A Balanced Life

By Bob Proctor

In his publication Better Families, Dr. J. Allan Petersen quotes C. Peter McColough of Xerox who says, "I look for breadth of interest.  Individuals with broad interests are best able to perform within a company today.  We face many societal changes, and a broad outlook and encompassing overview are more pertinent than the traditional circumscribed career preparation.  Perhaps one of the most important qualities a man or woman can possess is balance.  That simply means that one doesn't go off the deep end.  You balance your life with wives, husbands, children, recreational activities, hobbies, physical programs and community involvement.  To get off in one area or another, I think, is a mistake and will lead to trouble."

Research is conclusive that the more broad, general knowledge an individual has, the more balanced he or she will be in life.  Interestingly enough, it also conclusively proves that those people with a broad range of knowledge are the most creative in the solution of problems, not only in the corporate world, but in their personal and family lives as well.  When our analytical left brain is supplied with a broad range of information, when we encounter problems which we've never encountered before, or when we meet unique opportunities, the broader that range of knowledge, the more creative we are in the solution to the problem itself or on the capitalizing of any new opportunity that presents itself.

Now, combine this broad range of knowledge with an ever-growing increase in knowledge, and exciting things really happen.  The new input of knowledge into the mind stirs up all of the old input and when new information meets old information, they get together and create new concepts and ideas.  The message is clear: Broaden your range of interests; live a balanced life; continue to grow in information and knowledge and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP in all areas of your life.

SOURCE

13:19:00 - By Vincent 0

The Importance of Meaningful Connections: How I Prepared for My World Domination Summit Keynote & Why No One Does Anything Alone

by CHELSEA DINSMORE

Last week I stood on stage at the World Domination Summit (WDS) and delivered a 30-minute keynote speech to more than 1,000 people. (Note: we will publish the talk as soon as we get it in our hands!)

It was scary.

It was exciting.

It was overwhelming.

It was something I never dreamed I was capable of doing.

And while I stood on that stage on my own, what I delivered by no means came together solely from my own efforts.

So, today I want to share with you the process I used to face this new challenge, in the hope that you might take from it some tips, tools and mindset shifts to help you face your own new challenge. This is not “Public Speaking 101”—this process is simply a way to face anything that feels outside of your comfort zone—and why meaningful connections are absolutely key to that.

How I Prepared for My WDS Speech

I don’t really have much public speaking experience. I was senior class president in high school, so delivered a short message at graduation. I delivered remarks at Scott’s memorial service. And back in April I gave a speech on connecting to a group of students. So, I am by no means an expert.

I was asked to speak at WDS back in November. So while I had about 10 months notice, in reality my real prep came together starting in June.

My first step was to get the message I wanted to deliver together.

STEP 1: START WITH THE END IN MIND

I was given broad instructions on the topic of my talk. Basically it could be anything that fit with the theme of the event: how to live an unconventional life in a conventional world. I had been an attendee at this event two times in the past so I sort of knew the theme, the crowd and the energy I was going into.

To get some focused space, I retreated to a family beach house by myself with my journal, my computer, my lessons from my weekly planning process since September, and a ton of ideas to hone my message into something that could be delivered in 30 minutes.

I knew that I wanted to talk about why and how I have processed the loss of Scott over the last 11 months. But how could I possibly narrow that down to a few main points? There are soooo many things that I have done—but I knew I needed to relate to the audience and deliver something that left them with a take away.

So I first came up with my outcomes—an important step in determining how to pare anything down!!!

And then I spent many hours, a lot of procrastination, a few glasses of wine (and at one point an entire chocolate bar in a single sitting) coming up with my main lessons from the year. I had 25+, which I grouped into about five main lessons and then ended up choosing three to fit into the time limit. I tried to choose ones that would relate to any difficult situation and that also provided take away’s the crowd could actually implement.

STEP 2: STEP AWAY TO LET THE IDEAS BREW

I then went on a trip where I let the general ideas brew. I casually talked about it to almost anyone who would listen to help me integrate the ideas and flow (and also to get feedback).

I sought further inspiration as I was traveling since I had the general ideas on my mind already. I thought about it in my moments alone. And I did some initial writing of the talk as I traveled (because as I mentioned, my best writing seems to happens when I fly).

This was a casual approach to helping me fully embrace the overall idea of the talk.

STEP 3: SEEK OUT A VILLAGE OF HELP (AND PRACTICE A SH*T TON!)

We talk a lot at LYL about cultivating meaningful connections and this is exactly why.

The message I delivered on that stage last week was not a result of my doing. It was a result of the input of a village of people.

Just a few to be exact….

And this is why meaningful connections matter.

