Hey guys, some of you have some fair points. But he doesn't need us to beat him into seeing things the way you do. Ultimately he won't because he's in a different stage in his life. Life can teach him whatever lessons he needs to learn and I'm sure he's capable of learning them. He doesn't need to be mocked.
Kid, I think this was a good experience. In trying to understand what evoked such a reaction in people I have to think it is the subtext to your mission statement.
The mission statement of "If you have the courage to leave your shackles behind, pursue your passion, and manifest your potential, you can be anything you want, even a pro pool player or a successful businessman...you don't have to settle or live the way everyone tells you to" is really a good one. In fact it's one that many of us subscribe to believe it or not.
On the other hand you're also talking to a lot of people that found that implementing those attitudes didn't cut through life like a hot knife through butter. Many of the members on this forum pursued pool with a passion as bright as the sun. It turns out that the pain caused from devoting your life to a game that is impossible to receive a payoff from with delusions that it would all be great if we just didn't give up faith...REFUSING defeat and soldiering on because why COULDN'T we be the best in the world...we can be if we believe and never give up! Etc. This attitude caused so much pain because it isn't quite true. Only a few can really be the best. And believe it or not there are HUNDREDS of people that gave their lives to the game and ended up in that Jeremy Jones, Gabe Owen, Mike Davis, Stevie Moore, so on and on and on speed. And then there were many more that ended up shy of that.
It's easy to assume we just didn't want it enough. To that all I can say is give your life to the game for 10 years, every day, all day, no matter how painful your life becomes...if you can beat me at the end of it I'd be impressed. And I'm short of those names I mentioned.
So I think that people were simply reacting to the notion that you can use a positive "I think I can" mantra, get to the top of the hill, and 'law of attract' yourself a life that most people died trying to get. I hope you see this.
Similarly life has many restrictions on life that don't allow people to simply follow their passion. Look at it this way- what if everyone's passion was to be a life coach? Can you see that this simply wouldn't be possible? The economics of it create more and more and more pressure to get done what NEEDS to get done. That is why artists and pool players are starving, while those that 'sell out' and get jobs are doing well. And that is why people get those jobs. They say 'I'll leave following passion for the 20 year olds, I'll sacrifice my passions to have the luxury of providing for a family with confidence'. And while at first it seems like sacrificing passions, it turns out that by doing what is needed of us is actually rewarding in ways that self gratification isn't. Truly life isn't about getting what you want, it is about wanting what you get. So it isn't that they don't know something you do, it's because they actually have learned something you haven't.
Agree or not this is the reason you're getting such a reaction, and this is something you might want to understand as you unroll your mission statement. There has to be a way you can inspire without diminishing other people's journey's and choices, and to respect that the lives people have chosen for themselves may be actually their best path.
Now, from there if you can be a cheerleader, coach, and guide for some of these folks, and to help be a sounding board to encourage them to break through obstacles that are bothering them...GREAT! That's awesome. And I do think there's a demand for this, and if you master the process I believe you have the heart to make a positive impact.
So to recap, AZ'ers, cut him some slack, he'll be fine, and accept the fact that every 20 year old thinks they'll do better than the last generation. It's not personal. Z, keep on your road and as always have a sense of humor and humility while you make great things happen.