At just 40 years old,hip-hop star Kasseem Dean,more popularly known as Swizz Beatz,has amassed（积累）a track record,lifestyle and nearly$70 million net worth that would inspire most of us to retire early.So why does Dean continue to both work extremely hard and try projects that come with the risk of rejection?
During our interview for Uncommon Drive,a video series for USA&Main that seeks to find out the motivations and magic of world-class business people,Dean provided a memorable answer:“You only have so much time—once it’s gone you don’t get it back.Don’t focus on money;focus on building something greater than yourself.If you’re not making history,you’re wasting your time on Earth.”
When you look at his answer,you will learn two important lessons.The first is in“making history”.Doing so requires awareness.You must fully understand what has and has not been achieved in the market you’ve entered.Dean makes every effort with the goal of creating something important that has not been done before and will be remembered for its impact beyond his years.
The second part of his statement is just as powerful.In this interview,he never once said he is“trying”to make history.Instead,he has told himself that no matter what difficulty there is,it’s just going to happen.“I’m going to make history.”Dean said.
After talking to Dean for nearly 45 minutes,it was clear to me that he has removed all ego（自我）from a statement that might otherwise be misread as false pride.I believe it’s a brilliant hack—rather than focus on all the reasons why a project can’t be realized,he has convinced himself of the possibility.
【小题1】What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To lead to the main topic. |
| B．To describe a star’s success. |
| C．To express admiration for a star. |
| D．To explain the meaning of success. |
| A．His desire to be famous. |
| B．His wish to be wealthy. |
| C．His adventurous spirit and imagination. |
| D．His life goal to leave his mark on history. |
| A．He takes a pride in his work. |
| B．He can predict the possibility. |
| C．He always believes in himself. |
| D．He gets prepared for his career. |
| A．How does Kasseem Dean face rejection? |
| B．What makes Kasseem Dean work hard? |
| C．How does Kasseem Dean make history? |
| D．Why doesn’t Kasseem Dean want to retire? |
