Vol333.日常英语学习Chasing Value Not Money

获取全部文本资料公众号搜索：yymaster888Welcome to today's podcast. Today's episode is very special. Because we're not talking about theory or motivation quotes. We're talking about a real story. A story about struggle, mistakes, fear, sacrifice, and growth.Today, I'm sitting with someone who became a millionaire. But not because he was lucky. Not because he was born rich. And not because things were easy. Thank you so much for being here. To start, I want to ask you something simple, but very important. Who are you? And where did your story begin?Thank you for having me. My story began in a place most people don't imagine when they hear the word millionaire. I was born in a very poor neighborhood. Not "we had little money" poor, but real poverty. Sometimes there was no food in the house. Sometimes the electricity was cut. I shared one small room with my brothers. And my parents were always worried. I remember my mother crying quietly at night, thinking we were asleep.That kind of childhood stays with you. It shapes the way you see the world. When I was a kid, I didn't dream about being rich. I dreamed about stability. About not being afraid of tomorrow. About opening the fridge and knowing there will be food. Those dreams were simple but very powerful. They became the fuel that pushed me forward later in life.That sounds very hard. When did you start working?Very early. I was around 12 years old when I got my first informal job. I cleaned shoes, carried bags, helped people at the market. I didn't do it because I wanted extra money for fun. I did it because my family needed it.While other kids played, I learned responsibility. While others complained about homework, I learned how tiring real work can be. But here is something important: working early didn't make me successful. It made me tired. What changed my life was not working more, but thinking differently later.Did you study at the university?Yes. But not in the way people imagine. I entered university with hope, but also fear. I didn't understand many things. I felt inferior. Many students came from better families, better schools, and had connections.I failed exams. I repeated classes. At one point, I almost quit. I remember sitting alone thinking, "Maybe this life is not for me." And here is the truth many people don't like to hear: I failed many times. I was not special. I was not the best student. I was just stubborn enough to continue.When did you start making money on your own?Not fast. And not successfully at first. My first business failed completely. I lost money I didn't really have. I borrowed from friends. Some supported me; others laughed. I remember one person saying, "You should stop dreaming. This is not for people like us." That sentence hurt deeply. But it also stayed in my mind every time I wanted to quit. I tried again and again. Some small successes came, but they disappeared quickly because I didn't know how to manage money. Nobody teaches you that when you're poor. You think money will save you. But if you don't respect it, it leaves.Was there a moment that changed everything?Yes. One moment. I was exhausted, broke again, and emotionally empty. I met a man much older than me. He was not rich, but he was calm. He asked me one question:"Do you want money, or do you want skills?"That question hit me hard. I realized I was chasing money, not value. From that day, I focused on learning sales, communication, leadership, and problem-solving. I read books slowly, many times. I listened more than I spoke. I stopped trying to look successful and started trying to be useful.What did you have to sacrifice?A lot. Friends, comfort, nights out, sometimes family time. Not because I didn't love them, but because I had to choose. Many people don't talk about this part. Success is lonely before it is visible.There were years where nobody believed in me. People only see the results, not the silence. I missed birthdays. I worked weekends. I said no many times, and every "no" hurt, but it built discipline. And discipline changed my life more than motivation ever did.When did things finally work?Slowly. Very slowly. One project worked better than expected. Then another. Then I learned how to reinvest, not spend. I learned how to build teams, not to do everything alone. Money came as a result, not as a goal.The day I realized I was a millionaire was not exciting. I didn't celebrate. I just sat quietly and remembered where I came from. I thought about my mother, about the fridge, about fear, and I felt peace, not happiness.What advice would you give to someone listening right now?Stop comparing your chapter one to someone else's chapter 20.Understand that money is not the goal. Freedom is.