This is Noah.
In 1976, Noah was born in the United States
of America to a man named John and a woman named Sarah.
John and Sarah were married and had one other boy
before Noah named Alex.
Neither, John nor Sarah was exceptionally intelligent or talented,
but they worked reasonably hard in their careers to make up
for it and create a life for themselves.
At the time of Noah's birth, they made enough money to provide a sense of security
for themselves and for their two sons, but not enough to feel any extra comfort.
They were not poor, but pennies were often pinched and corners were often cut
in order to sustain.
For all intents and purposes, they were average.
Dead center, middle America.
As time would pass, Noah and his brother would start to ingest
and understand more of the world around them.
They began to grasp the conditions of their lives
and form their personalities and perspectives.
Noah and Alex were quite different.
Alex was a very positive individual
who always tried to see things through an optimistic lens.
He understood his parent`s situation and recognized
that they were doing their best with what they could,
and he loved them for that.
He appreciated what he had and loved enjoying the simple things in life.
He liked camping, drawing and playing the guitar.
Noah however, was far more pessimistic about his conditions
and desirous of something bigger and better.
He saw the world as a game of numbers and levels.
One with winners and losers.
One where money and status determined the winners and one
that he felt like he and his family were losing.
And this upset Noah.
Noah first made this determination for himself back when he was 10 years old
and all of his friends got a new popular toy.
Everyone had this toy and it seems so cool,
so Noah asked his parents for one.
When they told him they would not be able to get it for him,
Noah didn't understand why.
His parents told him that they didn't have the extra money to spend
on an expensive new toy at the time and that he should just enjoy the toys he had.
But Noah's still didn't understand, why?
He wondered, what his parents didn't do right, to be like his friend's parents?
He wanted to be like his friends and have his friends families, and have that toy.
He wondered, what it must be like to be that happy?
When Noah was 12, his father got a decent-sized promotion
at the company he worked for.
Going from a floor position to a managerial role,
Noah and his family's life would change significantly.
Almost overnight, Noah would now have access to some of the extra comfort
and niceties that many of his friends had.
The family he wished for he now had,
most of the toys he wanted he could now get.
Noah continued to grow older into high school.
When he turned 16, he got his license.
Noah observed many of his friends get new cars from their parents as a gift
when they got their licenses.
So, Noah asked his parents if they would get him one.
His dad said that even
though things were going pretty well it wasn't wise to purchase
a new car at the time.
But that Noah could share one of the two family cars
with his brother when no one else in the family was using it.
Noah accepted this and said, "Thank You."
However, inside, he was mad.
He saw his friends new cars that they didn't have to do anything for,
or share with anyone.
He wanted to be like his friends and have his friends families.
To get that brand-new car, and not have to worry about anything.
He wondered, what it must be like to be that happy?
When Noah turned 18, his mom got a promotion at her company.
With their newfound extra income, Noah's parents decided
to get him a brand new car as a high school graduation gift.
Noah could now drive anywhere he wanted at any time,
without having to worry about sharing it.
The life he wanted with his own car, he now had.
Several years later, Noah would graduate from college with a degree in business.
He didn't really know what he wanted to do,
but he knew he wanted to make a lot of money and that it could lead to that.
After graduating, he got a job as an intern for a big corporation.
Throughout his internship, Noah didn't really
enjoy his role and felt unfulfilled and unhappy.
The work was boring and never felt like it had anything to do with him.
Along the way, he made friends with some co-workers though.
One of the employees that he became acquainted
with was the VP of Sales and Marketing.
This individual had a huge responsibility and influence in the company.
He was clearly making a lot of money, and he would often
treat coworkers to nice dinners and events.
He had nice things, a big house, a cool car,
and beautiful women would gravitate to him.
Noah wanted to be this man and have that much
authority, money, and all the beautiful women.
He wondered, what it must be like to be that happy?
Noah decided that he needed to work harder
and dedicate himself to the company.
That he needed to find his way into an important role like that man he admired.
Many more years would go by and Noah was still at the same company.
He worked hard throughout those years, really hard.
He was hyper—focused and stopped hanging out with a lot of friends,
didn't see his family as much, and didn't really engage in anything outside of work.
At this point, he had moved up numerous ranks in the company
and was making a lot more money.
Not far from the VP of Sales that he envied as an intern.
Noah had now bought himself his own home and a really nice new car.
He had a decent amount of disposable income,
and could buy most of the things he wanted to, and could go out to nice restaurants,
and wear nice clothes.
But Noah was still not very happy or fulfilled by his work.
He was working hard, but things were still boring and never felt
like they had anything to do with him.
