The uncomfortable truth about coddled kids

Candidate,

Is it just me, or are people are too coddled in this country?

I heard this 10-year-old kid order a "truffle burger" the other day. I didn't even know that word until 3 years ago.

I saw another kid YELLING at his mom in the grocery store. I just thought about what my parents would have done if I'd ever done something like that.

I see kids being told "Good job!" for getting an 87% on a test.

GOOD JOB?

So I started thinking, why are kids so soft these days?

Could we perhaps look at...ourselves?

After all, we're the adults these kids are learning from.

The same ones who watch Food Network just to watch it...but never actually cook the meals!

The same ones who dream about starting a business, watch Shark Tank, and read blog after blog...but never actually do anything about it!

The same ones who say, "I'm gonna try to cut back on carbs this month..."

TRY? A few years ago, on my parents' anniversary, I called them and asked how they got to 31 years of marriage. My mom said something super interesting:

"You just don't give yourself any choices," she said. "You're in it forever and you know that going in."

You don't try. You just decide to do it, no matter what.

It's almost like we've created a whole culture where we're judged on what you aspire to, not what you've actually accomplished.

In my life, one of the first things I learned about living a Richer Life was taking an honest look at what I SAID vs. what I actually DID.

I said I wanted to be flying around on jets, earning money while I was sleeping, helping millions of people using psychology…but I wasn't taking any steps that would actually get me there.

I would look at guys with cooler clothes than me and say, "I wish I could dress like that" -- then do NOTHING to learn how to dress better.

I would see guys who were more built than I was -- lean, more muscles -- and not only would I do nothing, I actually said, "I could never look like that." I literally told myself what I COULDN'T do instead of what I WANTED for myself.

Eventually I realized I could sit around and watch TV shows, read magazines, and dream about living the life...or I could actually do something.

Ironically, when I started taking small steps (eventually leading to bigger steps and a more successful business), I actually started living a cooler life than the one I used to dream about.

But I never would have imagined that 5 or 10 years ago.

I want to create a Rich Life for myself.

And that doesn't just mean money. It's about giving yourself the chance to try new things -- whenever you want.

For example, take a look at this random whiskey tasting I did a while ago:

Whiskey tasting night in Manhattan.

You guys want to do this together? To start building a Rich Life together. To give yourself the ability to travel, or work less, or even work more if you love what you do? I want to do it with you. Tomorrow, I'm going to share a new series on how to actually get the things we say we want. For example, back in 2016 I took a last-minute trip to Italy and posted a pic of the books I read.

You can see more pics from the trip on my Instagram.

Some guy on Instagram said, "Wow, must be nice, I'd love to take a last-minute trip to Europe." I want to show you how.

You want to be able to hire a personal trainer or pay someone to clean your apartment? No problem.

No more fantasizing. No more trying.

Let's actually do it.

So email me if you're excited. Email me if you know what a Rich Life means to you. Email me if you have questions you want me to answer about starting a business. Shit, email me if you hate me! I don't give a damn. I love hearing from you -- top performers, weirdos, and nutcases alike.

Talk to you tomorrow.

- Ramit

-Ramit

P.S. A couple weeks ago I asked readers what they're most proud of. A few of my favorite answers:

Meditating 10 minutes/day
Brewing the perfect coffee at home
Squeezing in a workout even on busy days

It's interesting. So many of us never stop to pat ourselves on the back, even when we deserve it. Instead, we look at the people ahead of us and think, "Ugh, they've got it so figured out."

Sure, some of them do know how to achieve 10X more than others (which is why I spent years obsessively studying these people). But you'd be surprised how many don't know how to step back and enjoy what they already have.