The 50th Law (with 50 Cent)

Money and success:
For many people, the pursuit of money and status
can supply them with plenty of motivation and focus. Such types would
consider figuring out their calling in life a monumental waste of time
and an antiquated notion. But in the long run this philosophy often
yields the most impractical of results.
First, more often than not such types enter the field in which they
can make the most money the fastest. They aim for the biggest
paychecks. Their career choices have slight or no connection to their
actual inclinations. The fields they choose will tend to be crowded with
other insatiable hunters of money and success, and so the competition
is fierce. If they are zealous enough, they might do quite well for a
while, but as they get older, they begin to feel restless and ever so
slightly bored. They try different avenues for money and success; they
need new challenges. They have to keep finding ways to motivate
themselves. Often they make big mistakes in their obsessive pursuit of
money because their thinking is so short term, as we saw with those
who went all in on the derivatives frenzy leading up to the crash of
2008.
Second, money and success that last come from remaining original
and not mindlessly following the path that others are following. If we
make money our primary goal, we never truly cultivate our
uniqueness, and eventually someone younger and hungrier will
supplant us.
And finally, what often motivates people in this quest is to simply
have more money and status than other people, and to feel superior.
With that standard, it is difficult to know when they have enough,
because there are always people with more. And so the quest is endless
and exhausting. And since the connection to their work is not personal,

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such people become alienated from themselves; the pursuit feels
soulless; they are workaholics without a true calling. They may become
depressed or manic, and they will often lose what they have gained if
they become manic enough.
We all know the effects of “hyperintention”: If we want and need
desperately to sleep, we are less likely to fall asleep. If we absolutely
must give the best talk possible at some conference, we become
hyperanxious about the result, and the performance suffers. If we
desperately need to find an intimate partner or make friends, we are
more likely to push them away. If instead we relax and focus on other
things, we are more likely to fall asleep or give a great talk or charm
people. The most pleasurable things in life occur as a result of
something not directly intended and expected. When we try to
manufacture happy moments, they tend to disappoint us.
The same goes for the dogged pursuit of money and success. Many
of the most successful, famous, and wealthy individuals do not begin
with an obsession with money and status. One prime example would
be Steve Jobs, who amassed quite a fortune in his relatively short life.
He actually cared very little for material possessions. His singular
focus was on creating the best and most original designs, and when he
did so, good fortune followed him. Concentrate on maintaining a high
sense of purpose, and the success will flow to you naturally.