I had an intense conversation today with a good friend. Like many, he is currently going through some trying times and attempting to keep his head above water. As someone who has been there before, I was focused on reminding him the a very important fact: We can’t grow, unless we are brave enough to keep on moving forward.

There is not a single person on earth I’m sure, who has not struggled once or twice in their life. Even the most successful Entrepreneur has lost thousands if not millions of dollars. At times it becomes not apparent, because we only see the good times, we only their “today”.

I personally know very successful businessmen who have endured some of the most difficult times imaginable, but due to their will and courage, managed to come out victors. You would not believe me if I told you, I once met a man running a big organization, a big business, who at home had only a head of lettuce in his refrigerator. This man confronted life with valor, because he knew it was a matter of time before things turned around, and he was sure that if he gave up, none of his dreams would ever become true.

Attempt to picture that scenario, attempt to put yourself in the shoes of someone who has to be stoic all the time, strong, a true leader, yet at home he is wondering how he will eat a good meal the next day. It sounds impossible, it sounds incredible, yet I saw it with my own very eyes. Today this businessman is enjoying those fruits, he is enjoying the value of that early sacrifice.

I remembered this story today because it feels at times that we lack the ability to visualize ourselves effectively. We seem to be blind to the possibilities that could come, if only we stayed focus and directed most of our energy to achieving sensible goals. I say sensible because Rome was not built in a day, but if no one lays one single brick, our Rome can never be built. I guess that is the message I was trying to share with my friend tonight, and the reason why I found it important to continue that phone call for as long as I did.

I could not begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen people give up, its so common it's almost heartbreaking. Intelligent, capable people with noble goals, who all of the sudden throw in the towel and settle for so much less. To me it seems almost criminal, because I can recognize their true potential, and I know they won’t sit well with those choices, at least in the long run.

You could even say that there is no formula, you could say that no one could really tell you exactly what to do to succeed. But there are some things that we do know don’t work: complaining, projecting, escape goating, and an overall lack of self reflection.

I think this is why the conversation is complicated, because as a true friend I must always speak the truth, even if it hurts. This doesn’t mean I have to be rude, or purposely hurtful. It just means I can’t lie at the expense of making a friend feel good about today, while knowing that he won’t be well tomorrow.

I felt compelled to write this on my blog today, because I know there are many who are feeling like the boat is sinking and there is nothing you can do to keep it floating. But this is not the case, at least not entirely. I won’t lie to anyone and say that everything I’ve tried to do in life has succeeded, of course not. But on everything that I succeed, whether it's in my career as a musician, producer or Entrepreneur, I succeed because I didn’t give up easily, because when it became really difficult, I was one of the few that didn’t quit.