Because I was asked to do something that had the opportunity to make an impact. And while I could have stood up there and said something, what I said was 10 times better because of the advice, feedback, strategy, input, love, and effort of those around me.

If I hadn’t spent years cultivating actual meaningful connections (where I added value in some way shape or form to them), they likely wouldn’t have been willing to add value in return when I needed it.

Meaningful connections make giving and receiving help easy—it is a two-way street.

I scheduled dinners at friends houses and offered to cook for them (add value) in exchange for them listening to my talk and giving feedback. One, because it is really hard to practice on your own (although the family cat Nui, did hear the speech more than any other). Scheduling those dinners not only kept me accountable, but also practicing in front of your best friends and family members is far more difficult than practicing in front of a large group where there are bright lights and you can’t really see into anyone’s eyes when your story makes them cry…

As hard as it was to change what I had been trying to practice, hearing people’s feedback helped me understand how they took my message. I asked every single person what they liked best and where they got lost, or what they didn’t fully understand. It would have been easy to sit and think I knew exactly how people were going to take what I said, but I got a lot of insight as I heard what people actually heard.

To Add Value, Be Grateful

With my business connections, I had people hop on the phone with me despite their very busy weeks, meet slide deadlines with only days and give me loads of support before and the day of.

But only because I wasn’t only asking for help. In some way in the past, I had given some sort of advice, help or something else in return.

And I made sure to leave those connections with a thank you from me. Some people received gifts in the mail, others email thank yous with how their advice specifically helped me deliver what I did that day.

Honestly, adding value to someone isn’t all that hard—as everyone loves to hear how they helped you out. So paying attention to their specific advice, implementing it and letting them know the outcome is one of many ways to begin to cultivate meaningful connections with others…

No One Does Anything Alone

At the end of my speech, I received a very generous standing ovation.

But that standing ovation was not for me….

It was for all those who helped me prepare what I delivered on that day.

It was the effort of many, not just one. It was the result of connections cultivated over years. And it led to some very cool outcomes—including a girl who got a tattoo immediately after with something I said on stage!!!

And that is why, as we have mentioned before, we are super excited to release Connect With Anyone in just a few weeks. Because not only was it Scott’s proudest work, but he did not build Live Your Legend alone and I have not kept it alive alone. 

So today I encourage you to think about who you have in your corner? And what connections you currently have where you give and receive value?

Because if there is anything I know, it’s that those connections are what have gotten me through this very difficult year. It’s those connections that help keep LYL what it is today. It’s those connections that gave me the strength to stand on that stage last week.

And, it’s those connections that will lead to whatever lies ahead…

To the people who make me a better version of me, 

–Chelsea Dinsmore

SOURCE

12:47:00 - By Vincent 0

What Most Entrepreneurs Never Share: 7 Honest, Actionable Answers to Your 7 Most Debilitating Fears & Challenges

by SCOTT

“It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.”

– Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia

Urgent Note: Live Your Legend RAW, our latest creation, went live a couple days ago. You have 2.5 more days (until this Sunday at midnight PST) to get early Insider’s (and very discounted) lifetime access + a live mentoring call with me. Lots more details below, or if you’re a member of our free LYL community, check your email for access.

****

The Fun of Things Going Wrong…

The above is a snapshot of Chelsea learning to drive a stick shift on a wide open road in Northern Argentina a few days ago. Usually I do the driving in foreign countries, especially when a stick shift is involved, but I managed to leave my driver’s license at a bike shop in Uruguay a couple weeks ago, and despite endless attempts by me and our Argentinian friends, I don’t think I’m ever going to see it again.

That road might look tame enough for learning stick, and it was, right up until it turned to dirt, rocks, mud and river crossings a few miles later – which have become the ‘normal’ driving conditions for the past few days and 10+ hours on the road.  #saygoodbyetopavement #lovemywife

And that is why the above quote from Yvon Chouinard might be my favorite quote of all.

The best stuff is never planned, and if you knew what was coming, you’d likely never start. 

Life (and business) have a funny way of working like that.

And that is exactly why I created Live Your Legend RAW – to share the behind-the-scenes stuff that most entrepreneurs are too scared to share.

It’s a window into the “inner circle” so to speak – of what it takes to live your own legend.

More specifically, it’s a resource for honest, uncut, weekly lessons, guidance & focused actions on how to successfully pursue a dream & do work you love.

Despite some incredible (read: laughable) technological challenges of running a web-based business in rural Argentina (Yvon’s words strike again), LYL RAW went live two days ago (3 weeks behind schedule).

And I’m effing pumped that many of you have already joined!

In building RAW, I asked all of you what your biggest questions and challenges were in pursuing work you love and surrounding yourself with the people who make it possible.

That’s what I always do before creating something new for our community – so I know exactly what would help you the most.

