The Relationship Between Hard Work and Happiness

0:00This is the Gary Vee Audio Experience. I'm like, man, I haven't done a good enough job clarifying that when I talk about work ethic, I'm trying to speak to people who are unhappy or complaining.

0:16If I could get people to think about their careers, the way they feel about waking up in the morning and running for that hour, where they clear their stress, they love it. I hate running. So that doesn't work for me. But like for me, working is the happy place. And I want that for everybody because the big thing is I don't think people really quantify how many hours of their adult life is actually working. Like think about how much work takes up the time that you're awake. So a lot of people are like, oh, I work nine hours a day. I'm like, yeah, but you also sleep nine hours a day. so that means you work nine hours a day and then everything else you do while you're awake is only six hours.

0:58Travel, shower, like work is a lot of your life. Fuck man, do I want you to want to like it and live it and like enjoy it. It's a lot dude. Like even if you work nine to five, if you work eight hours a day and you sleep eight hours a day, that means work is 50 % of every hour of your whole day for 40 years of your life. Like, why the fuck are you doing something you hate? Make less money, buy less fancy shit, and be happy. Like, literally, people are miserable because of an extra room in their house. I think it's the comfort, though. People are comfortable. They don't want to change it up. Yeah, but you know what?

1:41You know, I think it's that people buy shit they don't need and then have to work a job they hate to pay for the shit they don't need. To impress people they don't love. I hate that shit. It fucks me heavy, which is how I got to the Joneses, which is how I got to don't worry about other people's judgment. The other thing is, if you're 22, 18, 25, 30, and you think you should have your whole life figured out, that's ludicrous.

2:07I think self-awareness, if you're capable of accepting yourself for who you are, is actually the brightest light of it all. I love being self-aware. I suck at a lot of things. I just don't think about them like I can't read for shit I interrupt people when I interview them 24-7 everybody's super pissed on the internet about that not good there's plenty of things that I'm not good at I love self-awareness it's kept me so happy I'm not upset at myself that I'm selfish in certain areas that's human I think that we just don't love each other ourselves enough I don't know who's perfection I'm trying to live up to.

2:50Like silly things. Like people get on me for biting my nails. Gives a fuck. Like people are just critiquing themselves all day long. Like the sheer unhappiness that I see on a day-to-day basis because somebody else's opinion is dragging you down. 100%. And honestly, it's a game of other people's opinions. Whether that's the anonymous comment, whether that's your friend who thinks you're selling out after like you popped a little bit whether that's, for me it goes deep like I can't hear anybody at this point and I think when people hear that it can go into audacity and delusion and I respect that I think I walk a very tight rope and I don't think on every day I'm always at my best I'm sure sometimes I'm delusional or audacious but it sure beats being crippled by everybody's opinions on an hourly basis which is the fucking masses.

3:55I'm big on squeezing as hard as you can when you're on the field. I love sports. I think a lot about it. I'd be such a son of a bitch on the field but as soon as game over I'd be like yo give dabs but like when I'm on the field I'm hard and so like I want people to sleep. Sleep eight hours a day. Talk to me about the 16 hours you're awake. People are like, yo, I don't sleep. I'm like, no, that's not cool. That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying when you're awake for 17 hours, like if you sleep four hours a day but you watch three hours a day of fucking YouTube, you're a fucking idiot. Like sleep seven hours and make your fucking work.

4:36Like it's quality and quantity but it all comes down to, to answer your question directly, it comes down to who you are. It's become very obvious to me that excuses are my poison. And I want to eliminate them at all costs. I talk a lot about hustle and hard work and people are kind of pushing back on me a little bit right now. And it's been interesting. I'm like, man, I haven't done a good enough job clarifying that when I talk about work ethic, I'm trying to speak to people who are unhappy or complaining. Not happy with your job? Don't watch Netflix. Work after hours. Save money quick. I'm not trying to get people into depression or burnout.

5:16I'm trying to address unhappiness. Like if you complain and you're unhappy, I will spend my career suffocating the living shit out of you. So, you know, like the answer to your question, whatever the fucking makes you happy at that point. And if you're at 26 right now and you need to prove to the world and most importantly yourself that you're going to fucking do it, like fucking work every minute of the holidays. If you're 31 and you worked seven years of your life to get to a place and you just had your first child, go fucking spend three weeks and see every relative so they can rub little Johnny's head.

5:49Like, I don't give a fuck. I don't have a point of view. My point of view is know yourself. Figure yourself out and don't do it for anybody else.

5:58It's real. It's very real. Who are you trying to, I hate when people are like, yo, Gary Vee, been on a bender nine days in a row, haven't fucking slept. I reply all the time, like don't do it for me and definitely fucking sleep. Like, you know, I just, for me, the thing that's going to allow me to win the next half century, and this is just the beginning, and I will not burn out like people are waiting for me to do, is I'm happy. People are confused. I hate that people are pushing too hard against hard work right now. It's ideological. Hard work is part of the equation. I hate when people work hard for 10, 15 years, make a lot of money, and then start telling everybody else to just sleep and meditate.

6:38Yeah, get out, yeah. I'm like, cool, but don't be fucking ideological. Tell your truth. You worked. So now you made it and you're a big shot? Be careful. Don't be a hypocrite. So good, so good, so good. New markdowns up to 70 % off are at Nordstrom Rack stores now. Stock up and stay big on shoes, tops, dresses, accessories, and more must-haves for summer. Join the Nordic Club to unlock exclusive discounts, shop new arrivals first, and more. Plus, buy online and pick up at your favorite rack store for free. Great brands, great prices. That's why you rack.

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7:50To have micro losses is actually a very big part of being an all-time great. Because the success is the game itself. Back to the process. You know, like, I don't need the W's. I like the L's, I like the W's. I put myself in a position to lose fights. And I think a lot of the people that are not going to win to their capability are scared to go into the ring against a worthy opponent. They'd rather not try just so they don't fail. Because they worry about other people's opinions. I'm telling you, man, it's crazy to be at this place in my life where I'm like, fuck, this all synthesizes down to people worrying about other people's opinions.

8:31and oh shit, that's why I didn't do bad things in high school that my mom asked me not to do because not the prettiest girl in school and not the biggest jock and not the coolest kids. None of their voices penetrated my door. I'm looking for people who are happy. Like I'm obsessed with my process. I just, I wish people loved their game, their process. People that are obsessed with the process, not the shit that the fucking game buys you. Not the cars, not the shoes, not the actual process. Because then you're finished, right? Like if you actually want the, if you want from the off whites to the fucking mansion, to the private planes, to the spa treatments, to the girls, to the red carpet, to the dresses and gowns, the jewelry, then you don't have a long career.

9:22But if you can't breathe, like that's why entrepreneurship is so weird to me. I so couldn't breathe that I wasn't even capable of getting C's in high school because I would suffocate giving school even another second of not me being in my own head of how to sell wine or baseball cards. People who can't breathe if they're not doing their art. And for me, business is my art. And for other people, it's art. And other people, it's designing. Other people, it's performing on stage. I need somebody who's obsessed with their craft and would be doing it for free, quote unquote. No matter what. I'm telling you man, it's crazy to be at this place in my life where I'm like fuck, this all synthesizes down to people worrying about other people's opinions.

10:05And oh shit, that's why I didn't do bad things in high school that my mom asked me not to do because not the prettiest girl in school and not the biggest jock and not the coolest kids, none of their voices penetrated my dome. So if I can get through high school, real life's easy.

10:36Fuck it.

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