Published in the United Kingdom by

Part Seven: Pain and Purpose
Introduction
Pain changes people
Lessons will repeat themselves
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Notice the warning signs
Your higher purpose
Money and greed
Achieving true happiness
Final words
Endnotes
The author’s mission
Acknowledgements
About the author
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Introduction
For three years of my childhood, I had no fixed home. My family and I lived
with relatives and, for short periods during this time, in a housing shelter. I
was grateful that we had a roof over our heads, but I remember how
frightening the housing shelter experience was.
There were always unpleasant-looking characters lurking around the entrance
who would throw us piercing stares when we entered the building. Being a
four-year-old child, I felt scared. But my mother reassured me that things
would be okay. She said that we should just look down and go straight to our
room.
One night we popped out, and when we returned there was blood all over the
staircase and on the walls in the corridor. Fragments of glass covered the
floor. My sisters and I had never seen anything so horrific before. We looked
up at our mum. I sensed fear in her. But again, with courage, she told us to
tread carefully over the glass and get up to our room.
Still shaken by what we’d seen, my sisters and I tried to work out what may
have happened downstairs in the corridor of the shelter. Then we heard
screams and shouting, followed by sounds of chaos. It was terrifying. Once
more, we looked to Mum for comfort. She pulled us in close and told us not
to worry – but I could hear her heart pounding. She was just as scared.
We had very little sleep that night. The screams went on and on. I was
surprised that no police came and that no one else seemed to be trying to
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calm the storm. It was as though no one cared about the safety of the people
there. It felt like no one cared about us. All we had was each other, in a world
that seemed cold and corrupt.
When I discuss childhood memories like this one with my friends and family,
they’re shocked by how much I can remember. I often find them asking,
‘How do you even remember that? You were so young.’ I don’t remember
everything, nor are my memories crystallized in clear detail. However, I do
remember how I felt during the majority of my experiences, good and bad.
There was so much emotion attached to the events that took place, and these
memories haunted me for a very long time.
During my late teens, I wished a lot of these memories would just go away. I
wanted to erase them so that I was no longer reminded of the struggles I’d
faced as a child. I was even embarrassed by some of them. I felt
uncomfortable with who I was. There were times when I said and did things
that didn’t match the child I was deep down. I often felt hurt by the world –
and wanted to hurt it back.
Things are different now. I look back on my memories and embrace
everything that happened; there’s a lesson to be learned from every event.
I realize that the good, the bad and
the downright ugly events are all
a part of who I’ve become.
Although some of them may have been painful, they’re a blessing – they’ve
taught me so much. My experiences have left me with a drive to find a way
out of misery and a path towards a better life.
I’ve written this book to share the lessons I’ve learned, in the hope that
they’ll provide you with some clarity and guidance to live what I call 
a
greater life
. It’s up to you what you take from my stories. I accept that some
ideas will resonate, while others will feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I do
believe that if you can apply the concepts I discuss within the course of this
book, you’ll experience incredible positive changes in your life.
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I’m not a philosopher, a psychologist, a scientist or a religious leader. I’m
simply someone who likes to learn and share my wisdom with others in the
hope that it may release them from undesirable feelings and increase feelings
of joy.
I believe that every person on this planet is here to make a difference. I’m
devoted to helping you find your purpose so you can add value to our world,
which is in such turmoil. If we can collectively become conscious citizens of
this planet, we’ll lessen the burden we place on it. By living to your full
potential, you’ll not only change your world, you’ll change the world around
you, too.
Some people are comfortable with mediocrity. They avoid living a greater
life, one that’s beyond what most consider the norm. A greater life requires
you to find your greatness. In simple terms, greatness is about becoming the
greatest version of yourself. It’s about breaking the imaginary boundaries that
hold you captive in a life you believe you have to settle for, and touching the
realms of the unthinkable. The greatness mentality means living a life without
limits, where there are infinite possibilities. For this reason, we cannot define
where greatness begins or ends. We can only strive to become better.
Stop trying to impress people.
Impress yourself.
Stretch yourself.
Test yourself.
Be the best version of you that you can be.
This book requires you to commit to a better you 
right now
. My aim is to
help you become better than the person you were yesterday, every day, in
each and every way, for the rest of your life. If you wake up with this desire
in your mind and then consciously follow up on it, you’ll be surprised by how
much inspiration you find. Your life will begin to reflect your commitment to
progress.
Greatness isn’t a one-dimensional term. Although it’s subjective, most will
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associate the word with having a special talent, lots of money or material
possessions, authority or status, and big achievements under their belt. But
true greatness goes deeper than that. It cannot exist without purpose, love,
selflessness, humility, appreciation, kindness and, of course – our highest
priority as human beings – happiness. When I think of greatness, I think of
reaching a level of mastery across all avenues of life and making a positive
impact on the world. Great people aren’t just the high rollers in life, but those
who we value as amazing inhabitants of this world.
You deserve a greater life and this book will help you create it.