Knowledge For Men

Steve Sims is a kid from London with a knack for networking and an attitude that refuses to believe the word "Impossible". Founder of the super exclusive, membership only personal concierge service for VIPs and executives seeking the ultimate in unique experiences and travel for themselves and their companies, Steve Sims is an unlikely expert marketer within the luxury industry. But his secret to success is that he's built a life out of keeping his word, and not taking no for an answer. Profiled and often quoted in international publications including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, London's Sunday Times, and South China Morning Post, TV and Sims is a sought-after speaker at a variety of prestigious organizations such as the Pentagon and Harvard! Whether you want to sing with your favorite rock star, have lunch with Donald Trump, get married in the Vatican, or dive to the wreck of the Titanic, Steve Sims is the guy who gets to yes when the answer for anyone else would be no. You can connect with him and learn more at stevedsims.com Favorite Success Quote "No one ever drowned by falling in the water. They drowned by staying there." ~Steve's Father Key Points 1. It's Not About How You Go Down It's About How You Get Up Life is hard. It will kick the crap out of you and leave you on the ground and there is very little you can do to avoid this. So stop trying to fight failure and accept it. You are GOING to fail. You are going to mess up. You are going to make bad decisions. You are going to lose money. You are going to fail at important relationships. You are going to fall down. But that's not what is important. Everyone in the history of humanity has fallen down. What history cares about, what the marketplace and the "gods" of success care about is how you get up. If you are willing to pick yourself up off the ground, get back up, and start swinging again, life will reward you greatly. If you are willing to push through adversity, smile in the face of failure, and persevere no matter how many times you fall down, you will eventually succeed. Failure is inevitable. It's what you do after you fail that makes all the difference. 2. People Will Pay to Avoid Rejection and Humiliation If you are struggling to make ends meet, one of the quickest ways that you can increase your income is by becoming comfortable with rejection and humiliation. People all over the world will pay handsomely to avoid the discomfort of rejection. It's simply part of human nature. Humiliation and rejection are not pleasurable experiences. But if you can learn to overcome your fear of rejection and humiliation and then leverage that skill to help others, there is no limit to the amount of money and influence you can create. 3. Communication Opens the Doors of Life The "Secret Sauce" to becoming wildly successful in 2018 and beyond is simple… Master the art of communication. While everyone else stares down at their cell phones, stays addicted to their Crackberries, and struggle to make small talk while they're in line for a coffee, you can accelerate your success by learning to communicate. Learn how to cut through the bullshit and start interesting conversations. Master the art of building reciprocity. Learn how to persuade people and connect with power players. Master the art of gift giving. Become a master communicator and the world will become your oyster. Our society is slowly but surely losing its ability to connect and collaborate. If you can maintain and improve your ability to network and build authentic relationships, there is no limit to what you can achieve. 4. Be Memorable The worst crime that you can commit in a social situation is to be boring. The world is filled with boring and uninteresting people. It's your job to stand out from the crowd, be authentic, and be memorable. This doesn't mean that you should be an obnoxious clown or some sort of ass hole. It simply means that you must learn how to stand out in people's minds. Learn how to make people feel special and how to present yourself in a way that is unique and unexpected. If you can successfully position yourself as a memorable and interesting individual you will have an abundance of business opportunities and romantic relationships coming your way. 5. Throw Sh*t at the Wall and See What Sticks Life is about experimenting. Try out 1,000 things this year until you figure out what you like. Try three new things a day. Talk to as many strangers as you can. Throw shit at the wall and see what sticks.

Tal Gur, a blogger, entrepreneur, and devoted adventurer, has spent a decade pursuing 100 major goals around the globe. But his journey had its challenges. Like most people, he faced crippling self-doubt and struggled for a sense of purpose. Behind every difficulty, he discovered a life-changing gift, and now he's passing what he learned onto others. You can connect with him and learn more at talgur.me Favorite Success Quote "Happiness before goals" Key Points 1. Put Your Happiness Before Goals Happiness should not be something that we defer until we achieve a specific goal. It should be a state of being that we cultivate every single day. It should be an emotion that we make incredibly easy to achieve. If you are reading this blog right now you have a lot to feel happy about. You have your sight. You have an internet connection and a device that is more powerful than the computers NASA used to put a man on the moon. You have full control of your brain and an ability to comprehend complex ideas and sentences. You have a LOT to be happy about. So act like it. Lower your barrier to happiness. Make a conscious effort to cultivate more happiness in your life by making it stupid simple to feel happy. When you wake up each morning, take a moment to feel happy for the warm sheets and cozy blankets covering your body. When you walk into work (even if you hate it) be happy that you have some sort of employment. When you come home each day, be happy that you have a roof over your head and food in your belly. Be happy now. Because now is all that we have. 2. Fulfillment is Dependent on Direction So often people assume that fulfillment is dependent on achieving some goal or arriving at some arbitrary destination. It's not. Fulfillment should depend on one thing and one thing only… Direction. Sit down in a quiet place later this week and really ask yourself what direction you want to take your life. Don't tie this to a specific goal or outcome, simply a direction. Do you want to move in the direction of more physical fitness? Greater financial freedom? More love and abundance? Whatever you decide, write it down and then commit to take three actions each day that move you in that direction. 3. Pain is a Messenger Most people try to ignore or hide from pain. This is like trying to put a bandaid on cancer. Pain is a messenger. It's there to tell you that something is broken and you need to fix it. If you have a broken arm, a shot of morphine will numb the pain but it won't solve the problem. You need to visit a hospital, get a cast, and allow your bones to heal. Pain in your life is the same way. If you are depressed, anxious, or feeling overwhelmed… Good. This is a sign that something in your life isn't working. And you have the power to fix it. Whenever you experience pain don't run from it. Feel it. Experience it fully and sit in it for a few hours. Ask yourself, "What is this pain trying to tell me?" Are you in the wrong job or relationship? Struggling to be disciplined with your finances? Overweight and unhealthy? Before you run from the pain always try to uncover why you are experiencing pain in the first place. Because until you solve the root cause of the problem, you will never truly overcome the pain. 4. Focus on Financial Freedom First People will often begin their journey of self-transformation by trying to fix their relationships, their career, or pursuing more of their passions. In most cases, this approach is completely backward. The first step that you should take to building your dream life and achieving your biggest goals is to achieve financial freedom. Until you have the money to do what you want, when you want, with whom you want, everything else should be secondary. Financial freedom will revolutionize every aspect of your life. It will allow you to travel more and pursue your passions with greater ease. It will allow you to have more choices in your relationships and care for the people you love. It will allow you to take care of your body and give yourself the care and attention you truly need. Financial freedom opens the doors of life and allows you to pursue your dreams on your terms. Focus on getting your money right first, and the rest will follow. 5. Pick One Thing and Stick With it to Completion One of the most powerful ways to improve your quality of life is to master the art of single focusing on a task to completion. Life isn't short. We make it short by chasing too many goals at once and filling our time with unnecessary garbage. By learning to pick a goal or project and see it through to completion, you will unlock one of the master skills of life and learn that you can accomplish anything you want with the right sequencing and a little perseverence. Pick one goal and stick to it. The benefits will be enormous.

Ryan Stewman is a high-performance sales coach and trainer who went from spending two stints in federal prison to building a multiple seven figure income. He is the author of several best-selling books including Kick-Ass, Bulletproof Business, Elevator to the Top, and Hardcore Closer. You can learn more and connect with Ryan at hardcorecloser.com Favorite Success Quote "You must take action before you can take over." Key Points 1. Knowledge is Only Power if You Take Action You often hear the phrase "Knowledge is Power". This simply isn't true. In and of itself, knowledge is useless. Knowledge doesn't do anything. It can't add money to your bank account. It can't make you ripped. It can't help you find the woman of your dreams. It can't do a damn thing. As the (in)famous entrepreneur and investor Derek Sivers said: If [more]information was the answer we'd all be billionaires with six packs. But we aren't and it isn't. Knowledge is only power if it's applied. It's only worth a damn if you use it. It only matters when you leverage your knowledge to take massively informed action towards achieving the life of your dreams. 2. Everything But Death is Temporary Everything in life is temporary. Good and bad. All of the pains, frustrations, and heartaches will eventually end. All of the success that you are enjoying will one day grind to a halt. Everything in your life will end. And this is a beautiful thing. Because life is temporary and fleeting, like the cliche feather in the wind, everything falls into place. When you are struggling you know that your struggles are temporary. When you are at the top, you take the time to savor the moment because you know that it will end. Keep perspective on your life, the good and the bad, by always remembering that "This too shall pass". 3. Your Past Doesn't Matter This year alone, Ryan's company will generate more multi-millions of dollars in revenue. Which illustrates a very important lesson… Your past doesn't fucking matter. Who you were yesterday has no bearing on who you are today and Ryan is living proof of this. At 19, Ryan was strung out on every drug that you can imagine and dealing full time to make ends meet. He was eventually busted by the feds and sent to federal prison for several years. When he was released, he dove into the world of sales and eventually, was making so much money in real estate that he was again targeted by the police who thought he was still selling drugs. They raided his house and found zero evidence of any drug possession, use, or trafficking. In order to save face, they arrested for felon possession of a firearm (which resided in a legal grey zone). He was sentenced to prison again except this time, his then-wife stole all of his assets and left him for the man with whom she'd been having an affair. Talk about a mess, right? Upon his second release, Ryan dove into the world of sales again taking special care to keep his nose clean and, in the last two years, has grown his sales coaching business from $0 to multimillions in revenue. If a convicted felon and former junky who lost everything can rise from the ashes and rebuild his life to the top then so can you. So cut the excuses and quit using your past as a crutch. You are capable of achieving anything that you desire. But you have to overcome your excuses and hustle. 4. It's All Sales In life and business, you must become a master of sales. I know that the word conjures up images of sleazy used car dealers and snake oil peddlers but let me assure you, everything that you do is sales. Want to meet the woman of your dreams and convince her to marry you? That's sales. Want to get funding for your new startup? That's sales. Want to convince your kids that it's important to read personal growth books and regularly exercise? That's sales. Want to get your boss to give you a raise or move forward with one of your ideas? You guess it! Sales. Everything that you do is sales or, to put it in less cringy terminology, influence. If you lack this skill then your quality of life and success will suffer. If you can master it then the world is your oyster. 5. Take Massive Action. Fast Although I've already mentioned the importance of taking massive action in this article, it's a point worth repeating. Experience is the best teacher and there is no book or course that can serve as a shortcut for rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. Your goal in business and life should be to acquire the MVIR or 'minimum viable information required' to take action on your next step. I'm not recommending that you simply take action without a plan or system to support you. I am saying that you should take action as soon as you have a concrete next step. You know what you need to do to improve your body, boost your income, or improve your love life. So go and do it. Once you've taken action, collect the MVIR for the next step and take action again. Information is important. But in a world where more than 2.5 m

We live in a world caught between two extremes. In one breath, we eschew and vilify masculinity and traditionally "manly" virtues, labeling them as "toxic" and detrimental to society. Yet in another, we revel in them. Subconsciously pining for a resurgence in traditional masculinity. We are enamored with the classically masculine archetypes that proliferate our favorite movies, books, and TV shows (think Jon Snow, Don Draper, Hank Moody, and Captain America). The blood in our veins rips at the sight of a vicious knockout in the UFC and, as we watch the victor leap to the top of the cage with his arms held high in the air, we can't help but imagine ourselves standing in his place…the taste of blood on our lips, the deafening roar of the crowd filling our ears, and the inner confidence of knowing that we are capable of handling ourselves in conflict. Yet all of our imagining does little to change the way we feel and show up in life. Despite our desire to "be the man", to feel strong, accomplished, and powerful…our desires are left unmet. We are not the hero of our lives so we allay our growing sense of emasculation by watching other hero's through a steady stream of action movies, video games, and extreme sports. The reason is simple… Men today are lost. In the famous words of Bob Dylan, "The times, they are a-changing." And modern men have failed to evolve with the changing times. As feminism has given rise to unprecedented equality men are faced with a growing and inescapable sense of obsolescence. Men aren't needed in the way that we once were and, our seeming lack of utility has left men wondering, "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" We no longer have clear roles in society and men all over the world want to know how to be more masculine and even if it's okay. And today, I'm going to give you the answers you've been looking for.

oes it feel like something is missing internally? Like the fire that once consumed your very soul has been extinguished…replaced by frustration, dissatisfaction, and the exhausting monotony of working your fingers to the bone to fuel a materialistic lifestyle you no longer want or have never truly enjoyed? Like you're missing out on the most important things in life…the deep connections and friendship, the wild and exciting intimate relationships, and the lust for adventure and purpose that has fueled men for millenia. Thoreau wrote, "The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation." Look around you – this is as true today as it was then. Perhaps even more so. And today, I'm going to teach you how to change it for good.

Dr. David Lieberman is one of the most sought-after leaders in the fields of human behavior and interpersonal relationships. His groundbreaking research and writings have established him as a remarkable force of influence across a spectrum of fields and industries. His eleven published books, which include two New York Times bestsellers, have been translated into 27 languages, selling more than three million copies worldwide. Dr. Lieberman has appeared on more than 300 programs. He is a frequent guest expert on national television and radio shows, and he has been interviewed for, and featured in, leading newspapers and magazines around the globe. You can connect with Dr. Liberman and learn more at drdavidlieberman.com. Favorite Success Quote "Mental health requires an allegiance to reality at all costs to consequences " Key Points 1. You Must Accept Reality The first step to developing true mental health and emotional control is to accept the reality in which you live. As the famous words written on maps and billboards across the world state: "You are here" Wherever 'here' is… If you wish to create the life of your dreams you must start where you are. You must develop real clarity on where you are in the important areas of life, where you want to be, and (most importantly) what's holding you back. I challenge you, right now, to write down the answer to the following questions: Where am I in my health? Where am I in my relationships? Where am I in my happiness, adventure, and play time? Where am I in my career? Until you have a clear picture of where you are, you will never be able to get where you are going. Be real with yourself and accept reality. Because once you do, life get's a helluva lot more exciting. 2. Maximizing Your Potential Requires Enduring Pain If any of you have watched the (now) mainstream classic "Rick and Morty" then you probably remember the episode with the Meseeks box. If you have a particularly astute memory, then you probably remember their tagline: "Existence is pain". Although you don't often uncover valuable life lessons from cartoons on Adult Swim, I've gotta hand it to the writers of the show… They were right. Existence is pain. Because there is nothing in life that can be achieved without pain and nothing that can be truly appreciated without adversity. Pain is what makes existence valuable, it's what makes life worth a damn. Think about the Olympics that are going on right now. How would you feel if you walked up to the podium and were simply handed an Olympic Gold Medal? Sure, some of you might use it to brag or try and pick up women, but most of you reading this would feel completely and utterly cheated. Why? Because you didn't earn it. You didn't endure the pain of early morning workouts, strict diets, and sobriety. You didn't experience the pain of grueling training sessions and years of dedication for that one moment of victory. Pain is what makes life valuable. So stop avoiding pain and start accepting it. Because the more comfortable you become with pain, the more pleasure and, ultimately, fulfillment you will experience. 3. Uncover Your Values… And Live Them One of the biggest problems holding men back from achieving their true purposes is that most men aren't living their lives based on their values. In fact, most men aren't even consciously aware of what they value. Sure, every guy can tell you that he values family or fitness or money or success but do his actions reflect these values? Have you taken the time to clearly define the values that drive your life? Have you asked yourself the tough questions to help you understand what you care about and why? If not, then you are like a ship at sea with no rudder, a feather in the wind. Without clearly defined values you have no purpose, no mission, and no fire driving you forward. As soon as you finish listening to this podcast I challenge you to sit in silence and contemplate what you value. Once you have your values defined, make a list of actions associated with those values. From there, it's simply a matter of living those values each and every day. 4. Anger Doesn't Solve Problems (It Only Helped You Survive) One of the most critical steps to ridding your life of anger is to first change your relationship with it. Many men believe that anger is a good thing. They think that it's somehow manly to get pissed off and try to solve problems with their fists or strained vocal chords. And while it's certainly true that there are rare moments in most men's lives where violence or aggression is called for, these moments make up less than 0.0001% of your lifetime interactions. In almost every other case, anger is simply a sign of weakness. It's a sign that you lack control over yourself and, by extension, the world. The grounded man doesn't get angry. The strong man doesn't lose his temper. The wise man doesn't scream and yell to make a point. Anger is childish and, what's worse, is that it rarely solves problems. When was th

Gary John Bishop is one of the leading Personal Development experts in the industry with a global reputation that has impacted tens of thousands of people worldwide. He is the author of Unf*ck Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life. His "urban philosophy" approach represents a new wave of personal empowerment and life mastery that has caused miraculous results for people in the quality and performance of their lives. He calls it like it is while being influenced by ontology, phenomenology and the philosophy of some of the world's greatest thinkers to help you be inspired, unburdened and grounded. Favorite Success Quote "You have the life you are willing to put up with." Key Points 1. You Are Responsible for Being F*cked Whenever you (or someone that you know) is confronted with the cold reality that they are utterly and completely f*cked, the initial reaction is almost always one of blame. "My parents were terrible! You don't understand." "Yeah, well I grew up poor so this is just how it has to be" "You don't know what it's like to be an [insert minority group of choice]!" Although every statement above could be true, it doesn't change the facts. You are 100% responsible for your life. Why would you let anyone else control even a fraction of 1% of your life? Do you really want to leave your future, your potential, and your one life to the whims of other people? If not, then you must accept full responsibility for your life and move one. 2. Authenticity is Inherently About You Whenever people hear the phrase "Just be authentic", they often assume that they now have free reign to say and react to others in any way that they choose. This is not authenticity, it's called being an ass hole. Authenticity in your interactions is about expressing your truth and owning that truth. Let me give you an example of what I mean. Let's say that a client of yours responded to an error in a manner that was completely inappropriate and unacceptable on both a personal and professional level. You are feeling frustrated, hurt, and angry by their actions and feel compelled to bring them up. There are two ways of going about this. The first way, (which most people choose) is to make the interaction about them. "How dare you treat me that way! You are such an ass hole and you clearly don't value our working relationship! You can take this project and shove it because I can't stand this crap anymore." Although the statement might be true, it's not productive because it's focused on the other person instead of you. A more authentic way to approach the conversation would be to say: "Look, what you did yesterday made me feel very hurt and undervalued. I don't know whether you understand how your actions affected our professional relationship, but I wanted to let you know that I will no longer be able to continue working with you if we have another incident like that." When you shift the focus from the other person and onto yourself, you step into your power and own your responsibility for your feelings and your response to those feelings. 3. Someone Somewhere Has Dealt with What You Are Dealing With It's funny how often I hear the words "No one knows what I'm going through". It doesn't really matter what the topic is about. It could be an abusive childhood, a controlling partner, a crappy boss, bad health, or any wide variety of ailments and general shittiness. But the simple fact of the matter is that someone somewhere has experienced the exact same thing that you are struggling with and they have turned this perceived weakness into their greatest strength. Sean Stephenson was born with a genetic deformity that stunted his growth, permanently confined him to a wheelchair, and weakened him so much that he's broken every bone in his body. Yet he's an inspiration to millions. Tony Robbins was abused as a child and kicked out of his house, left to live on the streets at 16. Today, he is worth more than $1 billion and coaches some of the world's top performers to the top. Grant Cardone lost his father at the age of 9, became addicted to drugs at 16, and was in line for unemployment at 26. Today, his real estate empire has helped him amass a fortune of more than $750 million with a beautiful wife and two children. Whatever excuse you are allowing to hold you back… It's bullshit. Someone somewhere has gone through the same things as you and worse. It's up to you to choose a more empowering story, follow their example, and reclaim control of your life. 4. Always Seek to be of Service When we are focused on ourselves, life can quickly become a pit of chaos and confusion. The smallest obstacles derail us from our dreams, our emotions run wild, and we get so caught up in our own drama that we can miss out on the beauty of our lives. The simplest and most powerful way to fix this issue is to shift your focus from yourself to others by seeking to be of service. This doesn't mean that you are a doormat but rather that you actively look f

