7 Reasons Why Success is the Best Revenge

““Treat others as you want to be treated.” 

We’ve all heard that before. But what happens when others don’t follow the same golden rule? If you’re expecting the “Top 5 Ways To Get Revenge,” you’ll sadly be disappointed.

I’m not the type of person to pick fights. I dislike confrontation. I sometimes struggle to get my point across and rarely succeed in winning arguments.

And I’m sure I’m not the only one.

So, how do we combat the opposition? How do we convince the doubters or break free from a broken heart?

Frank Sinatra said it best: “The best revenge is massive success.”

I’ve been in situations where I felt invalidated. There have been times when I didn’t feel good enough. Most sadly of all, I experienced my father walking out on his family when I was just eight years old.

Although I had every reason to quit or complain, I didn’t. Instead, I got my silent revenge by success!

In the end, the best revenge isn’t about showing others how wrong they were. It’s about achieving the success that proves to yourself that you can rise above, no matter what happens.

Check out our article on the FIRE Movement to learn how to achieve the ultimate level of success – having freedom and flexibility in your life.

What Success Looks Like

Success doesn’t look the same for everyone. One person may define success as making as much money as possible, while others may consider themselves successful when they complete a challenging project.

There are no rules for how we must define success. However, success is the ultimate revenge for almost everyone.

Here’s what most people consider in their formula for success:

• You’ve created the lifestyle you’ve always dreamed of, including your family, health, where you live, social life, and how you spend your free time.
• You’re financially stable, which means you can handle your bills, save money, and enjoy life without feeling like you have to sacrifice.
• You have the freedom to do what you want in life, guilt-free.
• You’re proud of the person you’ve become, including your character, habits, hard work, and values.

Why Success Is the Best Revenge

Reason #1: Silence Is Golden

There are many people who can’t be convinced with just words. They have a history of being Negative Nancys and take pleasure in putting others down.

Add social media to the mix, and now you have millions of Negative Nancys hiding behind screens. Arguing with them, whether in person or online, becomes a waste of energy.

However, when you reach success, you put your money where your mouth is. Successful people let their achievements do the talking!

Be wary of fakers and wantrepreneurs who show off their possessions or travels on social media to fake success. In reality, they’re struggling financially.

I haven’t had a personal social media account in over 10 years. The last one was MySpace.

I’m always hesitant to share my accomplishments and business ventures. In the past, people have said, “It’s too hard and it’ll never work.”

That’s why I don’t share immediately. Often, they find out organically, but by then, I’m already a year into my business venture.

In the end, success is the best revenge – let your massive success speak for itself.

Reason #2: Realizing Who You Are

There’s an old saying: “Tell me who your friends are and I’ll tell you who you are.”

As you work towards your goals and reach your milestones, you begin to realize that your mindset differs from your peers.

Your friends aren’t bad people, but you’ll find yourself gravitating towards those who have goals aligned with yours.

For example, I’ve had conversations with my peers about the power of real estate and what I’ve been able to accomplish. Aside from those who say it’s too difficult, the other response I often get is, “Of course, you can afford it. But, I can’t.”

It’s that negative mentality and negative feelings that will always hold them back. Success comes from unlocking your mind with a positive mindset. It’s what can elevate you from those who can never rise above their doubts. Success is the best revenge against that negative mindset.

Along the way, you’ll discover true friends who support you, believe in your potential, and lift you higher. Stay positive, focus on your goals, and keep pushing forward.

Reason #3: Identifying Your True Motivation

Revenge can fuel you to achieve big things. Whether people have made you feel lesser than you are or have broken your heart, the ability to prove them wrong can be a powerful motivator!

However, it’s crucial to remember WHO you’re doing this for.

When I was eight years old, my father walked out on my family. I haven’t spoken to him since that day. I heard through the grapevine that he moved across the country and started a new family.

For the longest time, I used that as my motivation. I strived to ultimately achieve success to prove I didn’t need him and that I could do it all on my own. I achieved my main goal by working hard in my career and earned a six-figure salary as a software engineer.

Unfortunately, the drive to prove others wrong can sometimes be about them, not about yourself. Don’t let revenge consume you to the point where you lose sight of the true value of your success.

Fast forward, and now I have two beautiful children. They are one of my greatest successes and my primary motivators!

My father is still somewhat of a motivation, but only because I strive to be better than he ever was. Success is my revenge, and I focus on achieving what matters most in my life.

Reason #4: Appreciation For The Important Things

The path to success isn’t quick or direct. It’s a narrow road filled with obstacles, each one a checkpoint asking if you want to turn around and give up. Everyone wants to be happy and successful, but few are willing to put in the work to make it happen.

It’s the perseverance that makes the taste of success so much sweeter. If success was easy, we wouldn’t know how to compare the incredible feeling that comes with it!

For example, the first investment property I purchased was broken into the night before its reappraisal. A back window was smashed, drywall ripped open, and $80 worth of copper stolen, leading to over $8,000 in repair costs!

