Over the next few months or years, you’re going to have a lot of doubts. You’re going to have a lot of second thoughts. You might even accidentally look back. You’re going to have people to tell you to cave in, put your hands up, and go back to their way of doing things. You’re probably going to backslide a few times. You might come close to giving up. For these situations, you’re going to need a defense mechanism.

Copy and paste this post and put it in a word document. Don’t worry about remembering where it came from — that”ll just serve as a distraction. Just get the text and keep a copy of it. Whenever you’re coming close to giving up or caving in or going back — read the following.

Suck it up. You’re bigger than this. The entire concept of human ambition rests in the philosophy of never caving in when you know you’re in the right. Don’t want to give up? Then don’t. Don’t want to fail? Then don’t accept defeat. Wish you were stronger? Then just be stronger; emotional strength is a choice.

So you think you want to start a business? Then don’t you dare give up, even if you have to fail and go bankrupt a few times. You want to run your own life? Then giving up isn’t even a question of money anymore. Going back to getting used to a regular job and boss isn’t just about cash — it’s a question of life and walking death. If you give up now that you’ve tried to start out on your own, you’ll never see yourself the same. You’ll never shake that doubting feeling. You’ll never be able to look yourself in the eyes even if you could.

So people are telling you you’re nuts? Well they’re the crazy ones, living a life that’s innefficient and incoherent. They’re running themselves to the bone, and they’re not getting crap in return. A secure income? That’s a joke, and most of them are going to get fired at some point. There’s no such thing as a secure income; there’s risk everywhere, and if you don’t like it you might as well just get over it, because reality isn’t changing anytime soon.

So you’re feeling a little lonely? Good. You can focus on your work and dreams with less distractions. Hollywood tells us that success isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Well, Hollywood isn’t all it’s cracked up to be either. There’s nothing that can compare to the feeling you’re going to get when you can look at what you’ve done, know that you never caved, and stand there resting in the certainty of your own integrity.

I’m talking about always knowing that you can do whatever you want with your life.

I’m talking about figuring out what you want and just going for it.

I’m talking about the American dream.

If you want it, get it, and don’t you DARE let anybody stop you, because the only person that can stop you now is you. Do you have the guts to succeed? Then get back to work.