The Wolf of Wall Street is not just a book about a man that controlled Wall Street and was considered to be one of the most powerful people on the street at that time. The book is about a success story that most only get a slight glimpse of when they dream at night.

It is not just about his journey in the business world and his success that shocked many, but also a story of an alpha male who is a legend, a legend that decided to take life by the balls and do what he truly wanted to do rather than just be told what to do by others. Jordan Belfort, one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time, has one of the greatest stories to tell.

If you haven’t read the book The Wolf Of Wall Street yet, then you really need to get your life together. Not only is it motivating, but it also bears many lessons for both success and life, which we will discuss below.

Jordan was the quintessential alpha male entrepreneur of the late 80s and the 90s. He is the successful asshole we all aspire to be one day and is the man that has set the precedent for many men to come after him.

You will fail, accept it and move on

For Jordan it wasn’t always glamor and it didn’t always include living in a WASP neighborhood in Long Island with a helicopter-landing pad. Within the beginning of the story the man tells of his first venture that included a meat delivery business. The business went bankrupt when he was 24 years old and he lost his prized Porsche due to money issues. He had no choice but to file for bankruptcy to get rid of his debt- but that was only a slight setback, nothing would stop him.

If anything, the experience ignited the flame of desire and motivation more than anything. That failure is what pushed him to get a job on Wall St and start from the bottom working his way up. Having troubles paying his rent and making ends meat Jordan understood that he had to put it all on the line and work his ass off to be able to live a life that he could only have dreamed of. One of the things that Jordan always stressed is that his failure taught him how to sell better; those sales skills allowed him to be a monster in the finance world.

Work your way up

Jordan Belfort is the prime example of how you have to work your way up to be successful and how there are no handouts in life. This man didn’t sit around and wait for opportunity to come to him; he took what was in front of him and because of that became one of the greatest rags to riches stories in history.

The man was obsessed with the concept of success and the money that came with it. He worked his way up and was fueled with his passion for the industry and his legacy. On multiple occasions he talks about how he loved to break his boundaries and do what no one thought he could ever do. Limiting beliefs are what stop you from doing what you are actually capable of doing.

Your team is everything

This man was one of the greatest leaders of all time. Sure he did some wrong things and made a lot of mistakes during his great success, but he did also have more than 100 people working for him and his company, making more than $50 million dollars in one year. He didn’t do this on his own and he wasn’t able to conquer Rome in one day with his hand tied behind his back.

Belfort knew the importance of having a team and a foundation behind him that would propel him. He would hire the hungry ones and the ones that were there to help with his purpose rather than just make a paycheck. That purpose was to tell the world to go fuck itself and show that underdogs can take control.

He would always stress that he wasn’t the best at every aspect of business, but he was the best at sales and marketing. For every other aspect of business he would hire the smart ones to run it and that is what allowed him to have one of the hungriest teams out there. He was an inspiring leader that propelled the people around him to work even harder.

Stop lying to yourself

“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.”

This is one of the quotes from the book and one of the things that Belfort stresses throughout the whole story. The man hated boundaries and hated being told that he couldn’t do something, that he would never amount to anything. He was a broke kid from Queens that was considered to be the underdog of the world, but somehow managed to make it to the top of the totem pole. He did this not by sitting around and feeling sorry for himself, but rather pushing himself to the limit each and every time he was tested.

When you have it, spend it right

It is safe to say that Jordan Belfort was the farthest thing away from a cheap Jew. The man knew how to spend his money- and did a great job at it. From buying a 100-foot yacht, to having a house with a helicopter pad, to even making sure no matter what hotel he stayed at it would have to be the presidential suite.

From getting the most expensive hookers and the best drugs, the man lived a lavish lifestyle that was very expense. It is safe to say he enjoyed the fruits of his labor and knew that the last thing he wanted to be was the richest guy in the cemetery. The concept of enjoying it while you have it played a huge role in his life.

Know your limits

This was not something that Jordan was very fond of or even aware of. He made many mistakes that lead to his downfall, ending him up in rehab and doing some time in jail. These mistakes happened from him not knowing his limits and being more reckless than a man of his stature needed to be. It’s not something he stresses in the book, but it is something we can learn from him, making sure we don’t make the same mistakes. From being addicted to drugs to being a terrible father, he has much to regret.

All women are gold-diggers

Having been through 3 marriages and having his wife be one of the biggest gold-diggers on the planet, as he would describe her ways of spending all his money, is a lesson in this book that you can never trust anyone with tits and emotions. Most of the women he encountered throughout the story were either hookers that were expense or his wife that was spending an excess of 150k a month on unnecessary things.

Fuck society

Last but not least, one of the biggest things that we can take away from this book is that you should tell society to go fuck itself and that you should make your own rules in life. This is what adds excitement and purpose to your life. He showed us that all it takes is a dream, passion, and the hard work behind it to really make it in this world and become a legend.

The Wolf of Wall Street is a must read for anyone driven and holding big dreams. Jordan Belfort is, and always will be, one of the best, ever. There really is no one better for you to learn from. He did so many things right, and more importantly, also made some big mistakes. Read the book and you’ll be able to learn from both. The Wolf of Wall Street will give you the motivation that you need with insight from the real world necessary to becoming an alpha wolf yourself. Happy readings.

Preston Waters | Elite.