40 Brutal Truths I Wish I Knew in My 20s

Want to get rich faster? Here’s what I wish I knew while building my first software company in my 20s.

I’m 44 now, but I’ve been where you are.

Trying to figure it out, make money, and not screw up along the way.

If I could talk to my 20-year-old self and give him some advice on how to get rich a lot faster…

There’s 40 hard-learned lessons I’d want him to know.

If you want to skip the BS and get straight to the good stuff, this is what it takes to win.

IG: @danmartell
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[danmartell]

That's what I wish I knew in my 20s!

Let me know your biggest takeaway in the comments below:)

[burmakara]

the fact that nobody talks about the book called The Hidden Truths Of Wealth by oliver mercer speaks volumes about how people are stuck in a trance

[AbderrahmanAazz]

1. Don’t become good at something you hate.
2. Go to bed and wake up at the exact same time every day.
3. Take care of your body; it’s the only one you have.
4. Stay close to people who want more for you, not from you.
5. Normalize leaving people in the reality they’ve chosen.
6. Being humble is thinking of yourself less, not thinking less of yourself.
7. You get tested the most when it’s your time to level up.
8. Improve yourself daily—make that your only addiction.
9. You teach people how to treat you.
10. Admit you’ve walked through the wrong door instead of staying in the wrong room.
11. Waiting for a sign is a sign.
12. Nothing you’ve gone through has made you weaker.
13. Everything wants you when you want nothing.
14. Be willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time to be successful.
15. When things get easy, go hard.
16. Only ask for advice from people who have been where you want to go.
17. The word “No” is a complete sentence.
18. Don’t dim your light to make others comfortable.
19. Have a primary aim for your life.
20. Stop reading books, start studying them.
21. Always assume positive intent.
22. Put your own mask on first before helping others.
23. Look for problems, don’t avoid them.
24. Your new life will cost you your old one.
25. Confidence comes from keeping commitments you make to yourself in private.
26. Dedicate a decade, not a day, to your goals.
27. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
28. Tell people about themselves; acknowledge their strengths.
29. If you keep running into bad people, you may be the problem.
30. Avoid drama and gossip at all costs.
31. Fear gives bad advice.
32. It’s never too late to change.
33. Get rid of all your vices.
34. If you’re addicted to your phone, your life isn’t interesting enough.
35. Take on as much responsibility as you can.
36. Don’t blame anyone else but yourself for your circumstances.
37. Be blissfully dissatisfied with where you’re at in life.
38. Make time for what matters to you.
39. Respect comes from admiration, not fear.
40. Life is a mirror, not a window.

Make use.

[Susanhartman.]

If you wanna be successful, you most take responsibility for your emotions, not place the blame on others. In addition to make you feel more guilty about your faults, pointing the finger at others will only serve to increase your sense of personal accountability. There's always a risk in every investment, yet people still invest and succeed. You must look outward if you wanna be successful in life.

[jackjenkinsmtgpro]

34-year-old entrepreneur here and I will tell anyone in their 20s, pay attention because this video is 100% straight truth bomb after truth bomb.

[shortykean]

There is this book I recently finished reading, it's called Casanova: The Path To Success. It's full of secrets about making your life better and my routines started to change so much! I appreciate people like you who wants other people to feel better about themselves.

[MariaJulier]

There's a book called Hidden Time Wealth, and it talks about how using some secret techniques, you can overcome procrastination and accomplish anything in life. It's not just a bunch of empty promises; it's the real deal.

[ABINASHDAS]

You get tested the most when it's your time to level up: This is the possible game changer for most of our problems.

[Linette-g-y]

I am 22 years old and lost my dad about half a year ago and I am going to receive some money soon. Would it be smart to grow my money in stocks for a few years while I am in college and then invest in rental properties afterwards, or should I go for real estate investing first?

