Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter

by Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson

The goal is not just to be successful. It’s about learning how to sustain that success, too.

You’re only going to be as strong as the weakest person in your crew.

That’s why you have to be extremely conscious of who you have around you. Betrayal is never as far away as you’d like to believe.

I’m secure that as long as I’m betting on myself, I’m always going to win.

You’re never going to find lasting success until you take full responsibility for what

happens in your life. No one owes you anything. Just as you don’t owe anyone else. Once you accept that fundamental truth and accept that you control your journey, so many doors that seemed closed are going to open up in front of you.

You need to bend fear into moments of action at every opportunity, because the fearless not only recognize but also often reward one of their own.

brush off the inevitable blows life was going to rain down on me and keep moving forward to where I was trying to go, instead of where I was being pushed.

I’ve accepted that the punches are going to come in life, and some of them are going to land. But I’m always going to survive and keep fighting for the things I want. That has to be your attitude, too.

When fear interrupts your routine, or makes you rethink it in any way, it’s gotten its hooks deep in you and will hold you back forever.

The best way to get past a fear that’s holding you back is first to acknowledge it and then come up with a plan to get past it.

The things he could have helped me with—the lessons he could have taught me—those moments have all passed. I don’t think there’s anything positive he could add to my life now.

Being fearful can trip you up in so many ways, in both your professional and personal lives.

If you’re not hustling your absolute hardest, you’re never going to reach your full potential in life.

No matter what situation or setting you find yourself in, you don’t ever want to depend on anything—or any other person—to make you feel in control and comfortable. That sense of confidence should always come from within. Not from an external source.

Whatever it is you want to improve or correct, commit to it for thirty days, and see how it changes your perspective.

Give yourself the opportunity to identify with something different.

some of the things you “couldn’t live without” were actually standing between...

Hard work and dedication are two of the characteristics found in all true hustlers.

Another is focus. Because if you’re not able to focus and direct your hard work, you might be hustlin’ hard, but you won’t be hustlin’ smart.

A strong passion stance is what separates

the hustlers who win from the people who always seem stuck in place.

It’s also important to accept that your vision can—no, make that should—change.

opportunity. But what they lack is resiliency.

If you’ve spent your childhood worrying about past-due bills, family members in jail, or gunshots on your corner but are still out here trying to make it happen, you possess real resiliency. Acknowledge that about yourself. And then use that to your advantage.

you’re going to experience peaks and valleys. Even when you think you’ve been through it all, you’re going to find out there’s still more shit to go through.

Whenever you feel confused about a situation, it’s imperative that you find a way to turn the volume down and reconnect with what you’re truly feeling.

you have to incorporate some activity into your lifestyle that allows you to disconnect from the noise of both the past and present and reconnect with whatever you’re feeling in your gut in the moment.

A skilled hustler will always strategically assess all the risks and rewards before he commits to something.

And the only sure thing you can always count on, 100 percent of the time, is yourself.

But you must surround yourself with people who can help support, grow, and articulate your vision.

But pick the wrong people and it can derail your vision before it ever fully gets on track.

You cannot, under any circumstances, compromise when it’s your vision on the line. You have to be prepared to go against popular opinion and turn down money—even if it jeopardizes your relationships—until you’re confident you’ve found the right opportunity.

When you settle, you’re demonstrating a lack of confidence.

Securing the best long-term potential is always worth making sacrifices in the moment.

That’s why you have to place a premium value on how you spend the limited time you have.

But a check is never more important than an experience you value.

Look around you. Everything changes.

Everything on this earth is in a continuous state of evolving. . . . You were not put on this earth to remain stagnant.

In every profession or field, the most successful people are always the ones who refuse to settle into the status quo, who don’t get satisfied and complacent once they

achieve something, but always push

toward the next goal or ...

Conversely, people who get too comfortable or are unwilling to adapt are usually the ...

The same change that brought you in the door can sweep you right back out if you don’t keep pushing yourself forward. No matter how many promotions you’ve received, how many corner offices you’ve moved into, or even how many times you’ve seen your name in the headlines, you can never settle. You have to keep finding new ways to challenge yourself.

It’s great to respect the past, but never to the

point that it stops you from moving into the

future, or even making the most out o...

There is nothing stopping you, however, from seeking out more well-rounded people and bringing them into your world. Not every one of your friends has to be into the same things that you are.

I’m not going to stay stuck in one place just because that’s where they’re most comfortable.

You need people in your life who are going to invite you to places you might not normally go, or send you interesting articles