Almost immediately, we had nearly 1,000 responses.

And after reading through them, we found a few things that everyone seems to be struggling with.

This used to surprise me. Now I expect it – it turns out, regardless of what we’re all trying to build, change or improve, or where we are in the process, the same challenge always seem to come up.

So, in honor that, I want to share some brief answers to your biggest questions and challenges.

Over the coming months, we’ll dive incredibly deep into these (and a ton more) in our weekly RAW sessions and lessons.

Honest, Actionable Solutions to Your 7 Biggest Challenges

#1.“What the heck am I supposed to do? I have so many interests and no idea how to choose. How do I find a dream big enough to inspire me?”

AKA: Choosing & Defining a Passion & Dream Worth Fighting (& Living) For

ACTIONABLE ANSWER: 

Follow the path of excitement – follow the spark. No one ever totally figures this out. I’m learning more about it every day (hence creating LYL RAW). And that’s the fun part. Stop putting so much damn pressure on yourself to find that ONE THING.

It’s not about what you’re ‘supposed’ to do. It’s about what you’re meant to do. That passion and fire comes from doing the things that intersect with your talents, strengths, values, beliefs and how you can actually make someone else’s life better. Everything you do – every success or failure, is part of the grand experiment. It’s a data point to better direct you towards the work you can’t not do. You just have to pay attention and do something with it.

Think about what makes you incredibly angry to talk about – something wrong about the world that you can’t stop thinking about. Focus your energy on helping with a solution. And start on an incredibly small scale.

Don’t worry about picking the ‘right’ passion or direction among all your interests.There will always likely be more than you can handle at any one time – and the list will only grow as you continue to pursue what lights you up.

The only way to have a chance at doing it all, is to pick ONE thing right now and move forward with it. The irony is that when you give incredible focus to one of your interests, that often opens up doors to incorporate others.

A few years ago I was terrified to launch a site that was only about doing work you love. There was so much other stuff I wanted to talk about. But now that incredible focus has allowed me to incorporate social dynamics, human connection, relationships, entrepreneurship, physical fitness and a lot of adventure (as I write you from a tiny town in Northern Argentina).

But if I started with all those things, most of you probably would have never heard of LYL. There would have been no clear and specific reason to pay attention.

#2. “I have no idea where to start and can’t find the motivation & momentum to keep going. How do I create a business without having it all figured out first? What’s the very, very first step?”

AKA: Starting (& Finishing) Your Most Important Projects & Finding the Unshakable Courage to Pursue Your Dreams

ACTIONABLE ANSWER:

No one has it all figured out. No one. And anyone who says they do is a liar. If fact, the more you learn and figure out, the more you realize you have to learn and figure out. But that’s part of the party that is pursuing a dream, doing work you love and making a difference in the world.

All that matters is the next step. If you can take that, then you can take the next. That’s what makes magic. Stop spinning your tires trying to figure out how to build the whole damn castle. Find a good plot of dirt and a couple good bricks. Make the steps so incredibly small that they’d be impossible not to take.

And in case you’re wondering what to specifically do first or next, it’s the thing that scares you the most. And the thing that’s likely to help others the most. It’s not getting business cards or a new suit or even your website URL.

It’s getting out in front of people and finding a way to change their life. That is all of our biggest task. Figure out how to use your talents, strengths and passions to make one person’s life better. Then do it with another, and another. Only after you’ve nailed that, do you think of how to apply tools and technology to scale your impact. Almost everyone gets this backwards (I know I did). Nail your impact first, then scale.

And if you’re lacking motivation, start spending time with other people with similar dreams. That’s why we created our free LYL Local communities. None of this is meant to do alone. Be grateful for the fact that you’re even able to read this and have the ideas that you do. Then realize that it’s your ultimate responsibility to do something with it!

#3. “How do I start something that makes real money, on-the-side, so I don’t have to take all the risk of dropping everything. I just can’t just check out and take all that financial risk right now!”

AKA: Building a Risk-Averse Passion-Based Business On The Side

ACTIONABLE ANSWER:

No one can just drop everything and leave. And even if you could, it’s often not the smartest thing to do.

Create your side hustle first. Build out your idea on the side, and use your current gig as a learning ground, as you test out what you love, how you can help people and what is going to actually work.

Live Your Legend was a side project for over five years before I went full time. And by then I was sure it was going to work, because it already had. The community was growing, the revenue was growing and I clearly found a way I could change peoples’ lives.

I cannot stress this enough – do not quit tomorrow with no idea of what’s next.There are so few people that can thrive in an uncertain environment like that, that I’m now just telling everyone to wait. If you jump ship without having a clear idea of what you actually want to be doing, the uncertainty will likely cause panic, which will lead you to another miserable job – and another 6-12 months of wasted time. Nothing’s worse than that.