Kenneth Shamrock (born Kenneth Wayne Kilpatrick; February 11, 1964) is an American mixed martial artist, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Hall of Famer, and retired professional wrestler. He emerged as one of the biggest stars in the history of mixed martial arts, headlining over 15 main events and co-main events in the UFC and Pride Fighting Championships during the course of his career and set numerous pay-per-view records. Shamrock is widely considered to be a legendary figure and icon in the sport of mixed martial arts. Shamrock was named The World's Most Dangerous Man by ABC News in a special entitled "The World's Most Dangerous Things" in the early part of his UFC career, a moniker which has stuck as his nickname. Favorite Success Quote "You have no idea what I'm willing to do to get where I'm going." Key Points 1. Be Willing to Do Whatever it Takes If you want to truly succeed in the most competitive environments then you must cultivate a "Whatever it Takes" mentality. This doesn't mean that you are willing to engage in unethical or immoral activities, simply that you are willing to sacrifice, to hustle, and to grind your way through any challenge and any adversity. For those of you who are content to be in second place (and there's nothing wrong with that), doing whatever it takes isn't truly necessary. You can skate by, cut corners, take shortcuts, and still arrive at your destination. But if you want to be the best, the top 1%, a leader, mover, and shaker in your industry, then you must show up early, stay late, and outwork all of your competition. The price of admission is high, but the rewards are worth it. 2. You Have to Choose Yourself In business and in life, most people wait to be called on. Like a child being called on by the teacher instead of raising their hand, most people wait until life presents them with an opportunity or opens a door. If you want to play the game of life in the top echelon of society, then you need to find opportunities and kick the doors down yourself. Or as previous podcast guest James Altucher puts it, you must Choose Yourself. No one is going to give you the freedom, the career, or the lifestyle that you desire. If you are a man, then do what needs to be done and take it for yourself. Take massive action, take huge initiative and do the work. Because if you don't… Someone else will. 3. If You Don't Seize the Moment Someone Else Will Life is competition. Anyone who has even the most basic understanding of our species' history and the story of evolution knows this. Although we live in a world filled with abundance and a plethora of resources, we also live in a world filled with fierce competition. And the most dangerous thing that you can do in your life, relationship, or career is to hesitate and allow someone else to seize your moment. Think about how many times you saw that pretty girl, had that business idea or wanted to make that change but you didn't. You hesitated, you waited, and you procrastinated. But someone else didn't. Someone else went up and introduced himself, someone else set up their LLC and took action on their idea, someone else made the change, reaped the rewards and enjoyed the spoils of their labor… But you didn't. In each of our lives, we are presented with a small handful of pivotal moments where we must decide whether we will take action or not. It is in these moments that your destiny is shaped. Don't allow someone else to shape it for you. Take action, seize the moment, and live the life you've always dreamed of. 4. Find Your "Person" If you continue down your current trajectory of personal and professional development, sometime in the future, you will arrive at a place in your life where you are surrounded by "Yes Men." Your success and reputation will be so great that the people in your social circle will rarely tell you the truth and will, instead, try to tell you what they think you want to hear. This is one of the most dangerous places any man can be. You must find someone, whether a friend, relative, or coach who will tell you the truth all the time with compassion. You need someone in your life who will tell you when you are messing up, when you are on the right track, and when you need to shut up and get things done. Find your "Person" who will always be honest with you and you will find that your life will be a lot smoother and easier than it will when you operate on the opinions of impressed "friends". 5. Slow Down and Be Patient Life is a marathon, not a sprint. It seems like our instant gratification society has lost touch with the realities of life and, the simple truth is that life is meant to be lived and experienced. Don't be so eager to achieve great things that you forget to live your life and enjoy the journey. Be patient and allow success to happen in its own time and its own way.

Russell Whitney is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and a recognized worldwide leader in the business, real estate investment, and financial training fields. Russell prospered in both business and real estate and eventually used his knowledge and experience to help others do the same. Over the past 15 years, he has traveled the world speaking to audiences as large as 10,000, at one time to a fully packed arena. He has spoken alongside luminaries like Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki, Anthony Robbins, and George Foreman, always spreading his message of how to take immediate action to achieve financial goals and dreams by following his easy-to-follow, step-by-step process. Favorite Success Quote "Rock bottom is the foundation that you can build upon" "If you truly want something you will find a way, if you don't you will find an excuse." Key Points 1. Fear of the Unknown Disappears when you Commit to Massive Self Education The one thing that holds most people back from achieving the life that they want is not laziness, procrastination, or ignorance. It's fear of the unknown. When you don't know what will happen next, it's easy to become complacent and get trapped in mediocrity. You think to yourself "Things aren't that bad right now. If I quit my job, leave this relationship, or move to a new city, everything could go horribly wrong!" And these thought patterns keep you stuck in your current situation and prevent you from ever achieving your dreams. So what's the solution? Massive self-education through books, courses, and mentors. Other people have been where you are right now, taken massive action, and experienced the joy and pain inherent in the goals you are pursuing. Instead of trying to do it all on your own, learn from others. By educating yourself on your goal you will know what obstacles to expect, how to overcome the challenges you will experience, and how to capitalize on opportunities that come your way. When you educate yourself, fear disappears. 2. Sales is the Key to All Financial Success If you want to succeed at business and in life, then you must become a master of sales. There's no way around it. Regardless of what you do to make money or what your goals are in life, sales is the key to unlocking everything that you want. Want to make millions of dollars with real estate? Then you must learn to sell the leads, prospects, and clients on why they should work with and buy from you. Want to have a beautiful spouse and an amazing family? Then you must go out and sell yourself to your ideal partner and convince them that they should be with you and not the millions of other men out there. Want to lose weight, gain muscle, and get in the best shape of your life? Then you must go out there and sell yourself on why it's a 'must' for you to go to the gym and eat clean every day. Sales is the key to everything. The sooner you can master it the sooner you can have the life that you want. 3. Use Fear of Failure as your Greatest Motivation After the 2008 market collapse, Russel lost everything. He went bankrupt, became homeless, severed ties with his family and friends, and developed a massive drug problem. One night as he was contemplating suicide, he suffered from a drug-induced schizophrenic episode and flushed every narcotic that he had down a toilet. He committed to himself that he was going to get sober and rebuild his life and in a little under 3 years, he went from living on the streets to reaching multi-millionaire status. He told me that the reason he is so "Disciplined" with his finances and lifestyle today is not willpower or a commitment to his future, but rather a crippling fear of going back to rock bottom. In our modern society, we often treat fear as a negative thing. In some cases (as with fear of the unknown) fear can cripple us and prevent us from taking action. But in other cases, fear can be our most powerful ally in driving ourselves towards the life that we want. Learn to harness your fear and you'll be amazed at the results that you can achieve. 4. The Key to Success is Humility and Drive In our interview, Russel shared a story about one of his students who was a young 20-something who went from a college dropout to multi-millionaire with online business in only a matter of months. When I asked him what separated his student from the other people he'd mentored Russel's answer was simple. "He's willing to listen to people who are smarter than he is and he has a tremendous hustle and drive." Humility and drive. If you want to achieve your biggest goals, it will not be easy. But it is simple. If you are willing to learn from people who are smarter than you, be humble about your abilities, and obsessed with your craft, you will succeed. Period. It may take months, years, or even decades, but if you are willing to be humble and put forth a tremendous effort, nothing can stand in the way of achieving success. 5. As Soon as You Make Money Throw it Away (Invest) I'm about to give you the sec

Olaniyi "Niyi" Sobomehin is a former American football fullback. He played college football at Portland State. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After being cut from the NFL due to an injury, Olaniyi decided to begin coaching and from there, in addition to being a full-time firefighter, he has built a coaching company imnotyou.com to help young athletes be successful at an elite level. You can connect with him and learn more here, imnotyou.com Favorite Success Quote "People wish to be settled but only as far as they are unsettled is there any hope for them." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Key Points 1. You Must Have a Vision Before you can achieve any goal, you must first set that goal. Before you can arrive at a destination, you must know what destination you wish to arrive at. Before you can live the life of your dreams, you must have a vision for what that life looks like. So many men today walk around aimlessly, without any real vision or purpose to their lives. Maybe they have some arbitrary goals that they set because society told them to, but they lack a visceral purpose and vision that pushes them forward in life. If you hope to live a great life, a life of meaning, a legendary life, then you must start with your vision. Who do you want to be? What do you want to achieve? How do you want to show up every day? How many lives do you want to impact? Until you know the answers to these questions, you cannot achieve the life you were born to achieve. 2. Reverse Engineer Your Vision and Treat Failures as Opportunities Once you have a vision, you have just gotten started. With your vision clearly written down, you must reverse engineer the steps that are required to achieve that vision until you have a long list of small steps that will help you achieve your goals in the coming years. Once you know what steps you need to take and when you need to take them (this will take you a long time to figure out), you must take daily massive action and learn from everything you do. You must remember that failure doesn't mean you're out of the game, it means you have a chance to learn. For example, if you sit down to work and have a completely unproductive day, instead of viewing this as a failure, ask yourself "What did I learn?" Maybe you learned that your phone needs to be on airplane mode throughout the workday. Maybe you learned that you need to have your days planned before you begin them. Or maybe you learned that you just need to get some extra sleep because you're too damn exhausted to work. Whatever you learn, write it down, tweak your approach, and continually learn from the process until you achieve your goal. 3. Stay Hungry and Focus on Growth One of the biggest traps into which many men fall is the trap of success and complacency. You see, many of us start with relatively small visions that we achieve early on in life. Maybe you've sold your business, finally earned the 6-figure salary, or married the woman of your dreams. That's great, but you're not even close to finished. In fact, you're just getting started. Life is all about expansion, it's about growth, it's about constantly striving to be, do, and achieve more. Instead of resting on your laurels, you must stay hungry. Even when you are enjoying the fruits of your hard work, you must set your sights on the next milestone, the next goal, and the next vision. Because if you don't, if you settle in your current circumstances, you will eventually atrophy and die, leaving this world with so much potential left on the table. No matter how successful you are or how much success you achieve, you must remember the famous words of Steve Jobs and "Stay hungry, stay foolish". 4. Commit Yourself to Discipline Every Single Day Most of you have probably heard our interview with Jocko Willink where he echoes his infamous statement that "Discipline Equals Freedom". And most of you treat this statement as a convenient war cry instead of an ethos by which you live your life. Most men commit to discipline sporadically and as a result, they make great achievements and breakthroughs sporadically as well. They are disciplined when they need to be but they aren't disciplined when they should be. And this reality is clearly reflected in their success and failures. If you want to be one of the greats, if you want to be a legend, if you want to be the kind of person who people remember, then you must be willing to discipline yourself daily. You must make a commitment to discipline every day that you wake up, you must stand strong in your values, and take massive action towards your goals even when you don't need to. This is the only way to achieve lasting success and it's the only way that you will leave a dent in this universe. 5. Surround Yourself with the Right People When you have created a vision, reverse engineered that vision, committed yourself to discipline, and begin learning from your failures, there is only one final step towards u

Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer-prize winning reporter and the author of Smarter Faster Better, about the science of productivity and The Power of Habit, about the science of habit formation in our lives, companies, and societies. You can connect with him and learn more at charlesduhigg.com/. Favorite Success Quote "Think more deeply about what's going on so that I can determine how I should respond?" Key Points 1. Ask Yourself "What Do I Really Want Out of This?" One of the greatest tragedies of modern society is that most people are vigorously pursuing goals that aren't congruent with who they are and what they really want. Society, our friends, and our families all encourage us to earn more money, pack on more muscle, get married (or not), buy a house, and do what "good" little boys do. Unfortunately, most people never actually take the time to ask themselves what they really want. They never set aside the time to think purposefully about their life, their vision, and their goals. As a result, more and more people arrive at their deathbeds wishing that they could live their lives over again in a different way. I want to encourage you to take a step back and ask yourself "What do I really want from this?" In every situation, whether it's in the bedroom, the boardroom, or the gym, set aside the time to think deeply about what you really want and how you can attain it. 2. Your Habits are Predicated on Queues, Actions, and Rewards While the old saying, "Knowing is half the battle" might be a little bit hyperbolic, it's origins are found in reality. If you don't truly understand a system, process, or job, you will never be able to accomplish it successfully and nowhere is this truer than in the realm of productivity, habits, and performance. Most people simply assume that they are lazy or a procrastinator or just plain unlucky. But the reality is that most people have never been taught how to properly build the habits of success into their lives. Luckily, building a habit… Any habit is very simple (notice I did not say easy). Habits can be broken into three parts: The trigger, the action, and the reward. If you've ever been addicted to cigarettes then I have no doubt that you are uncomfortably familiar with this process. You see a cigarette or experience stress (the trigger), you pull out a smoke and light it up (the action/habit), and then you experience a buzz from the nicotine and a sense of relaxation (the reward). But the same pattern can be found in positive habits. For example, you might see your running shoes and gym clothes (the trigger), decide to go workout (the action), and then experience a rush of endorphins and endocannabinoids that give you a feeling of elation and euphoria (the reward). Every habit can be broken down into these three simple steps and when you understand this framework you will be able to manipulate your actions and outputs at will. Pay close attention to the "Reward" element of this framework and you will be able to change your habits quicker and easier than you ever believed possible. 3. The Small Daily Decisions Matter It doesn't matter what you had for lunch today, if you went to the gym or not, how many drinks you had, or how much you slept. But what does matter is what you consistently have for lunch, how often you go to the gym, how frequently you drink, and how serious you are about the quality of your sleep. For most people, there is no one action that will make or break their life and success. Instead, their lives are the direct result of thousands of tiny actions and decisions made overtime. When you realize this, you will begin to see the small decisions in a different light. Because even though one action might not make a difference today, when that action is repeated and compounded over years and decades, it will literally determine the quality and capacity of your life. 4. Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals With the new year right around the corner, many of you are undoubtedly setting New Year's resolutions. Although I think resolutions are a terrible idea (which I will be discussing in an upcoming article), if you are going to set resolutions, Charles shared a few simple tips to help you actually stick to them this year. For starters, you want to set two major goals, a stretch goal and an easy goal. The stretch goal should scare the crap out of you and be something that you aren't 100% certain you can achieve. It shouldn't be unrealistic, just difficult. Your second major goal should be an important habit or result that you know you can achieve if you are simply willing to put in the work. Once you have your goals, you are going to break them down using the SMART formula. Specific: What do I want to achieve? Who is required to achieve it? What resources will I need? Measurable: How much? How many? How will I know my goal is achieved? Achievable: How realistic is this goal based on my current restraints? Relevant: Is this goal worthwhile? Is the timing right? Is it applicable in

Dan Millman is a former world champion athlete, university coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor. After an intensive, twenty-year spiritual quest, Dan's teaching found its form as the Peaceful Warrior's Way, expressed fully in his books and lectures. His work continues to evolve over time, to meet the needs of a changing world. Dan's seventeen books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, have inspired and informed millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide. The feature film, "Peaceful Warrior," starring Nick Nolte, was adapted from Dan's first book, based upon incidents from his life. Much of Dan's time is devoted to writing and speaking. His keynotes, seminars, and workshops span the generations to influence men and women from all walks of life, including leaders in the fields of health, psychology, education, business, politics, sports, entertainment, and the arts. Dan and his wife Joy live in Brooklyn, NY. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren. You can connect with him and learn more at peacefulwarrior.com Favorite Success Quote "Success is making progress towards a meaningful goal" "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" Key Points 1. Seek Excellence Not Success One of the most common mistakes that people make in their pursuit of happiness is that they seek success instead of seeking excellence. Let me break down what this means… Most people, especially the kinds of people who listen to this podcast and read this blog, are future and goal oriented. We are laser-focused on the attainment of something, on the accomplishment of something sometime in the distant future. But what we often forget is that these accomplishments for which we are striving are made up of individual pieces. For example, no one can "Build a Business". A business is built by doing hundreds, maybe even thousands of small things well. You don't "Build" your dream body by doing one thing once. You build your dream body by doing thousands upon thousands of reps with perfect form. And that is where your focus should be. Yes, you must have compelling goals that push you forward and encourage you to perform at your best. But you must always remember that every worthy goal is comprised of thousands and thousands of micro-actions that you must take in the present moment. They are the product of committing to excellence in the present moment and maintaining that commitment year after year after year. Focus on doing things with excellence and success will inevitably follow. 2. The Quality of Your Moments Becomes the Quality of Your Life In the same way that many people mistakenly pursue success instead of pursuing excellence, many of us devote our lives to the pursuit of the "Good Life". We hustle, grind, and sacrifice so that, one day, we can finally be happy and enjoy a high quality of life. We give up the things that are most important for an uncertain future that may or may not bring joy and fulfillment into our lives. And by doing this, we forget to live our lives as they are happening. We fail to realize that the "Good Life" is nothing more than a life filled with "Good Moments". If you want a good life, you must have good years. To have good years, you must have good months, weeks, and days. And to have good days, you must have good moments. You must learn to embrace where you are right now and enjoy the moment for all that it is. Because the present moment is everything. It's all that you have. There is no future. There is no past. There is only now. So live in the now. Cultivate those small moments of joy, happiness, and excellence. If you do this, I promise you that you will look back on your life with a smile, knowing that you lived it well. 3. Trust the Process of Your Life Unfolding This if the 400th interview that I've conducted on the Knowledge for Men podcast and, after almost 4 years of interviewing top achievers, thinkers, and performers, I've noticed an interesting pattern. Success, happiness, and fulfillment almost always exist on the other side of pain. Grant Cardone was struggling with a drug addiction, broke, and unemployed before he found his future in sales and real estate. Ryan Blair was involved in the most dangerous L.A. gangs almost sentenced to a decade of incarceration before he fell in love with entrepreneurship. Bedros Keulian was literally digging through dumpsters to find food before he created the 8-figure fitness empire that he now owns today. Yet these men trusted the process (admittedy they may have done so unconsciously). They were willing to take a leap of faith and trust the process of their life unfolding. They were able to accept that, as Steve Jobs said, "You will never connect the dots looking forward, only looking backward. So you have to somehow trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future." And you must do the same. Trust the process of your life unfolding. Live in the present moment. Have faith in yourself and in the universe and realize that l

