You ever see the guys who seem to have it all. The fancy cars, the latest clothes, and jewels like their favorite rapper. They go to the strip club and throw bands on the floor to make ’em dance. And their IG? Forget about it!!! They are clearly living it up if you let the gram tell it. However, if you look deeper, you will see that there really is nothing of value to the lifestyle. He is upside down in the car, the clothes are only good for one night on the gram, and the jewels are only good for the summer because they lack two of the 4 C’s that qualify diamonds as more than mere stones. What is the alternative, you ask? In the words of Jada, why not stack instead of trying to be fly?
There is a popular meme floating around that goes like this: “Give a rich man $1,000 and he’ll come back with $10,000. Give a poor man $1,000 and he’ll come back with a pair of Tru Religions jeans and some new Jordans.” The meme is intended to be a joke, however, it speaks volumes about our priorities or lack thereof. Why do we put our money toward things that don’t benefit us in the long run? Is it more important to look good today in lieu of living good tomorrow? As men – DONS – we hold a position to be leaders in our household, and by extension, our communities. We should learn the importance of things like sacrifice and suspended pleasure, for the benefit of building things. Instead of spending money on expensive clothes, why not invest that money in a book that will teach us how to make more money? Instead of spending yet another night looking at azz at the strip club, why not stay at home and read to our children? Instead of dropping 50 racks on a car, why not invest that $50,000 into a business venture of our own? The point is, tomorrow belongs to those that prepare for it today. As dons, we should be thinking “owner” not “customer”, “creator” not “consumer.” We should be setting our priorities in order to own “the game”, not just play it. The only way to get there is to set our priorities in order. That’s real Don ish. . . and this is our corner.