If you figure out how to add massive value to someone’s life, then you can find a way to build a successful business around it. That first step is the hard part. Then you can find models of people who have successfully built the businesses and lives that you want. Study them like crazy.

The incredible thing about being alive today, is that we rarely need to invent something from scratch – the business models and examples are everywhere. We just have to figure out how to apply our ‘thing’ to them.

Start with making your first dollar from adding meaningful value to someone’s life.If you can make $1 from that, you can make a lot more.

#4. “How do I meet people who actually support me pursuing these ‘crazy’ dreams of mine. My friends and family don’t get it.”

AKA: Finding YOUR People Who Refuse to Let You Fail

ACTIONABLE ANSWER:

Start with one person who inspires you. A family member, a friend, a friend of a friend. Anyone who is somehow linked to you or someone you know. Reach out to them, tell them what you admire about them and what you’d like to build. Start by spending a few minutes on the phone or an hour out on a workout together.

At the same time, spend one less hour with the people who drain your energy. We all know who they are. Make a list of your toxic friends and slowly spend less time with them as you spend more time with people who inspire you.

Then join a Live Your Legend LOCAL group (or start one) in your home town. We now have them in over 300 cities in 70+ countries. They are 100% free and are full of ‘crazy’ people who believe what you believe. People just like you and me.

Tell the people closest to you what your goals and dreams are and why. Sit them down 1:1 and tell them how much you love and care about them and how you believe your plans will make you a better person – and improve your relationship with them. Make it crystal clear that you are not asking them to change. Show compassion.

Then spend another hour hanging around someone who inspires you. Then another. And another. Life’s too short to spend time with people who kill your dreams.

#5. “I feel guilty charging others for giving my advice, especially knowing there are other people better than I am at what I’m offering.”

AKA: Making Your First Dollar & Becoming a Practical Expert

Actionable Answer:

There will ALWAYS be people better than you. No matter how hard you work. That’s not the point.

The point is to find the intersection of your unique talents, passion and experience +the people who desperately want and need help with what you know. That is what it means to be a practical expert. And that is all you need to help people in a massive way and build an awesome business around it.

If you wait until you’re the leading expert in the world, you’ll never get anywhere.The world’s greatest experts earned those titles by doing things long before they were as qualified as they are today.

The only qualification, credential and definition of expertise that matters is getting massive results for people. You can start doing that in some capacity right this second.

And believe it or not, people will value and appreciate you more if you offer an honest and congruent way for them to compensate you. When people receive massive value, they want to pay for it. And if they do, then they’re much more likely to actually value and implement what you teach them.

Every person that’s been on this earth for a couple decades or more, has some talent or experience that another group of people is dying for help on. Those people would happily pay you for your services – and thank you for it.

That starts by finding one person. By changing one life. That will give you the confidence to start charging for the value you’re providing.

Most of the time the only thing keeping you making money from your talents and passions is…YOU. You’ll probably start making money as soon as you decide to start putting a price on what you’ve got to give.

Don’t overthink this.

#6. “How do I get people to even pay attention? Where do I find them and what should I be doing to build that online following?”

AKA: Building a Loyal & Raving Audience

Actionable Answer:

First start with one person – in the real world. See above – you noticing a pattern here? Then use those in-person interactions to craft a very specific and concise description of how you’re helping people (i.e. your personal positioning statement). For LYL this is ‘how to find and do work you love and surround yourself with the people who make it possible.

Then create a platform (a website or blog with just one or two pages to start) and create incredibly useful and directly actionable content to help the people you want to help. Put your absolute best stuff out there.

Then create incredibly useful content for other websites with similar and bigger audiences. This is what many call “guest posting.” Do this as far and wide as possible. Start with small sites, build credibility, then ladder up to bigger sites.

Then point those readers to a specific page on your site that gives huge value and asks them to join your community (i.e. subscribe to email list). Like we do at liveyourlegend.net/toolkit. Sending them to a specific page will literally increase your conversion rate by 5-20x. No joke. It’s incredible.

The formula is simple: Create massively useful content for you tribe + create massively useful content for other tribes. Repeat a lot of times.

Then continue to blow your audience’s mind with value.

#7. “How do I know which areas of my business to focus on when? What’s the ideal 80/20 time management breakdown?”

AKA: The Best Daily Habits, Tools & Routines for Handling Stress, Pressure, Fear & Rejection

Actionable Answer:

Let’s keep this one dead simple.

Do your most important task right when you wake up – the one that scares you the most. You know what’s most important or at least one of the most important things. Don’t do any other work until this is done. Then the rest of the day will be a victory no matter what.

