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I had a great conversation with a pretty famous guy the other day.
I'll tell you his name in a minute, but for now suffice it to say that he's an entertainer.
This is somebody I never would have expected to meet, but we talked for a long time and
covered a lot of topics. What a great guy, and wise beyond his years. He grew up in a
really rough neighborhood — so rough that he didn't expect to survive past his teens,
and none of his friends did either. That actually kind of blew my mind, because most of the
kids I've known have thought they were indestructible — nothing bad could ever happen to them.
So that was my first Takeaway: Your circumstances shape your outlook. Two young people from
opposite environments can have almost opposite outlooks on life.
But this guy was blessed with two positive, powerful influences: his mother and his grandfather.
They showed him tough love and taught him the life lessons he needed to know to make
his own way in the world. And by applying those lessons he was able to defy his own
low expectations and create his own version of the American Dream. Which is Takeaway Number
2: Circumstances may shape your outlook, but circumstances don't own you. We all have
the power to reject the negative influences around us and embrace the positive ones, and
making the right choice can make all the difference. Okay, I promised to give you his name. It's
MURS, and he's a rapper — that's right, a rapper. Does that change the way you look
at him? Let me tell you about MURS. He's about to turn 36, he and his wife live in
Tucson with their two sons. MURS drives his son to school, takes out the trash, and pretty
much does the things that you and I do. Because you know what? He's
a real person, just like you and me. Which brings us to the final takeaway: Keep an open mind.
We all harbor our own personal stereotypes about different types of people. And those
stereotypes are usually wrong.
Well, that's it for now. If you or someone you know needs financial planning or investment
advice, please drop me an email or give us a call here at Millard & Company. Thanks for watching,
have a great day, and we'll see you next time.