Mastin Kipp is the #1 best-selling author of Daily Love: Growing into Grace and his latest book Claim Your Power and has been recognized by Oprah Winfrey on her Emmy-award winning show Super Soul Sunday as a "spiritual thinker for the next generation." He is the founder of Functional Life Coaching (TM) and has appeared alongside Tony Robbins, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Dr. Brene Brown and others as a part of Oprah's Super Soul 100, a collection of awakened leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity. He leads sold-out seminars and retreats all over the world, and collectively two million people in over 100 countries have been influenced by Mastin's work. You can connect with him and learn more at mastinkipp.com. Favorite Success Quote "Unless you're in mortal danger, fear is a compass showing you where to go." Key Points 1. You Always Have a Choice Between What is Easy and What will Lead to Your Dreams In every person's life, they will come to a hallway, perhaps many hallways where they will be presented with a simple choice. Will they take the first door on the left, the door that leads to ease, comfort, and safety? Or will they take the second door, the door on the right that exposes them to danger at every corner but allows them to live their lives fully and completely? When you take the first door, you make the decision to play safe to avoid doing the uncomfortable things that will drive you towards your dreams, and eventually, you become so bitter and jealous of other's success that you begin to sabotage yourself and your goals. When you take door number two, you take a bold step into uncertainty. And it's terrifying. But it's also worth it. 2. What's Really Going On? If you have found yourself stuck in a rut, unable to break free of the habits and tendencies that have kept your life where it is today, then you need to take a step back and ask yourself, "What's really going on?" Peel back the layers of the onion and look beneath the surface. Maybe you are terrible at relationships and no matter how many beautiful women you bring into your life, they all seem to leave faster than they show up. Are you really terrible at relationships or is there something in your past, some sort of unresolved trauma or experience that is causing you to subconsciously sabotage yourself? Is there a deeper reason for the struggles that you are experiencing? A common one that I see with many men is the problem of laziness and procrastination. I know so many men who are powerful, excited and motivated about life, but when it comes time to actually go to work, they drag their feet and fail to accomplish even the most basic tasks. Are they lazy? Maybe. But I think the real problem is that their subconscious is telling them that there is an incongruence. Maybe they are working a job they aren't passionate about, maybe they are in a business they don't really love, or selling a product they don't truly believe in. Whatever the case may be, you will never be able to fix your biggest problems until you understand the root of the problems themselves. What's really going on? 3. Don't Just Use Your Pain… Transcend It Your pain is a powerful motivating force, but it must be used for good. I see so many men who are burnt out and struggling simply because they've spent the past decade of their lives fueled by pain. Pain is often the spark that can start a fire in your life. But if you aren't careful, it can also be the fire that consumes and burns your life to the ground. Therefore, we must learn to transcend our pain and trauma. Use it to ignite the fire you need to make bold moves and step forward in life and then… Let it go. Come to terms with your pain, let go of your suffering, and forgive whoever and whatever hurt you. Pain is a powerful ally. But it can be an even more powerful enemy. 4. Start with What You Have Where You Are If you are broke, struggling, and depressed, then this is one of the most powerful pieces of advice that you will ever hear. You cannot win the marathon that is life until you start running. And the only way to start running this race is to start where you are with what you have. You might be living in a 400 square foot apartment with no running water and $50,000 in debt. Great. Start where you are with what you have. You might be living a great life but you know that you can do better if you just knew how. Great. Start where you are with what you have. There is no better time to start moving towards your dreams than today. No matter what you have or don't have. No matter what you lack or need. Start where you are with what you have. 5. Your Purpose is Based on an Emotional State and Nothing Else I often hear guys who will tell me that they are unsure of their purpose in life. But what's funny to me is that no one seems to have agreed upon what purpose actually means. In the same way that 30 different people can all believe in "God" but they all have wildly definitions of who/what "G

Noah Kagan was #30 at Facebook, #4 at Mint.com, and is the Chief Sumo (founder) of SumoMe, a company which offers free tools to help grow website traffic. He has built 4 products that each generated 7-figures and become one of the leading marketing experts in the world Favorite Success Quote "The squeaky wheel gets the grease" "You're not important and no one cares" Key Points 1. Just Do Things You Enjoy As far as we know, we only have one life. We only have one opportunity to live, laugh, and love. So why is it that so many of us waste our precious time doing shit that we don't like? Why do we work jobs that we hate, stay in relationships that we don't enjoy, and force ourselves to spend time with people who suck? It's absolute insanity. Although there's no "One size fits all" approach to happiness or living the good life, everything starts by doing more of the things you enjoy and less of the things that you hate. So start today. Find a way to cut out activities that you don't enjoy and that don't serve the bigger picture and a way to add in more activities that light you up and put a smile on your face. 2. No One Gives a Sh*t About You This sounds harsh, I know. But if you think about things objectively, you will quickly realize that it's true. Outside of your immediate family and maybe a handful of close friends, no one cares about you, no one. People don't care whether you succeed or not, they don't care if you're happy, and they don't really care if you carry on living. Although it sounds morbid, this is actually good news. The fact that no one cares gives you permission to screw up, it gives you permission to fall on your face, to fail, to lose, and to try things that might not work because, at the end of the day, no one really gives a shit either way. So stop worrying about other people and focus on yourself. If you don't, you will live your life trying to make everyone else happy without ever taking a second to think about your own happiness and well being. 3. Learn to be Empathetic Even though no one really cares about you, this doesn't mean that you should go through life constantly ignoring others, acting like a narcissist, and screwing people over to achieve your goals. You must develop a certain level of empathy so that you can successfully maneuver through the world. The people that you encounter in your everyday life have their own goals, their own struggles, and their own problems. When you can learn to identify with them and consider things from their point of view, you will become a social powerhouse. 4. Define Success for Yourself One of the biggest mistakes that anyone can make in their life is striving to achieve a version of success that isn't truly congruent with their deepest goals and desires. Noah has made millions of dollars several times over but his lifestyle is pretty modest. You won't see him posting on Instagram about his new McLaren or bragging about his new private jet. He's content to live in a 700 square foot flat and drive his scooter downtown in search of the city's best tacos. Because that is his version of success. He enjoys what he does and has a simple life. For other people, however, this would be a living hell. People like Gary Vaynerchuk need to be in constant motion to enjoy their life and feel fulfilled, they need the rush of the deal and the job in order to feel successful and fulfilled. Neither path is wrong. It's simply a matter of what works for you. So I want to challenge you to take some time to think about what success really means to you. What do you really want? What would it take for you to be happy and fulfilled? Once you have your answer, go do that thing, and ignore everyone else's opinions and ideas. Because your definition of success is the only thing that matters. 5. Stop Complaining and Start Looking for a Solution For the next 30 days, I want you to do something. It sounds simple, but I promise it's not as easy as you might assume. I want you to quit complaining. That's it. For the next 30 days, I want you to consciously quit complaining about anything in your life whether it's your job, your spouse, your kids, or just crappy weather. Stop complaining and start looking for solutions. If something bothers you, instead of bitching about it, find a way to change it. It might sound simple, but I promise that it will change your life.

In today's podcast I'm tackling one of THE most infectious diseases affecting men today...Oneitis. In other words, the belief that ONE specific woman is the ONLY woman who can complete you and make you happy. I'll be destroying common myths, giving you powerful exercises to reframe your mindset, and giving you tactical action steps to overcome oneitis for good and build the dating life of your dreams. Let's dive in.

Jon Acuff is the New York Times Bestselling author of six books including his most recent Wall Street Journal #1 Bestseller, Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done. For over 20 years he's helped some of the biggest brands in the world tell their story, including The Home Depot, Bose, Staples, and the Dave Ramsey Team. Most recently he's spoken to hundreds of thousands of people at conferences, colleges, companies and churches. Featured regularly on national media, Jon has been seen on CNN, Fox News, Good Day LA and several other key outlets. In addition, Jon is also a big proponent of social media with blogs that have been read by 4 million people and almost 300,000 twitter followers. In 2010 he used his influence with his tribe to build two kindergartens in Vietnam. Jon lives with his wife Jenny and two daughters in Franklin, TN. Favorite Success Quote "Starting is fun, but the future belongs to finishers." Key Points 1. Starting is Fun But Success Belongs to Finishers Do you remember the last time that you started a new workout program or online course? Do you remember that warm fuzzy feeling you got in the pit of your stomach while you were starting a journey towards your goals? Now let me ask you another question… Do you remember the last time that you actually went through and completely finished a book, workout program, online course, or anything else of importance? Most of you don't… And this doesn't make you a bad person, it doesn't make you lazy, it makes you human. You see, as people we are wired to start things. Whether we are starting a new diet, a new business, a new book, or whatever else it is, we love starting. It's fun, it's exciting, and it makes us feel important. Finishing, on the other hand, sucks. To finish something, you must endure small failures and setbacks, you must persevere even when you don't feel motivated, and you must keep pushing through the parts that don't feel particularly exciting or fun. But success belongs to finishers. No one became successful by starting something. They became successful by following it through to the end and finishing. When you realize this, when you truly internalize this principle, everything will change. 2. Perfectionism will Break You Nothing will wreck your goals, limit your potential, and destroy your plans more than perfectionism. Nothing. Perfectionism is merely an alibi for inaction. It's an excuse to do nothing. Whereas the non-perfectionist says "I know that I can't do xyz perfectly with my current resources, what can I do to move things forward anyways." The perfectionist says "I know that I can't do xyz perfectly so why even bother doing it at all?" When you operate from this framework, you are setting yourself up to fail. No one succeeds when they have a commitment to perfection. Because, quite simply, perfection cannot exist. There will always be something that prevents you from achieving true perfection which means there will always be something that prevents you from finishing your goals, no matter what they are. If you want to live a great life and have a lot of fun doing so, then I challenge you to eradicate the word "Perfect" from your vocabulary. Focus on getting things done and finishing. Because success belongs to the finishers. 3. Slow it Down and Cut it Back Once you have committed to being a "Finisher" and not a perfectionist, it's easy to get overwhelmed. You have all of these goals and big dreams that you want to achieve, but they just seem so daunting and scary. Take a deep breath, relax, and realize that it's going to be ok. Instead of stressing yourself out and killing yourself to achieve arbitrarily set goals that don't have any real significance in your life, slow things down and cut back. Here's what I mean. Let's say that your goal is to lose 15 lbs. in the next month. While it's admirable that you want to lose weight, it's also a foolish goal. You are simply trying to do too much too quickly. Why do you need to lose so much weight in the next 30 days? What's so significant about the next month that you are willing to starve yourself to death in order to hit an arbitrary weight goal? Instead, let's take the finisher's approach. Cut the goal in half and double the timeline. Now, instead of 15 lbs. in 30 days, it's 7 lbs. in 60 days. That means you need to lose less than one pound a week! That's doable right? Some of you reading this might think, "No! I've gotta push hard, I've gotta go crazy and lose this weight" And I get it, that's what you've been conditioned to think. But let me ask you something… If this approach works, then why haven't you lost the weight already? 4. Examine What Has Worked in the Past Whenever you set out to achieve any new goal, start by looking at what has worked in the past. For example, if you take stock of your life and realize that you have mastered your physical health but you're struggling to get a grip on your finances, simply look at the habits and routines that helped to become ph

Chris Guillebeau is the New York Times bestselling author of The $100 Startup, The Happiness of Pursuit, Born for This, and The Art of Non-Conformity. Chris travels the world and writes for a small army of remarkable people at ChrisGuillebeau.com, or you can listen to his daily podcast, Side Hustle School, at SideHustleSchool.com. Favorite Success Quote "Once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way they have been told to." -Alan Keightley Key Points 1. You Don't Have to Live the Way You Are Told Go to school, get good grades, attend college, find a cushy job with nice benefits, buy a house, get married, have 2.5 kids, die. That's the script that most of us have been told to follow. We've been fed a steady diet of lies and misinformation that make us believe that there is only one way to approach life, that there's a select set of goals and ambitions that are acceptable and the rest are heresy. Luckily for you and me… There's more to life than what we were told growing up. Since the inception of the internet, it's easier now than it's ever been in human history to create a sustainable income doing something that you love. It's easier than it's ever been before to shrug off the expectations and "should's" of society and to go about life in our own way. You don't have to do what anyone else tells you to do. If you want to go to college, get a job, get married, and buy a house in the hills, then great! If you don't, if you want to drop out, travel the world, start an online business, and live the expat lifestyle, you can do that too. You have the power to decide who you want to be and what you want to do. You have the ability to decide for yourself what kind of life you want to live. Make the most of it. 2. What One Man Can Do Another Man Can Do In a world that glamorizes the end result without giving so much as a second thought to the process, it's easy to look at the successes of others and believe that their accomplishments are out of your reach. But they were people just like you. Grant Cardone, Gary Vaynerchuk, and yes, Chris Guillebeau are all just normal people who have done extraordinary things. There's nothing special about them, they didn't have any unique advantages that you don't have, they were just normal everyday guys who applied proven principles and tactics to achieve extraordinary results. Whatever it is that you want to achieve in this life, it's possible, and the first step on your path to making it happen is to acknowledge that it's possible. What one man can do, another man can do. If it's been done before it can be done again. Always remember this and always keep your head up. 3. A Side Hustle is an Asset One of the biggest mistakes that people make when it comes to building a side hustle is to think that a "Side Hustle" is the same thing as a part-time job. There's nothing wrong with freelancing or working part-time, but at the end of the day, these endeavors all require the same thing… Your time. No matter how highly paid you become, anything that directly requires your time to make money is a part time job, not a Side Hustle. A side hustle is an asset, it's something that can make you money while you sleep, it's something that you can set and forget. It's something that generates revenue without consuming your life. 4. Your Hustle Isn't that Big of a Deal I know countless individuals who work jobs that they love. They decide to build a side hustle, quite simply, because they want the extra cash. After weeks of brainstorming and agonizing over potential paths they could take, they eventually collapse into a puddle of nerves and anxiety. Not because the task ahead of them is so monumental, but because they have put their side hustle on a proverbial pedestal. They turned it into something that it wasn't. A side hustle is nothing more than a fun project that you work on in your spare time to generate extra revenue. That's it. You don't have to be passionate about it as long as you enjoy it. You don't have to make 6-figures with it (unless you want to). You don't have to turn it into anything of significance. It's just a way to make extra income doing things you like. So don't worry about finding your "One Thing". Make a list of 10 different side hustles, try each one for 2-3 weeks and if you don't like it, throw it in the garbage and start the next one. This is an experiment, treat it as such. 5. Just Get Started No matter what goal you are pursuing, whether it's to travel the world, find your dream job, or simply start a side hustle to earn an extra $2,000 a month, the first step will always be the hardest. You will always second guess yourself, over analyze, and eventually, give up if you don't take the first step and dive into the water head first. Just get started. As simple as it sounds, it's the key to about 90% of success. Just get started, take the first step, write the first word, buy that domain, talk to that girl, do whatever it i

Lewis Howes is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach, author and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, he is a current USA Men's National Handball Team athlete. Lewis hosts The School of Greatness podcast, which has received millions of downloads since it launched in 2013. Lewis was recognized by The White House and President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30. He is a contributing writer for Entrepreneur and Yahoo.com and has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Men's Health, The Today Show and other major media outlets. Favorite Success Quotes "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care" Key Points 1. Show that You Care As men, we have a pathological need to feel important, to feel special, to feel powerful. To fill this need, most of us walk through our lives searching for ways to make other people see how important we are. We work ourselves to death at jobs that we hate so that we can afford to buy things we don't need. We stay in relationships that we should have left years ago because the person that we are dating is attractive and popular. We live our lives for the approval and validation of others while forgetting one obvious truth. No one cares. Seriously… No one cares about how much money you have, how hot your girl friend is, or how many horsepower your car has. The people in your life are struggling with plenty of trials and struggles as it is, do you really think they're going to care that you bought a "Luxury Class" Mercedes instead of a Standard? What people want and desperately need isn't another person who's caught up in their own lives.. What they need is someone who cares, someone who listens, someone who is real. The people in your life are dying to connect, they are dying for someone who is real, they are dying for someone who genuinely cares about them and is willing to listen and be present. If you really want to impress someone (which shouldn't be your focus to begin with), then show them how much you care, don't show them how much you have. 2. Vulnerability is the Key to Freedom If you are reading this right now, then chances are good that you've been hurt. Some of you have been hurt so deeply and so profoundly that you have never shared your pain with another living soul. And it sucks… When you've experienced trauma and pain in your life, it's easy to get stuck in your head, to become isolated and believe that you are alone or that no one would love you if they knew the truth. In an effort to protect yourself and others, you put up a wall between yourself and the people that you love, closing yourself off from the people who care for you the most. And then you let the pain sit inside of you and simmer. Until one day, that simmer turns into a boil and you find yourself exploding in ways that you never thought possible. Until one day, the wounds have become so deep and so painful that they change who you are. This is the path that most men take… Most men refuse to seek help, guidance of support in times of trauma and suffering. They think they have everything figured out and do their best to act the part. But I'll let you in on a little secret…. You are killing yourself and you are killing your relationships. The past only has power over us so long as we allow it to. When you are willing to embrace vulnerability, trust the people in your life, and open up about your deepest fears, regrets, and experiences, your whole life will change. For Lewis, this meant opening up about the sexual abuse he experienced as a child. For nearly 25 years, he'd kept the pain bottled inside until one day, it all came out on a basketball court and he got into a vicious fight with another player. The encounter shocked and humbled him and made him realize that he needed to talk to someone and he needed to get help. And so he did, he opened up to a select group of people about what had happened to him as a child and, much to his surprise, the response he received was nothing but love. People told him that they could trust him more, that they felt more connected, and that they respected him on a deeper level because of the pain and trauma he experienced. As time went on and he shared his truth with more and more people, he eventually arrived at a point in his life where he could share his story without feeling the pain in the same way. Through sharing his authentic truth and being vulnerable, he healed the wounds of the past. But what about you? What are you holding onto that you need to let go? What pain has been keeping you back and weighing you down? I want you to write that thing down right now and commit that before the day is over, you will find someone to talk to, even if it's a professional. I promise that if you are willing to take this scary leap, your life will never be the same. 3. Why Are You Doing What You're Doing? One of the biggest mistakes that we as men make is that

