The information age brings to light our dominant perception of value based on a single measure: results. The socio-economic hierarchy, for example, is based purely on economic standing. A net worth of $1 Million and $500K annual earnings qualify you to this status. A unique quality distinguishes those individuals that rise to the top 1% and if others understood why it would uplift us all. The top 1% possess at least 40% of the world’s economic output and resources, but they will not share this wealth for very specific reasons.
The top 1% includes professional athletes, entertainers, and specialists of practically every industry. There is a personality trait that empowers the top 1% to experience a different reality to everyone else, and they will not happily share these privileges with anyone. Access to this exclusive club requires a rite of passage based on the ability to overcome adversity.
Along the way to success, the elite encounter haters, manipulators, and the internal critic. In accomplishing their aims, they relish the success and distance themselves from others because they appreciate their success in doing so. The remaining 99% are considered inferior because they cannot nor will not do the same things necessary to succeed or achieve results.
In the process of rising to the top, there is a degree of pain that accompanies success. Emotional struggles include losses from choosing success over relationships and losing friends and loved ones. Foregoing physical comforts including sleep and convenience to train and practice or accumulate knowledge and skill, make some people sometimes resent the gifts or talents they are given. Physical injuries and deterioration as well as failures, setbacks, losses, and anxiety from investing time and energy without seeing results come through. When success does come along, very few are truly happy for you. Once success arrives, its best to hoard it as the only reward to be had.
Is it fair when people that lack an appreciation of time, risk and personal dedication expect the result of your effort without doing their part? Can you trust that they will value your generosity as much as the effort it took you to generate the resources? More importantly, what would likely happen if you did give it away? The reality is that a majority of the top 1% includes generous, hard-working and decent people that are concerned about the direction of the world and the challenges that a growing population faces in terms of opportunity.
How do those who rise to the top stay there once they arrive? They continue to work and lose sleep. They miss out on vacations, holidays, birthdays and most festivities. For their dedication, they create wealth and with it jobs, while forfeiting their health and well being, only to encounter more criticism and judgment from those that would hardly make the same sacrifices. Would you give up your wealth to the 99% that lack the same daring, intensity, values, and self-control?
Last August 2019 marks 100 years since Andrew Carnegie passed away. In his lifetime he gave away the equivalent of $300 Billion of wealth specifically toward education. He had this to say about charity in particular: “In bestowing charity, the main consideration should be to help those who help themselves; to provide part of the means by which those who desire to use the aids by which they may rise; to assist, but rarely or never to do all; neither the individual nor the race is improved by almsgiving.” It is also worth noting that he was disappointed that he still had wealth left unspent as he faced his end.
We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us. The pioneers of the industry rose to create wealth and with it, the opportunity for the rest of us. We need to similarly find our purpose and deliver with excellence to the best of our ability. This will require accepting adversity and with it, suffering and sacrifice to achieve our excellence. This may or may not create wealth, but it does provide fulfillment and the impetus for others to follow in succession. When the income we earn comes by way of hard work and fulfillment, we are less inclined to waste it.
The top 1% of high achievers outside of commercial leadership are recognized as exceptional for competitive positioning rather than financial rank. In addition to a strong work ethic, such individuals grow by listening primarily to their coaches, trainers, and the criticism of informed experts. Most other opinions scarcely affect their motivation to perform. It is important to be discerning in who to invest time with for feedback. This requires developing a positive and self-serving self dialog to motivate yourself through challenges and honest feedback for underperforming.
In developing higher expectations for your performance and investing time to train and practice to be the best, along with the sacrifice and personal development required to grow, you will find less tolerance for the opinions and attitudes of those who lack the same degree of intensity for excellence. Leaders of all hierarchy set the floor and ceiling on behavior for others to follow. In the same way, our highest version of our selves set the tolerances for excellence and lowest standards for our behavior. The discipline to succeed at the top 1% of all fields of human performance requires discipline, focus and the ability to handle adversity.
The top 1% will not come to help you if you don’t help yourself first. Without alignment of purpose, a similarity in values and motivation, why would they? Time and resources are precious and as you endeavor to be the best version of yourself, you will come to realize that most people around you are not supportive and in some cases can impede your success instead. The slavery that prevents us from rising above our complacency is the belief that comfort and ease are the only paths to live by. It’s lonely at the top for a reason, and that reason is you.