Author: Joe Barnes
9 Quotes From Rebel CEO’s To Unleash Your Inner Innovator
You can’t be an innovator if you follow the crowd.
Instead, you have to think differently and even see the world differently.
If you have a deeply held desire to do something significant with your life then you have to throw away the rule book.
Forget your degrees and MBA’s. As you’ll discover from the following 9 quotes, from three rebel CEO’s, it’s the people who challenge conventional thinking that end up shaping the world.
Take note of their words and apply them to your life.
Steve Jobs
The former Apple CEO was the innovator behind some of the world’s most popular tech products today.
Here are three of his most powerful quotes.
1. Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes . . . because the ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.
Why is it crazy to think you can change the world?
Because you’re just one insignificant individual.
Who are you to think you know better than powerful institutions and leaders in positions of power?
You’re nothing (or at least this is what the system wants you to believe).
And most people do, believing it’s folly or arrogance to think anything else.
So, if you happen to be “crazy enough” to question this “truth” then you’ll discover that competition is scarce on the cutting edge of innovation.
You CAN change the world simply because 99% of people aren’t going to try.
2. People think focus is saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the 100 other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.
Most would be entrepreneurs, artists and creators make this mistake.
There’s a big difference between being busy and being productive.
Most people can find some area of their business to work on for 8 hours a day. However, can you find that one task which, by focusing on, is going to bring you 80% of your results?
Learn to say no to everything else.
3. I would rather gamble on our vision than create a “me, too” product.
There are two approaches to creating products.
You can analyse the market, see what’s popular and create a product based on this feedback.
This product will be boring and unoriginal but it might sell relatively well based on the fact there’s a tried and tested market for what you’re creating. For example, see the plethora of meaningless superhero movies that have hit the big screen from around 2005 until now. They all do relatively well financially (although that’s beginning to change) but nobody is going to remember them 30 years from now.
The other approach is creating a product you believe is going to be of great service to the world and is of deep personal significance to you (typically because it’s part of a vision you’ve had).
As Steve Jobs says, this is more of a gamble. There might not be a market for what you’re creating. However, if what you’re creating anticipates what people need, you could change the world with your work (see Apple creating the iPhone or George Lucas making first Star Wars movie).
Elon Musk
The CEO of Tesla and the owner of SpaceX has disrupted the status quo of entire industries, proving that a rebel can take on established interests and win.
Here are three of his most powerful quotes.
4. When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favour.
Sometimes innovation is NOT rational.
One of two situations can occur. Either you do your market research and it indicates there isn’t a place for your product or there just seem to be too many obstacles and regulations blocking your path.
If this is the case, what do you do?
Give up on your dream?
Not if you believe it’s the right thing to do.
Tesla should never have been a success. For over a decade they operated at a loss and required huge government subsidies to stay afloat. However, because Musk believed that switching to renewable energy was an important enough quest, he forged ahead irrespective of the odds not being in his favour.
5. Being an entrepreneur is like eating glass and staring into the abyss.
This quote makes me laugh.
It speaks to the struggles that every entrepreneur will face when trying to turn their vision into reality.
Understand that the innovators journey is far harder than the followers or even the leaders. They obey, and rule over, the status quo. It falls on your shoulders to change it.
Realise that you’re going to face some soul searching moments. Perhaps many of them. However, you should also understand that you’re not alone in this experience and that you can come face to face with the abyss yet still succeed.
6. I’ve not read any books on time management.
Although there’s nothing wrong with reading books, taking courses and paying for 1 to 1 coaching, they are NOT a pre-requisite to success.
Musk is legendary for his productive output, simultaneously running a car company, a space exploration company and a social media platform. However, he dropped out of Stanford University after two days and doesn’t seem to be a big believer in listening to guru’s or experts.
Instead, he seems to value learning on the job.
Sometimes this is best approach to take.
Throw yourself into your work, keep refining your skills and product and learn from your failures. You don’t need much more than that.
Richard Branson
The founder of the Virgin Group has had success in the music, airline and telecommunications industries despite having little formal education.
Here are three of his most powerful quotes.
7. You don’t learn to walk by following the rules. You learn by doing and by falling over.
This is a much overlooked fact. No one presents a baby with a list of steps so they can master walking.
Instead, the baby takes instinctive action and then learns through experience.
Why wouldn’t life and business work the same way?
Discovering this insight is a breath of fresh air. It means there’s no barrier to entry.
Richard Branson didn’t study a course on how to run a record company (he famously left school at 16) yet he became successful with Virgin Records at the age of 22.
Of course, sometimes it can help to learn from external sources but there’s no substitute for the lessons learned through personal experience.
8. Fun is one of the most important – and underrated – ingredients in any successful venture. If you’re not having fun it’s probably time to call it quits and try something else.
The world of business and work is way too serious. There are too many rules and too much pressure.
Do you want to spend the remaining decades of your working life feeling uptight, stressed and bored?
Surely not.
So take heed of Branson’s advice and bring the fun into your place of work.
The reason fun is such an important quality is because it’s a close cousin to inspiration.
Find ways to enjoy yourself at work and you’ll spark your creative mind and work at a faster pace.
Furthermore, if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing then why do it?
Life is too short to make money your sole motivation for working.
Leave your job if that’s the case and find work that improves your quality of life.
9. Business opportunities are like buses; there’s always another one coming along.
Don’t ever feel like you’ve missed the boat. You live in a universe of infinite opportunity.
Look at Richard Branson. The Virgin Group has over 40 different companies, including a wine club, health clubs and a publishing company.
If Branson had missed out on any of these opportunities do you think he’d have spent the rest of his life ruing his loss?
No, he’d have just moved on and found a new industry to invest in.
You can do the same.
Someone else may have already succeeded with an idea similar to yours but that doesn’t exclude you from having a new one.
Technology, culture and trends are changing all the time.
If you keep your finger on the pulse, you’ll be able to take advantage of the opportunities this creates.
Conclusion
These 9 quotes have been included to fill you with the belief that you CAN succeed.
There is an innovator within you. Sometimes all it takes to bring it out is rejecting conventional thinking and giving yourself the permission to go for what you want.
Related Content
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If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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Struggling To Make A Breakthrough In Your Life? Use My 3 Step Formula To Reach The Next Level
By the time I turned 26, I hadn’t had a date in 7 years.
Let me be clear on what this means.
That’s not going without a date but picking up girls in nightclubs. No, I literally hadn’t had any physical contact with a girl for 7 long years.
How do you imagine this made me feel as a young man, supposedly in the prime of his life?
One word suffices.
DESPERATE.
I was desperate on every level. I was desperate for sex, I was desperate for connection, I was desperate to say I had a girlfriend and I was desperate not to get left behind (it felt like time was running out on my love life).
What impact do you think this feeling of desperation had on my ability to get a date?
Let’s just say it didn’t help.
I probably reeked of neediness and it probably put a lot of women off. However, by the time I’d hit 29, my fortunes changed and I had no problem getting dates and attracting women.
What happened?
I had a breakthrough.
Something within me had fundamentally shifted and I was showing up in the world as a completely different person. And, where once all I experienced was failure, this new person attracted success.
How was this possible?
Although I didn’t know it at the time, I’d hit upon a formula that transformed my fortunes.
It was only later, as I replicated this breakthrough with my hypnotherapy business, that I began to realise what I’d done and codify the process.
Now, I want to share this formula with you.
THE 3 STEP BREAKTHROUGH FORMULA
Currently, you might be feeling similar to the elephant in the picture below.
No matter what you try, you just can’t seem to reach the next level in your life or business.
The good news is, though, that’s all about to change.
Below, I’ll share with you my 3-step formula for creating breakthroughs. Begin using it today and it won’t be long before you see a complete turnaround in your life and fortunes.