Timothy Sykes is a stock trader who turned his $10,000 Bar Mitzvah money into $4,000,000 through exposing the losing game of penny stocks. He then went on to found Profit.ly a community of 84,000 traders, and run a leading trading coaching program called Millionaire Trader Favorite Success Quote "Be patient be dedicated and realize that it's a marathon not a sprint." Key Points 1. Challenges Make Life Worth Living You will often hear personal growth gurus and "enlightened" philosophers espousing the belief that "Life is a journey not a destination." As cliche as it sounds, anyone who has ever achieved "real" success in life knows it to be true. Achievement is incredible. Reaching your goals is exhilarating. Finally feeling like you are "Making It" gives you a buzz that no substance can compete with. But it doesn't last… Because as human beings, we have evolved to constantly seek new challenges and accelerate the old status quo. Challenges are what make us come alive, they are what give us meaning, and they are, when it's all said and done, what life is truly about. You were not meant to earn a million dollars and then retire on an island in the sun. You were meant to innovate, to find new ways to stretch yourself and progress your life. And when you understand this… Everything changes. You will no longer see challenges as a "Bad" thing. You will no longer view hardship as a problem. You will realize that overcoming challenges is ultimately what will give your life meaning and purpose. 2. Money Might Make You Happy but it Won't Keep You Happy When you take the previous point a step further and apply is specifically to money, you will realize that the age old adage "Money can't buy happiness", while technically untrue, has its merits. Money can buy happiness and pleasure. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or has never actually had any money. Knowing that you never have to work again, knowing that you have absolute freedom, knowing that you can do what you want, when you want, with who you want will make you happy. But it isn't enough to keep you happy. Eventually, you will get bored. Regardless of how much money you have, if you are not growing and challenging yourself on a daily basis, you will eventually feel stagnant and depressed. This is why most successful entrepreneurs who take a few years off after a big I.P.O. (thinking that they're done for good) return to the game almost as quickly as they left it. Money might make you happy, but it won't keep you happy. You need to use it to help others, explore new challenges, and push yourself to grow and evolve. 3. Stretch Yourself and Shoot for Big Goals When I was surfing through Quora the other day, I saw a very generic question asking "How can I make a million dollars by the time I'm 30?" Personally, I felt that this was a ridiculous and arbitrary question. However, when I started looking through the answers, I saw a response that caught my eye. The most popular answer in the entire thread started out by posing a counter question, "Why are you playing so small? Why not shoot for something bigger?" During my conversation with Timothy, he shared a very similar belief. Over the past few years, Tim has been building schools with a charity called Pencil's of Promise and he's already donated in excess of $1,000,000 helping fund 30+ school builds. However, for Tim, this is just the tip of the iceberg. His goal is to build over 1,000 schools in the coming years… A $35,000,000 undertaking. While we were talking about this project, he admits that this is a huge goal and that it's entirely possible that he will never reach it. However, it's the thrill of having something so big to shoot for that keeps him going. In your own life, how can you 10X your goals to push yourself and get excited? How can you set a vision and a dream so big that you are thrilled to jump out of bed every morning and pursue it? Remember, if you aim for the moon you may hit a stump. But if you aim for a stump… You might miss. 4. If You Don't Know what You Want to Do, Do Something We live in an age of such unprecedented opportunity and possibility that our society has succumbed to something called "Analysis by paralysis". Basically, people have so many freaking options to choose from that they can never choose one thing. If you recently graduated high school or college and had only a few thousand dollars to your name, you could realistically dive into about a dozen different businesses in hundreds of different niches. For the first time in human history, just about anyone who lives in the Western world has the ability to be and do whatever they want (if they put their minds to it). The only problem is, most of us don't know what we want. So we wander aimlessly, afraid to take action and step into the unknown. But I'm here to tell you… Just take action. Just do something even if it's the wrong thing. As long as you are making moves, you can pivot and change later down the line to ensu

Nate Lind is the founder of Legendary Man and Legendary Beard, an 8-figure e-commerce company that provides men with high quality beard grooming products. Favorite Success Quote "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." ~Winston Churchill Key Points 1. You Must Educate Yourself to Succeed No matter what your goal, ambition, or desire, the first step is always the same… You must take massive action and educate yourself on the details of your pursuit. If you want to build the body of your dreams, start by figuring out what the best meal plans, training programs, and supplement stacks are for your specific goals. If you want to build a successful business, then start by educating yourself on the nuances of marketing, sales, and management. If you want to become a master at dating and relationships, then devote time to understanding the female psyche and social dynamics. Whatever it is that you want to achieve, it is possible… But first, you must take the time to understand it and fully educate yourself about the path to achieving your goal. 2. Embrace the Hero's Journey Once you have a clear goal or vision in mind and have taken the time to educate yourself on the best way to achieve that goal, it's time to step into your warrior and embrace the hero's journey. This journey will look different for everyone, but the general framework is always the same. In your life, you will face some kind of challenge or adversity. Maybe, like Nate, you are struggling with obesity and unhealthy eating habits. Maybe you are struggling financially or in your career. Or maybe your marriage is failing and your children barely know who you are. Whatever your particular challenge might be… embrace it. Own it, step into it, and get ready to overcome it. Each of us has the power to overcome our biggest obstacles and live a life of joy, achievement, and fulfillment, but we must first take that big scary plunge into unknown and embrace our hero's journey. Accept your path, accept the adversity, and accept the consequences of the decisions that you have made in your life. Because once you have taken full responsibility for your life, you can embark on your quest and change it. 3. Know Thyself Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the most prolific entrepreneurs and businessmen of the 21st century has a well-known belief that all success stems from self knowledge. He and Nate both believe that the first step to creating real success in any area of your life, is to know with 100% certainty who you are. You must cut the b.s., look at yourself objectively, and take an honest look at your strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth. When you cut through the crap and see yourself as you are not as you want to be, you have true power and the ability to go after goals that are congruent with who you are and how you operate. Nothing is more powerful than operating from a place of strength. And when you know yourself better than anyone else, you will know exactly what opportunities and endeavors you should pursue. 4. Get Uncomfortable Life doesn't happen inside of your comfort zone. Life doesn't happen inside of your everyday routines. Life doesn't happen in the complacent, normal, everyday actions that keep us living a life of ease. Life happens at the edge of your comfort zone. It happens when you push yourself just a little further than you think you can go. It happens when you get out of your old ruts and routines and embrace a new way of thinking, acting, or being. Life begins where your comfort zone ends. If you want to live a truly remarkable and exceptional life, then you must break free from the chains of comfort and embrace a new way of living. You must do things that scare you, step into your fears, and conquer them. When you can master your own desire for comfort and ease, you can master your entire life. 5. Train Your Body One of the simplest yet most powerful habits that you can build into your life is to regularly train and develop your body. Your body and mind are inextricably connected and if you want to truly perform at the highest levels in your work, social, and romantic life, then you must start by optimizing your physical life. You are no good to the rest of society if you are constantly tired, lethargic, and weak. You cannot truly perform at the highest levels if you are overweight or physically untrained. Therefore, your first step towards greatness in life should be to pursue greatness in your body. Get in the gym, clean up your diet, take a cold shower, and build the body that you deserve. I promise you won't regret it.

Known as"The CEO Whisperer", Cameron Herold is an entrepreneur, highly paid speaker, author, and business coach. He was responsible for taking the company 1-800 Got Junk from $2 million in annual revenue to over $106 million in annual revenue in only 6 years. He works with and coaches some of the most prolific individuals on the planet including multi-millionaires, politicians, monarchs, and Fortune 500 CEOs. Favorite Success Quote "You'll never be smart enough to figure this out on your own. Your R&D should stand for be rip off and duplicate. millions of companies have already spent millions of dollars figuring out virtually every problem and every opportunity you will ever encounter. Just do what they're doing. Instead of trying to sit down and figure it out for yourself, you already have the cheat sheets, just go ahead and use them" Key Points 1. Always be learning always be growing If you want to have an exceptional life, not a good life, but an exceptional life, then you must commit to constant and never ending growth. Cameron recently attended an event in Las Vegas with dozens of other high profile entrepreneurs including Cole Hatter, Grant Cardone, and Tai Lopez, and he noticed that every single one of the speakers was actively listening and taking notes while the other individuals were on stage. Many of these people already had 7, 8, and even 9-figure businesses. However, despite their success, they were still attentive and engaged in the event, constantly seeking to learn something new. And if you want to create the best life possible for yourself and your family, then you must have the same voracious appetite for knowledge. Never ignore an opportunity to learn and improve yourself, never assume that you already know something, and never take the wisdom of other's for granted. 2. If you can control your time you control your world Many people think that entrepreneurs only care about money. And sometimes, this is true. However, most people who delve into the world of entrepreneurship do so because they understand one important thing. When you control your time, you control your world. When you are at the beck and call of your manager, supervisor, or boss, you will never truly have control of your time. When you are dependent on active income for your livelihood, you will never truly control your time. When you give control of your financial destiny to others, you will never have control of your time. Entrepreneurship allows you to change all of that. Sure, entrepreneurship can be even more stressful than working for a business because everything depends on you. But because everything depends on you, you have absolute control of your schedule and your life. You are able to say "No" more, work on your own time, take days off when you want, and live a life that most people dream of. It's hard work, but it's worth it. If you can find a way to create a lifestyle in which you control your schedule (even if you technically work for someone else) then you have achieved one of the ultimate successes in life. 3. Being "Messed Up" Can Be Your Biggest Asset Most entrepreneurs are ADHD, bipolar, and suffer from some form of Tourrettes. And guess what? They often succeed because of these so called "disabilities", not in spite of them. Having severe ADHD allows you to juggle countless projects simultaneously, engage in moments of hyper focus, and constantly be bouncing from idea to idea. Having a manic-depressive personality is what allows you to persuade people to join your team and work for you even when things aren't going as well as you had hoped. Tourettes, a.k.a. thinking out loud is a hallmark of some of the greatest geniuses and businessmen in all of history. The point is, being "messed up" or "disabled" isn't always a bad thing. In fact, if you know how to leverage them, your disabilities can often become your biggest strengths. 4. Good Enough = Success So many of you reading this are being held back by your own perfectionism. You are so focused on making everything that you do perfect, that you never embrace "Good Enough" and actually get it done. Being good creates momentum. Being perfect keeps you stagnant. Think about Apple. Techniologically, they are one of the most inferior companies on the market. But because their product is good enough and they have an incredible marketing team and millions of raving fans, they are one of the most successful tech companies in the world. Think about McDonald's. Their product is inferior to just about any other burger on the planet and it's actually been linked to serious health problems. b But because it's "good enough" and backed by incredible marketing and culture, they continue to succeed as one of the highest grossing fast food chains in the world. If you want to be great, focus first on being good. Once you have achieved "good", market the hell out of it, rinse and repeat. 5. Understand that Your Network is Your Networth Nothing will accelerate your results a

Frank Ostaseski is a Buddhist teacher and leader in contemplative end-of-life care. In 1987, he co-founded of the Zen Hospice Project and later created the Meta Institute to train professionals in compassionate, mindfulness-based care. He has lectured at Harvard Medical School, the Mayo Clinic, Wisdom.2.0 and teaches at major spiritual centers around the globe. His work has been featured on the Bill Moyers PBS series On Our Own Terms, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and in numerous print publications. In 2001, he was honored by the Dalai Lama for his compassionate service to the dying and their families. He is the author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully Favorite Success Quote "It always seems impossible until it's done" ~Nelson Mandela Key Points 1. Keep Death Close at Hand You are going to die. I am going to die. Everyone that you love and hold dear is going to die. Life is fleeting, it's brief, and sometimes, it can feel, as Thomas Hobbes said, "Nasty Brutish and short". I don't say this to scare you, but rather to wake you up to the reality of life. Life is precious, each moment that you have is a gift, and the only way that we can truly feel this and remember the beauty of life is by remembering that it must come to an end. Therefore, it is important to keep death close to us. To meditate on it, to remember it, and to embrace it, not run from it, so that one day when our time finally comes to an end, we can look death in the eyes with a smile and face the final curtain knowing that we lived a life that was full and open no matter how long or short it might have been. 2. There are Only Two Things that Ultimately Matter in Life Frank has spent several decades of his life working in hospice with individuals who are close to death's door. And in his experience, there are only two things that ulimately mattered to any of them. They didn't care about the number of horsepower in their engine, how many square feet their estate was, or how expensive their watch was. They only cared about two things: How they loved Who loved them At the end of their lives, when these individuals came to the end, all they really cared about was who they loved and who loved them. They wished that they had been better fathers, husbands, sons, friends, and citizens of this world. But for those of you reading this… It's not too late. None of us know how much time has been given to us or when it will run out, but we know that it will run out. And because of this knowledge, we have the power to live more fully, to love more deeply, and to receive love on a deeper level than ever before. 3. Don't Wait Why is it that some people have to be diagnosed with a life-threatening disease before they take a step back and truly appreciate their lives? Why is it that so many of us wait until the end before we ever truly live? I want you to imagine that you walked into the Doctor's office tomorrow and you were told that you had terminal cancer and only had a year left to live. How would your life change? How would you show up differently? Would you love more? Appreciate the small things? Stop complaining about the petty distractions of life? Express gratitude for all of the abundance and joy flowing into your life? What would you do? Now let me ask you another question… Why in the world do you need to wait until the end to start living like this? Why can't you live in the moment now? Why can't you appreciate the small things and express gratitude now? Why can't you open your heart to give and receive more love now? Well, you can… And you should. 4. Welcome Everything In every person's life, they will be presented with experiences that are both "good" and "bad", and most people run from the bad and towards the good. This is a mistake. Most of life's greatest lessons and greatest experiences are on the other side of pain and suffering. Think about it… If you ask most parents, they will tell you that raising a child is one of the most amazing and precious things that they have ever done and yet, for childbirth to happen, the mother must endure extreme pain (at least they did prior to medical advancement) to bring that child into the world. Or think about going to the gym. The physical and mental rewards of strenuous exercise are tremendous! From increased productivity, happiness, libido, and general satisfaction with life, training has a massively positive impact on your life. But to reap those benefits, you must endure the agony of tearing your muscles down and literally damaging your body so that you can come back stronger. Life is the same way. Everything that you fear, the loss, the heartbreak, the sadness, and the pain… It all has a lesson to teach you. But before it can teach you that lesson, you must first become fearlessly receptive. 5. Wholeness Doesn't Mean Perfection, It Means No Part Left Out You, me, and everyone else in the world is imperfect. And we often try to hide this imperfection by putting on

David Schloss is the CEO and Founder of Rampify and Convert ROI, two top level marketing and advertising agencies that have generated over $25 million in revenue for their clients. He has been featured on CNBC, CNN Money, and the Miami Herald. Favorite Success Quote "Opportunities don't happen, you create them" ~Chris Grosser Key Points 1. All Success Comes from Mastering the "Three P's" The formula for success is simple. No really… It is. If you want to be successful, all you need to do is master what David calls the "Three P's". Practice Patience Persistence Seriously that's it. Whether you want to lose weight, build an amazing business, or get better with women, the formula is the same. First, you must practice the important skills and habits required by your craft. Whether you are practicing copywriting, certain weight lifting movements, or going on dates with beautiful women, the first step is always practice. But practice in and of itself isn't enough. You must be patient and give yourself time to succeed. You can't expect to lose 100+ lbs. the first time you go to the gym, make $1,000,000 from your first sales letter, or immediately seduce, fall in love with, and marry the first woman you meet! You must be patient and give yourself the time required to become a master of your craft. And finally, you must persist. Because here's the thing… Even when you are diligently practicing your craft and patiently waiting for results, you are going to hit a speedbump. You will lose a client, get dumped by a woman you love, or injure yourself in the gym… It's inevitable. But it's during times of adversity where champions are made. Because if you are willing to persist and overcome these setbacks and losses, on the other side of these adversities is success. 2. Make Your Own Opportunites Thomas Jefferson once said "I am a great believer in luck. And I have found that the harder I work, the more of it I have." This sentiment was true hundreds of years ago when our Founding Fathers fought to liberate the United States from British rule and it is true today as you prepare to pursue whatever goals you have set for yourself. Opportunity isn't given at random. It's presented to individuals who have earned it, individuals who have hustled and worked towards achieving their dreams and goals and are ready to accept the responsibility of new opportunities. So if you want an abundance of opportunity in your life you must be willing to embrace the grind and go make your own opportunities. 3. Focus on Your Service So You Never Have to Focus on Sales Many entrepreneurs and business owners struggle to generate leads and close down new clients. It seems like no matter how hard they try to grow their client Rolodex and increase their customer retention, they are constantly fighting an uphill battle to get and keep new customers. The reason? They are focused on their sales instead of their services. You see, when you have services and products that blow your customers out of the water, they will naturally refer new clients to you and tell everyone they meet about your awesome work. Think about Tony Robbins… Each and every year he sells (literally) millions of dollars worth of online programs, high-performance coaching, and live seminar tickets. And while he certainly uses online advertising, and email marketing in 2017, for the longest time his company operated almost exclusively through word of mouth. In fact, the majority of his initial success (which resulted in a $400 million IPO) was a direct result of his client referral programs. If you want to build a business that will stand the test of time, you need to master online marketing, there's no doubt about it. But even more important than any social media platform or native advertising tactic are the services and products that you provide. If you can wow your customers if you can provide an experience, not just a service, and if you can go above and beyond the call of duty to serve your clients, the results will speak for themselves and you will never have to chase a client ever again. 4. Be Careful Who You Have in Your Corner Nothing will have a greater impact on your life and success than the people who you allow into your life. From friends to mentors to spouses to family members, the individuals who you let into your life can make or break your happiness and success making it crucial that you are highly selective when building your social circle. For David, his girlfriend was one of the driving factors behind his success. She supported him and believed in his even when he didn't believe in himself. However, I have friends who are in the opposite boat. Their significant others are the primary reason that they are not succeeding at high levels! In your own life, you need to take stock of your social circle, and this includes your family and spouse. Are they helping you or hurting you? Are they pushing you towards greatness or keeping you mired in mediocrity? 5. Make Time for

The most defining moments of your life will be dictated by one thing… Your ability to stay grounded in the midst of chaos. When your life is spiraling out of control…when nothing is working and it feels like the universe is conspiring against you, it's easy to fall into a dark pit. To be controlled by the fleeting emotions you're experiencing in the present moment and make irrational decisions that can negatively affect your life. In my own life, the times when I was not grounded…when I made a decision based on my sudden emotions and not my values…when I allowed something that happened to me, or what someone else did or said to control my reaction. I often made the wrong decision which I later regretted. Through all of the challenges and trials I've experienced, I've discovered that the answer to every challenge in life is to "Stay Grounded". And today, I'm going to teach you exactly what this means and, more importantly, how you can become a more grounded person and reclaim control of your life.

Dan Martell is a Canadian Entrepreneur and most recently, the founder of Clarity.fm. He's an experienced Angel Investor who has invested in over 23 tech start-ups. Prior to Clarity, Dan was the co-founder of Flowtown (Acquired 11′), founder of Spheric Technologies (Acquired 08′). He has also been a mentor at 500Startups, GrowLabs & theC100.org. Favorite Success Quote "Become the person who can deal" ~Dan Martell Key Points 1. If You Want to Be a Millionaire You Have to Handle Million Dollar Problems Everyone wants to be a millionaire… But the problem is that most people aren't able to handle million dollar problems. They want the outcome without the action. They want the reward without responsibility. And this approach never works. Just take lottery winners for example. They immediately come into a windfall of cash with millions, sometimes tens of millions of dollars, but they never did a damn thing to earn that money. And five years after their success, studies have shown that they are often worse off than before they won. Why? Because their character didn't backup their success. You have to earn what you want. If you want to become a millionaire, then you must become the kind of person who can provide millions of dollars of value and handle millions of dollars worth of problems. And quite frankly… Most of you reading this can't. Yet… So go and focus on developing yourself and becoming the type of person who can handle the challenges and can provide the requisite value to achieve your goals. Because when you go after your goals with this mindset, success becomes all but inevitable. 2. Own It! I'm going to let you in on a little secret here… Shit happens. Life can be chaotic, things will not work out, businesses will fail, lovers will leave you, friends will turn on you… Shit just happens. And I'll let you in on another little secret… It's ok! Failure and frustration are an integral part of life, it's not a question of if it will happen to you but how you will respond when it does. If you are like most people, you will try to pin the blame on someone else, you will deny the reality of your problems, and you will avoid addressing the situation until the last possible minute. But since you are listening to this podcast, you aren't like most people. And therefore, you must own your problems. When shit happens… OWN IT. When a business fails, a girlfriend walks out, a friend gets angry, own the problem, own your part in the problem, and figure out what you can do moving forward to ensure that it never happens again. 3. Be Grateful for All You Have 150 years ago, if you wanted to go to Canada, you would have been forced to travel for months on end and risk death or serious injury. Today, you can fly there in a matter of hours. 100 years ago, if you wanted the information that we give away for free on this podcast, you would have had to track down each guest individually, convince them to speak with you, and then pick their brain for an hour or more (or at the very least found one of their books). Today… It's only a mouse click away. You have a lot to be grateful for. We live in an age of unprecedented opportunity, ease, and access and 99% of the things that you take for granted on a daily basis would have dropped our ancestor's jaws to the floor. We don't have to hunt… We go to the grocery store. Most of us no longer work hard physical labor, we work at a cushy desk. And if we want to get somewhere, we can tap a button on our phone and have our own personal chafeur show up to our home in under 10 minutes! You have a lot to be grateful for. So starting today, be fucking grateful! Write down three things that you are grateful for each and every day and never lose sight of who you are and just how lucky you are to be alive in this day and age. 4. Be Yourself and Put it Out There If you look at the most successful entrepreneurs in 2017, from the Tim Ferriss's to the Grant Cardone's to the Gary Vaynerchucks, you will notice one consistent factor. They are all completely and unapologetically themselves. They don't care what other people think they don't care who they offend, they show up in the world authentically and they put it out there for others to see. And if you want to create lasting success, you must do the same. Be who you are. Don't apologize for it, and don't ask permission for it. Be who you are and share it with the world. Some will love you, some will hate you, some won't care and that's ok. As long as you are living authentically and sharing your gifts and talents with the world, at the end of the day you can call yourself a success. 5.Think About The Long Game In a society built upon instant gratification, you must be a man focused on the long game. Don't look at the 1-5 year impact of your decisions, instead ask yourself, "What are the ramifications of this decision 20 years from now?" Because here's a simple fact, 20 years from now you will arrive… The question is "Where". Will you arrive in style be

Want to learn how to be an alpha male? How to be more masculine? How to be the man you've always wanted to be? Then you're in the right place. In this episode, I'm going to unveil the 15 habits of alpha males that you must develop to unlock your full potential as a man and live the life you've always wanted to live. But let me be clear… This article is not about becoming 'better' than other men, developing an ego complex, or learning how to be the alpha of a specific clique or social circle. It's about learning how to be an alpha male in your life. Taking full responsibility for your life, and living every day fully alive, present, and excited for the future that you are creating. By the time you're done, you'll have a step-by-step guide to becoming the man you always knew you could be. It won't be easy. But I promise you, it will be worth it.