[peoplease_need]

I've seen lots of videos talking about things they wish they knew in their 20s, but these are such insights that I want to watch them over and over again

[ImadHamdis]

1. Dont make the mistake of becoming good at something you hate
when you get good at something that you like doing you can pay somebody else to take the things that you hate doing
2. Go to bed and wake up at the exact same time everyday
3. Your body is the only one you have. Take care of it
4. Stay close to people that want more for you, not more from you.
Friendventory
5. Normalize leaving people in whatever reality they have chosen.
That energy is better invested surrounding myself with people that are also on that shared journey
6. Being humble isn't about thinking less of yourself. It's about thinking of yourself less.
7. You get tested the most when it's time for you to level up.
8. Improving yourself daily is the only addiction you need.
9. Teach people how to treat you
10. It's better to admit you've walked through the wrong door than spend time in the wrong room.
11. You waiting for a sign is a sign.
12. Nothing you've gone through has made you weaker.
13. Everything wants you when you want nothing.
The person that has the most power, the most confidence, the most status in the room is the person that needs nothing from anybody else, when you comes as somebody needy, it feels that way
this is the definition of abundance
14. Be willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time to be successful
15. When things get easy go hard
16. Only ask for advice from people who've been where you want to go.
17. The word no is a complete sentence.
18. Don't dim your light to make other people feel comfortable
19. Have a primary aim for your life
20. Stop reading books, start studying them.
21. Always assume positive intent.
22. Put your mask on before helping others.
23. Look for problems, don't avoid them.
The size of your life is correlated to the size of the problems you have
24. Your new life will cost you your old one
25. Confidence comes from keeping the commitments you make to yourself
26. Dedicate a decade not a day.
27. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
28. Tell people about them.
29. If you keep running into bad people, you might be the problem.
30. Avoid drama and gossip at all costs
31. Fear gives bad advice
32. It's never too late to change
33. Get rid of all your vices.
34. If you're addicted to your phone, your life isn't interesting enough
35. Take on as much responsibility as you can.
36. Don't blame anybody else but yourself
37. Be blissfully dissatisfied with where you're at in life.
You can have gratitude and at the same time realize that you were created for more
38. Make time for what matters to you
39. Respect comes from admiration not fear
40. Life is a mirror not a window.

[al-doori]

25 years old here, a software engineer trying to be better everyday and feeling overwhelmed, thank you a lot for such an amazing video

[StalinGrabovsky]

Amazing content! I have been following your videos for sometime now, consistently kicking down Wall Street doors for two years now, I have over $320k in stocks. Currently, my portfolio is down by 15%. Wondering if they're any short term opportunities I can invest in.

[playersracing]

This video just ignited me in a way I haven’t felt for in years. “When Things Get Easy Go Hard” . Paid off 20 year mortgage in 5 years. Loss drive to reach higher. 2 years later due to lack of drive bought another property. 240 month amortization down to 84 months remaining in 3 years. Just bought a Toy Hauler and gonna enjoy life more. When I’m busy I thrive. This is the video I needed to see today!!! RESPECT

[MaureenGibbons]

The leaving someone in their reality - WITHOUT EMOTION! And you’ll be tested. Go forward anyway. So good.

[marton]

These motivational youtubers never tell us what they actually do.

[jonasarneson]

I haven't prayed in a while, and i thought I would last night, took one last look at my phone before going to bed, and saw this video. It covered a lot that i thought I'd pray about. God had already heard my prayer! Thanks for sharing this video.

[ofcoursesavag]

Dan man, I'm from South Africa 20yrs old and I am going through a rough patch and this video is something I needed I've never seen your videos on my feed, now I am grateful I clicked on it. What you said really hit deep and so many of them were true for me and I am going to change and be more consistent and always want more. I just subscribed because what you said made sense and I want to hear more of what you have to say.🔥Thanks Sir!

[EvaHoffmann]

Success is a journey, not a destination, and it's paved with the actions you take. Building wealth isn't about luck; it's about consistent, intentional steps. One of the most powerful habits is regular saving. By setting aside money consistently, you create a foundation for solid investments.

[funkyfoto]

Every point hit me at 100%
My dad told me when I was a teen “Don’t dim your light to make others feel better about themselves “
I can’t tell you how many times I heard that in my head. Especially during times of great success for myself.
The moment you feel that someone’s trying to dim your light, remove that person from your circle.
No matter who they are or how bad the consequences may be
Because there’s no greater consequence than losing yourself

#28!!! Be kind. Always

“Leaving people in their reality”
THAT is my new mantra