I get asked this question a lot, which sort of surprises me. Recently I had one of my clients’ say, “Dan, what exactly is the Investor Lifestyle?”

“What do you think it is?” I quickly replied.

“Honestly, I imagine that it’s living without worrying about paying my bills, enjoying time with my children, and going to exotic places for vacation.” she said after thinking about it for a short time.

“Well there you have it; that is the Investor Lifestyle.”

I went on to explain that I can not define her Vision of what that Lifestyle is, nor would I want to. To be honest, the Investor Lifestyle is completely personal. It is self defined. For some of my colleagues it means having thousands of loyal students learning their craft (real estate investing or otherwise), while some want to have the expensive car, big house(s), and fashionable clothing. But that is not everyone’s Vision, for quite a few it simply means doing something that they love (which could actually be their job, but not very often!) or just having the choice/freedom to live each and every day to its fullest.

Living the Investor Lifestyle is all about choice. That choice is defined by the individual, not the environment. Those of us who live it decided at some point in their life that they were not happy with the status quo our parent’s generation took as “normal”. The great American Dream…you know: get a job, get married, buy a house, have 2.5 children, work until the sixty-something’s, retire, and die. That was the American dream of our parents, our parent’s parents, etc, etc. American Dream…more like the American Myth, or American Nightmare.

Ok, I will step up onto my small soap box here, ok much better. If you look back historically at the truly successful icons of our nation, NONE…let me repeat…NONE of them settled for that American Dream. All of them stepped out from the comfort zone of mediocrity and chose to live their own version of the Investor Lifestyle. You do not know the names of those who lived the “American Myth” because they are lost in their own mediocrity. Now before you start off saying “DAN this country was built on the backs of the hard working Americans who are nameless!” Let me ask you this simple question; “Do you want to be remembered as a great American Icon or a nameless American?” I know my choice…it’s the former not the latter if you couldn’t guess.

<Steps off his soap box and turns of tirade>

While the Investor Lifestyle is not for everyone, it can be. All you have to do is chose to move out of your comfort zone, conquer your fears (more of fears at a later date!), and find your Vision. The truth of the matter is that most entrepreneurs who are successful work harder, longer, and more dedicated than the average “Joe the Plumber” (sorry couldn’t resist the dig!) The difference is when it is your Vision you work towards, it doesn’t matter. Life is good when the Life you lead is what you chose and not chosen for you.

As Richard Flint said, “Are you Ready?”

Are you Ready to Choose?

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