Before I reveal this formula, though, I want warn you about a series of mistakes so many people make when they’re feeling trapped and unsuccessfully trying to reach the next level in their life.
I call it “The 3 Step Failure System” and it goes like this.
- Do the same thing as before but try harder. What was it Einstein said about insanity? I’m sure it was words to the effect of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
Step 1 is the easiest pattern to fall into. Probably from the conditioning we received at school, we believe trying harder and exerting more effort is the way to create a breakthrough.
It’s not. In fact, it often brings about the reverse of what you intended as the extra effort reveals a lack of belief in your ability to succeed.
Don’t fall into this trap. You may feel like you’re doing something useful but it’s likely you’ll end up more frustrated and confused. - Search for the secret to success. You might look at another author, influencer, coach etc . . . who’s in a position you want to occupy, and think, “he or she must know something I don’t. If I knew that one thing they know, that enabled them to succeed, then I’d be able to reach their level.”
What leads on from here is thousands, or tens of thousands, of dollars spent on attending courses, paying for coaching and purchasing products or software all in the hope that you’ll discover the key to success.
Unfortunately, though, this search can be costly, lead nowhere and suck you deeper into a vortex of lack. - Give up. After much time, money and effort has been spent, you might be fed up and reach the conclusion it’s impossible to achieve the breakthrough you desire. At this point, you give up and accept that life will never be the way you want.
Do you recognise any of your actions or thought processes in the 3 steps above?
I certainly do. I’ve been guilty of repeating step 1 and 2 over and over again. However, through this process of bashing my head against a brick wall, I finally stumbled upon a much better system for creating life changing breakthroughs.
Here it is.
- Learning
- Inner psychological shift
- Persistence
Let’s explore each part now.
1. LEARNING
How does this differ from Step 2 of the “The 3 Step Failure System?”
There’s a nuance at play.
There’s nothing wrong with continually educating yourself and acquiring new knowledge, tactics and skills. This is to be encouraged. However, understanding your mindset while seeking this knowledge is very important.
Are you immersing yourself in the area in which you want to become an expert, learning more and upgrading your abilities?
Or, are you frantically jumping from one piece of information to the next, or from one expert to another, looking for a secret to success which you expect to bring immediate results?
If the answer is the former, then you’re doing the right thing. If it’s the latter, you’re approaching it all wrong.
There’s no secret to success, irrespective of the area you’re trying to create your breakthrough in. Instead, you must constantly acquire knowledge, improve yourself and through a process of mental osmosis, have this become a part of who you are.
I did this in my quest to improve my romantic life.
I read various books (The Game by Neil Strauss being the most helpful), went to see a dating coach and watched online videos of pick-up artists.
Of course, none of these was a magic bullet but, over the course of a few years, they helped upgrade my social skills.
You’ll be able access similar resources.
For free, you can learn from experts on YouTube and social media. You can also strike up conversations with people you meet at conferences, networking events and seminars.
If you have money to spend, you can buy books, audiobooks, pay for courses and coaches (just avoid the ones who charge too much and claim to know the secret to success in your industry) and go to paid events.
Be thirsty to learn.
2. Inner Psychological Shift
This is the most important part of the 3-step formula.
To achieve a breakthrough in your life, you must become a different person.
Does that sound uncomfortable?
If so, think of it like this.
I’m not asking you to cast aside your personality, morals or essence. Instead, I’m saying that there’ll be some part of your belief system or identity that is repelling success.
This is what must change.
Typically, it involves letting go of a negative emotion.
For me, it was desperation.
I had to find a way to transcend my negative feelings despite the fact that, in my mid-20s, my love life was a complete failure.
This was hard to do. If I’d carried on in the fashion I had been, a future where I didn’t have a long-term partner and children was probable.
Somehow, though, I managed to let go.
I told myself that the desperation wasn’t helping me. Furthermore, I was sick of being down and lonely all the time. Even if I never met anyone for the rest of my life, I no longer wanted to live with this feeling.
So, after taking a run on a hot summer’s day in 2009, I decided to let go of my desperation.
That night, I picked up a girl in a nightclub. Two months after that, I had a girlfriend. A year later, I met the love of my life.
I don’t know exactly how your inner psychological shift will occur.
The first step, though, is identifying the negative emotion that’s holding you back.
The next step is to realise that, even if you never get the thing you want, your life is going to better without this emotion.
Then, let it go. Transcend. Despite every justification for feeling the way you do, commit to never allowing this emotion to rule your life again.
Once this occurs, the world reacts differently to you because you are a different person. Ironically, you’ll get the thing you’ve now let go of.
3. Persistence
Don’t underestimate the amount of time needed to create a breakthrough.
Sure, the inner psychological shift I experienced in the example above occurred in an instant but years of learning, revaluation and failure preceded that moment.
So, keep going at whatever it is you want to achieve. No good will come from giving up.
Napoleon Hill lists persistence as the 8th step to riches in the self-help classic Think And Grow Rich.
There’s power in putting one foot in front of the other, again and again and again.
Remember, humans are incredible learning machines and persistence gives you the opportunity to learn something that could lead to a breakthrough. Persisting also gives you the time to develop greater self-awareness and make an inner psychological shift.
While practising persistence, keep track of all the small wins you achieve on your journey (either in your journal or on your phone or tablet). Review these from time to time. They’ll remind you that you are making progress and that your situation isn’t hopeless.
Conclusion
When do we say to a baby, “That’s enough, you’ve fallen over too many times, you shouldn’t try to walk anymore?”
Of course, it’s a stupid question.
So why, as adults, do we shut ourselves and others down?
Stay in the race long enough, always be learning, let go of the inner blocks and a breakthrough WILL occur.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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I Couldn’t Live My Dreams Until I Discovered These 7 Rules
When I first set out on a quest to live my dreams, 22 years ago, I thought success in this endeavour was about inspiration.
I’d read about Sylvester Stallone writing the first draft of his Rocky script in three days and assumed that, if I was equally inspired, I’d produce a similar result.
Unfortunately, nothing could have been further from the truth.
From Failure To Success
My dream was to become a bestselling self-help author. However, it took me 5 years to start writing my book.
Once I began, it took me a further four and a half years to complete and publish my manuscript.
After it was released, I assumed my book would be a bestseller and I’d live off the royalties for the rest of my life.
Frustrated, I witnessed a trickle of sales, very few reviews and zero impact from my book.
I couldn’t understand it. I knew I’d written a good book; I visualised it selling a million copies a million times and I used the law of attraction to attract sales.
Still, very little changed.
It was at this point, about 2 years after I’d launched the book, I realised that the way I approached living my dreams had to change.
I had to forget working off inspiration and impose a strict schedule to ensure I got the most out of myself.
Fast forward 10 years and I’ve received a book deal for my second book, released two additional books and become an Amazon bestseller many times over.
Below are the 7 rules I discovered which enabled this to happen. My hope is that you can take them, adapt them to your situation, and achieve a similar level of success. They work!
1. Work A Minimum Of 20 Hours A Week On Your Dream
Ten years ago, when I had my major rethink, I didn’t have an unlimited amount of time to dedicate to my dream. I was working at least 30 hours a week as a tennis coach and hypnotherapist.
Despite thinking I was prioritising my dream of becoming a bestselling self-help author, my weekly time allocation told a very different story.
So, I stopped working around my day jobs, writing and promoting my books when I felt inspired, and created a strict schedule to follow.
On average, I had to work 20 hours a week on my dreams. I broke this down into 2-hour 45-minute time slots each day.
Of course, I still had a social life and occasionally went on holiday, so if I missed a time slot then I had to catch up at a later date.
Will this work for you?
Perhaps you can’t dedicate 20 hours a week to your dream.