What does it mean to be an alpha male? What are the alpha male traits that separate them from the beta males? How can you develop your alpha personality and eradicate the toxic beta male traits from your life? In this episode, I'm going to set the record straight and break the false narratives of what an alpha male really is. I'm going to teach you exactly what it means to be an alpha male by dissecting the 9 alpha male traits required to become the strongest version of yourself and live your best life. By the time you're done, you'll understand the difference between alpha vs beta males and have a clear, path to becoming the alpha of your own life. Let's get started…

Alejandro Chabán is an author, motivational speaker, certified nutrition and wellness consultant, founder and CEO of Yes You Can!®, and is one of the most popular Hispanic celebrities in the entertainment business. He has dedicated his life to sharing his experiences of battling eating disorders and obesity as a teenager, his journey from a bullied kid in school to an admired TV personality and health and wellness expert, and to helping others to transform themselves the way he did. Favorite Success Quote "Feel the fear and do it anyway" Key Points 1. Turn Your Mess into Your Message One of the biggest mistakes that most men make is trying to hide from their past. Men who have suffered from addiction, obesity, depression, or are convicted criminals will try and brush their checkered history under the rug and forget about it. But when they do this, they are doing a disservice to themselves and the world. Because the truth of the matter is that your greatest failures are your greatest assets… Your mess is your message. Don't discount where you came from or the adversity that you have overcome. It is the adversity, the struggles, and the failures that make you relatable… That gives you power. Men are dying for help… Whether they are trying to beat an addiction to cocaine, overcome their negative self-image, or surmount a deep depression, they need help. And the only people who are truly qualified to help are those individuals who have been in their shoes, who know what they are going through and how to fix it. Do not deprive the world of your most powerful message because you are scared of sharing your mess. Instead, turn your mess into your message and give yourself permission to change the world. 2. You Need to Find Intrinsic Motivation Why do you want to succeed? Is it because you want to piss off your parents? Prove something to your girlfriend? Make your distant relatives proud of you? With all due respect… F*ck that. Creating real success is hard. Really hard. And on your path, you will be presented with obstacles and adversity that seem unconquerable and you will ask yourself on a daily basis "Why am I doing this?" If your only reason for pushing forward is to make someone else happy or to prove something to someone else…. You will fail every single time. However, if you can connect your goals to a deep intrinsic motivation, a motivation that transcends the material goals of this world, a motivation that lights you on fire… Then no obstacle will stand in your way, no adversity will be too challenging, and no setback will prove significant in the long run. Because when you have a strong "Why", a deep and visceral reason for achieving success that goes beyond your desire for acclaim and financial gain… Then you become unstoppable. 3. Feel the Fear and Do it Anyways As simple as it sounds, the number one thing holding most men back today is fear. They are afraid of losing their comfortable jobs, afraid of ruining their current relationship, afraid of achieving success and alienating the people that they love… They are afraid. And that's ok. Whenever it comes time to take a big leap in your life, whether it's quitting a job, proposing to your girlfriend, or dropping everything on a whim to go and work with a mentor… You should be afraid. But the key is to feel the fear and do it anyway. Get scared… Get terrified… Get paralyzed by fear…. And then feel that fear, and take action regardless of your emotional state. When you become a master of fear, you become a master of life. So feel the fear and do it anyway. 4. Be Quick to Act and Quick to Contemplate If you want to achieve real success in your life, then you must start by taking immediate action on your goals and dreams. If you want to start a business, don't wait until you have a plan and a perfect team. Go register your LLC, buy a new website domain and get started TODAY. If there is a woman in your life whom you are crazy about but haven't had the courage to ask out yet, grab yourself by the balls, man up, and go ask her out to dinner. If you are overweight and unhealthy, don't wait until you have all of the information you need to get healthy, just clean out your pantry, take a long walk each morning, and sign up with a personal trainer. Success loves speed. And if you aren't willing to take decisive action and take it now then your hopes and dreams will be hijacked by the men who will. 5. Realizing that You are Lost is the First Step to Being Found The first step to achieving success is realizing and accepting your current reality. In other words, you cannot be found until you accept that you are lost. Don't hide from your reality… Accept it. If you are broke, overweight, socially awkward, or off purpose… That's ok. Accept that things are the way they are and that you and only you have the power to change it. Don't look at your life through rose colored glasses. Instead, be objective and honest about who you are and how your life looks right now, and

Adam Braun is an American entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist. He is the Founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world. He has recently founded a company called MissionU which is an alternative to higher education that is set to disrupt the industry and change the way that we view higher learning. Favorite Success Quote "Live not in dreams but in contemplation of a reality that is perhaps the future." ~Rainer Rilke Key Points 1. Say "No" More One of the most powerful words in the English language is the word "No". If you learn to use this word effectively, you can add dozens of hours of productive time to your weeks, reduce your mental and emotional stressors, and eliminate the vast majority of the tasks that aren't truly serving you. But there's a catch… In order to become a master of the word "No" you must first learn to prioritize your own time, success, and happiness above anyone else's. It might sound selfish or egotistic, but the simple fact of the matter is that you should come first. If you aren't taking care of yourself by saying "no" to the things that aren't serving you, then you are withholding your potential and your power from the world. Think about it… If you say "Yes" to working on a project for 3 clients even though that project will not pay you what you are worth and isn't in alignment with your goals and values, then what's going to happen when you are swamped with work but have a new client reach out to you with a position that would change your life? Or imagine that you have said "Yes" to several meetings that you didn't want to attend and that didn't serve you in any way… You are now forced to say "No" when an opportunity presents itself that is in true alignment with your vision. And all of these seemingly little and innocuous compromises will eventually accumulate until you are off track, off purpose, and up to your neck in things that aren't part of your ultimate mission on this planet. 2.Learn to Delegate Richard Branson, the (in)famous entrepreneur, author, playboy, and philanthropist was once asked to share the secret behind his numerous billion-dollar companies. His answer was surprising… He didn't say anything about needing a good idea, or working hard, or having lots of capital. No, he said that his secret was to find people who were better than he was, hire those people, and provide them with everything they needed to take his companies into the stratosphere. If you truly want to excel at business, then you must learn to delegate. Find people who are better than you are at a given position and give them the reigns. Because you can't do it alone. And you would be a fool to try. 3. Be an Entrepreneurial Missionary, not a Mercenary There are two types of entrepreneurs. Missionaries and mercenaries. The entrepreneurial mercenary has one focus… Money. And while money is not necessarily a bad thing (as we will discuss momentarily) you need to realize that anyone who is solely focused on wealth will likely lose motivation, tire out, and quit. Instead, you should strive to be an entrepreneurial missionary, or, in other words, an entrepreneur whose end goal encompasses more than just a few added zeroes in your bank account. You need to have a mission for your business, you must genuinely want to serve the world and make an impact, and believe that you are the person to do it. Otherwise, you will spend years of your life tirelessly chasing money and success without ever making a real dent in the universe, without ever making a difference. And the irony of all of this? Entrepreneurs who focus on adding value and serving their world first tend to be the entrepreneurs who make the greatest profits in the long run. So regardless of whether you own your own company or are working for someone else, do your best to ensure that every step you make and every goal you set is for a purpose and a mission greater than yourself. The results will astonish you… 4. Money is an Avenue to Freedom Money is a complicated beast. It can bring about so much joy, happiness, and fulfillment, but it can also be at the heart of so much pain, agony, and suffering. Because of the dichotomous and confusing nature of money (and the fact that few of us receive a relevant financial education), it can be easy to fall into the trap of viewing money as either "Evil" or the "End all be all" of life. I am here to tell you… It's neither. Money is simply an avenue to freedom, it's a tool, an instrument to be wielded by those who possess it. With money, you can do some incredible things. You can transform lives, build a lasting legacy, and create a real impact on the universe. Without it, your options are severely limited, and your freedom is hindered. The sooner you realize that money is a tool and that in and of itself, has no moral standing, the sooner you will be able to create real wealth for yourself th

Seth Swirsky is a best selling author, clinical psychotherapist, artists, songwriter, and creative. He is most well known for his book "21 Ways to a Happier Depression: A Creative Guide to Getting Unstuck from Anxiety, Setbacks, and Stress" Favorite Success Quote "Every morning when I wake up, I ask myself, What is Salvador Dali going to do today?" ~Salvador Dali "Life is in the striving, not the arriving" Key Points 1. Be Open to Who You May Be and Regrow Your Balls Men in the 21st century are suffering from an identity crisis. Not because we don't know who we are or who we want to be, but because society and PC culture have told us that who we are is wrong. It's wrong for men to be men. It's wrong for you to have your own pursuits and passions. It's wrong for you to do anything other than work your fingers to the bone in pursuit of arbitrary goals that aren't really aligned with who you are. And let me tell you… It's bullshit. You are allowed to be who you are, you are allowed to be happy, and you are allowed to do whatever you damn well please. Many of you reading this are avid video game enthusiasts who have given up your hobby, not because it interferes with your life, but because society has told you that it makes you weak. Many of you reading this love art and music but have relegated these pastimes to the realm of "Someday" simply because society has told you that you should focus on your work. Many of you reading this want nothing more than to pack a backpack and go out into the great outdoors, yet society has told you to be more reasonable and do the safe thing. But guess what? Society is broken and it's time for you to reclaim your masculinity, regrow your balls, and do the things that you want to do. Life is short and precious, so stop wasting it trying to live up to societal standards that don't serve you and your mission. If you want something, go get it. If you want to do something, do it. Be who you are and enjoy your life… It's the only one you've got. 2. Women Want to Be Heard Society has tried to make us believe that women want a 6′ 2″ man with a chiseled jaw, big arms, a deep voice, and a bank account containing countless zeroes. And once again, society is wrong. Of course, women want an attractive, athletic, hard working man. But what they want even more is a man who makes them feel heard. A man who doesn't pretend to listen to them but who actually shuts the hell up and just listens! Women don't want a man who pretends to listen, who shuts his brain off and zones out, they want a man who truly hears them, who understands what they are saying and who genuinely cares. Take a common example. Your spouse or significant other comes home to a house sink full of dirty dishes and a house that looks like something out of Hoarders. You've had a long day at work and, much to their chagrin, you are sitting on the couch relaxing. Your wife starts to angrily complain about how you never clean the house or help out with the household chores. In this moment, you have three options. You can ignore them, you can get defensive, or you can listen… Really listen. If you choose to listen you will realize something. Your wife, most likely, isn't upset about the dirty house or the nasty dishes, they are upset because they don't feel like their time and energy is being valued. So instead of getting defensive, take a step back and listen. Acknowledge what your wife is trying to tell you and respond accordingly. "I hear you babe, and if I understand what you are saying, you are upset because you never feel like you have time to relax and unwind. I'm busy with work too and I understand… So why don't we just hire a house cleaner to take care of things so that we don't have to worry about it anymore? Would that make things easier for you?" Do you notice how this response acknowledges your wife's feelings and makes her feel like she has really been heard? When you learn to apply this skill of really listening in your romantic relationships, you will find that the majority of your problems and disagreements disappear. 3. Optimize Your Environment to Optimize Your Life If you want to optimize your life, reduce stress and anxiety, and truly operate at peak levels of performance, then you must optimize your environment. Plenty of "gurus" and entrepreneurs will claim that you should ignore your environment and simply hustle your way to your goals, but the truth of the matter is that your environment is stronger than your willpower. If you are trying to quit smoking and your work at a tobacco shop, you might be able to kick the addiction… But you will be much more likely to end the habit once and for all if you are in an environment that makes it difficult for you to have that cigarette. Similarly, if you are a ball of stress and anxiety, coming home to a messy home with violent movies playing on the television and loud noise from the neighbors keeping you up at night, your stress and anxiety will multiply. However, if yo

Adam Braun is an American entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist. He is the Founder of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that builds schools and increases access to education for children in the developing world. He has recently founded a company called MissionU which is an alternative to higher education that is set to disrupt the industry and change the way that we view higher learning. Favorite Success Quote "Live not in dreams but in contemplation of a reality that is perhaps the future." ~Rainer Rilke Key Points 1. Say "No" More One of the most powerful words in the English language is the word "No". If you learn to use this word effectively, you can add dozens of hours of productive time to your weeks, reduce your mental and emotional stressors, and eliminate the vast majority of the tasks that aren't truly serving you. But there's a catch… In order to become a master of the word "No" you must first learn to prioritize your own time, success, and happiness above anyone else's. It might sound selfish or egotistic, but the simple fact of the matter is that you should come first. If you aren't taking care of yourself by saying "no" to the things that aren't serving you, then you are withholding your potential and your power from the world. Think about it… If you say "Yes" to working on a project for 3 clients even though that project will not pay you what you are worth and isn't in alignment with your goals and values, then what's going to happen when you are swamped with work but have a new client reach out to you with a position that would change your life? Or imagine that you have said "Yes" to several meetings that you didn't want to attend and that didn't serve you in any way… You are now forced to say "No" when an opportunity presents itself that is in true alignment with your vision. And all of these seemingly little and innocuous compromises will eventually accumulate until you are off track, off purpose, and up to your neck in things that aren't part of your ultimate mission on this planet. 2.Learn to Delegate Richard Branson, the (in)famous entrepreneur, author, playboy, and philanthropist was once asked to share the secret behind his numerous billion-dollar companies. His answer was surprising… He didn't say anything about needing a good idea, or working hard, or having lots of capital. No, he said that his secret was to find people who were better than he was, hire those people, and provide them with everything they needed to take his companies into the stratosphere. If you truly want to excel at business, then you must learn to delegate. Find people who are better than you are at a given position and give them the reigns. Because you can't do it alone. And you would be a fool to try. 3. Be an Entrepreneurial Missionary, not a Mercenary There are two types of entrepreneurs. Missionaries and mercenaries. The entrepreneurial mercenary has one focus… Money. And while money is not necessarily a bad thing (as we will discuss momentarily) you need to realize that anyone who is solely focused on wealth will likely lose motivation, tire out, and quit. Instead, you should strive to be an entrepreneurial missionary, or, in other words, an entrepreneur whose end goal encompasses more than just a few added zeroes in your bank account. You need to have a mission for your business, you must genuinely want to serve the world and make an impact, and believe that you are the person to do it. Otherwise, you will spend years of your life tirelessly chasing money and success without ever making a real dent in the universe, without ever making a difference. And the irony of all of this? Entrepreneurs who focus on adding value and serving their world first tend to be the entrepreneurs who make the greatest profits in the long run. So regardless of whether you own your own company or are working for someone else, do your best to ensure that every step you make and every goal you set is for a purpose and a mission greater than yourself. The results will astonish you… 4. Money is an Avenue to Freedom Money is a complicated beast. It can bring about so much joy, happiness, and fulfillment, but it can also be at the heart of so much pain, agony, and suffering. Because of the dichotomous and confusing nature of money (and the fact that few of us receive a relevant financial education), it can be easy to fall into the trap of viewing money as either "Evil" or the "End all be all" of life. I am here to tell you… It's neither. Money is simply an avenue to freedom, it's a tool, an instrument to be wielded by those who possess it. With money, you can do some incredible things. You can transform lives, build a lasting legacy, and create a real impact on the universe. Without it, your options are severely limited, and your freedom is hindered. The sooner you realize that money is a tool and that in and of itself, has no moral standing, the sooner you will be able to create real wealth for yourself th

After successfully launching his career at Booz-Allen & Hamilton strategy consulting firm, Krister's father tapped him on the shoulder and asked him to move back to St. Louis to apply his knowledge and experiences to help the family business. Ungerboeck Software had just celebrated its 12th anniversary and needed some fresh ideas and new leadership techniques. Within 3 years, Krister had helped turn around the 14 person business and grow revenue 250%. Over the course of the next 20 years, Krister and the capable team at Ungerboeck Software grew the company over 3,000%. The team added customers in over 50 countries served out of offices in St Louis, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Hong Kong and China. During his time as CEO, the company won 5 consecutive Top Workplace awards and had employee turnover 50% lower than the industry average. From 2001 – 2007, Krister moved to France and Germany to drive growth in Europe and the Middle East (EMEA). During that period, EMEA accounted for nearly 75% of the company's revenue growth. In 2016, Krister executed a unique exit strategy that involved retaining 100% family ownership, while passing the torch to an exceptional non-family team that he personally recruited in 2014 and 2015. As part of the leadership transition, he formed a Board of Directors and recruited external Directors, a new CEO and VP Finance to guide the company going forward. Ungerboeck Software continues on to great success under non-family leadership as one of a handful of large, 100% family-owned software companies in the US. Favorite Success Quote "What got you here won't get you there."~Marshall Goldsmith Key Points 1. What Gets You Here Won't Get You There One of the most common (yet foolish) assumptions in leadership and management is that "What got me here will get me there". Or, in other words, what it took to get your company to $1,000,000 is the same thing that it will take to get your company to $10,000,000 or $20,000,000 or more. But nothing could be further from the truth. In order to growth hack, or rapidly accelerate the success of your business, you must be willing to take new approaches, create new positions, hire new managers, and even reduce your personal paycheck for a short amount of time. Growing a company takes sacrifice. You will have to delegate tasks you would rather do yourself, hire employees who you might believe unnecessary, and methodically remove yourself from the minutia that once demanded so much of your time. So be prepared. Rapid growth is achievable and it is a helluva ride. But it is also one of the hardest things you will ever do. 2. Understand the Importance of Positive Feedback Many of the leaders that I know come from homes where positive reinforcements were either absent or unnecessary. They were either the student with overbearing parents who burdened them with unachievable expectations, or they were the star football player, straight-A student, and Student Body President who knew they were killing it and didn't need any reminders. And when you are raised in either of these environments, you find that positive reinforcement and signs of approval and satisfaction are rare. And since positivity was a rare commodity during childhood, these individuals tend to carry this trend with them into the board room. This is when things start to get messy. If you are trying to build a company, you must realize that a company is made up of individuals, many of whom will be like you. However, the vast majority of the people that you hire will come from wildly different backgrounds than your own, with wildly different needs and expectations. And this is great! You want to be surrounded by a diverse group of minds and ideas who can attack challenges and obstacles from angles that you didn't even know existed. However, when you are unable to tailor your leadership style, particularly your ability to give positive reinforcement to employees, is when you will start to fail as a CEO or president. You might not need positive affirmation, but your employees do. You might thrive on criticism and challenge, but many of your employees don't. And you need to be aware of this. Learning to positively reinforce underperforming employees is possibly one of the most difficult but rewarding skills that you can master. And the sooner you can do it, the sooner you will elicit massive growth. From your employees, your company, and best of all, yourself. 3. You're Not That Smart I hate to burst your bubble, but you are not that smart. I don't care who you are, what degree you have, or how many accolades current adorn your home dresser. You are not that smart… Period. I don't mean that you have a low IQ or that you aren't incredibly well versed in your craft, I simply mean that you are not smart enough to handle the vast demands required to grow a company to the 7, 8, or 9 figure range by yourself. You need people in your corner who are smarter and better than you at what they do. Sure, you might

Dan Clark began his career as an athlete, playing football for the Los Angeles Rams and in Europe. He later starred as Nitro on the extraordinarily popular reality television show American Gladiators. Clark then turned to acting and screenwriting. He wrote, directed, and starred in the independent film Looking for Bruce. He recently hosted ESPN Classic's American Gladiators marathon, and he continues to consult on the revamped American Gladiators franchise. He is the author of the memoir "Gladiator: A True Story of 'Roids, Rage, and Redemption" and is currently authoring his next book. "Fuck Dying: How Cheating Death Kicked My Ass into Loving, Learning, and Living my Best Life".

Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. After graduating from Dartmouth College in Asian Studies in 1967 he joined the Peace Corps and worked on tropical medicine teams in the Mekong River valley. He met and studied as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma. Returning to the United States, Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. Over the years, Jack has taught in centers and universities worldwide, led International Buddhist Teacher meetings, and worked with many of the great teachers of our time. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a father, husband, and activist. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies including his most recent book, No Time Like the Present: Finding Freedom, Love, and Joy Right Where You Are.

If you hate yourself and hate your life...it doesn't have to stay this way. In today's podcast, I'm going to walk you through the exact steps you must take to rebuild yourself from the ground up and create a life you LOVE

Mo Gawdat is the Chief Business Officer for Google [X], a serial entrepreneur and author of "Solve for Happy: Engineer Your Path to Joy" Mo has an impressive combined career of 27 years, starting at IBM Egypt as a Systems Engineer before moving to a sales role in the government sector. Venturing into the UAE, Mo joined NCR Abu Dhabi to cover the non-finance sector. He then became acquainted with the consumer goods industry as Regional Manager of BAT. At Microsoft, he assumed various roles over a span of seven and a half years, in his last role at Microsoft he headed the Communications Sector across Emerging Markets worldwide. Favorite Success Quote "The gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace" Key Points 1. The Equation for Happiness is Simple Happiness is not complicated. While you might not come to this conclusion by scrolling through your social media feed, watching the latest advertisements, or even reading some of the more popular personal growth and self-help books, when you truly sit down and think objectively, you will realize that happiness is simple. Despite marketer's best attempts to prove otherwise, happiness isn't contingent upon some wild, complex, equation. In fact, the equation for happiness is almost too simple. Happiness is equal to or greater than the events of your life minus the expectations you have for those events. That's it. The equation isn't "Happiness = Fancy Clothes + A 6-Figure Salary + An Italian Sports Car and a French Bikini Model" It's simply events – expectations. But what does this really mean? At the most basic level, it means that your happiness in any given situation, and thus your happiness in life, is entirely dependent on the difference between what you expect from a situation and how that situation actually turns out. So, for example, let's say that the event in question is coming home to your wife after a long day of work. Let's look at how your expectations of the event will determine your happiness. On one hand, your expectation might be that when you come home after a long day of work, your wife should be preparing dinner, opening you a cold beer, and wearing a sexy outfit that tells you she's "in the mood". On the other, your expectation might simply be that your wife should be relaxing and unwinding after her long day of work and that the two of you should prepare dinner and unwind together. While neither of these expectations are right or wrong, they can have a tremendous effect on your happiness and well being. If you come home with the first set of expectations and your wife has already prepared dinner but left it in the oven and is now relaxing on the couch… You are going to be unhappy and angry because your expectations were not met. However, if you come home to the exact same situation with the second set of expectations, you will not only be happy, but you will feel an abundance of love for your wife because she went above and beyond and exceeded your expectations. So now, you might be wondering, "If the secret to happiness is to have lower expectations, shouldn't I just stop expecting anything so that I will never be disappointed?" Well, yes and no. While eliminating your expectations would certainly make you happier in the short run, it proves detrimental to your well being and success in the long term. If you have no expectations of yourself or others, then you will mistreat yourself and allow other people to walk all over you. Therefore, the key to happiness is to first become conscious of your expectations and then consciously and intentionally craft a new set of expectations that serve you and your purpose in life. 2. We Are All Born Happy An often forgotten truth of life is that we were all born happy. All of us. We are born carefree and loving, without any hate, anger, or animosity in our hearts. It is our society that teaches us to be unhappy, to compare ourselves to others, to hate our fellow man, and to be unfulfilled. And once you become aware of this reality, it is your job to undo the programming that society has instilled into your brain. Luckily, the process for "deprogramming" all of the crap in your brain is simple, however, this doesn't mean it's easy. The best way to start is to pick up some sort of daily mindfulness practice whether it's meditation, prayer, long walks in nature, or even just some sort of conscious movements like yoga or Tai Chi. These practices allow you to detach yourself from the human experience and the brain's programming and become more aware of how you or your "superconscious" are meant to function. Let's use the analogy of a new computer so that you can understand what I mean. Whenever you get a new computer, everything runs smoothly. It functions exactly as it was designed, quickly opening applications, seamlessly running commands, and doing its job without a problem. But over time, things start to slow down and problems start to arise. You begin downloading new programs and applications, vis

Mark Divine served 9 years on active duty and 11 years on reserve as a US Navy SEAL before retiring as a commander in 2011. After his decorated career in the special forces, Mark went on the found Navyseals.com, launch US Tactical, and develop a revolutionary workout program known as SEAL Fit. He has also written multiple New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon best-selling books. Favorite Success Quote "Undisturbed calmness of mind is attained by cultivating friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and indifference toward the wicked." ~Patanjali Key Points 1. Focus On People's Character Not their Acumen If you ever have the opportunity to sit down with any older businessmen or entrepreneurs and ask them the question "What was your biggest mistake", nine times out of ten they will tell you that their biggest regret in business was trusting someone who they shouldn't have trusted. You see, even outside of the realm of business, it's easy to overlook people's character flaws because of their other resources. I see many men fall into this trap in business, dating, and friendship. It's easy to ignore the obvious red flags with your new employee because they are a monster salesman and you know that they will make you a lot of money (until they end up stealing it back). It's easy to ignore a woman's blatant character flaws because she's wildly attractive and great in bed. It's easy to ignore your friend's unscrupulous behavior because he's funny, rich, and always makes sure you have a good time. But if you want to mitigate risk and succeed at life, you must adopt a more cautious approach. Learn to focus on people's character and their virtues, not just their raw talent. Because at the end of the day, it's easier to train a virtuous man to become a good salesperson than it is to train a great salesperson to become a virtuous man. 2. Win the Morning Win the Day Mark attributes much of his success to the powerful morning rituals that he follows in order to get himself grounded and ready for the day. Something that surprised me is that Mark's routine doesn't take several hours, one hour, or even 30-minutes. He told me that he can complete his routine in 15-minutes on average and 5 if he's really pressed for time. Each morning he spends a few minutes in silent meditation, then he will focus his intentions on his life vision and the daily tasks he needs to achieve to move closer to that vision, and finally, he will review the elements of his "ethos" or the guiding principles upon which he operates his life. And that's it. Whatever your goals in life, you need to start your day in a powerful state to set yourself up to win the day and achieve your dreams. Personally, I try and start most mornings by watching something inspirational, reading a few pages of a classic book, journaling, focusing on gratitude, and incorporating some sort of physical exercise. How you develop your own morning routine will be unique to your dreams and vision, but what is important is that you have a morning routine and that it helps you get grounded and ready to go out and achieve your dreams. 3. Turn Failure Into Your Greatest Asset Many people believe that failure is a problem, that it's a liability. But it's not. Failure is actually one of your greatest assets and closest friends… When you use it properly and learn from it. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that failure is fun or that you should try and fail. Failure sucks, there's nothing fun about it, and nobody wants to see their dreams and ambitions fail. But when you fail and trust me, you will fail, you have one of two options. You can whine and bitch and complain. Or you can dust yourself off, look at your failure objectively, and ask yourself "Ok, how can I do better next time?" Failure is only failure if you don't learn from it, if you don't grow from it, and if you don't reframe it so that you see each failure as a valuable teacher, educating you about how to achieve your dreams. 4. Realize that Your Growth is Limited by Your Shadow There is an old saying that "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link". And in the realm of personal growth, you are only as strong as your darkest parts. I see so many men today who walk through their lives trying to elicit personal growth by constantly pushing forward, suppressing the pain of the past, and ignoring the emotional trauma that has held them back. But the harsh reality of life is that you can only grow to the extent that you are willing to address your darkness or your shadow self. We all have a dark side, we've all been hurt, we all have deep wounds and pain whether we want to address them or not. And most men choose to ignore this dark side. They try and move on with their lives and pretend that everything is ok when, subconsciously, the pain and hurt of the past is holding them back from living the lives of their dreams. If you want to move forward in your life, if you want to

Tom Bilyeu is the co-founder and President of Quest Nutrition, the second fastest growing privately owned company in the United States (currently valued at over $1 billion). He is also the founder of Impact Theory, a show dedicated to helping you achieve your limitless potential. Favorite Success Quote "Do and believe that which moves you towards your goals" Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Key Points 1. Find That Thing That Makes You Feel Alive We live in an age of unprecedented freedom. Never before in the history of the human race have there been so many options available to so many members of the general populace. In the 21st century, our options and opportunities, like our potential, are nearly limitless. Traveling across the globe is easier than it's ever been, growing your brand and authority has never been so scalable, and the ability to build a wildly successful business is now open to anybody with access to the internet. And yet… Despite the tremendous number of resources and the almost limitless amount of opportunity circulating the modern economy, recent polls still indicate that nearly 70% of the American workforce is disengaged with their career! How can this be? In an era of unparalleled choices and opportunity more than two-thirds of the entire nation spends 40+ hours of their week doing something they hate! While every individual is different and each circumstance is unique, I personally believe that the primary reason for this disconnect is simple. People are scared. They are scared that pursuing their dreams will be hard, they are scared that following their passions will be too difficult, and they are scared that they will fail. But guess what? Regardless of the path you choose to pursue, there will be challenges, there will obstacles, and there will be hardships. The struggle is an inevitable part of the human condition. No matter what path you choose to pursue, you will face challenges and trials, you will fail, and you will probably want to quit more than just once. But, if you decide to pursue that thing that makes you come alive, the thing that lights a fire inside of you, the thing that you are willing to devote the rest of your life to… Nothing will stop you. 2. Tailor Your Activities to Achieve Cognitive Optimization Since Tom founded one of the fastest growing health and nutrition companies in the world, it should come as little surprise that one of his "Secrets to success" is methodically optimizing his cognitive performance. No matter what goal you are pursuing, you will need to be operating at full blast in order to effectively make decisions, execute on ideas, and move the needle forward. And the quickest way to improve your own performance is to optimize the performance of the gray matter in between your ears. But how does one actually do this? How do you totally optimize your mind without spending thousands of dollars on supplementation, smart drugs, and crazy bio-hacking equipment? The truth is surprisingly unsexy. For Tom, it all starts with sleep. He is in bed every night by 9 p.m. and only wakes up whenever he feels rested and ready to attack the day. This is crucial to ensuring optimal brain performance since the majority of memory, association, and cellular repair happens while we are asleep. After optimizing his sleep, Tom will then head to the gym every single morning, flooding his brain and body with dopamine, endorphins, and endocannabinoids and getting his mind and body into a peak state. With his workout concluded, Tom will sit in silence to spend time "Thinkitating" which is, as Tom puts it, "Applying the afterglow of meditation to solve the greatest challenges in your life." Basically, after concluding a short meditation session using Mark Divine's box breathing technique, he will sit back and consciously contemplate the greatest challenges he's facing in his life allowing his mind and subconscious to search for an answer to the problem. Then, with his exercise and thinkitation done, Tom hits the books and will consciously spend an hour or more each morning filling his mind with ideas from the best and brightest individuals on the planet. Tom attributes much of his success to this "Cognitive optimization morning routine". It's not complicated, it doesn't require much equipment, and it can be done from anywhere in the world. If you want a more detailed description of the Impact Theory Morning Routine, you can check out this article for more info. 3. Always Focus on Delivering More Value than Expected Imagine for a moment that you are purchasing a product and deciding between two different companies. For the sake of the argument (and since Tom is the founder of a fitness nutrition company) let's assume that the companies in question are selling a muscle gain supplement. After years of research company A found a formula that helps their

Ryan Nicodemus (and his partner Joshua Fields Milburn) help over 20 million people live meaningful lives with less through their website, books, podcast, and documentary. The Minimalists have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Forbes, TIME, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, CBC, and NPR. You can connect with him and learn more at www.theminimalists.com/start/ Favorite Success Quote "It's not a matter of being busy, so are the ants. The question is: What are you busy about?" ~Henry David Thoreau "Love people and use things because the opposite never works." Key Points 1. Embrace the Drudgery Conventional wisdom states that "If you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life". Unfortunately, as nice as the sentiment sounds, the reality is quite different. If you want to succeed at anything in life, you are going to have to work and let me tell you, there will be times that, no matter how much you love what you do, the work will feel like endless drudgery. I believe that a more accurate statement is, "If you love what you do, you will be able to stomach the hard work." Ryan loves sharing his message with millions of people across the world, but he doesn't always love the daily grind of writing, marketing, and speaking. I love empowering men all over the world to achieve their full potential, but I don't always love managing employees, testing marketing campaigns, or putting out fires. Because we love what we do, we are able to handle the drudgery. That doesn't make the work any more pleasant or any easier, but it does give those difficult tasks a greater sense of meaning and purpose. This extends beyond the realm of business too. Think about dating and relationships. Just because you are madly in love with someone doesn't mean that the relationship will not take hard work. There will be fights, there will be disagreements, there will be times when your partner is struggling and you need to stand by and support them. And guess what? It's hard. But if you truly love that person, it's also worth it. So embrace the drudgery, realize that you will have to work and you will have to work hard. But remember that if you are working on something you love, the drudgery will be worth every second of pain. 2. Get Clear on the Massive Action You Need to Take The first step to success in any endeavor is gaining clarity on what you want to achieve. The second step is gaining clarity on the actions you must take in order to manifest that dream and bring it into reality. Knowing what you want is not enough, you must have a very clear blueprint for the specific actions you are going to take in order to achieve your end game. Do you want to be financially independent? Great! Now, what specific actions are you willing to take in order to achieve that goal? Will you work 10-12 hours a day for the next five years? Will you devote all of your free time to your side hustle? Will you break off friendships that are dragging you down and keeping you mediocre? What are you going to do to make it happen? Do you want to be the healthiest man possible? Great! Now, what are you going to do to bring that goal to fruition? Will you give up drinking, smoking, and drugs? Will you commit to training 5 times a week? Will you cut out sugar, gluten, and processed foods? What are you going to do to make it happen? You see, it's great to set goals, but most people forget that every worthwhile goal requires massive action. And before you set out to achieve a goal, you need to have a very clear picture of what it is that you are willing to sacrifice and what actions you are willing to take in order to achieve your dreams. 3. Giving is Living While this might sound cliche and overplayed, the secret to living truly is giving. Don't get me wrong, it's fun to live for yourself. It's fun to focus on your own happiness. It's fun to do your own thing and give a single finger salute to the world. But how long will it fulfill you? When you stumble home drunk for the fourth night this week, a random girl from the bar on your arm, and unlock the door to your penthouse apartment, you're having fun. But after a while, you will find that the endless cycle of living for yourself and your needs becomes tiring, and the very things that once brought you immense joy and happiness now leave you with a profound emptiness and a voice in your head asking "Is this it?" Life isn't meant to be lived for yourself. It's meant to be a shared journey. And if you are struggling to find fulfillment in your current life, then I want to challenge you to refocus your intentions and desires on giving back. It doesn't have to be a huge gesture either. Commit to giving away $5 a day in a creative way. Do one random act of kindness a week. Volunteer at a soup kitchen a few hours each month. Do something that gets you out of your bubble and allows you to give back. Because not only will you be contributing to the greater good, but you will also be remin