Put all your creative energy into how to help people with the things you’re good at and enjoy. Be relentless with this. Turn off all your BS notifications for emails, Facebook and all else. Install Freedom or RescueTime or something similar to block websites. Or better yet, don’t turn on the Internet (disconnect wi-fi) until you’ve done what matters.

And give your body and mind first priority. You can’t operate at full potential if you miss workouts, eat like shite, rush non-stop through everything and leave no time for yourself and those you love. This is not optional. Taking care of yourself is more important than any of the other stuff.

Your body fuels your mind and they both fuel your potential. 

Meditate.

Breathe.

Love.

Play.

Slow down.

Know Enough to Take the Next Step…

I know these answers barely scratch the surface, and that’s the point.

Because knowing enough to take the next step is all you ever need – and usually all you should realistically expect to find. As much as you want it all laid out, with perfect clarity, before taking the first steps – that’s just not how it works.

That’s not how anything meaningful comes to life.

Start with the dream and vision of the world you want to live in.

Then take the most educated next step possible – TODAY, right this second. 

Know that all of it is going to evolve as you blaze the trail. Welcome the adventure. Because that’s what makes it worthwhile (and so much damn fun).

Especially if we get to all do it together.

That’s why we’ve created Live Your Legend RAW.

And I cannot wait to see what you do with it.

Ciao from Tilcara, Argentina…

-Scott
SOURCE

12:30:00 - By Vincent 0

17 Rules All Great Men of Genius And Power Must Follow

BY VICTOR PRIDE

Recently, I heard a song that was so good that it suffered from its own greatness.

The guitars were incredible, I’ve never heard guitars like that. The singer was so good, he was unbelievable.

I wanted to hear the singer sing because he was great, but I couldn’t hear him because the guitar player wouldn’t stop showing off.

Every time the singer was singing, the guitarist was doing some crazy guitar solos in the background that totally took away from BOTH the singer and the guitarist.

What they should have done, instead of showing off constantly, was put some thought into making the songs enjoyable rather than making them sound “wacky” and unique.

They had guitars riffing over the vocals constantly, to prove how good the guitarist was I suppose.

I heard it and thought: “Wow, that’s cool. But it’s too hard to listen to. Next.”

It was a fun song, it was very clever and new, and the band had amazing potential… but the song wasn’t enjoyable or easy to listen to.

The singer was very good but he didn’t get to shine. The guitarist wouldn’t do what was best for the work.

His unwillingness to let anyone but him shine sabotaged the song’s listenability.

This band also labeled itself a sub-genre of music, which is another form of self sabotage.

It’s like saying: “I’m allowed to do this, I’m not allowed to do anything else, so it’s to excuse why we aren’t more popular.”

Everyone in the world loves music, if you create good music you should wantmost people to hear it.

Instead, a “sub-genre” or “niche” places strict limits on what you’re allowed to do.

Because of those limits, most people in the world will never get the chance to hear it.

That’s why you always put the work first and that’s your number one lesson in greatness…

DO WHAT’S BEST FOR THE WORK.

The work ALWAYS comes first.

If you put the work first, you’ll be on the fast-track to greatness.

Only a small percentage of people enjoy any particular sub-genre of music.

If the band just did what was best for the work, they’d be mega-stars instead of underground stars.

If you only do what’s best for you, you’re on the fast track to mild niche success.

For big success aka greatness, you cannot place limits on your work.

You have to make the work the absolute best so that the biggest number of people can find it and you can become great.

Speaking of becoming great, this is how you do it…

—“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.”

1. EVERYBODY WHO EVER DID ANYTHING GREAT DID IT THE SAME WAY 

The basics never, ever change. 

There are no secrets to greatness except for the ones you always hear…

If you can believe it, you can achieve it.

Lead, follow or get out of the way. 

Just do it.

Consistency is key.

These are all cliche for a reason, the principles of greatness and success are always the same.

2. IT TAKES TIME, OBSESSION, DEDICATION, FOCUS, SELF-BELIEF

I don’t like the word passion, that’s a word for women’s romance novels, the correct word is obsession. You have to live like an obsessed freak.

When you’re obsessed you start working on something at 6am and the next thing you know it’s 5pm – you haven’t eaten, you haven’t gone anywhere, you haven’t been to the gym, you haven’t showered, and you haven’t heard the phone ringing. And you keep doing it.

Normal people’s obsession stops at their favorite sports team or TV show.

The star athlete holding the trophy didn’t get there because he loves his sport, he got there because he’s consumed with obsession and desire to be great.

Obsession is the key to turning nothing into something.

If you can be obsessed with it for long enough you can turn it into money.

