What is your definition of success? I come across this question almost daily. The dictionary defines success as "The attainment of fame, wealth, or social status." Famous people spend half of their lives trying to become famous. Once they achieve fame, they ironically spend the second half trying to go unnoticed. Very perplexing. My definition of success is pretty simple – waking up every day doing what you love to do while having someone else do those things you would rather not do. For many, success is simplicity while, for others, it’s complexity. It may be cliché but it’s very true; once we find what we love to do, we never have to work another day in our lives.

It’s that time of year when many families are trying to determine which college their child or grandchild should attend. However, many of those families have not asked the success question:

What is the one thing you could see yourself doing every day for the rest of your life?

Unsurprisingly, most teenagers will not have an answer. However, simply asking the question helps change the thought process by changing the focus from a job to a vocation. Certainly, college is helpful and often a necessary prerequisite for career entry. However, for many, college is an unfortunate obstacle rather than an opportunity. For example, Ted Turner was kicked out of Brown University, worked for his father, then launched Turner Broadcasting Company. His net worth is over $2.2 billion. Larry Ellison, Founder of Oracle, dropped out of college twice. He now owns his own island in Hawaii and has a net worth of $61.1 billion. Henry Ford did not have an engineering degree. Instead, he left the family farm at the age of 16 to become an apprentice in a machine shop in Detroit. He built his first car at age 29 and the rest is history. Richard Branson, my personal favorite, never attended college. As a child, he had severe dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At 16, his headmaster told him he would either end up in prison or become a millionaire. He now owns the Virgin Group, which owns over 400 companies, and has a net worth over $5 billion.

In the book “Good to Great,” Jim Collins states that the enemy to becoming great at anything is simply becoming good. Say “no” to settling for good or else you will never become great. We only can become great with passion, persistence and perseverance and without a fear of failure. This begins with finding what we love and doing it for the rest of our lives. Success is a journey – not a destination.

Below I have included links to an interview I recently had with MoneyGeek. The interview was in reference to home insurance and advice for balance transfer cardholders. Please always remember when someone says, “I am going to sue you for everything you’ve got,” it’s important we have insurance protection for “everything we’ve got”! I encourage you to take the time to read each of the interview installments as well as review your own coverage to make certain you and your family are fully protected.

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On behalf of everyone at KIG, thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter and the opportunity to serve you.

Best Regards,
Jack

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