Whatever the case, decide upon the minimum amount of time you can work per week and keep track of the work you do.
Having a schedule is the key.
If it’s only 10 hours a week then so be it. So long as you stick to your schedule and record the hours completed (see how I tick off my time blocks in the picture below) then you’ll progress.
2. Only Buy The Things You Need
The observant among you will realise I took a hit on my income about 10 years ago. Cutting back from working 30 hours a week on my day jobs to between 20 and 25, reduced my resources. However, I was able to mitigate this by following the rule above.
Before any purchase you make, ask yourself the following question, “Do I really NEED what I’m about to buy?”
Do I need to buy this takeaway or can I just cook a meal at home from food I bought at the supermarket?
Do I need the latest iPhone or can I hold onto my current one for another 3 years?
Do I need to buy that item of clothing or do I have enough clothes in my wardrobe for everything I do?
Take an expenses inventory and you’ll be amazed at how much money you can save by applying rule 2.
Making these savings eases the initial hardship of reallocating your time away from day job to working on your dream.
3. Save 10% Of Your Income (Before Tax) Every Year
What Joe, you’re asking me to make even more cut backs on an already tight budget?
I’m sorry, but yes. However, this rule has a strategic purpose that’ll pay dividends down the line.
That 10% of your income may only amount to $4000 each year. However, you take that money and make smart investments that could pay off in as little as 5 years’ time.
Don’t believe it will work?
I applied this rule when I invested £5000 in Tesla stock in 2016.
By 2021, that initial investment was worth £150,000. At this point, I took a sizeable portion of it out, giving me a cushion to cut back even further on my day jobs and put more time into my writing.
Of course, this is an exceptional investment.
However, the principle of saving and investing, year on year, will help you ease the financial burden of pursuing your dreams.
4. Go To Bed Every Evening At 11pm
You may be wondering how you’re going to find the time to work your day job, spend 20 hours a week working on your dream and still enjoy time with friends and family.
It’s not easy.
You have to take a time inventory and discover how you’re spending every second of your day.
If, like me, you’re a freelancer and in charge of your own schedule, one of things you might be doing is staying up late working or relaxing.
This has to stop as it’s not a productive use of your time.
Of course, 11pm might be too late as you have to be up earlier in the morning.
If that’s the case, choose an earlier bed time.
The time you choose isn’t the point. Having a clearly defined endpoint to the day, when you shut everything down and get to bed can, in my experience, buy you an extra 30 minutes productive time per day.
5. Keep Your Mobile Phone Screen Time Below 3 Hours A Day
Go into your phones’ settings and discover what your average screen time per day is clocking in at (The US national average is 4 hours and 37 minutes).
How much of that is productive use?
Then, working on the basis you’ll only allow 25% of your screen time to be non-productive, set a cap (so, whatever business activities you conduct on your phone and then a little extra for browsing social media, YouTube, podcasts etc).
Maybe it’ll only be 2 hours per day.
The number isn’t the point. Instead, it’s being conscious of your phone use, cutting back on the unproductive time and reallocating that to the 20 hours a week you’re going to work on your dream.
6. Use Gary Keller’s “ONE Thing” Goal Setting Program
Before I read The ONE Thing, I used to do whatever work I felt inspired to do.
This typically led me to have a book I was writing, a series of YouTube videos I was creating, guest blog posts I was editing and speaking appearances I was making.
It was fun but I was taking forever to get tasks complete (especially when it came to releasing new books).
What Gary Keller’s book taught me, though, was to work towards a plan.
- First decide on 1 goal for the year.
- Then, decide on 1 goal for the month that will help you accomplish the goal for the year.
- Then, decide on 1 goal for the week that will help you accomplish the goal for the month.
- Finally, decide on 1 goal for your day that will help you accomplish your goal for the week.
The outcome?
You get high priority tasks done and have more impact because you don’t get side-tracked by smaller projects.
7. Meditate/Visualise Every Day
Before I explain this rule, it’s important to note that setting a cap on your mobile phone screen time wasn’t just about freeing up time to work on your dream.
It had a deeper significance.
You don’t want your mind polluted by the noise of social media and the propaganda of the mainstream media.
Instead, when you’re not actively working on your dream, you need to be thinking about it.
That’s why, alongside implementing Rule 5, you need to take 5 to 10 minutes out of your schedule, every day, and focus on succeeding at living your dreams.
What does this do?
First, it can activate the law of attraction (if your vibration is high enough).
Second, you’re keeping your mind focused on your dream and this is important for its own reasons (see below).
Conclusion
Although I still believe inspiration plays an important role in achieving my dreams, I KNOW it won’t show up every day (and I HAVE to).
Furthermore, there’s another factor more important to success – momentum.
Can you build enough of it?
Can you create an environment where your mind never wanders too far from your goal?
Both the work you put into your dream and the thoughts you think about it are what creates momentum.
Momentum moves mountains and, unlike inspiration, it’s relatively easy to manufacture.
Just follow the 7 rules above (although adapt them to your own circumstances) and it will be impossible for you not to progress.
Inspiration may get you started but momentum will help you win.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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21 Movies To Make You Rich, Achieve Your Dreams And Release Your Inner Maverick
Movies have saved my life!
Or, perhaps it would be accurate to say that movies have brought me back to life.
When I was at my lowest, feeling disillusioned with the world I was living in and seeing no prospects for living the exciting, meaningful life I wanted to live, I went to the cinema or popped some of the movies below in the DVD player, sat back and felt all my motivation and inspiration return.
For me, being inspired by a movie is about connection.
I feed off the energy of seeing inspiring, defiant, strong, courageous and dignified people stand up for what they believe is right, pursue their dreams and be unapologetically true to themselves.
With that in mind, I’ve compiled a list of 21 movies which will help you do the same.
For ease of use, I’ve split the 21 movies into 7 categories. I’ll write a little bit about each category and why it’s important, and then a sentence on the movie itself (with its IMDb rating).
If you were hoping for romantic comedy or horror, I’m sorry to disappoint you. I do enjoy movies purely for entertainment but this is a list of films that will add something to your life – whether that’s knowledge, clarity, insights or courage.
Make use of it.
MOVIES TO MAKE YOU FILTHY RICH
I don’t condone the actions taken by the characters in these films. Far from it. Some of them are downright despicable. However, I’d be a liar if I said there isn’t an allure to getting filthy rich and learning from the people who did.
These movies are exciting, reveal the importance of taking risks and help you connect with the reality of being rich beyond your wildest dreams (although you may want to follow more legal means to becoming so).
1. The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013) 8.2
The story of Jordan Belfort, who reveals that the ability to sell can make you a multimillionaire, even if what you’re selling has no value.
2. The Big Short (2015) 7.8
Witness how fortunes can be made by seeing the hidden opportunity in an industry clouded by status quo thinking.
3. Scarface (1983) 8.3
Discover the power of risk taking as Tony Montana uses his balls (courage) and word (integrity) to transform himself from Cuban asylum seeker to Miami kingpin.
FEEL GOOD “MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE” MOVIES
These movies are based on true stories of people who made it despite the odds. All of their dreams were “impossible” but they used grit, audacity and a vision that only they could see, to propel them to success.
Watching these films will fill you with the belief that dreams do come true. Furthermore, they’ll reveal both the practical steps needed to be successful and the real-life obstacles you’ll face on your journey.
4. The Walk (2015) 7.3
The story of Phillipe Petit – the man who tightrope walked between the Twin Towers in 1974 – reveals how only thinking of success (and not allowing your mind to contemplate failure or, in Petit’s case, death), develops mastery over fear.
5. Joy (2015) 6.6
The story of Joy Mangano, the inventor of the Miracle Mop, reveals how self-reliance, and reconnecting with what inspired you as a child, can be a recipe for runaway success.
