Today, I want to challenge you to a question

And this is a question that we all should be asking ourselves every once in a while

And that question is--

"What's next?"

You see when we were kids. We all imagined how school would be like.

Is it gonna be scary?

Is it gonna be fun?

Are we gonna make new friends?

Hi, can I be your friend?

No, you're ugly!

And then we go through these different stages of education

Kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school...

And high school's sort of that peak where you really want to get over with 'cos you know...

all those tests, exams, stress...

puberty...

We've all been through that

But then you make it into college which is a brand new start

A time when you're semi-independent

which you have this amazing...

or miserable four years

Either way, after college you start thinking to yourself...

"Should I go to grad school?"

Should I pursue higher education?

Or should I enter the workforce?

Like I did

Anyhow, up to this point, so far in each stage of life there has always been a next phase

There has always been something new

There has always been a new hope

There has always been something you could look forward to

Something that'll just come along the way and happen when the right time comes

time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time, time...

But now you're in the workforce

All of a sudden, there is no next phase

All of a sudden there is nothing pre-plotted out for you for the remaining time of your life

There is no one out there to tell you what you should do

Before this you were just living by a blueprint that the system has drawn up for you

And now you have to start thinking for yourself

And that's something that we weren't trained for

So what's next?

When I was in college, my dad would often compare me to my (bleep)

And my (bleep), they were super duper smart

They were brilliant students going to top universities

Their futures were promising!

Everything that I was not!

So I hated being compared to them

And so I would always talk back to my dad in a rebellious tone saying like...

So?? They're going to a top university

They're probably gonna end up working at (bleep)

Best in the industry!

A couple years from now, they're probably gonna get married to their nice girlfriends

And then a couple years later they're gonna have kids, a family

They're probably gonna buy a nice house, a fancy sports car

And you know what?

To pay off the mortgage, they're gonna have to work even harder.

So? Tell me, what's next?

I would always get my dad at that point

And my dad would say back to me in a gentle tone saying, ...

"You know son, that's just the way life is."

And I would say,...

"Well no, that is not the way I want my life to be."

By the way, my (bleep), they have great lives

It's just not for me

Fast forward several years later to now. Now I'm in the workforce.

I wouldn't say everything worked out for me all that well, but...

you know, life is good,...

life is OK

Life has been treating me fair enough

I'm getting by

But more recently...

that same old question that I've been asking my dad has been slapping me right back in the face like...

So...?

What is next?

You're a YouTuber!

You're living the dream job

You're making a dent in the universe

You have 500k subs

Well we're almost there. Bear with me.

Remember to subscribe

And ring that bell

You know, yeah, I wouldn't trade it for anything

But still, in my mind, I can't help myself but ask...

"What's next?"

There is definitely a lot I could do to improve with my career

But what's after 500k

What's after 1 million subs?

What's after I get the golden plate?

If I ever do get it

What's after I cut more deals?

What's after I reach out to more people?

What's after I finish writing this book?

It comes out next summer, by the way. Remember to buy it or else I'll punch you.

Just kidding

There has got to be a next phase.

But this time no one has it thought-out for you

This time you're on your own

And I bet a lot of you are pounding your chest like...

He gets me... He gets me...

No matter how good life is...

or bad...

There is nothing more terrifying than the thought of staying stuck at where you are right now

'Cos people are meant to make progress

People are meant to live raising levels

People are meant to embrace new hope

And without that life is kind of scary

Not that I'm trying to scare you, but I'm challenging you.

I'm challenging us to think deeper, to think one step ahead

What's next?

Even if you have the most crystal-clear purpose, goal, vision...

that doesn't mean you don't feel lost sometimes

Sometimes we get lost halfway

Sometimes we feel lost halfway

But it's these moments and the decisions we make that make who we are to become

And the moment you stop questioning yourself...

the moment you settle with reality...

the moment you stop making progress...

the moment you stop raising your level in life

In the words of Ronald Reagan...

"There are no constraints on the human mind"

"no walls around the human spirit"

"no barriers to our progress"

"except those we ourselves erect."

The mind is a driving force

And so starting today, ask yourself...

"What's next?"

And that is my challenge to you for a better future

(Remember to....... )

Remember to subscribe and...

(Look at the camera... )

ring the bell and...

join...

JR's Facebook

(Not Facebook... )

PressPlay (pressplay.cc/jrlee)

(And what do you have to say... ?)

Because he's ugly

You