3. ALL GREAT MEN FOLLOW THEIR OBSESSIONS TO THE EDGE OF THE EARTH AND BEYOND

Remember this? If you can be obsessed with it for long enough you can turn it into money.

The key word is LONG ENOUGH. You have to keep going. When you stop, you lose focus.

Focus is the hardest thing to achieve and when you stop or give up, you give away the hardest thing you have ever achieved: F O C U S.

Losing focus is the same thing as dying. When you lose focus, you lose momentum.

When you lose momentum, you have to start all over again.

What to do? Don’t lose momentum. Keep going.

The only reason B&D is a huge success, other than the obvious, is that B&D isconsistent.

B&D is always here. I never “went away” and came back. I never went back and forth. B&D from day one to day 2,190.

Even when I was at my worst I was still 100% focused.

4. STUDY GREATNESS FROM THE MOUTHS OF THE GREATS.

You have to spend time learning about great men. You learn by reading or by being taught by a mentor.

To learn by reading, it’s best to read auto-biographies.

You have to read their AUTO-biographies to hear the stories straight from their mouths.

AUTOBIOGRAPHIES ARE THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE FULL TRUTH.

Otherwise, it’s just gossip. A biography is gossip for the grownups. An autobiography is the real deal.

If it’s not an auto-biography it’s hear-say, it’s just gossip. Only one person ever knows the truth and that’s why you need to read auto-biographies.

Here are 13 Inspiring Books That Will Help You Become Great

Also, read great blogs. Blogs are auto-biographical as well.

Some great blogs are: JDB, I&T, GLL, D&P.

5. ALL GREAT MEN OF GENIUS AND POWER USED THEIR SEX DRIVE AS FUEL.

Sex is the driving force that makes a man do anything. It’s always for sex. It is our biology, our DNA. There is nothing wrong with that.

Being highly sexed (i.e. having sexual energy) but not giving in to any and all desires is the key to success.

All great men of genius and power used their sex drive as fuel.

If you want to accomplish something great, you have to transform your sexual energy into fuel for something else.

The process of turning sexual energy and aggression into fuel for something bigger is called transmutation of sexual energy.

Sex transmutation is one of the most powerful tools in existence when it comes to creation, invention, accomplishment, creativity, advancement, and achievement.

But…

Don’t dissipate your energy haphazardly because your energy is felt by other people and good energy draws them to you like a magnet.

The greatest men in history have a huge sexual magnetism BUT THEY DO NOT ROUTINELY GIVE IN TO THOSE DESIRES and they never make that desire the goal.

This doesn’t mean you can’t have sex but do not make sex your primary goal.

Don’t masturbate too frequently or watch internet p*rn too frequently. It drains vital energy from you. You can see vast, positive changes in your mood and happiness by giving it up.

(This kind of behavior will also bring women to you without much additional effort.)

Sexual energy is damn near limitless and when re-directed can turn any man into a money making machine.

You can also get yourself a good woman who will take care of all your needs (not just sexual). The love and support of a woman is essential for greatness, many great men had a good woman behind the scenes.

This will free your mind from having to even think about these things and you can focus completely on your goal at hand: G R E A T N E S S.

6. PREPARE TO WORK LIKE A DOG

The dreamer sits in his cubicle dreaming about when he can run his own business. The doer TAKES ACTION.

If you want to be great, you have to start working towards greatness. Start now.

If you want to be your own boss and make your own rules there is one thing that is absolutely required of you, that one thing is sweat equity. Your time. Your effort.

All I ever did was simply work more and not quit. I lived like no one else would so now I live like no one else can.

Great men are producers, they produce what the people consume.

There is no such thing as a day off for a great man.

7. DOES IT REALLY TAKE 10,000 HOURS? 

Haha, that’s for amateurs. 10,000 hours is only eight hours a day for three years. Easy!

Mastery comes at about 10 years of work.

All it takes is ten years. All it took me was 10 years. 

Hard work had nothing to do with it. Nothing is hard about what I do. I just workmore and I don’t quit.

They say that success is a marathon and not a sprint. And it’s correct.

If you want success tomorrow, well, you’re shit out of luck. Because even working hard is not going to give you success that working consistently will give you.

Consistent work is what pays off. It takes consistency. It does not happen overnight. It does not happen fast like that.

You know how much I made the first year? I made zero the entire year. You know how much I made the second year? $15,000 U.S.

It does not happen overnight. And hard work again ‑‑ hard work has nothing to do with it.

Consistent work beats out hard work. Every single time.

8. PREPARE TO GIVE ALL TO GET ALL 

It takes a long time to become great. In fact, it takes ALL OF YOUR TIME to become great. You give all to get all.

It took me a long time to get from A to B. So just prepare to put in the time.

Be ready to put in the time. Even if you have to be broke now, do it. You have to spend the time learning.