6. The Pursuit Of Happyness (2006) 8.0
The story of Chris Gardener, an intelligent man who, after many years of failing to realise his potential, strikes gold when he gives up everything (but his son) in an attempt to win a position at a prestigious trading company.
Edgy “Make Your Dreams Come True” Movies
The darker side of making your dreams come true. What happens when personal ambition trumps all else in an obsessional quest for wealth, recognition and success?
The answer isn’t always pretty. However, these movies portray a raw and real account of the difficult decisions that sometimes have to be made.
As with the “movies to make you filthy rich” category, I don’t condone all the actions these characters take. However, I understand what was driving them and joining them on their path to success is still an exciting ride.
7. The Founder (2016) 7.2
The story of Ray Kroc – the man who took McDonald’s from the McDonald brothers and set it on the road to becoming the global corporation that it is today – reveals that success can come in your latter years if you remain hungry and are ruthless enough to seize your opportunity when it arises.
8. Whiplash (2014) 8.5
A music student pushes himself to unhealthy lengths to master his craft and win the approval of his belligerent teacher, only succeeding at realising his dreams once he lets go of them.
9. The Social Network (2010) 7.8
The Facebook origins story, where Mark Zuckerberg sacrifices everything, including his college degree at Harvard and close friendships, to succeed with his fledgling tech company.
Fight The System Movies
Why include this category?
The answer is simple, education. These movies will open your eyes to the world we live in (and it’s not a pretty place). All of them are based on real events and all of them reveal the corruption of the system.
Fortunately, though, brave individuals exist who are prepared to put everything on the line to challenge this corruption and do what’s right.
These films will both remove and restore your faith in humanity. You’ll get an insight into the lengths the system will go to protect its power but also how brave individuals, or a group of them, can make a difference and create change.
10. Dark Waters (2019) 7.6
A corporate defence attorney goes rogue, rocking the boat at both his prestigious law firm, and in the corporate world, by challenging the might of chemical giant, DuPont, after it knowingly poisons residents at a nearby factory in the name of profit.
11. JFK (1991) 8.0
A district attorney refuses to accept the official verdict on the Kennedy assassination and risks his career, and life, to ensure justice isn’t forgotten by exposing the corruption that lies at the heart of the American political system.
12. Official Secrets (2019) 7.3
A British intelligence specialist is faced with the unappealing prospect of committing treason to do what’s morally right by exposing the lies that led to the US and UK invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Inspiring Mavericks Who Don’t Give A Fuck Movies
These individuals will inspire you and entertain you in equal measures. Fearless in their approach to life, they don’t give a damn how many people tell them a thing can’t be done, or that they’re putting themselves at risk by challenging the status quo.
Watching these mavericks defiantly face insurmountable challenges will fill you with the courage needed to stand up for yourself and your dreams.
13. Dallas Buyers Club (2013) 7.9
Set in the mid-80s, Ron Woodruff, a hustler and electrician from Texas, refuses to be killed by the AIDS virus and, instead, starts helping other victims who have been failed by the pharmaceutical companies seeking to profit from their disease.
14. Erin Brockovich (2000) 7.4
A feisty single mother refuses to be intimidated by a California power company who were knowingly polluting a city’s water supply, holding them to account for their actions despite zero legal training.
15. Moneyball (2011) 7.6
Billy Beane, coach of the Oakland A’s, takes a radical new approach to Baseball, challenging traditional notions of how to manage a team and succeeding despite a lack of resources.
Movies That Will Blow Your Mind And Alter Your Perspective On Life
1999 was an incredible year for film. The pending turn of the millennium must have caused script writers, directors and producers to think deeply about life and the direction humanity was heading.
The following three movies will leave you feeling different, or changed, after watching them. Whether it’s through their allegorical power or the probing questions they ask about the way most people live their lives, they might cause you to rethink your understanding of life and fire you up to follow a more adventurous path.
16. The Matrix (1999) 8.7
Following the story of Neo, we learn how humanity has been duped into accepting a false reality, living as obedient slaves with only a tiny minority daring to ask the questions that could set them free.
17. Fight Club (1999) 8.8
Don’t be fooled by the violence, this movie is about a vibrant and exciting life philosophy that will free you from the dull monotony of life in the system.
18. American Beauty (1999) 8.3
This movie exposes the façade of modern life, as a man experiencing a mid-life crisis cuts through the bullshit of married, and work, life in an attempt to experience something real.
Triumph Of The Human Spirit Movies
Our final category. These are the movies to pick you up when you feel all hope has gone.
Watch people who have experienced terrible injustices, and faced impossible situations, overcome all the odds and right the wrongs that were done to them.
Their stories will fill you with belief that, no matter how far down you fall, you can always get back up and succeed.
19. The Hurricane (1999) 7.6
The story of boxer, Ruben Carter, who was falsely imprisoned for murder in the 60s and then spent 20 years trying to clear his name while the corrupt local police department, and judicial system, withheld evidence that could have set him free.
20. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 9.3
Watch main character, Andy Dufresne, remain productive and positive despite serving a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit and, ultimately, outsmarting everyone to win his freedom.
21. Men Of Honor (2000) 7.2
The true story of Carl Brashear, who faces every obstacle – racism, disability, lack of education – in his attempt to break down barriers and become the first black Master Diver in the US Navy.
Over To You
Please add to the list in the comment section below. Hopefully this can be a useful resource to all people who draw strength and inspiration from movies.
Related Content
Top 10 Films To Change Your Life
The 9 Steps To Achieving Your Dreams
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Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash
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The-Shawshank-Redemption-detail by NestorCanavarro on DeviantArt
Galileo’s Little Known Secret To Attain Genius Level Thinking
Two weeks ago, I went on vacation to Italy.
The first part of the holiday was a trip to Florence and, while there, I visited the church of Santa Croce (see picture below).
This Church houses the tombs of some of Italy’s greatest artists and thinkers – Galileo, Michelangelo, Machiavelli, Dante (the picture at the top of this blog post is of Galileo’s tomb).
Walking around this awe inspiring basilica got me thinking. The achievements of the four men listed above were astounding. In one way or another, they impacted the course of human history.
But what enabled them to have such a massive impact?
Talent?
I’m sure they all possessed it in spades, alongside an impressive work ethic. However, was there something extra that allowed them to scale heights most people can’t even comprehend?
In the case of Galileo, I believe there was.
It was Galileo’s ability to ask questions and challenge conventional wisdom that set him apart.
This opened his mind to possibilities most people couldn’t even conceive. From that space, he made discoveries that changed humanities understanding of the world.
However, this wasn’t easy and adopting this mindset lined his path with a great deal of adversity.
I write about this in my first book, Escape The System.
Below, I include an extract in celebration of this brilliant scientist who brought clarity where before there was dogma and stagnation.
I hope it inspires you to question everything and find your own answers.
Galileo was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer and philosopher born in 1564. His achievements in the field of science were vast. Sometimes known as “The Father of Modern Science” he made the first systematic studies of uniformly accelerated motion (now taught in most schools), improved telescopes, analysed sun spots and most famously, discovered evidence to support the theory that the Earth travelled around the Sun.
In 1632, Galileo’s book, Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, was published. In this book, he outlined evidence challenging the established truth the Earth was fixed and the centre of the Universe (a belief promoted by the Church, based on scriptures and almost entirely accepted by European society).
Such a challenge sent tidal waves through The System. The validity of its main institution – The Church – was being questioned and perhaps undermined. If Galileo’s views were to spread then its authority could come into question. Faced with such a challenge, The System (in the form of important members of the church) attacked, ordering him to appear in front of the Inquisition and finding him guilty of vehemently suspect heresy.
