So many books

videos

speeches

are filled with men

posturing

lecturing

gloating

teaching

the path to success

 

Follow these steps

young fuck-up

and the promise-land awaits

work work work

never waste a second

don’t bother with food

hook yourself to an IV drip

invest in a bed pan

shit as you work

as you eat

sleep?

no need for sleep

caffeine and nicotine and Adderall

sleep later

those who waste time sleeping 

fall behind

they die and suffer

lifting stones and scrubbing floors

 

To prevail

one must work

twenty-four hour days

working

not full-time

forever time

build an empire

groom a brigade of customers

followers

supporters

milk them

take your living from them

 

Then you’ll have success

all the riches one can conceive

but the work doesn’t end at that

the bags under the eyes

they become canyons

the hair goes gray

the breath stinks and the skin wilts

family is neglected

relationships fail

but all of that is secondary

don’t fret 

keep working

push your little gadget

shove your success down their throats

when you get to a point

maybe late in your fifties

that you feel you've made it

you’ve got the bank statement 

and the newest equipment 

to prove it

that’s when you begin

putting out videos

lectures

inspirational photos

of yourself

standing 

alone

with all of the things you’ve amassed 

through crippling work

show them the x-rays of your curved spine

the divorce papers

the blood pressure medication

the prescription pills 

for peripheral ailments

show them the hair dye 

prove to them that you can no longer run

or lift yourself up

tell them about all of the new friends

you are making

now that you produce 

content

content 

content 

all about what it actually takes

the hard work

the sacrifice

to become successful

 

Coaching success

as a tactic

for their own success

 

what

a strange world

we live in