To get to heaven, sometimes you gotta spend some time in hell. Just keep going until you’re in heaven.

Prepare to be a minimalist now to become a maximalist later. I’m willing now to give up everything to get everything later. I was willing then to give up everything to get everything later.

Put in the work. Do the work.  If you do the work consistently you’ll get it. If you bitch about how long it takes you’ll get nothing, you’ll never get anything.

It makes no difference if you have nothing now, because you’ll have everything you want or need in the future.

9. LEARN, EARN OR BURN

The first step to saying goodbye to the nine-to-five jive is learning, learning and more learning. And it can all be done from the internet.

Learn, learn, learn until it’s time to earn, earn, earn.

First you learn from it and then you put your plan into action and earn from it.

Don’t waste time on baloney, your time needs to be used to advance your level of greatness.

If you can’t learn from it or earn from it then burn it. Let it go. Light it on fire and watch it die. It’s a waste of time and it’s a waste of life.

If it has no tangible, positive results then burn it up.

IF YOU CAN’T LEARN OR EARN FROM IT, BURN IT DOWN

Years ago I sold everything I had. What didn’t sell I tossed into a dumpster. I let go of any emotional attachment to my “stuff”. That detachment allowed me to live on a tiny amount of money while I built Bold and Determined.

Doing that, getting rid of everything, freed my mind to concentrate on what was important… Building Bold and Determined. Doing the work required to turn a hobby into a money printer.

During the first year and a half of Bold and Determined I had no bills, no debt, no house full of junk to worry about, no nagging wife or screaming kids, no nothing. You need that focus.

Focus and time. Focus and time works for any business that you want to do. The principles are always the same.

10. NEVER STOP LEARNING

YOU CAN’T LEARN EVERY LESSON IMMEDIATELY!

It takes time to even absorb even one lesson. You have to learn each lesson individually and at your own pace.

Giving a list of 12 rules to the fresh-faced new guy would be like giving him a list of zero rules. It’s too much at once and he’s just gonna remember the one rule that sticks out anyway.

No one can learn 12 new ideas instantly. Learn rules like you live – day by day.

Remember what Batman said? It’s always darkest just before the dawn. The dark is when you’ll be tempted to quit. Weak men will give in and quit.

If you never give in and quit, if you possess endurance, you will be victorious.

Endurance beats strength over every single timeline and a big part of achieving greatness is just showing up every single day.

11. DO THE WORK NOW TO BECOME GREAT LATER

It’s often been said that you reach success right after the moment you would have quit, when you were at your lowest. Like everything they say it has much truth to it.

You have to learn your craft before you make money from your craft. It’s in the learning stage where the Average Joe gives up and the great man continues and endures.

Learn steadily but whatever you do, don’t stop learning. Learning is a gradual process and eventually success happens “overnight.”

So never never never give up. You must show up, you must put in the time.

Like Nike says, Just Do It. Especially on those days when you feel like you’ve failed and it isn’t going so well for you.

Time plus effort equals results. You’ve got to put in that time before you get yourself a paycheck.

How long does success really take? It takes time, so keep at it and do not give up. You won’t make any money your first week, month and probably you won’t make any money for over a year.

Big deal, you’re building something and that takes time. If you don’t want to wait go and play the lottery and talk about how lucky great people with money are.

If you want to be great you have to be willing to do the work first. If you want success right now you should have done the work yesterday.

If you want success tomorrow, start today. That’s the real way from A to B. Do the work, then get paid.

If you don’t give it your time, you don’t get nothing in return.

12. LOSE THE PART OF YOU THAT CARES

Genius takes time to be shown to the crowd and at first they will not understand.

They’ll mock and sneer and boo hoo and all that, but eventually they’ll see.

Eventually, they’ll be in on it with you. But probably not at first.

When you have a vision for the future, you need to lose the part of you that cares about immediate reactions.

Greatness comes in the long-term, never in the short term.

Eventually they’ll all get it and they’ll be in on the gag with you and having so much fun at it’s blossoming.

Do your work and move on instantly, never worry about critics.

 13. GREAT MEN ARE ALWAYS ONE THING: AUTHENTIC

Marketing is a necessity at a certain point (not the beginning) so you will have to learn marketing.

The #1 thing you need to know about marketing is this: Being the best in the world is the best marketing strategy in the world.

Having the best product on earth is the most effective marketing strategy on earth. Why? Because people will like it and tell other people about it.

You’re more apt to listen to your friend than you are to listen to a commercial. Word of mouth + great product = profit. Do the work, become the best, deposit the checks.

It’s easy to market a product that is great. It’s hard to market a product that isn’t great. Actually, hard is the wrong word. The right word is phony.

