I've really been thinking about this crazy thing called success lately. I mean it's something that everyone wants and it's different for everyone. Nobody gets into something with the idea of sucking at it. You don't have a son or daughter with the thought of being a bad parent or start a business with the thought of closing the doors or enter the ring to put a loss on your record. You commit to things with the thought of succeeding at them yet success is an elusive thing for a lot of people.

In my life, I've experienced some tremendous successes, more so than most people you know. I've made more money in one day than my parents have ever made in any 6 month time span in their jobs. I've had my pick of gorgeous women. I helped put two of the most beautiful people in the world on this earth, my daughters Kiera and Kylie. I've literally changed the course of people's lives for the better and even had the opportunity to save a man's life, on two different occasions.

The interesting part is that I've also failed and experienced the hardest of hardships more than most people you know. I've been in some of the most destructive relationships you could imagine. I've witnessed my mother get shot by a man with a shotgun. I've been shot at myself where the bullet missed me and caught a close friend. I've been in jail. I've been locked in the mental health unit of hospital, twice. I've had people I trust steal from me. I lost the first house that I bought. I've had cars repossessed. I've lost thousands and thousands of dollars, in some cases the same day that I've made it. Not to mention I lost the biggest fight of my life in front of two million people on national TV. I've looked suicide in the face more times than I can count.

Even though I've been down, way down, I've never been out. And there is one thing I've never lost … my pluck, my grit, my spirit, my determination to get up off that cold hard floor, even while people are kicking and spitting on me, and fight back.

Success is so elusive for many people because very few are willing to work hard and stick out the tough times. Few are willing to study and apply the lessons from the people who have already done it. Few are interested in doing things right and doing the right things. Even fewer have true love and passion for what they do.

Is seems as though people who go into business or take a position for the money, and not the love, often times don't get what they want. Their passion for money exceeds their passion for what they are doing. And when the money failed to manifest itself, they quit – often quitting what would have been a success if they loved it enough and had enough character, backbone, and balls to have stuck it out.

Brett Favre is considered the greatest quarterback of all time. He's thrown more touchdowns than any quarterback in the some 50 year history of the NFL. He's also the worst ever. He's been sacked, beat up, tackled, and thrown more interceptions than any other quarterback ever. He's a man of character and has a true love and passion for what he does and that's why he's accomplished what he has in spite of failing so many times. Even his interception record is considered an accomplishment now!

So do you want success? Put character above business. Have passion for what you're doing, more than how much you're making or going to make doing it. Do the right things and do them right. Get rid of the people around you that don't stand for these same principles and stick it out when times are tough. Get up off your ass when you're down. The moment you start doing this, you will understand what it is to be successful because you will be experiencing it.