As a result of this verdict, he was forced to recant his views, placed under house arrest and received a ban on the publication of his book. With such a crushing verdict, it appeared that The System had won and another lone voice had been silenced. However, the word was out and although The System’s truth was not immediately discredited, a few minds had been sparked by the idea there might be another.
Sowing such seeds in the consciousness of humanity is how The System’s authority is undermined. It took time, but over the subsequent decades more and more people began to reject The System’s truth that the Earth was the centre of the universe. Eventually this groundswell of consciousness reached such a level that in 1741, Pope Benedict XIV authorised the publication of Galileo’s once heretic book. Then in 1835, all traces of opposition to heliocentrism (the term used to categorise those who believe the Sun to be the centre of the universe) disappeared from the church as further books were dropped from their banned index.
Such an outcome cements Galileo’s place as one of history’s greats. Although the view he promoted was not fully accepted until many years after his death, he played a significant role in advancing the collective knowledge of humanity. In doing so, he undermined the Church’s ability to define reality – if they were wrong about the earth being the centre of the universe then they could also be wrong about other dictates that governed the way society operated?
This trend has continued and the Church is now in a far weaker position than it was in the time of Galileo. Over the centuries, many of its core beliefs have been challenged and, as a result, The System has had one of its tentacles removed.
The System still has power, though, and as long as people continue to defend the dominant worldview simply because they’ve been conditioned to believe it’s true, then it will continue to exist. However, for every individual that refuses to accept The System’s reality and instead, discovers their own answers, its strength is diminished.
Perhaps humanities ultimate destination is a world where there are no boundaries to what can or can’t be done. In this place there’s no dogma about how the world works and some of the mystery, excitement and adventure of life can be restored.
Creating such a place would see the emergence of a race of people able to maximise their potential. If they could point to their forefathers, the ones that led the way, they would identify Galileo. He demonstrated the discoveries that can be made when you refuse to accept The System’s truth. However, if he hadn’t asked questions and possessed the kind of mind accepting of the idea that the Earth was the centre of the Universe, then none of this would be possible.
He simply wouldn’t have looked for answers in places where he’d been told they didn’t exist.
Such a possibility carries important implications for you. It raises the issue of how much you’ll be able to achieve when unplugged from The System.
Research claims we only use one tenth of our minds potential. Could this be the path to accessing those illusive nine tenths?
It’s not unfeasible. After all, a great chunk of us dies when conditioned to believe life can only be a certain way. Why do we need our full potential when it appears the opportunities for our lives are so limited?
We don’t. We only need one tenth of our brains to operate in The System. However, when you believe in a world where no idea is off limits, you suddenly need those extra nine tenths. Your horizons have expanded, and to flourish in this new reality, so must you.
To get your copy of Escape The System, click the link here.
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BE USELESS: SEVEN TOOLS FOR FAILURE
A couple of weeks ago, I finished reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new book Be Useful: 7 Tools For Life.
What I’m about to write is by no means a parody of that work. In fact, I thought the book was good and Arnold Schwarzenegger has consistently been one of my greatest inspirations. (You can read my appraisal of his unique mindset by clicking here).
However, after reading his book, I had an idea.
What if, instead of giving positive life advice, I was to create a list of 7 things you should do if you want to fail?
Why would anyone want to fail, you may ask?
Of course, nobody does. However, if by reading the following list, you become aware of what will cause you to fail then it’ll be an important addition to the powerful advice in Arnold’s book.
So, without further ado, here are the 7 tools for failure.
1. Doubt Yourself
When you’ve got your sights set on failure, nothing helps you achieve this objective quite like being unsure of yourself and what you’re doing.
I used to doubt myself all the time.
Initially, I didn’t think I could make it as a writer. All I heard were stories of it being virtually impossible to become a published author or make money from selling books.
As a result, I thought you had to be born with exceptional talent to succeed and doubted my skills, experience and ideas would be good enough.
The outcome of this self-doubt?
I wasted 5 years of my life procrastinating over a book idea I was passionate about but too scared to pursue.
The self-doubt virus also spread to my work as a hypnotherapist.
I qualified at the age of 24 and started seeing clients at 25.
As a new hypnotherapist, I doubted my ability, believing I was too young for older clients to take seriously.
The outcome of this doubt?
I created a self-fulfilling prophecy. In a job where confidence is everything, my lack of it was abundantly clear and few clients came back for a second session (unlike today).
Self-doubt completely stunted my professional and personal development and it’ll do the same to you.
Far better to back yourself in every situation, even to the point of being slightly delusional, than sabotage yourself with timidity.
2. Overthink Everything
When aiming to fail, it’s always best to paralyse yourself with endless thoughts about what you should do.
When I began my career as a writer, back in 2012, sales were slow.
It took well over a year to sell the first 100 copies of my book which, at the time, was called Screw The System.
Looking to give my flagging sales a boost, I bought a course on how to sell books on Amazon. In this course, the creator stressed the importance of a book’s title. Along with the cover, these were the two most important factors when it came to book sales.
So, I got it into my head that Screw The System wasn’t a good title for a self-help book. However, rather than immediately changing the title, I spent two years thinking over the options and wondering whether I should take this step (eventually changing the title to Escape The System in 2015).
Can you see the problem here?
I wasted an inordinate amount of time deliberating over the change. I would frequently engage in mental debates where I went backwards and forwards over the pros and cons of each option. However, rather than provide clarity, this just left me more confused.
This experience reveals one of the most perverse laws regarding the way in which our minds operate.
The more you think about something, the more confused you’ll become.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Clarity is gained through having an idea, briefly considering it and then putting it to the test.
The world will then tell you whether you were wrong or right (and if you were wrong, you can always correct your mistake).
Think fast, act fast.
3. Stay In Your Comfort Zone
If you want to fail, you should allow fear to stop you from doing anything that feels uncomfortable.
I once had a hypnotherapy client who allowed anxiety to dominate her life.
I tried to explain that testing the limits of her comfort zone would enable her to adapt to new experiences and cause the anxiety to subside once she became accustomed to the change.
She wasn’t having any of it.
She believed in the importance of her fears and listened to them all the time. As a result, as time went on, there was less and less she could do (as virtually everything became out of her comfort zone).
It got to the point where she struggled to go on holiday, couldn’t contact organisations that might offer help (for fear of rejection) and even struggled to read her favourite books (in case she lost the enjoyment of reading which was one of her few dwindling pleasures in life).
Don’t stay in your comfort zone if you want to succeed.
Instead, understand that by frequently facing your fears, you enlarge your comfort zone until there are few environments in which you can’t operate.
4. Think Like Everyone Else
Technically, this isn’t a tool for failure (more a tool for mediocrity). Think like everyone else and you can still enjoy a secure and comfortable life. However, if you aspire to live an extraordinary, or authentic, life, then being mediocre might classify as a failure.
Michael Jackson once said, “We can fly, you know. We just don’t know how to think the right thoughts and levitate off the ground.”
Crazy, right?
Maybe.
However, it’s exactly this type of thinking that led him to create the greatest selling album of all time.
Michael Jackson didn’t think like other people. He lived in a realm where anything was possible. When other musicians and industry insiders told him to expect Thriller to do roughly the same as his previous album, Off The Wall, he ignored their input.
His horizons were broader and this enabled him to conceive of an album (and everything that went with it – music videos, performances etc) that EVERYBODY would have to own.
This is what can happen when you have “unrealistic” expectations. You give your subconscious the permission to find answers and solutions that nobody else will look for, and it responds.
So, keep thinking like everyone else if you want a relatively easy, relatively dull, life. Don’t you dare think big or have any grandiose dreams.
5. Give Free Reign To Your Impulses
If you want to fail on achieving your goals, give in to your impulsive feelings.