MARKETING IS SO PHONY BALONEY

My “marketing strategy” has always been just to write the best articles.

My personal marketing & advertising strategy: I publish works of staggering genius.

I never do any “outside marketing” because it’s phony and it doesn’t work.

The only way I built Bold and Determined was to write articles that men wanted and needed, what they were ready, waiting and salivating to hear.

I walked the walk before I talked the talk and I’ve used myself as the billboard (and you can too).

BE LIKE THE JOKER, THE REAL GUY THAT DIED

The famous actor who played the Joker in The Dark Knight, Heath Ledger, was a very popular and good-looking actor taking roles in romantic comedies.

But he wanted more out of the “pretty boy” roles and he wanted the meatier roles. So what did he do?

He had to kill his old career to birth his new, raw career.

I always loved the balls of that idea. It takes a real big set of balls to be great.

Burn it down and start anew, but with knowledge this time.

With knowledge, you could burn it all down and start fresh, if you wanted to.

14. TAKE ACTION EVERY DAMN DAY THAT YOU’RE ALIVE AND YOU’LL GET WHAT YOU WANT

The door is always open for action takers. All you have to do is walk through it.

If you ask permission to walk through the door you are going to be denied. If you don’t need permission you cannot be denied.

Figure out a way to do it and then take what you want. The only real option.

If you want something you plan for it, you visualize it, you take action and then you grab it.

“That’s mine. Give me that.” What unsuccessful people think of your actions is of no consequence.

Action takers are rule breakers. Men of greatness got that way by taking ACTION.

If you want it, friend, you damned sure will find a way to get it. If you want it you will take it. No excuses, no whining and no crying. Just killing.

Dreams are what happen when you are asleep. When you are awake you take action and you make life happen. Start right now.

15. ALL GREAT MEN ARE POETS

Poems come easily to men who have led lives of greatness. Great men don’t even have to try, greatness just comes out naturally.

A man who cannot write a poem isn’t a great man, he’s a normal man – he hasn’t led the life of a great man.

If you can’t put it into words – it’s because you’ve never done it.

That’s why all great men are also great poets: been there, done that, wrote the book on it.

ALL great men are poets. 

Words are the most necessary tool in the toolbox.

Every great man was also great with words. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t famous because he had a great body, he’s famous because he had a great body and used his words to make sure everyone knew he had a great body.

How do you become great with words? First, you live a life of greatness. Then the words just come out naturally.

It’s the easiest thing in the world to write a great poem if you’ve led a life of greatness.

All Arnold ever did was live his life and then speak about it (after working consistently for many, many years).

16. Believe in your own greatness

“I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.”

Know who said that? I’ll give you a hint: He was the greatest boxer who ever lived.

As it just so happens, he was also a poet. His words were how he achieved greatness. If he simply boxed and kept his mouth shut he’d be another nobody.

Instead, he used his words as a weapon and he got what he wanted: He became the greatest boxer of all time.

He believed it so damn much it became true. That’s what you have to do, believe in yourself first.

If you don’t believe it, no one else will. You have to believe it so damn thoroughly that not even God or Buddha could change your mind.

60 years ago, a young boxer trained in a dirty boxing gym, broke and invisible but hungrier than a starving dog.

He was determined to be great, and great is what he became.

60 years later we all remember Muhammad Ali as the greatest boxer who ever lived.

He put in the endless time training and then he took the extra step that separates the greats from the people whose names we don’t remember.

Ali made greatness happen with his words and he backed it up with proof.

That’s all you gotta do friend, make it happen and back it up with proof and then*poof* greatness appears.

17. EVEN WHEN YOU’RE GREAT, THE RIDE NEVER ENDS, KEEP GOING

So you’ve achieved greatness, huh? Great.

Whatever you do, don’t stop now.

What do I always say a million billion times?

Don’t. Ever. Stop.

Until next time.

Your man,
-Victor Pride

PS – I OWE MY LIFE’S GREATNESS TO THE PLATFORM OF THE BLOG.

Every great man should have a blog/journal for your notes. The best way to take notes and collect your thoughts is to write them.

The blog is my favorite thing to read, ever. The blog is the best you can ever get at both classic, timeless and reliable content mixed with up-to-the-minute insights, “unconventional” advice, which is the only kind that works and honest (yet sensational) content.

The blog is the best way to read and create words ever invented. I owe my life to blogging. Blogging is the best art platform ever invented in my opinion.

I don’t give a damn about books, I hustle up the books just to make sure I have a lifetime income. My one true and only love is the blog. The best form of written communication in human history.

Remember when I said all great men are poets? Today’s greatest men write their poems on websites instead of journals. You can’t be great if no one else sees your greatness.

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12:20:00 - By Vincent 0