MADEFEATURES
MADE XXXX
in Hollywood, and I’ve had incredible,
amazing exposure, that has been (I think)
a great way to combine what I believe my
foundation of values along with the world
experience.
if you don’t have faith, someone may believe
in you, but if you don’t believe it, then you’re
never gonna be able to actualize someone else
to believe in you. ‘Cause no matter how much
someone believes in me, if I don’t believe in
myself, then I’ll never be successful as I could
be if I did.
I think the hybrid of those things then gives
you a lot of the attributes you were just
referencing because I don’t think values are
nothing unless you can find a practical way
to walk out. Every individual has to challenge
themselves - that wants to live a value-based
life - how do I apply it to the moment and
how do I just not let it be ideas that never
translate into action.
MADE:
Speaking on belief and even pursuing
aspirations and dreams, specifically for men.
What advice can you give men who want to
take a risk and pursue their dreams but seek to
have a family and live a practical lifestyle?
DF:
You know, what’s practical? Practical is relative,
and that’s a dangerous aspiration. Because if
you’re saying “I’m gonna live a practical life”
implied in that is someone else’s definition of
practical. Practical is relative. You know, my
practical isn’t somebody else’s practical. So,
the goal I would encourage any man, is don’t
allow your success or your aspirations to be
defined by practicality. Entrepreneurship is not
practical. It’s not - no you can’t do that. I’m
not saying live crazy, but you gotta say, “I have
to live relative to what I’m believing for. And
I need to align myself with a wife and life that
will allow me to do that.
And for me, the things that I believe and the
foundations of my success and the foundations
of my faith - it’s not an intentional thing, it’s
just an organic thing. Because I am a faith
addict I guess you can say. Every time I don’t
wanna believe, I end up believing. I just do.
It’s just something I do, everytime I want just
to quit it’s like “nope, just believe.”
MADE:
What inspires you to believe? What motivates
you?
DF:
Because I am addicted to it, because I know
it works. And so, you know, that believing in
that strongly, and believing in a certain set of
principles (and those principles have played
themselves out in my success), my goal (and
the reason why I do what I do) is to help
people and to motivate people to do the same.
And that...don’t take shortcuts, and integrity
does matter and character is key, and all of
these things that have worked for me, I’ve
become an ambassador of for other people to
believe in. And it’s all in the banner of faith.
You gotta believe. You gotta believe. Even if
certain people don’t have religious faith. You
still gotta have faith, because you have to
believe in something if there’s no proof...which
is what? You believe that you have the ability
to succeed. You believe that your business can
make it. That means that you have to have
faith. You have to believe it. That’s the thing,
And here’s the truth. When you have a family,
kids are real flexible. As long as you’re in their
life, they don’t really care what you do. So
if a man is trying to live practically, I would
say yes, make sure you are able to provide for
your family, but don’t perceive that as “I have
to give up my dreams.” And the way that you
do that - and this is one of the reasons why I
wrote The Wait - is that a lot of times when
you’re single (and you’re a man), you have the
best opportunity to start setting up what you
want. Because the moment that you begin
to share your life with somebody, you have
to make sure that they see and support the
vision that you have. Because if they don’t, you
greatly diminish your chance of achieving that
dream because you’re choosing to a live life
with somebody who not only doesn’t see you
the way you see yourself. Also if they don’t see
where you’re going, usually they can’t help you
get there.
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