Success is lonely

[Susan M.]

Ever since I was a kid I always had more than my friends. Not because my family was rich but because I worked for it. While everyone else was hanging out, I was working. When everyone else was in college, I was working. When everyone else was just getting started at jobs and paying back college loans, my career was already taking off. Now I'm well settled in my career and have quite a nice real estate venture going.

And all my life I've always had to hide my success. When I was 16 and had a car and money to go do things, none of my other friends did. The option was to pay their way or just not go because no one else could afford it. In my twenties when I could have been having great vacations and fun, none of my friends could afford it, so again it was either pay their way or don't go. In my 30s, all of my friends were saddled with families and money and time were short, while I had plenty of time and money and no family to tie me down. Now in my 40s, people are still saddled with debt and problems and life in general and I'm doing pretty darn well, but I can't share that success with anyone.

Success is a lonely place to be unless you're surrounded by other successful people. No one wants to hear about your latest real estate deal and how well things are going when their lives aren't going as well. Or maybe it's just me that thinks they don't want to hear it, but regardless, it doesn't seem right to be happy about more success when those you are sharing it with are struggling. 

I just closed on another deal yesterday and was really excited.  Maybe I'm needy but I wanted someone else to be happy with me, for me, but could ultimately only share with my husband and Mom and my Mom doesn't really get it but she's my Mom so she's happy for me.

Do others have this problem? I am really starting to see now why it's important to find other people with the same interests and success and to surround yourself by them. I am going to seek out others in this coming year at REIA meetings because it's becoming increasingly difficult to continue to be successful yet feel somewhat guilty about it.