Were you still living with mom and dad at age 25? Conor McGregor was. It may be hard to believe now, with his net worth pushing $100 million as the biggest star in mixed martial arts, but everybody starts somewhere.
Who doesn’t love an underdog story? Conor’s life feels like it was ripped straight from a movie script. After all, he went from collecting checks from the Dublin welfare office to being the double-champ in a span of 4 years.
Credit-Per Haljestam
Netflix’s ‘Notorious’ tells us the whole story. It includes footage from the early days of his career, when he was in the gym day and night, grinding for every small, amateur fight he could get.
There’s footage of his parents, talking about how they didn’t expect him and his girlfriend, Dee, to still be living with them. We see a welfare check sitting on the coffee table.
Then, we see him shaking hands with Dana White, signaling the start of his lucrative career in the UFC. The rest is gravy. As Conor continues to succeed, the money piles up. The mansions, the cars, the suits, everything gets crazier.
At one point he meets Arnold Schwarzenegger, a childhood hero to many, including Conor. It’s such a cool moment, and you can see the look in his eye.
Credit-The Mac Life
When Arnold leaves, McGregor leans against the door, looking on in awe. This is one of few moments that he sits back and takes it all in — realizing the true weight of his meteoric rise.
The fame and fortune is great, but the point that’s always the most fascinating to me is the beginning of the journey. The documentary is limited in this regard. But they do what they can with the footage that’s available, and that much is laudable.
What many don’t know is how McGregor used visualization and positive thinking to rise from the bottom. He is a believer in the law of attraction and truly feels that there is nothing he can’t do.
The main takeaway from ‘Notorious’ and McGregor in general should not be the material gains (money, fame, etc.), but rather the way we view the world.
If we limit our vision to only what others believe is possible, we will live an unfulfilled life. On the other hand, if you open your mind, set your sights high, and visualize success, anything is possible.
There’s a great video that outlines McGregor’s whole vision. I’ve watched it many times for inspiration and you should too. Maybe some of his positivity will rub off on you!
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