Lacking the motivation to work on your new business when you get home from your regular job? Then just binge watch a Netflix series for a couple of hours.
Experiencing chocolate cravings a few hours before your evening meal? Give in to them and have a snack.
A client annoys you over what could be a misunderstanding? Express your anger and lose their business.
Controlling your impulses won’t come naturally. They’ll scream to be acknowledged and acted upon. However, this is what weak people do.
In most cases, you must resist the almost overwhelming urge to do as your body tells you. In time, you’ll master your base desires and achieve a tremendous sense of peace.
In As A Man Thinketh, James Allen wrote, “You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.”
Don’t give in to your impulses.
6. Attempt To Control Every Outcome
If you want to fail again and again, then try to force through whatever it is you want to achieve.
You don’t win in life by being a dosser. Success or love or wealth isn’t going to fall into your lap. You’ll have to work for it and you’ll have to exert effort.
That being said, attempting to force your body, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your clients or the market to do what you desire, can be as futile as doing nothing at all.
You’ve got to get the balance right.
The person who micro manages every scenario and fusses over the tinniest details isn’t displaying confidence in their ability to succeed. In fact, it’s the opposite. Underneath their controlling behaviour is a deep-seated fear they’ll fail.
The people who can let go of their need to control are those ones who believe in themselves and their chances for success. They KNOW that they’re good enough and, as a result, don’t need to worry about individual dominoes falling into place.
7. Blame External Factors For Your Situation
If you want to remain stuck in life, blame everybody, and everything, for your misfortunes.
External factors are always going to exist and yes, they do, sometimes, prevent you from achieving your aim. However, if you take a deep enough look at yourself and your actions, over the span of decades, you’ll be able to identify a moment where you caused the failure or misfortune you’re currently experiencing.
In Game 5 of the 1997 NBA finals, Michael Jordan was struck down with flu-like symptoms. Completely drained, he looked lost during the first quarter.
At this point, he had every reason to sit out the rest of the game.
However, despite feeling like shit, he battled on to score 38 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, helping his team win.
How did he play on when most people would have blamed external factors and accepted defeat?
Being able say, “Well, I could have won it/done it if it wasn’t for X,” didn’t give him any solace.
HE HAD TO WIN.
Reach this level of determination and there’s no external factor that can stop you.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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The Curse Of Being Different
Since the age of 11, I’ve felt different.
When I went to secondary school, I found it impossible to fit in.
This feeling intensified as I became a teenager.
Some of my classmates were smoking, drinking and doing drugs.
I wasn’t even curious about trying. However, according to the unwritten rules of being a teenager, the kids who did partake in these activities were “cool”, the top of the social hierarchy (and they got the girls).
It was the same situation when I got to university. However, instead of just a small percentage of the year group partaking in these activities, it was the majority.
But I hadn’t changed.
I couldn’t see the appeal of going out four, five or six nights a week and getting drunk to the point where I felt ill the next day.
I loved having energy, waking up and feeling like I could be productive all day long.
But apparently, that wasn’t cool. Instead, the way to form bonds with other people was through becoming intoxicated to the point where you couldn’t remember what you said or did the night before.
Upon entering the world of work, I couldn’t have felt more different.
Why did everyone accept careers where they had to work 40, 50, 60 or even 70 hours a week at jobs they didn’t enjoy?
Why would they sacrifice their health and vitality to make money for a company that would replace them in an instant if it improved the bottom line?
It seemed soul destroying yet nobody questioned whether there were any alternatives.
Of course, I was wrong for thinking this way. Working yourself into the ground, and doing anything your boss asked, was the way to acquire wealth, status and security.
As I got older, and the issue of settling down and getting married became more relevant, I once again found myself in the minority.
I wondered why it was necessary. If you love someone, and give them your word, then why do you need to sign a legally binding agreement with the government?
Around 42% of marriages end in divorce. Why face the relatively high possibility of financial ruin and emotional devastation just because everybody else is too scared to question a possibly outdated institution?
I soon discovered that thinking this way made me a twisted cynic. Nobody gets bored spending every single day with the same person for 40 plus years and getting married is the only way for your life to be complete.
By 2020, I didn’t need any more evidence of how different I was. However, the Covid pandemic was there to remind me that I’d drifted even further from the majority.
I watched what seemed to be the entire world give in to fear and lose all ability to question authority.
I failed to understand why a virus, which although more deadly than flu wasn’t in the same ballpark as Ebola, could cause an entire world to shut down.
But apparently, I was a covidiot. Because I didn’t blindly accept what the media and authorities were saying, I was naïve and potentially dangerous.
The alien
Why highlight all the experiences that have made me feel so different?
I wanted to give you an accurate impression of how disconnected I’ve felt for the majority of my life.
Sometimes I look at the world and can’t believe I’m a part of this reality. Society’s customs, values and preferences seem warped and, as a result, I feel like an alien moving through a strange land.
Have you ever felt this way?
Perhaps you don’t agree with me on every single one of the issues listed above. It’s not important that you do. However, if you’ve also felt the curse of being different then I’ve got a message for you.
Being different made me feel incredibly isolated.
I’d need a calculator to compute the number of Saturday night’s I’ve spent alone, trying to find some way to entertain myself so I didn’t slip into depression.
This, in itself, was pretty soul destroying. However, during that time, I made a fatal error of judgement with even deeper ramifications.
The façade
Most people don’t conform because they enjoy the behaviour or activity that society requires them to perform.
Nobody actually likes working 40 to 60 hours a week in a job they find, in parts, stressful and boring.
Ask any smoker or drinker if they enjoyed their first cigarette or pint and they’ll probably tell you it was disgusting.
Why, then, do they do things that go against their nature?
Most people are followers (about 80% of the population according to my new book The Rebel Code). Their primary needs are security and acceptance. They’ll seek to meet these at the expense of freedom, integrity, meaning and even happiness. When it comes to personal motivation, they live their lives moving away from what they fear (the kind of isolation I experienced) rather than being motivated towards what they want.
This leads them to play a role – the hardworking office employee, the diligent husband, the obedient citizen, the sociable drinker – in order to fit in.
Of course, deep down, they don’t enjoy this role. However, they’ll never let on because they fear they’re the only ones who feel this way and would be isolated and rejected if they expressed their concerns.
Inferiority complex
Why am I explaining this?
It took me a long time to gain the above understanding.
For all of my 20s and a part of my 30s, I had an inferiority complex.
I believed there was something wrong with me for being different. I felt inferior to the masses of people who seemed to have no trouble conforming to society’s standards for working, socialising and thinking.
This was a huge mistake. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
However, because I believed that the majority was right and I was wrong, I didn’t trust myself or my ideas. I didn’t pursue my dreams with enough conviction because part of me thought I was crazy for having them.
This is a terrible way to live and a trap I want you to avoid.
You MUST understand there’s nothing wrong with you for being different.
In fact, if you value these differences and live your life according to them, you’re already braver, and potentially greater, than the people who don’t enjoy conforming but do so because they fear rejection and isolation.
It took me a long time to learn this liberating lesson (too long). However, now I see things clearly.
Why would I ever feel inferior to people who live their lives being driven by fear and are afraid of being true to themselves?
There’s no reason to.
Your superpower
Feeling different can be a curse or it can be a blessing.
If you allow your differences to create bitterness or make you feel inferior, then you could spend your entire life feeling disconnected and misunderstood.
However, if you realise that being different is actually a superpower, it can be your ticket to greatness.
Think of all the time you’ll have to pursue your dreams by not wasting your life socialising in ways which you find unenjoyable.
Think of the confidence you’ll develop by believing in yourself despite being in a minority of one.
Think of all the insights and knowledge you’ll gain by having a unique perspective and not being afraid to explore where it leads.
