Inner Peace Is Good For Business. The James Wong Theory

Sean Burton | February 02, 2017

"Accept what is and be open to it"

We all value something in our lives and these values are produced either by want, needs, upbringing or motivation. They are the main fuel behind our actions in certain directions. Let's be honest, a lot of people are motivated by money.

James Wong spent 25 years in the hospitality industry clearing six figures, gaining social status and streamlining his way to the top of his management team. Until one day, his life changed in an instant.

He was struck with a severe mental breakdown and spent four months alone, digging himself out of the misconception hole that his value of money, status and title had put him in. He was, quite literally, forced to face himself as he was the one doing the digging and, now, the climbing.

Today his strides are heard and felt in the city that never sleeps, Las Vegas. His efforts to seek inner peace have led him to a new understanding of life. Here, he gives us a few tips on what he has learned while on his path of enlightenment.

Stop the talk

Everybody "talks" and that's about it. I've learned to seek out those individuals who talk less and act a lot more. See, talk just sounds good and it's nice to hear. However, without action backing up your words, your talk is just another song no body wants to hear anymore.

Eliminate expectations

Expectations can be incredibly demoralizing and, often times, unrealistic. Whether it comes to losing a few pounds to taking on the world at 18 years of age. There's no guarantees in life. So there should also be no expectations. I find when you eliminate expectations, you are leaving yourself open for the next step that, may or may not, have been in your "expectancy radar".

You won't know unless you try

I have opened a few businesses when I left the hospitality industry and they've all failed. I can think of a few reasons why, but the main reason is because I had no clue what I was doing. Did it hurt to fail? Yes, it killed my ego and it hurt my pride. Did it benefit me to fail? Yes, I learned from it and now I'm better off because of it. I have no regrets for what I've done ,failed or have been through because it's all come together now in this moment.

Don't do it for the money

If you do anything at all for money, you're already messing up. The moment you begin to do things that have nothing to do with money, that's where you begin to live with passion. Don't get me wrong, making six figures is nice but my life was falling apart at the seams and even six figures wasn't enough to pay to keep it together.

Involve yourself

I started Muay Thai after I left the hospitality industry. I didn't know a thing about it then and now, I love it. I was the walking punching bag because it was fight training. I got beat up day in and day out and I kept going back. Fortunately for me, another guy joined and he became the punching bag. However, even when being that punching bag, I felt so good being a part of a family and a community. It's a must for self discovery.

Look in the mirror

Look directly into the mirror, because that's your problem. I don't believe in sweeping it under the rug, running from it or ignoring it because you're always where you are. Your only threat, your biggest issue and your worst enemy is yourself. You must make friends with who you are and who you were in the past. Once you can accomplish this, you will be unbeatable in everything.

Forgiveness is key

It's understandable to not forget, but learn how to forgive. Forgive others. Forgive yourself. You don't need that burden on your back, it does you no good to hold onto it. Look at those who've wrong you and look to your past self, give it a hug and tell them it's okay. You'll feel much lighter.

In his own words, James would like to close with the following

"keep things simple. It's easy for us, as a society, to believe that the best answer is the most complicated one. That couldn't be further from the truth. Keep things simple and life will be grand." - James Wong