I could have given up right then, but I didn’t. A couple of months later, I purchased another investment property. A couple of months after that, I acquired another one.

Although the naysayers will say “I told you so,” you’ll find those who believe in and support you. Your victory will be shared with those who’ve always had your back!

The revenge you take here isn’t against the Negative Nancy’s or doubters. Instead, revenge is against your older self. You can’t make people appreciate your success, only you can do that.

Only YOU can ultimately decide whether to quit. And only YOU can choose to accept it or not.

Reason #5: More Time Of What You Want

When you start early in your career, you work hard and hustle to get that big promotion. Some people use their yearly salary as a way to measure their level of success.

However, as you gain experience, you may value time over money. True wealth is not about how much you make, but how much time you can live off without working. That’s why the wealthy invest in assets like stocks and real estate to generate passive income.

Using the previous example, Person B only works 4 hours a week while Person A works 50 hours a week. In this case, Person B has a higher relative income, meaning they make more money per hour.

How sweet it is to do more of the things you really want to do, such as spending time with your family or helping out in your community. Compare this to doing a job you don’t enjoy, but have to do just to pay your expenses. The success of building wealth through time and financial freedom gives you the ability to spend time doing what truly matters and live life on your own terms.

Everyone likes the thought of being rich, but when you achieve true wealth, your whole world will change. To learn more about the differences between being rich and wealthy, check out our article “Rich vs Wealthy: What’s the Difference?“.

Reason #6: Mentoring An Army

There’s a saying, “The teacher will appear when the student is ready.”

People will notice your success, and among the doubters and haters, there will be those who admire your accomplishments. In secret, they want to walk in your footsteps.

What they’re looking for is guidance and a mentor!

Once you’ve reached a certain level of success, the next step isn’t just about climbing higher. It’s about reaching back and helping others rise. That complicated road you walked? It might be just what someone else needs to finally see their own path clearly.

When I spoke with a financial advisor about real estate, he introduced me to a successful investor who had acquired enough properties to shift his strategy to vacation rentals, building wealth in the market.

This investor has become a good friend and mentor. He doesn’t make a lot of money when I purchase a new property. Instead, he desires to help people like me build long term wealth. 

As you continue to mentor and educate others, you create an army of people who share your same mindset and goals. There will be more of them than the individual haters. By helping others grow and succeed, you strengthen your own success.

Reason #7 Failure Makes Victory Taste Sweeter

Sometimes, failure is just what you need to push harder. While it can feel terrible at first, knowing you’ve failed, there’s a power in it that pushes you to dig deeper and try harder.

Suddenly, you become your own worst enemy, determined to show everyone that you can overcome failure, and when you do, guess how it feels?

GREAT!

Sometimes, after you’ve failed and finally made progress, you can look back and understand why you failed.

It might even be because you were on the wrong path, and once you experienced failure, you could pivot and choose the right one. Success is the best revenge against the doubts and setbacks, showing that success makes all the hard work worthwhile.

How to Build Wealth With Your Success

It’s obvious that you can build wealth through your financial success, right? The more successful people are, the more money they often make.

But what if it’s not all about money?

Sometimes, achieving your life goals is worth more than the money you make, though it almost always leads to more money.

For example, if you work hard to get a promotion, you’re proud of your accomplishments, but what’s the result?

You guessed it… more money.

So, when you build wealth with your success, you’re ultimately finding ways to reach your life goals, make more money, and feel wealthy in all areas of your life.

Just like you won’t get rich the first day you invest in the stock market, you won’t build wealth with your success overnight. It takes dedication, time, patience, and how many failures to achieve success and eventually reach your goals ultimately.

The key is staying mentally tough and pushing through. Victory tastes even sweeter when you realize that success makes it possible to live the life you’ve always dreamed of.

Final Thoughts: The Best Revenge is Success

In your pursuit of success, there will always be someone or something trying to stand in your way. Some people will constantly project their limiting beliefs onto you. This is to be expected and even necessary.

You need to experience failure to truly understand what success feels like. Be resilient to negativity and patient through the struggles.

Some people will invest their energy trying to keep you down. They’ll doubt you before you even get started.

Don’t waste your energy trying to convince them. Their mind is already made up, and trying to change it will only negatively impact your mental health. Instead, keep your goals to yourself and let your massive success do the talking! Work hard every single day to become the best version of yourself.

Don’t focus too much on proving other people wrong. While it can be a great motivator, you can lose yourself in the process and forget who you’re truly living for. Figure out what success means to you and go after it.

Don’t try seeking revenge on others. The revenge is against your older self.

Be better than you were yesterday and strive to be better tomorrow. Focus on living happy and healthy. Appreciate those who stand by you and lead those who admire you.

Achieving success in your finances will have a great impact on your mindset and lifestyle.  Find out how it has impacted our life here.