This isn’t a question that should have you calling your financial adviser; in fact it would be more appropriate that you look towards a Life adviser for the answer.

You see, the question isn’t how much have you made, but rather what are you selling your ‘self’ for?

How high of a standard does a person have to have in order to get your time and attention? Do your friends, the ones who are not progressing in any area, getting you to come over and hang out for hours each and every week?

Does your boss, the guy who gets as much from you for as little return as possible, know that you aren’t going to leave because you feel ‘loyal’ or that there are no other options?

Do you spend your time on Facebook, trying to flaunt how successful you are and keep up with the Jones’? Do you feel anxiety or stress when you don’t get likes, up votes, or someone challenges your opinion and the world isn’t 100% in support of your opinion online?

If you can relate - then you brother, are fucking cheap.

You are selling your true ‘self’ to the world for pennies. Your standard is so low that others know they can do and say as they please and you will take it. That minimum price they are paying, you’re taking it and giving yourself to them like a fucking golden corral buffet on groupon.

What do you think would happen if you raised that standard (price)?

Here is an overview of what life looks like when you refuse to reward failure and maintain a standard (boundary).

The people around you will push back. Not all of this will be a positive experience for you. People will accuse you of changing (which you are, for the better – or maybe you’re the same but now expecting more from others), of being an asshole (it’s easier to make you the bad guy with labels than it is for someone to reflect on why you would expect more from them and their mediocre performance/existence), of acting like you’re ‘too good’ (ever consider that maybe you do deserve better and are ‘too good’?), etc.

The point you need to embrace is that they are correct; you view yourself as too good for their bullshit. People will read this and think I’m a conceited asshole for even considering the notion that I am better than some people, but the fact remains, I am not saying I am a better person, but rather my goals do not align with their personalities and/or actions and I’m going to cut the waste and time vampires from my life.

I refuse to sell my ‘self’ short to anyone. If you feel you are worth my time, then be a person that is actually worth my time. My wife is a solid mom to my kids; she cooks, cleans, is motivated, works out, and is generally a cool chick. For this, I give her my all. If she were shitty and not filling a role and bringing value, I’d remove my attention and direct it elsewhere, she wouldn’t deserve all of me because she wasn’t good enough, the price she offered wasn’t enough to buy me.

My friends are all motivated in their lives and while I don't share the same hobbies or goals, there is mutual respect that we are all owning our shit and expecting a standard from each other.

This goes for everything.

If your job sucks and you feel you deserve more, then get more. You don’t owe your company shit, you don’t owe your boss shit, and you don’t owe anyone anything as YOU set the price, they don’t dictate it.

In this world you will get what you work for. Or, to put it more eloquently, you will be what you will to be.

Now comes the warning, don’t get ahead of yourself. If there is a shitty vehicle whose asking price is $1 Million, people will laugh and no one will buy. To raise your price you must actually be of value, and to become a man of value, there are thousands of words already written, that is not the intent of this post. Become a man of value, then set your price and enforce it.

The end result is that you have people whom you can use to get closer to your goals. People who will prevent you from sliding back to bad habits, people who will call you out on your bullshit and when you say you're trying your best they call you a weaksauce delirious fuck.

You will have people who know they are expected to maintain a standard and that there are consequences for refusing to do so.

People will be happier and will succeed around you.

This isn't about getting higher by pushing others down, it is about raising your 'self' and in turn building up those whom you find worthy and care about.

My friends know I'd be there to help them with anything and I know the same. I don't have friends or family who mooch money or time, people who just complain without solving their problems.

Why? I'm not lucky, I've removed those friends and family from my life.

It's not easy to tell a family member you won't be going to their house anymore because you don't want your kids around their lifestyle, but it had to be done so I did it.

There will be difficult conversations to be had, but in the end if you believe you deserve better and you believe there are anchors preventing you from moving forward, either cut the cord and swim to the surface - or accept that you actually don't deserve better because you aren't willing to take the necessary steps to achieve 'better'.