Honesty Is the Only Way to Make Real Money

Even if the ideas were all yours. Even if you made nothing on them. Even if they were blatantly stolen. Give credit and move on. Hoarding your ideas for the moment when you can shine, will only leave you by yourself in a dimly lit room with only a mirror to stare at.

"But if I give ideas for free, what if they could've made a billion dollars? I always get screwed by my partners." If you are the source of ideas, then you are ALWAYS the source. Forget the losers who steal. Move on. You become THE fountain of ideas. People come to the fountain and make wishes and throw money in. Don't be a trickle of dirty water. Be the fountain and let people know it by giving away all credit and rewards.

Every day you can think of at least two people to introduce to each other who will help each other. You don't have to be in the middle. "Take me off cc," you should say. Let them help each other. Let them benefit. You don't need to be in the middle and benefit this time. You'll benefit next time. Or the time after that.

"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble." – Gandhi

Everything you do takes up space in your brain. If you live a double life (and you know what I mean if I'm talking to you), then that extra life takes up neurons and synapses working overtime. The brain can't handle it. It starts to degrade instead of grow.

Anger is a form of dishonesty. Nobody is perfect. It's a lie to expect the people around you to be perfect. Of course, you can't control your anger. Sometimes it just happens. But note it for what it is, examine it, and try to turn it around, even just a little – in order to learn more about yourself rather than to blame someone else. That's where the honesty will compound.

When I lost millions of dollars in 2000 to the point of going completely broke and losing my home, it was easy to blame an "Internet bust" and "corrupt CEOs" rather than my own lack of experience in the financial world. Excuses are easy lies we tell ourselves to cover up our failures. One such excuse is, only dishonest people get ahead. This is also a lie.

This is more than just giving credit. At heart, everyone wants to be perceived as special. That's because everyone is special but are often never acknowledged that way. Be different. Be aware of the smallest movements around you and acknowledge them. Nobody will forget that.

One time I trashed an entrepreneur I had invested in to another investor. Later that day I was supposed to have dinner with the first entrepreneur. By that time, just four hours later, he had heard I trashed him. He never trusted me again. People always hear. And if they don't hear, they feel, because word gets around. And you can't predict this. And it's another way of living a double life.

Be that guy.

In 1999 some of my employees in my first company left and started a competitor company. Some of my partners were mad. I encouraged the employees. How come? Because nobody needs to be my employee for their entire lives. Always help people grow into their own potential.