Is It Too Late To Be Successful After (Insert Age Here)?
For the longest time, I felt like it was way too late to make an impact on the world and become successful.
I am ambitious and I wanted to be really successful. But the news made it seem like if you did not become a singer, actress, or tech entrepreneur by the time you were 21, it was over. It turns out I’m not the only one. A lot of other people (some into their 40’s) think it’s too late.
But then I got into personal development and did some research. I studied hundreds of the world’s most successful people and I was startled at what I found.
It’s not true at all. When you think it is all over, it’s really just the beginning of an incredible journey.
Get Excited. The Best Years of Your Life Are Ahead.
Napoleon Hill spent his whole life studying the hundreds of nation’s richest people in person, thanks to his connection with the richest person in the world, Andrew Carnegie. During that time, he spent 12 years studying a specific phenomenon that intrigued him.
He realized that almost all the world’s richest people only started getting successful after the age of 40. Their peak years of productivity were between 40 and 60. He wanted to learn why. And he did.
After a dozen years of research, Napoleon found that most people were only successful after the age of 40 because:
* They channeled their sexual energy, the strongest motivator, into physical forms rather than towards productive or creative work. Only after 40 did they realize they could channel it for other means. (This is the main one)
* Only after 40 did they learn how to use their “creative imagination”, which takes years of self-analysis and meditation to develop.
In fact, Napoleon went as far to say that you shouldn’t be depressed that you’re about to hit 40. You should be excited and eager to step into the most productive period of your life.
He cites many billionaires as examples in his book, but my favorite is James J. Hill, who was still working as a clerk at the age of 40.
This also means that if you’re still in your 20’s, you can get rich before 40 by channeling your energy into productive means rather than just diffusing it through trying to get laid (or actually getting laid) all the time.
Warren Buffett’s Advice
The author of the book The Snowball Alice Schroeder revealed an interesting story during a Reddit AMA. She went through a mid-life crisis in the same way. Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in the world, sat her down and told her that when he was 50, he thought his life was over. That was it. He would keep running his company and that would be that.
Yet every year after that, his life became even more amazing and fun. Even to this day, I follow his every move because he is doing some incredibly interesting things in business. As a fun fact, Warren Buffett made 99% of his wealth after the age of 50 (thanks to decades of persistence and the power of compound interest).
Why Humans Are Impatient
Sam Walton started building Walmart at 44 years old. Before that, he had spent decades honing his business skills humbly. Decades later, it became a multi-billion dollar company and he became one of the richest men in the history of humankind.
Sidney Frank created Grey Goose, a famous liquor company, at 72 years old. Yet why do so many kids complain they haven’t made it yet at 20?
It’s genetics and social media.