JP Sears is an emotional healing coach, YouTuber, author, international teacher, speaker at events, world traveler, and curious student of life. His work empowers people to live more meaningful lives. JP is the author of "How To Be Ultra Spiritual," (Sounds True Publishing, release date of March 7th, 2017). He is very active with his online videos where he encourages healing and growth through his humorous and entertainingly informative videos, including his hit Ultra Spiritual comedy series, which has accumulated over 100 million views. You can learn more about JP and his work at AwakenWithJP.com. Favorite Success Quote "Nothing is as it seems." Key Points 1. If Nothing is as It Seems, Then What Does this Mean? While the above line might sound like something out of an esoteric spiritual text or a children's poetry book, its implications are profound. As human beings, we are all incredibly delusional whether we want to admit it or not. The very chair (or whatever inanimate object is currently supporting your weight) that you sit on is comprised of 99% empty space! And yet to us, it seems solid. And when you stop to think about it, you will begin to realize that this concept of "Nothing as it seems" is applicable in all areas of life. Take, for example, a common goal among many men… To date a "Perfect 10". While most people would agree that this is a fine goal and that every man should seek to find a woman who is his own "10", when you dive deeper into the nuances of your motivation, you might begin to realize that reality is quite different from what you thought. For the man desiring a perfect 10, his motivations might be rooted in an early childhood trauma or feelings of deep inadequacy. He may feel that he is a "1" or a "2" and that a perfect "10" would increase his value and worth. If this is true, then he is faced with one of three options. He can ignore this new information and uncomfortable way of viewing his desires and continue living his life as he was before. He can relinquish his desires and move onto more "noble" pursuits. Or he can do the deep internal work needed to elicit change in his own sense of worth and esteem so that his desire for that perfect woman comes from a place of love, wholeness, and a desire to share a life. But remember, this is not a judgment, this is not a call to abandon all of your self-serving goals, it's not even a statement of absolute truth (if nothing is as it seems, then perhaps this isn't as it seems either). Rather it is an invitation. An invitation to go deeper in your life, your health, and your relationships. An invitation to figure out what is really driving you, to see situations for what they really are (or at least what you perceive they really are), and an invitation to go beyond your current level of consciousness. You owe it to yourself to dive into your life and take a more objective look at who you are and what you want. And you might be surprised by what you find. 2. Break Out of the Comparison Trap One of the greatest single distractions in our modern world is the comparison trap. And how couldn't it be? Each and every day, we are bombarded with images of private jets, exotic cars, scantily clad women, and juiced up "Natty's" who make us feel inadequate and completely overwhelmed. Is it any wonder why most of us look at our own lives and feel incredibly unfulfilled? You see, our society does its absolute best to keep us distracted, to stop us from looking inward, and to keep us contributing to the system by setting goals that aren't our own, buying things we don't need, living lifestyles we can't afford. Because whenever we are focused on keeping up with our neighbors or looking like "That Guy" on Instagram, we will never realize that we don't need to spend thousands of dollars on clothes, cars, and supplements to be happy. In fact, almost all true fulfillment comes from within. So I want to challenge you to stop wasting your time looking at others and start spending more time looking at yourself. Cut out the social media, stop looking at other people's lives, and focus on yourself. Spend time alone asking yourself what you really want and what would make you truly fulfilled. Cut yourself off from the herd that mindlessly follows whatever new fad is trending on Facebook. Build a life that is designed by you, with you, and for you. 3. The Mess Strengthens You Whenever we are in the midst of adversity, it's easy to become disheartened and lose hope, to feel like there is no end in sight. And once the adversity has passed, it's even easier to feel shameful about the struggle that we endured. But your messy story is what strengthens you and brings power into your life. Think about it this way. If someone walked down the road and said "Hey, here's a gold 1st place Medal", would you really want it? Maybe, but if you're anything like me, that medal would end up in a trash can by the side of the road. Now I want you to imagine that you are preparing to compe

Ryan Blair is a serial entrepreneur who established his first company at age twenty-one and has since created and actively invested in multiple start-ups. As the CEO of ViSalus, he took the company from start-up to more than $1.6 billion in cumulative sales and was named Ernst & Young's 2012 Entrepreneur of the Year. His first book, Nothing to Lose, Everything to Gain, was a number one New York Times bestseller. He lives in Los Angeles. Key Points 1. The First Step to Transforming Your Life is Transforming your Environment If you are really ready to change your life, accelerate your results, and achieve your dreams, then the first step that you must take is to radically transform your environment. There is an old saying that environment is stronger than willpower, and I believe it to be true. If you are constantly around low ambition individuals who spend their weekends getting hammered, stoned, and watching Netflix, then how can you really expect to rise above your environment and excel at a high level? The first step on your journey to success is to change your environment. If your friends are bringing you down, get new friends. If you've never lived outside of your small town where everyone knows one another and success is frowned upon, move the hell out of there. Change your environment as quickly as possible, put in the work, and you will find yourself achieving at levels you previously thought impossible. 2. Go Give Back to Someone Who Has it Worse than You Do If you are reading this article right now, then you are blessed. If you woke up this morning and didn't have to wonder where your next meal would come from, then you are blessed. If you even have the eyesight and cognitive function to comprehend this interview, then you are blessed. And yet, despite the abundance in our everyday lives, many of us take our blessings for granted. And as a result, we whine and moan about the most trivial things, never taking responsibility and never stepping up to the plate. It's time to step up and step out of your own circumstances. Go volunteer with Habitat for Humanity or some other cause that will get you around people who are less fortunate than you are. Save up for a few months and go do a volunteer trip to Haiti, then come back and complain to me about how slow your iPhone 6 is. In our Western society, we don't suffer from a lack of resources or a lack of opportunity. We suffer from a lack of perspective. And the only way to get a better perspective is to get out of your current environment and go serve other people who are suffering more than you are. So I want to challenge you to find somewhere that you can volunteer this week. Go serve food at a soup kitchen, go build homes for low-income families, go serve the homeless in downtown. Go do something that will remind you just how lucky you are. When you return to your daily life, I would bet my last dollar that you will do so with a better attitude and a sense of gratitude. 3. Base Your Goals on the Value you Want to Offer Something that you will find on your journey to success is that the universe has an odd habit of conspiring to help those who conspire to help others. If you find that you are constantly unable to meet your financial goals, then chances are, your focus is almost entirely on yourself. You think "God, I want to make $100,000 so that I can enjoy a better quality of life, nicer things, and fancier dinners." And yet for the fourth year in a row, your company is stuck at $60,000. I want to challenge you to think about your goals differently. Instead of saying "How much money can I make?" Ask yourself the question "How much money do I want to give away? And who do I want to help?" I don't know what it is, but when you change your goal from "I want to earn $100,000 to so I can buy my new Jaguar F-Type" to "I want to earn $200,000 so that I can give away $70,000 to build schools in Guatemala" the universe will come to your aid and present you with opportunities that seem inexplicable. So I want to challenge you to start focusing on others. Begin to look at money as a flow of energy that enables you to help other people and improve their quality of life. Yes, you should have more than enough for yourself and enjoy a great quality of life. But you should also seek to give away 10X the value of what you have earned. Adopt this attitude for 18 months, and I can promise that your life will never be the same. 4. Constantly Level Up Your Social Circle Jim Rohn, the father of personal development said it best "You are the average of the five people whom you associate with most." And while this axiom of success has likely been repeated more times than any of us care to recount, so few of you reading this will actually internalize the message. Right now, I want you to pull out a pen and paper and take stock of your current circumstances. Everything, from your health, your finances, your fulfillment, and your relationships. Now, I want you to pull out a sep

MJ DeMarco is the current founder of Viperion Publishing Corp., a media company focused on online and print content distribution. He also is admin/founder for The Fastlane Forum, the webs' leading destination forum for start-up, finance, and entrepreneurial business discussions. He was the former start-up Founder/CEO of Limos.com (1997-2007), a global ground transportation aggregator and marketplace that he successfully built and grew into a profitable multimillion dollar company, all with no money, no formal training, and with just a few employees. In 2001, he sold the company and later reacquired the company via bankruptcy reorganization. He later sold the company again in 2007 to a Phoenix-based private equity company. He has authored two best-selling books including The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime and UNSCRIPTED: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Entrepreneurship, his most recent work about the current landscape of life, liberty, and entrepreneurship. You can connect with him and learn more at http://www.mjdemarco.com/ Favorite Success Quote "If you accept conventional wisdom from conventional people living conventional lives. Can you expect to be anything other than conventional?" Key Points 1. Wake Up and See Through the Matrix You have been lied to. By the government, your parents, and all of society. I am not propagating a conspiracy theory, just sharing the facts. From the day that you are born, you are inundated with a bullshit script that tells you to go to school, get all A's, go to college, get a safe job, sock aside 10% of your income and invest in mutual funds, skip the lattes, blah, blah, blah…. I am here to tell you… It doesn't freaking work! How many multi-millionaire 65-year-olds do you know? How many wildly wealthy retirees have you met (who worked a dead-end job for the past 40 years)? And more importantly, if you have met any of these people how many were happy and fulfilled? How many were free? The script that you were fed since childhood doesn't work. So it's time to wake up and flip the script. If you want freedom, if you want to retire, if you want to live a life that you actually enjoy, a life where you aren't giving up 5 days of your life in exchange for 2 (a pretty shitty ROI if you ask me) then the first step is simply acknowledging that there is a problem with the script you have been fed. Wake up, see through the matrix, and be ready to take the action required to change it. 2. The Rich Don't Get Rich from the Script… They get rich from preaching the script! One of the biggest misconceptions about success is that the rich achieved their current success levels by following the script you see laid out for you. They didn't. They got rich by preaching the script. They got rich by selling you on the idea of mutual funds (which they own) and stock market investments (which they control). They didn't get rich investing in any of those things themselves, they got rich by selling that garbage to you. While compiling research for his new book, MJ examined some advice being given by Forbes.com on the topic of long-term financial wealth. The article in question was recommending a long-term mutual fund strategy starting as young as possible. Then MJ decided to see how many Forbes cover models had actually followed that advice to get rich. The results? Zero, nada, zilch. None of the world's rich and powerful had eaten their own dog food or taken the medicine they were prescribing to everyone else. Just because you see Warren Buffet or Charlie Munger providing you with an investing strategy reliant on a long term yield of 8% doesn't mean that it's a strategy they actually leveraged to create their own wealth. When you are cognizant of this you will be much more wary about who you take advice from and why. 3. Learn to Provide Relative Value on a Massive Scale and You Will Become Rich Do you want to know the secret to becoming rich? Even the secret to getting rich quick? Well, listen up… I am about to share it. Provide relative value on a massive scale. If you do this, you will become rich, and chances are, you will become rich a helluva lot quicker than you would have playing the "Get rich slow" game. But how does one go about providing relative value? It's actually a lot simpler than you might think. The first step is to identify a problem or an inefficiency in the marketplace. If you see a problem and you have the ability to fix it, you have found your "in". Furthermore, if you look at an already "saturated" market and you notice that there are numerous inefficiencies in the day to day operations (customer service, fulfillment, product quality etc.) you can use this knowledge to break into an otherwise full market. 4. Happiness Comes from Autonomy Not Money So many people assume that more money will make them happy. That going from $20,000 to $200,000 to $2,000,000 will drastically boost your happiness and levels of fulfillment. And yes, mone

Brett McKay is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Art of Manliness, the largest independent men's lifestyle magazine on the web with over 10 million monthly page views. Brett earned a degree in Letters (with a focus on Classics) from the University of Oklahoma and graduated from the University of Tulsa College of Law. He lives with Kate, his wife and AoM's Executive Editor, and their two children in Tulsa, OK. When he's not talking or writing about manliness, Brett enjoys barbell training and spending time outdoors. Favorite Success Quote "Be useful, not important." Key Points 1. Focus on Being a Man of Value We live in a society where everybody wants to be "Somebody." And while there is nothing inherently wrong with ambition or a drive to become successful, in our modern, ego-driven culture, this desire for fame and recognition has begun to supersede our desire to provide real value as men. We are more worried about our status on Facebook and the number of fans we have on Instagram than the quality of the work that we are producing on a daily basis. And it's gotta stop. Success is the result of doing your work and doing it with excellence. It's the result of trying to find ways to serve others, instead of constantly serving yourself. And the sooner that we can embrace this axiomatic truth, the sooner we will be able to live richer, healthier, and more abundant lives. It's not about you. It's about the impact you have on others and the legacy that you leave. 2. The Worst Rarely Happens Mark Twain is often quoted as saying I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. And while the quote itself might have been uttered tongue in cheek, it's relevance to our modern lives cannot be understated. Yes, you are going to face challenges in your life, you will face difficulty, adversity, pain, and suffering. It's an inevitability. But the vast majority of your internal worries will never come to fruition. As a society, we spend time locked inside of our heads, mentally plugging through the "What if's" and "Oh no's" until our blood pressure is through the roof and our anxiety levels critical. To be an effective risk taker and leader, you must learn to discern between genuinely possible worst-case outcomes and unlikely disasters. Yes, if you quit your job to go full time with your side hustle, it is possible that you might lose everything, go bankrupt, become homeless, and eat out of garbage cans until Elon Musk saves humanity. But it's not very likely. Chances are, even the worst failure would simply require you to find a new corporate job, live at home for a while, and rebuild yourself from the ground up. There is an element of risk in everything worth pursuing. And as a man, you must learn to cull your fear and worries and realize that despite the perceived risk, the big, scary, life-altering disaster of an outcome that you fear is unlikely at the least and downright laughable at most. 3. Toughen Your "Mental Hide" With the wide reach of the internet, it is all but impossible to do anything of worth without attracting negative criticism and denigration. Keyboard warriors and airsoft commandos abound, each of them offering a different (and graphically detailed) opinion about why you suck and should immediately quit at your current endeavors. It doesn't matter whether you are creating products, offering information, or detailing your journey through life… If you do anything for long enough, you are going to have to haters. So what is a man to do? While it might be uncomfortable and difficult, there is certainly merit in accepting and responding to constructive criticism that offers genuine value to you and your brand. However, the vast majority of the emails, comments, and posts that you will find littering your inbox and social platforms are not constructive, they are simply the result of disgruntled individuals with an abundance of time and a lack of common sense. In these situations, you must simply learn to toughen your mental hide. Not everyone will like you. In fact, if you do anything well enough, some people will hate you. And that is ok. You must learn to ignore the haters and stay focused on your dreams and mission. When others try and knock you off course, or make wild accusations, you should learn to take it as a sign that you are doing something right. Because it is a rare occurrence for a man offering little value to attract much attention (positive or negative). So build your mental resilience and learn to be ok with the haters. 4. Focus on Adaptability Not Effectiveness One of the greatest struggles for men of a high caliber is learning to embrace adaptability over effectiveness. Yes, you should have routines and rituals built into your daily life that allow you to create and contribute at a high level, but you must remember one simple truth… Life happens. Things don't always go according to plan. People get sick, cars break down, the weather changes, you ge

Mark Goblowsky is an air force veteran, career martial artist, podcaster, author, and entrepreneur. He is on a mission to help others overcome the obstacles in their life based on his own experiences. Favorite Success Quote "Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years" ~Bill Gates Key Points 1. Practice Your "Kung Fu" The martial art kung fu literally translates into two words. Effort and time. And the only things that are standing between you and your goals are these two factors. If you can become a master of Kung Fu, a master at putting in the effort over time, you will succeed. We all want to achieve great things, we all want a great life. We want the business, the relationships, and the body. And you can have it! You can have it all. But you must be willing to approach life through the lens of Kung Fu. Put in the effort, be patient with the time, and you will succeed. Because at the end of the day, time is going to pass whether you are doing what you love and pursuing your goals or not. So stop worrying about the outcome and get busy doing what you need to do to create the life that you want to live. If you are willing to be patient, to stick through it when times are tough, and to trudge forward even in the face of adversity, at the end of the day, you will be successful. No one who was truly committed to their craft, dream, or ambition for more than a decade fails. You will have failures along the way, yes. But at the end of the day, when it's all said and done if you are willing to keep doing the work year in and year out especially when it's hard, you will succeed. 2. If You Aren't Happy on the Journey You Won't Be Happy at the Destination There is a pervasive myth in society that "One day" we will be happy. We believe that when we finally have the six pack, the 7-figure company, the beautiful girlfriend, the house on the beach or the sports car then we will be happy. But the truth is that happiness can be experienced right here and now. And not only can it be experienced now, it must be experienced now. Because if you are not happy on the journey, you will rarely find happiness at the destination. If you cannot learn to be happy while you are building your business, you will not be happy when you sell it for $10 million. If you cannot learn to be happy while you are training your body and building your physique, you will not be happy when you finally attain the look you've been longing for. If you cannot allow yourself to be happy while you work to find the woman of your dreams, no relationship will ultimately satisfy you. Happiness is a choice, and if you aren't choosing to be happy along the journey, you will arrive at the destination and wonder "Is this it?" 3. Resistance Gives You Strength Most of you reading this want to become stronger. In all areas of your life. But what most of you don't realize is that strength doesn't come from ease. If you go to the gym every single day of your life from now until you die and all you do is push against the air, you will never get stronger, you will never build a strong body, and you will never force your muscles to grow. To become stronger, you must push against resistance, you must struggle, you must sweat, and you must bleed. And this doesn't just apply to the gym. If you want your relationship to be stronger, you will have to face resistance. You cannot have a thriving marriage and never face adversity together. Because it is in times of struggle when love is truly born. It's only when your marriage is facing resistance in some form or another that it is strengthened. In your business, you will never achieve success if you stay in your comfort zone and never face resistance. Success in business mandates failures. It mandates struggles and resistance that force you to grow, adapt, and evolve with the times. So embrace resistance, for it gives you strength. 4. Understand What is Truly Important When Mark's son was a young boy, he and his mother were in a terrible hit and run car accident with a semi-truck. His son suffered from a traumatic brain injury and now suffers from disabilities that will affect the rest of his life. When he got the call that his son was in a coma, how do you think Mark responded? Did he say "Gee, that really sucks… But I've got to finish up this project at work" Or "Wow! I will be there later, but I just really need to close this client… They're worth a lot of money." Hell no! He dropped everything in his life and was by his son's side 24/7 for four months. Nothing, not his business, not his finances, not even his health got in between him and his child. And it is in times of severe duress that we realize what is truly important. Most of us spend our lives chasing external validation that is ultimately pointless instead of spending time on what really matters… The people that we love. Yes, you should want to be successful. Yes, you should want to be healthy, wealthy, and

Sam Upton is an actor and writer known for his roles in The Lincoln Lawyer, Gone, and Stand Up Guys. He is also the director and main actor in his most recent movie, Gun. Favorite Success Quote "The greatest revenge is success" ~Frank Sinatra Key Points 1. No One's Going to Give it To You We live in an era of entitlement. The current generation is filled with individuals who have never had to work for anything in their lives, never had to sweat for a goal, and never had to bleed for their dreams. When reality sets in, and they realize that life isn't all sunshine and rainbows, they panic and cry and loudly scream about how "unfair" life is. Well here's a little newsflash. Life's not fair… And no one gives a shit. No one cares enough about you to make your dreams happen for you. If you want something bad enough, then go and get it. Don't ask for permission, get off your ass and go get it. The sweet nectar of success is reserved for those rare individuals just like you who make the definite decision to become the master of their own fate and the captain of their own destiny. Those individuals who are, as Theodore Roosevelt put it, "Actually in the arena with their faces marred by sweat and tears and blood." Those are the individuals who shape the world, create great art, build massive wealth, and live a life of happiness and prosperity along the way. What about you? Are you going to bitch and moan and whine about how unfair life is, or are you going to accept your challenges and circumstances and make the definite decision to go out and get what's yours? Only you can decide. 2. Stop Giving a Fuck One of the greatest truths of life is this… The fewer fucks you give, the better life you will live. It's that simple. People in the 21st century simply care too much about the wrong things. We allow the denigrating remarks of passersby's and internet trolls to damage our self-esteem and derail our mission. We allow the opinions of people who have done next to nothing for us to determine what path we will take and what passions we will pursue. We allow the push and pull of society to rope us into lives that we never wanted to live surrounded by people that we've never liked working for a cause that we never believed in. And there's a simple solution to all these problems. Stop giving a fuck. The less time and energy you allow yourself to waste on the petty garbage and insignificant opinions, the happier you will be. If you are on your purpose, on your mission, and on your path, if you are doing the things that are meaningful to you and waking up each day with a smile, then the rest can fade away into the background. 3. Unplug and Spend Time In Life We live in such a hyper-connected world that the vast majority of people no longer experience life through their own eyes, they experience it through the lens of the latest smartphone. Instead of going out on dates and connecting with the person across from us, we waste our time Tweeting and texting and Instagramming. Instead of spending time with our wives and children, we waste our evenings surfing social media and watching B-grade, uninspiring garbage on the internet. We aren't living anymore dammit! And it's starting to show. Depression, loneliness, and suicide are at record highs (especially among men) and yet we continue moving through life like zombies, attached to our screens. So let me challenge you to change that. Put your damn phone down for an evening. Spend real quality time with your wife and kids. Go hang out with a friend and leave your phones at home. Spend time by yourself with your own thoughts and no stimulation (you just might come up with some phenomenal ideas). Learn to let go of the need for constant stimulation and I promise that your life will be better for it. 4. The Act of Doing Makes You a Success As men, it is easy to tie our self-worth and perception of our own success to external things. We believe that we are only a success if we have the beautiful girl, the 7-figure business, the Lamborghini, the fame, and the body. But the truth of the matter is that the very act of doing and pursuing our goals is what makes us a success. If you are getting up every day, putting your nose to the grindstone and your shoulder to the wheel in pursuit of a higher vision and calling, then you are a success. You will not become a success when you achieve some arbitrary goal or ideal, you are a success right now so long as you are in pursuit. So long as you stay hungry, so long as you put in the work, and so long as you never give up, you can go to bed knowing that you are a success regardless of the external circusmtances in your life. 5. F*ck your Feelings and Do What's Right There are only two kinds of people in the world, hedonists and stoics. A hedonist does whatever it takes to feel good, a stoic does what is right whether it feels good or not… And unfortunately, we live in a time that is filled to the brim with hedonists. The vast majority of our society

