A daily dose of morning poison.
Welcome to issue #026 of Unsubscribe. Each week, I send two essays that help you step off the default path to build a life you love, supported by work you enjoy. If you need support on your entrepreneurial journey, join our network of over 900 entrepreneurs. You’ll instantly join our group chat, weekly live Q&As, monthly workshops, and private in-person events.
I know people who wake up angry at the entire world and everything around them.
They're angry at their boss. Work sucks. The government is letting them down, and don't get them started about the economy. Other people's success drives them up a wall. Hell, the entire system is rigged against them.
They spend their days mad as hell about what's wrong, what's unfair, and why everyone else supposedly has it easier.
And, weirdly, they wonder why nothing good ever seems to happen to them.
The uncomfortable truth is that angry people rarely succeed.
Anger makes you toxic to be around. When you're constantly pissed off, you make bad decisions, burn bridges with the people who could help you, and waste energy on things you can't control instead of focusing on the things you can.
Angry people don't attract opportunities. They repel them.
Who wants to work with someone who's always complaining or invest in someone who blames everyone else? Who wants to buy from someone who is constantly focused on the negative?
Nobody does. I certainly don't. And I don't know anyone else who does either.
So they fail. And when they fail, they get angrier. They point to their lack of success as proof that the world really is out to get them. That the game is rigged and everyone else got lucky breaks they never had.
It's a downright vicious cycle.
I watched this happen to a sales guy I used to manage back in the day. He was a really smart guy with excellent product knowledge. He easily could have crushed his quota every single quarter. But every time he lost a deal, he blamed someone else. The marketing team sucked. The product team wasn't shipping the right features. His territory was awful. The leads were shit. Everything other than "I blew the deal." His attitude poisoned everyone and everything around him. So he got fired. And last I checked, he was bouncing from role to role every 6 months, likely still blaming everyone else for his lot in life.
It's not that I don't get it. I do. I've been there. We all have moments where the unfairness of something makes us want to burn everything down. The difference is whether you live in that headspace or just visit.
Stop waiting for the world to be fair and start making the most of what you have right now.
Channel that energy into building something instead of tearing everything around you down.
Success doesn't care what you deserve. It only shows up when you create value despite the obstacles.
After 23 years of building businesses and managing teams, I’ve learned that success requires an “attitude partner.” And you get to choose.
You can choose anger. Anger will show up every morning, ready to explain why nothing is your fault. It'll justify every failure and find someone else to blame. It's comfortable because it never asks you to change.
Or you can choose ambition. Ambition is harder work. It makes you uncomfortable. It points out your weaknesses. It demands you try again when you fail. But ambition is the only partner that actually knows how to win.
The truth is you can't have both. Anger takes up the space that ambition needs to operate.
So pick one. But know that I've never met a successful person who always chose anger. Not one.
And likely neither have you.
What’s your take on today’s topic? Do you agree, disagree, or is there something I missed?
If you enjoyed this read, the best compliment I could receive would be if you shared it.
Join our private network of 900+ entrepreneurs who have access to the following upcoming events and previous workshops from 6 and 7-figure entrepreneurs, CEOs, multiple New York Times Bestselling Authors, creators, makers, and more. You’ll also gain access to live weekly Q&As and invitations to members-only networking events worldwide.
Align your thoughts, feelings, intentions, and actions with expansion instead of contraction, and watch the abundance that follows.
Completely agree and I too have been there. Reality is some work/life situations can be toxic and won’t allow you to succeed. In these circumstances, after many failed attempts and deep self reflection, the ambitious response is to leave that situation.