At times, being different can be isolating, heart breaking and intimidating. However, if you’re brave enough to accept who you are, and value yourself regardless of being in the minority, it can be one of the best things in the world.
Recently, I’ve watched as more and more people reject the “getting wasted” culture, placing greater importance on their health. The same could be said about the “work yourself to death” culture with greater numbers becoming content creators, entrepreneurs, side hustlers and working on their own terms. And, with the pandemic over, people are even beginning to question whether the strict lockdowns were necessary and if everyone being forced to take an experimental vaccine was wise.
The opinions and positions I took, that once made me weird, are becoming more and more accepted.
This has taught me a lesson. I was right to stay true to myself. My only mistake was not doing it with greater conviction.
I’m different. And that’s ok.
You’re different. And that’s ok.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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GUEST POST: 3 Tools For Transformation
(By Sarah Ariela)
This story is painful to recount… because this is a story about being dependent on a wheelchair. Fortunately, I stepped out of the wheelchair using three tools and walked away with a key for transformation.
For over 15 years, I was in and out of different types of wheelchairs because of Dysautonomia. Dys- wha?! In layperson’s terms, my blood pressure plummeted whenever I stood up.
I could not maintain an upright stance. I frequently fell to the floor; gravity was my obsessed fan.
It wasn’t just walking that was a challenge. My ability to talk, chew, digest, and circulate blood flow seemed to be limitations that might last forever.
It would be stirring to say that I always had a clear goal of triumphing as an upright human. In actuality, my vision for the future was fuzzy at best. It looked like a bleak Instagram filter that might be titled “Positional Despair.”
I had heard of people supposedly “getting better” from chronic illnesses, but the concept seemed illusory. Getting better wasn’t something I truly believed would ever happen to me.
In March 2023, I had spine surgery for a complicated herniated disc – yet another physical disruption! After the surgery, I was still in severe pain, my muscles were atrophying daily, and my Dysautonomia was still a loyal constant companion.
Post-surgery, the only activity I was permitted was aquatic physical therapy. Forget walking ON water – it was going to take a miracle for me to walk IN water (in the pool).
My aquatic physical therapist was confident I could make progress, even though he told me my progress was much slower than most snails he has treated. (No wonder the exam table was so sticky…) I nodded and smiled at him, trying to buoy him, but it felt like my strength and mobility capacity was limited to moving one pinkie toe, once every other week.
I did not believe that progress was possible.
THE LONG ROAD TO SUCCESS
I patiently continued with physical therapy, and also diligently continued taking a medication for Dysautonomia (the only effective med out of 50 meds that I tried). For anyone in or out of the pool who is fighting with gravity: the medication is called Droxidopa.
The physical and the pharmacological approaches were helping, but my progress was painstakingly slow.
Then, something shifted. I saw Jeffrey Allen’s ad on YouTube about his Mindvalley Quest (personal development course). He reassuringly states that we often take all the right physical steps. To see results, it is just a matter of honing one’s ENERGY.
I wasn’t sure I even knew what energy felt like anymore. I could have won two Guinness World Records for napping frequency and napping duration. Jeffrey Allen seemed so encouraging though, so I gave it a shot.
I devoured every Mindvalley Quest I could ingest daily. Somehow, the YouTube algorithm noticed my growing enthusiasm and started flooding my feed with other Mindvalley authors. With some resistance and trepidation, I started listening to Marisa Peer’s hypnotherapy audio tracks on YouTube. (Now I am addicted to these tracks.)
At the end of six months post-surgery, I was finally starting to feel some pain relief.
A MOBILITY SUCCESS
The next step I took was working intensively with a brilliant movement coach (Greg Chaplin, DPT, CSCS), who teaches mind-body tools for chronic pain.
Chaplin, DPT, CSCS, asked me one question: “What kind of person do you want to be?”
I decided that I wanted to be a person who shattered my mobility limits.
I invested time in physically-oriented action steps PLUS mindset work.
At first, I could only walk 3 minutes a day. Then, I started walking 8 minutes a day. Then, I was amazed that I was walking 30 minutes a day.
I had thought that was impossible.
With a new orientation toward life, I started walking up stairs, walking DOWN stairs, and even began driving at the age of 34.
WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY EXPERIENCE
I zealously tried so many treatments, diets, exercise plans, breathwork, and meditations when I realized…
You can do less and get dramatic results.
Even doctors say that it is best to be moderate: I have consistently heard the medical advice to be on fewer than five medications at any given time.
We don’t always have to be busy doing 500 things for our health in order to see changes.
Instead, you can try these 3 tools for transformation:
1. PRACTICE PERIPHERAL VISION… FROM THE RIB CAGE?
Practice Peripheral Vision
Peripheral vision holds immense potential for expanding our awareness. By consciously practicing peripheral vision, we train ourselves to take in the entirety of our surroundings.
To practice peripheral vision, soften your gaze and allow your awareness to expand outward. Seeing the bigger picture (literally) can create a sense of internal safety. The safer we feel, the easier it is to heal.
Put Your Attention In Your Rib Cage
Looking out from the rib cage (instead of from the head!) allows the body and mind to operate more easily and effectively. This is especially effective when exercising and when communicating.
Are you used to being in your head? Overthinking everything? Dropping your awareness down into your rib cage offers a paradigm shift. By centering our attention in the rib cage, we tap into a more intuitive connection between body and mind.
2. KNOW YOUR ENERGY
If there are only two things in this world – energy and matter – and matter is made from energy… then are we all just infinite-potential energy bundles? If thoughts/emotions/bodies are energy… and cat cafes and K-Pop and ketchup sandwiches (?!) are energy… perhaps it behooves us to learn about our personal energy and how it is channeled.
I remember hearing about energy meridians from Traditional Chinese Medicine, but for many years, I thought of them just as pathways for acupressure or acupuncture. Then, I read a book by Mike Mandl titled “Meridians: Maps Of The Soul.”
Mandl lays out each of the 12 meridians as distinct personal development guides. I love thinking about their disparate strengths as resources for growth.
One doesn’t have to use meridians to learn more about one’s energy, but I have found meridians to be a helpful framework. Meridian personality types are accessible and memorable.
I think of Lung Meridian as a beefy gym-rat, who is an inner motivational coach. Spleen Meridian is a beauty and self-love maven. Kidney Meridian is the version of us who is brave, bouncy, and up for anything.
This may be nonsense – but what if it is HELPFUL nonsense?
3. DON’T OUTSOURCE YOUR COMFORT
I used to spend so much time searching for a body position that felt comfortable. Then I gave up and tried to find a feeling of internal comfort even when my body positions were excruciatingly painful.
Even if we find a position that feels comfy, it’s usually the context of the situation, the mindset, and the emotional approach to the position (more than the position itself!) that facilitates comfort.
Be the source of your own comfort. In the throes of chronic pain, the quest for physical comfort can often be consuming – an endless search for the perfect body position, chair, or pillow. It finally dawned on me that inner comfort can transcend any context… and almost any chair!
Even in pain-racking body positions, I learned to find ways of generating positive emotions.
Yes, positive people used to annoy me, too. But when I started utilizing positive energy, it helped my body, and amazingly, it even helped the people around me.
May you be positively energized – even in un-comfy chairs!
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If you want to discover more tools and learn about meridian energy buddies, check out my free course: Meridian Mastery.
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Bio
Sarah Ariela was diagnosed with Dysautonomia in 2008. Sarah spent 15 years honoring strange requests from her body (no standing/walking for years, no sitting for years, no speaking for years). She underwent intensive treatments including plasma exchanges. Sarah has now remembered that if she is a human (which is questionable at times), she is also a healer. She runs the YouTube account @MeridianHealer. She enjoys being in her body even when it is very loud in there.