Every day felt like the same and Noah found
himself always wishing for the day to be over.
One day, a friend from college that Noah would
still sometimes go out with on the weekends,
told Noah how he recently started working at a new company.
His friend told him about how great this company was, how much opportunity there
was to grow to the top and do exciting, and important things.
How much money was being invested into the company.
How much higher the starting salary was.
How much flexibility there was for employees.
How nice everyone was including the owners.
Noah wondered, what it must be like to work for such a great company?
He wondered what it must be like to be that happy?
Shortly after this conversation,
with his friend — Noah quit his job and got his friend
to refer him for a position at this new company.
Noah got the job.
A couple more years go by and Noah has climbed his way up
through a few ranks at the company
when all of a sudden it gets bought out, and Noah is laid off.
Noah sees the company owners make millions and millions of dollars
while he and most of the other employees
lose everything they work for with nowhere to go, and no remorse from anyone.
Noah wondered what it must be like to be an owner of a company, like that.
To cash out on a multi-million dollar deal,
and never have to worry about working again.
He wondered what it must be like to be able to do whatever you want, whenever you want?
He wondered what it must be like to be that happy?
Noah realized he had been going at everything all wrong.
He was tired of working for other people, only
to get screwed over at the end of the day.
He realized that if he wanted to be happy he needed to take control
of his own fortune.
So, Noah collected a few colleagues and friends
who he had made over the years to start a company with.
He didn't know exactly what he wanted the company to be,
but he knew he wanted to make a lot of money and sell it at some point.
With his newly established business partners,
he brainstormed industry and what product
or service would be the most potentially lucrative to start a business around.
Seven more years go by, and Noah and his partners have built a successful business
with promising growth.
Throughout these years, Noah has had even less time to himself.
The demands of being a company owner, and building a business from the ground up —
took everything Noah had.
He had no time outside of work.
He would wake up early, go to work, get home late,
go to bed and do it all again the next day.
He lived and breathed the business.
He cut out everyone in his life that wouldn't be of use to his business.
He traveled all the time and rarely saw his family.
Girlfriends would never last.
Hobbies and activities were completely off the table.
But because of Noah and his partners hard work
and their willingness to do whatever it took to make
their company successful a major corporation became interested
in buying the business and its intellectual property for a large amount of money.
The deal was closed and Noah cashed out at fifteen million dollars.
Suddenly, all of the things Noah wanted when he was a child,
he can buy millions of.
Any car he wanted when he was a teenager,
he can buy without feeling a dent.
Any sense of status, power, or luxury,
he wanted when he was a young adult he has.
The big house, the women, the fancy parties, the nice things, the status.
He has it all.
A year goes by.
It is Christmas.
Noah with his family.
This is one of the few times a year he sees his brother Alex.
Alex asks Noah how things are going?
Noah tells Alex about how bored he is not working anymore.
How he doesn't really know what to do with his time and feels kind of lost.
He tells Alex how his remaining friends only seem to care
about business and money.
How they don't appear to care about him as a person.
Rather just a networking, or business focal point.
He shares how his last couple girlfriends were shallow
and never really seemed to care about him, or anything beyond money.
He says how hard it is for him to meet new good people and feel excited about life.
Alex empathizes with Noah and consoles him.
Noah asks Alex how he has been and what he's been up to?
Alex says things are pretty great, and he's been painting,
and camping a lot, and playing a little guitar as well.
Noah asks how he's doing for money and if he needs any help.
Alex's sais thank you but that he's doing fine.
He says that he has enough money for him
and his family to be comfortable.
He says that he's been selling a lot of his paintings, photos,
and design and has been doing pretty well with that.
He says it's a constant grind, but he loves making
every piece and seeing the face of the people,
and clients that fall in love with them.
That if he had to do this for the rest
of his life he would still be thrilled every day.
Alex's wife comes into the room holding the newborn baby.
Following her as a five-year-old girl — Alex's other daughter.
Alex goes on to share how great his wife is doing and how great his kids are doing.
He says they were planning a trip to Spain for an art exhibition.
Noah sees the life in his brother`s eyes.
He sees the passion in the sense of self.
He wonders what it must be like to be that happy?
He wonders why he never slowed down?
Why he never enjoyed himself and stopped comparing himself to everyone around him?
Why he never appreciated what he had or what he liked to do?
Why he gave half his life to becoming wealthy, owning a bunch of stuff,
and impressing strangers only to end up alone, unfulfilled and unhappy?
He asks Alex, "How did you do it? How did you find so much happiness?"
Alex responds, "Noah, I just didn't look so hard."
[Music]
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