the good life...and start treating people as if they are below them.

Like this lady.

This is how people behave right before they fall.

These people always lose eventually.

Truly successful people understand where the line is.

They understand it’s ok to live a big life.

They understand it’s ok to drive a nice car and pretend you’re the shit.

But they always know....

They ain’t all that.

Never forget where you came from.

Never forget what it’s like to be broke.

Never forget what it’s like to work a normal job.

Never forget that people deserve basic respect.

Never forget everything can go back to the way it was at any given second.

So don’t get too attached.

Most of all...

Never believe your own legend.

Most legends aren’t true.

Oh...and for the good looking rich woman from earlier....

I saw her that night outside the hotel making out with a man who was wearing a perfectly tailored 3 piece suit wearing a 500k Patek Phillpe watch, being driven in a Rolls Royce Phantom....clearly this dude was very wealthy.

...he was about 85 years old.

I thought to myself:

“no wonder she was so pissed off”

—Andy