THE ONLY 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO ACHIEVE AN “IMPOSSIBLE” DREAM
Let me tell you a quick story.
Back in 2002, I had a dream of becoming a published author.
I wanted to write a self-help book. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of personal transformation and thought it would be amazing if I could inspire other people to change their lives.
At the time, though, I was a clueless university graduate who’d just returned home to his parents’ house. I didn’t have any experience writing books, I didn’t know anyone in the industry and when I checked the Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook, it said that almost all publishing companies didn’t accept unsolicited submissions.
Not a great start.
Compounding my doubt, and crushing my motivation even further, were the comments I received from the people I talked to.
- My parents told me I should look at mainstream careers as it was highly unlikely I’d ever get a publishing deal.
- A friend, who’d just started working for a major publishing company, told me about the massive number of submissions they received and the almost equally massive number of rejections these garnered.
- A published self-help author, who I’d been introduced to, outright told me there was no money to be made selling books and that it was impossible to support yourself through writing alone.
As you can imagine, all of these comments had a negative impact on my mindset.
I started to believe that my dream was impossible.
As a result, for the next 5 years, I did nothing (or, at least nothing related to working on my dream). However, in 2007, after the breakup of a newly formed relationships, I decided I needed something to bring me back to life.
So, I began writing my self-help book.
The Long Road To Success
At first, progress was slow.
It took me four and half years and four re-writes to finally have a manuscript worthy of public consumption.
After contacting an agent, and being rejected – thereby having my negative beliefs about getting a publishing deal confirmed – I decided I wouldn’t waste any more time following the traditional route.
Instead, I’d use the relatively new technology of Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and upload my book onto Amazon.
It took a year and 3 months to sell the first 100 copies.
It took a further 5 years to reach my first one thousandth copy sold.
My progress was slow and, baring some great feedback from readers, there wasn’t much in my publishing experience to indicate that the naysayers were wrong.
However, in 2017, I attended a YesGroup (a personal development group inspired by the teachings of Tony Robbins) meeting in London. At this meeting, an author called Brett Moran took to the stage and gave a great speech.
Afterwards, I bought his book, chatted to him and then went home.
After reading the book, I noticed he had a UK publisher and emailed him to ask if he wouldn’t mind sharing his contact.
Graciously, he agreed and I got in touch with someone at Watkins Media.
My first offering to them was Escape The System. It got rejected (although with seemingly genuine praise which made me think it would be worth contacting them again once I’d written another book).
That I did, the following year and, to my total surprise, they liked my book and offered me a publishing deal.
Fast forward to 2020 and my book, Do The Work You Love, was published. A dream, which everyone had told me was impossible to achieve, came true.
What I Learned From My Experience
Getting my book published taught me a powerful yet surprising lesson.
Achieving your dreams is easier than you think.
In fact, I believe you have a 66% chance of being successful (watch this video to discover how I came to this conclusion).
There are only 3 things that you need to do (irrespective of what your dream might be).
They are . . .
1. Take Action
You may have thought that the competition for whatever you want to do is vast. So vast, in fact, that it’s not even worth trying.
Let me tell you a little secret.
SO DOES EVERYONE ELSE!
What does that mean?
That 90% of your competition isn’t even going to take the first step to realising their dream. They’re going to believe the statements seen in the picture below, keep working their regular jobs and spend their evenings sitting on the sofa watching their favourite Netflix series.
All you have to do to put yourself ahead of 90% of the competition is take action.
- Set up your website.
- Go on that training course.
- Write the first 10,000 words of your book.
- Find a mentor.
- Create your first product.
Don’t underestimate how powerful these actions are.
Take a look at the picture below.
These are the sales rankings for my book The Rebel Code on Amazon US. It’s actually a bad sales day. Usually, I’d be floating around the 100,000 ranking and then much higher in the categories related to my genre.
However, even on a bad day, you can see that I’m inside the top 1000 motivational authors in the world.
How did I get there?
There’s nothing particularly special about me and I have no outstanding talents (otherwise I wouldn’t have to work SO damn hard for my success).
I simply took action. Again and again and again.
And while this step won’t win you the race, it will put you in the race (and that’s a lot further than most people ever get).
2. Learn From Your Failures
While achieving your dream is easier than you think, it’s not easy.
You’re going to fail (many times). That’s guaranteed.
Failure is tough and it affects us on many levels.
First, it’s embarrassing. No one wants to be seen falling short of the mark, especially if they’ve told the people around them what they plan to do.
Failure is also depressing. Forget the public embarrassment, the private defeat can be even worse. You worked so hard, dotted every i and crossed every t and yet, it still wasn’t good enough. This can weigh heavily on your soul, causing you to consider giving up.
Finally, and perhaps worst of all, our failures can appear to be proof that our dreams are impossible to achieve. What could be clearer? You tried and it didn’t work out. The naysayers were right.
This is the way most people understand failure. However, you can’t be like most people.
Instead, you have to view failure as an opportunity to learn.
Every time you fail, ask yourself these questions.
- Why did I fail?
- What can I do differently to achieve success?
Take the lessons on board and then bounce back stronger.
What does this mean?
As mentioned, your failures can take an emotional toll. It’s understandable you feel depressed in the aftermath of a crushing defeat.
However, you must become an expert in allowing this feeling to fade away as quickly as possible and then bringing even more energy to your work the next time you try.
- Be more dynamic
- Be more inspired
- Be more positive
This, combined with the knowledge gained from your prior defeat, will enable you to breakthrough and reach the next level.
3. Find A Way To Support Yourself While Working On Your Dream
Let me present you with a couple of likely scenarios for why you, or anyone else, might give up on their dream.
- You save up a sum of money to support yourself for a year. You then quit your job and give yourself 12 months to succeed at your dream. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out. So, a year later, scared that you’re going to run out of money, you get a similar job to the one you had before. You give up on your dream, telling yourself that you gave it a good shot but that it was impossible to achieve.
- You spend 5 years trying to achieve your dream. A little bit of progress is made but you don’t get anywhere near being able to support yourself through this project alone. So, rationalising that any sane person would stop after such a lengthy period of time, you give up.
Both of these scenarios are reasonable, right?
Perhaps.
However, they’re unnecessary.
YOU DON’T NEED TO GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM SO LONG AS YOU CAN KEEP FUNDING YOURSELF.
Plus, by continuing, you give yourself almost unlimited opportunities to succeed.
There are many ways to fund your dream.
- I use tennis coaching and hypnotherapy as a platform to support my writing ambitions. These occupations are reasonably well-paid and allow me the flexibility to set my own schedule.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger used appearance fees as a bodybuilder, running a construction company and real estate investments to support himself while aiming to become a Hollywood actor (it took him 7 long years but, because he could provide for himself, there was no need to give up).
- You might use freelancing, consultancy work, side hustling or working part-time/less hours in your current job.
Whatever the case, you must keep 10 to 25 hours a week free to work on your dream. Do this, and you can go on and on in your quest.
Then, with enough time, action taken and lessons learned from your defeats, you WILL succeed.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
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Photo by Martin Wyall on Unsplash
FORGET GOALS; HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD GET A VISION FOR YOUR LIFE
You’ve probably already set your goals for 2024.
Perhaps you’ve even failed some of them.
Fear not, though, because there’s an even more powerful tool you can use to create the life of your dreams.
CREATING A VISION FOR YOUR LIFE
Where are you now? What’s your current life situation – your environment, your relationships, your job, your health and finances?
This is your reality. Your day-to-day life and everything around you are the sum total of your decisions, beliefs, actions and thoughts (of course, your life will also have been impacted by the environment you were born into).
At times, it may feel like this reality confines and limits you, but it doesn’t. