Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter

by Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson

In the past I tended not to talk about the charity work I was doing because I didn’t want to foster a sense of entitlement around me. I didn’t want people thinking that it was my responsibility to give them money on either a personal or organizational level. I’m not worried about that pressure anymore. In fact, I welcome it. I want to be known as someone who will write a check for a charity that merits it. I want to be associated with philanthropy. I’ve made a lot of things cool in my days. Using a singsong flow in my raps. Bulletproof vests. Paying your debts back by Monday. Now I want to make charity cool, too. If I could do that, that’s what would go down as my greatest accomplishment.

Most people run from what they’re afraid of. I run toward it. That doesn’t mean I think I’m bulletproof (I’ve learned the hard way that I’m not) or that I’m unaware of danger. I experience fear as much as the next man. But one of the greatest mistakes people can make is becoming comfortable with their fears. Whatever is worrying me, I meet it head-on and engage it until the situation is resolved. My refusal to become comfortable with fear gives me an advantage in almost every situation.

Hustlin’ might be associated with selling drugs, but it’s actually a character trait that’s shared by winners in every profession. Steve Jobs was as much of a hustler at Apple as I was when I was on the streets. The key to building up that trait in your own personality is accepting that you’re never hustling toward a certain goal. Hustlin’ is a motor that’s got to be running inside of you each and every day. And its fuel is passion. If you can keep that motor running, it will take you everywhere you want to go in life.

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. That’s why it’s imperative to find a balance between establishing trust and discipline in the people you work with and giving them the freedom to be themselves. If you can establish that equilibrium, you will be in the position to get the very best out of your team.

One of the cornerstones of my sustained success is that I don’t rush into deals. Even though I’ve become synonymous with “getting paid,” I never chase money. I evaluate every new venture based on its long-term potential, not on what the first check I get is going to look like. The reason I do that is I have supreme confidence in my own value and ability. I’m secure that as long as I’m betting on myself, I’m always going to win.