William H. McRaven is a former United States Navy admiral who last served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command from August 8, 2011, to August 28, 2014. Since January 2015, he has served as the chancellor of The University of Texas System. McRaven previously served from June 13, 2008, to August 2011 as Commander, Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) and from June 2006 to March 2008 as Commander, Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR). In addition to his duties as COMSOCEUR, he was designated as the first director of the NATO Special Operations Forces Coordination Centre (NSCC), where he was charged with enhancing the capabilities and inter-operability of all NATO Special Operations Forces. Admiral McRaven retired from the Navy on August 28, 2014, after more than 37 years of service. Favorite Success Quote If by Rudyard Kipling Key Points 1. Focus on Doing Your Duties Now Success in life doesn't come from focusing on what you are going to do in the future. It comes from focusing all of your attention on the tasks that are in front of you right now. Yes, you should have goals, dreams, and aspirations. However, do not allow these dreams and aspirations to rule the present moment. Instead, focus on the now, focus on what is right in front of you, focus more on the next 24 hours and less on the next 24 years. The quickest way to achieve success (whatever your definition of success might be) is to have a plan and then execute on that plan, day in and day out. Do your duties now and allow tomorrow to take care of itself. 2. You Can't Make it Alone Many men like to think that they are an island, they like to believe that they are the Alpha and Omega of their lives. Until one day, they are struck by the very harsh reality that they are not. No man, regardless of size, intelligence or other capability has ever "made it" on this planet by themselves. We were designed for community and teamwork. One of the fastest ways to achieve your mission, whether that is in business, in your health, or in your relationships is to surround yourself with amazing, like-minded individuals who can help support you and push you along the journey. With a tight-knit circle of influence, you will be able to accelerate your results, find your blind spots, and receive help when you are outside of your comfort zone. And more than that, you will have more fun! Life is a team sport, it's meant to be played with other people. So eradicate the erroneous notion that real men do it alone. Build your tribe and have a blast doing it. 3. What Are You Really Made of? So often in our modern society, we are quick to judge others (and ourselves) on external factors like height, weight, attractiveness, financial success, and social capital. But we forget that our worth is defined by how much heart we have, not how much money or muscle we have. A person's worth is defined by what's inside. Admiral McRaven illustrates this point perfectly in his book when he shares the story of Thomas Norris, a Navy Seal who was awarded the congressional medal of honor. During training, nearly all of his classmates assumed that Tom would fail. He was short, skinny, and out of shape compared to the other men. However, Tom had a level of internal fortitude, mental strength, and heart that few men in the world display. And his bravery was exemplified repeatedly on the battlefield, especially during the infamous rescue mission that lead to his Congressional Medal of Honor. Like Tom, many of you might not be what comes to mind physically when people think of an "Alpha" or a "Real Man". But that isn't what matters. What are you made of? Who are you? What is your character like when everything goes wrong and your life is spiraling out of control? That is what determines your worth as a man. 4. You Are Going to Fail Read that again. You are going to fail. I don't care how good you are, how smart you are, or how strong you are. Life will kick you to the curb and beat you senseless at some point in your existence. This isn't a speculation. It's fact. You are going to fail! You might not face the catastrophic failures that come to mind when you hear the word, but at some point in your life, you will be faced with a situation, a business deal, a relationship, or a physical challenge that you simply cannot surmount. So get over it. Stop letting this fear of failure rule you and accept that failure is inevitable. Failure is a sign of life, it is a sign that you are trying to push the envelope forward and a sign that you are growing into the man you need to be. So get used to failing. If you do anything of worth in this life, it is going to become a pretty common occurrence. 5. Your Bank Account Doesn't Determine Your Success Many men operate under the flawed ideology that the more 0's they have in their bank accounts, the more successful they are. This simply isn't true. Yes, money is important, and you should certainly strive to earn enough to enjo

Bedros Keuilian is the fitness industry's most trusted consultant. His various fitness businesses are designed to enable trainers to maximize their earning potential with revolutionary industry techniques. Before constructing his fitness empire, Bedros owned five fitness gyms at once. After revamping his business model with direct response marketing and sales techniques, he began earning profit margins totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars from these locations alone. He would then go on to found Fit Body Boot Camp. As the CEO and founder of Fit Body, currently the world's fastest growing fitness chain, Bedros practices what he preaches, implementing the same formula for success that he brings to his fitness clients worldwide. Fit Body was recently listed as one of Inc. 5000's fastest growing businesses of 2016. Favorite Success Quotes "How you do anything is how you do everything" "Circumstances do not change responsibility" Key Points 1. Your Responsibilities Aren't Affected by Your Circumstances The vast majority of modern men have been castrated by a societal conditioning that tells them it's "ok" to shirk their responsibilities. Men who allow the whims of their emotions and their day to day circumstances to dictate their actions and responses. We see men who allow the whims of their emotions and their day to day circumstances to dictate their actions and responses. Fathers who ignore their duties to their children, husbands who shrug off their responsibilities to their wives, and workers who simply aren't willing to put in the work necessary to keep their clients happy. And as a result, our society has been left scratching its head in confusion wondering "Where have all the real men gone"? The real men are still out there… They are just harder to find. They are the men who do not allow their feelings and problems to interfere with their duties. The men who provide for their families, prioritize their relationships and take care of their bodies. The men who are willing to say no to luxuries and parties now so that they can have an incredible quality of life for their family later. Are you one of those men? 2. Resourcefulness is the Ultimate Resource Markets crash, businesses crumble, people die, and life happens. So what? The greatest breakthroughs of human history have often come in times where resources were slim and things were looking grim. But a handful of (now) iconic individuals were willing to look at the circumstances and negative situation and see it for what it was… An opportunity. You see, if you are resourceful enough, no circumstance or turmoil will prevent you from success. You can always find a way to make money and create a life of happiness and freedom for yourself. You must simply learn to look for it. Resourcefulness is your greatest resource in the tumultuous and unpredictable world that we live in. If you can learn to cultivate this trait in yourself and others, you will find a way to be successful. No matter what. 3. Despite What You've Been Told, Work-Life Balance Is Crucial With the proliferation of the "Hustlers" mentality and the idea that grinding it out 24/7 365 is the only way to success, many of you are operating under the misguided belief that work-life balance is b.s. Well… It's not. Bedros found this out first hand when, after several consecutive months of high-stress projects, he snapped and suffered from multiple anxiety attacks (initially mistaking them for heart attacks). These episodes scared Bedros into making a change and, after kicking and clawing his way through the transition, he began to ease himself out of business scenarios that he found stressful. He cut back on his time in the office, started prioritizing his health and family again, and learned to delegate and outsource like crazy. And now… He's healthier, wealthier, and happier than ever before. Hustling your way to the top is great. Grinding and working hard are great. But they must be tempered by taking a step back and making time for yourself and your family. 4. The Quickest Way to Overcome Adversity is to Reframe It Life can suck. Things happen and circumstances outside of your control can knock you on your ass. But the quickest way to overcome any adversity is to reframe it. Learn to see challenges as opportunities. Learn to see setbacks as an opportunity to grow. Learn to see failure as education. The more that you can reframe the difficult things in life, the easier they will become. This will not make your problems go away… But it will make them easier to deal with. 5. All Success is Preceded by Risk If you want real success, you are going to have to take real risks. End of story. For the majority of A+ players, every big breakthrough, achievement, and milestone were preceded by even bigger risks. For some people this meant a breakup, for others, taking out a line of credit to fund a business, and for others still, it was dropping out of college and pursuing their dreams of their own volition

Executive, activist, and entrepreneur, Sarah Robb O'Hagan has been described by the media as everything from "Superwoman undercover" to the "Pied Piper of Potential." She is a high-energy combination of disruptive business leader, fitness fanatic, and cheerleading mom, and has been named one of Forbes' "Most Powerful Women in Sports" and one of Fast Company's "Most Creative People in Business." As Chief Executive Officer of the fast growing indoor cycling company Flywheel Sports, she is currently leading the transformation of the business through digital content and services. Prior to this role, Sarah became an internationally recognized re-inventor of brands, having served as global president of the $5Bn sports brand Gatorade, where she successfully led the business through a major repositioning and business turnaround, and global president of the luxury fitness company Equinox, where she reinvented the offering through a significant technology transformation. She recently released her new book, Extreme You: Step Up. Stand Out. Kick Ass. Repeat. Favorite Success Quote "Without risk does not come great reward." Sarah's Dad Key Points 1. Learn to Focus on What You Are Doing Now Tell me if this has ever happened to you before? You are at work, hustling away on a project that is fun and exciting, but for some reason, you cannot stop thinking about what's happening at home with your wife or girlfriend. Or you are out on a date with your significant other and, instead of giving them your full attention, you are answering work emails when you are supposed to be connecting and sharing a special moment. Why the hell is it that we are always thinking about, and focused on everything except for what we are doing right now? Happiness and success are found when you are able to be completely present in whatever you are doing. When you are 100% focused on your work, you will be able to solve problems, pivot, and accomplish your tasks with greater speed and efficiency. Meaning that later in the day, you have the mental bandwidth to focus in on your family and friends 100%. The more present and focused you can be in one area, the more focus and presence you will be able to bring to the other areas of your life. 2. The Foundation of Success is Self-Care One of the most underrated and least talked about subjects in the world of entrepreneurship is self-care. Everyone gets so focused in on the hustle, they get so focused in on grinding it out and being "obsessed" that they forget to take care of #1. But let me ask you a question… How much money are you going to make if you are constantly in and out of the hospital with stress-related illnesses? How effective will you be if you are constantly drained, lethargic, and fatigued? How successful do you think you will really be if you are not taking care of yourself? You won't! Success without self-care is unsustainable and ultimately unfulfilling. You must learn to take care of yourself, especially your mental and physical health first and focus on your business second. Make time every single day to get some form of exercise. Give yourself those extra 10-15 minutes to meditate and clear your headspace. Give yourself permission to relax at the end of a long day with a hot bath and some calm music. If you are not taking care of yourself and your body, you will eventually burn out and fail. Period. 3. You Cannot Take Things too Seriously Look… Life is short. So why the hell would you waste one second of your life in an unhappy or depressed state? Have fun for God's sake! Learn to laugh at yourself, laugh at your work, laugh at your success, laugh at your failure, because, at the end of the day, we are all dead anyways, so we might as well enjoy the journey and have a few laughs along the way. Life isn't meant to be a constant stress-fest. It's meant to be enjoyed with people that you like, doing things that you love. And guess what? In every moment, you have the choice to enjoy your life, to have a great time, and to laugh through the hardships or to succumb to the pain and the suffering and allow outside circumstances to dictate your attitude. You have a choice to enjoy life even when it's hard. You have a choice to let go of your ego, stop taking things so damn seriously, and enjoy the ride. So will you? 4. Stop Going Half Way Because of the pressure that many millennials feel from the older generations, a large majority of the young people in Western society are making the grave mistake of building "partial bridges" for the sake of their resume. What do I mean? Well, think about it. Most 18-35-year-olds will change jobs every 2-4 years. Instead of finding something that they are really passionate about, going all the way and becoming great, they go halfway. They hop from position to position trying to build their resume and "experience" when all that they really accomplish is becoming ok at a bunch of unrelated crap. If you really want to become great, then you need to go all the w

Adam Grant has been recognized as Wharton's top-rated teacher for five straight years, and as one of the world's 25 most influential management thinkers and Fortune's 40 under 40. As an organizational psychologist, he studies how we can find motivation and meaning, and lead more generous and creative lives. Adam is the author of two New York Times bestselling books translated into 35 languages. Originals and Give and Take. Adam received a standing ovation for his 2016 TED talk on the surprising habits of original thinkers and was voted the audience's favorite speaker at The Nantucket Project on the success of givers and takers, which was the subject of his most recent TED talk. His speaking and consulting clients include Facebook, Google, the NBA, Merck, Goldman Sachs, Disney Pixar, Johnson & Johnson, BCG, Amex, the U.S. Army and Navy, and the World Economic Forum, where he has been honored as a Young Global Leader. Favorite Success Quote "The best way to succeed is to help other people succeed." Key Points 1. Become a Master of "Five Minute Favors" One of the secret weapons of high performers, their proverbial "special sauce" if you will, is the five-minute favor. These favors are simple, easy-to-do tasks that can have a huge impact on your network and future success. One of the simplest examples is devoting 10 minutes a week to connecting at least 2 people you feel need to know each other. This simple tactic resulted in the formation of the Beatles and Apple. Another example is taking the extra initiative at work or in the classroom. Simple things like providing your boss with ten easy-to-implement actions to save the office money or helping a co-worker with a project that they are behind on can drastically increase your social capital and build reciprocal kindness and goodwill. 2. Being an "Original" Is Simple If you want to be original, the path is simple. First, avoid the status quo. Second, look for a new way to do things. And third come up with a superfluous number of ideas, even bad ideas, until you find the solution for which you're looking. Many people seem to think that being an "Original" is a complicated process that requires psychedelic drugs, a MENSA IQ, or a real creative genius. But the simple truth is that all non-conformists, originals, and real industry disrupters have followed the same three steps. 3. Learn to Reframe the Mundane One of the most immediate and impactful ways that you can increase your own levels of happiness and satisfaction is to reframe the mundane tasks in your life and find a way to enjoy them. The simplest example is email. How many of you spend at least an hour a day sorting through, organizing, and responding to emails? How many of you think that one hour sucks? I get it… It might seem hard to reframe this seemingly sucky task into something that is genuinely meaningful and enjoyable, but just imagine if you could. Imagine if instead of seeing your email as a drudgery, a life-sucking task, you saw it as an opportunity. An opportunity to touch every life with which you connect. An opportunity to inspire love, gratitude, and empowerment in every interaction. Because isn't that exactly what it is? It's a chance for you to connect with people from all around the globe and inspire them with your attitude, your mindset, and your values. When you approach it from this angle and with this mindset, checking your email because an empowering and exciting task because, instead of thinking "How many freaking message do I have to handle" you get to think "How many lives will I get to shape?" 4. Being an "Original" Is About Execution Not Ideation Being an original has nothing to do with the idea. Everyone, if they think about it long enough, can develop a "Billion dollar idea" that would change the world and disrupt entire industries. But they never take the requisite action. They allow their dreams, their hopes, and their ideas to wither away and die because they cannot bring themselves to execute. They take their ideas with them to the graveyard because they were unwilling to take action on those ideas! At the end of the day, those who truly succeed and shape the world are those who are willing to take ideas and run with them. To take massive action in the face of uncertainty, and give their idea the chance to see the light of day. 5. Fear the Failure to Try Many gurus and self-help proponents shame the fear of failure. They instill a toxic belief that fearing failure is a bad thing. But the simple truth is that you should fear failure. In fact, it should scare the hell out of you! But not in the way that most people imagine. You shouldn't fear the failure of your business, your relationship, or your bank account… you should fear your own failure to try. At the end of the day, when you lie in your bed, weathered by time, and near the end, you will not look back in regret on the things that you tried and failed. You will look back with regret on the times that you failed to try

Jocko Willink is a decorated retired Navy SEAL officer, author of the book Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win, and co-founder of Echelon Front, where he is a leadership instructor, speaker, and executive coach. Jocko spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams, starting as an enlisted SEAL and rising through the ranks to become a SEAL officer. As commander of SEAL Team Three's Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the "Ready First" Brigade of the US Army's First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city. As commander of SEAL Team Three's Task Unit Bruiser during the battle of Ramadi, he orchestrated SEAL operations that helped the "Ready First" Brigade of the US Army's First Armored Division bring stability to the violent, war-torn city. Task Unit Bruiser became the most highly decorated Special Operations Unit of the Iraq War. Jocko returned from Iraq to serve as Officer-in-Charge of training for all West Coast SEAL Teams. There, he spearheaded the development of leadership training and personally instructed and mentored the next generation of SEAL leaders who have continued to perform with great success on the battlefield. During his career, Jocko was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and numerous other personal and unit awards. In 2010, Jocko retired from the Navy and launched Echelon Front where he teaches the leadership principles he learned on the battlefield to help others lead and win. Clients include individuals, teams, companies, and organizations across a wide-range of industries and fields. Favorite Success Quote "Discipline equals freedom" Key Points 1. Discipline Gives You True Freedom If you want freedom, then forget all the crap about life hacks, smart drugs, and shortcuts. If you want freedom, then you must cultivate extreme levels of discipline. Period. I don't care if you want to do the important things. Do them. I don't care if you feel like handling your responsibilities. Handle them. I don't care if you want to wake up early and grind. Just fucking rise and grind. Discipline equals freedom. 2. You Have to Be Humble Once you have cultivated discipline and overcome your weakness and propensity to allow your feelings in the moment to dictate your life, arrogance becomes your most dangerous enemy. Just because you have achieved a certain level of success does not mean that you have it figured out. The day that you think you know it all, the day that you stop trying to grow, and the day you stop learning from others… That's the day that you will fall and you will fall hard. 3. Take Extreme Ownership Whatever circumstances life has given you, it's time to man up and own them. Step up and take charge of the results that you are producing or failing to produce. Take ownership of your marriage, your business, and your finances. Sure, you can piss away your time blaming others, whining, and moaning. But you will lose respect from the people who matter and accomplish nothing in the process. Or, you can let go of your ego, accept responsibility, and take extreme ownership. And when are willing to swallow your pride and take ownership of your life and success, you will cultivate respect for yourself and respect from others. 4. Detach Emotions from Your Decision-Making Process If you want to sabotage your success and ruin all chances of high achievement, then allow your emotions to dictate your decision making. If you want to achieve greatly, lead effectively, and create massive success in your life, then learn to detach your emotions from important decisions. I don't care if you like an under-performing employee and feel bad about letting them go. If you have done everything you can to empower them and call them forward, and they still fail… it's time to let them go. I don't care if you don't feel like getting up and doing your work for the day. It's time to rise and hustle. When it comes to important decisions, you must lead with logic. I don't care how you feel. Feelings don't win wars, build businesses, or change the world. Smart and consistent action does. 5. Win the Mornings and Win Your Day If you want to have great days, then start with great mornings. Jocko rises every morning at 4:30 a.m. and hits the gym long before distractions or other people's agendas can start to distract him and interfere with his goals. To achieve high levels of success, you must accomplish your most important tasks first thing every morning before the rest of the world is awake. If you can do this, success is all but guaranteed.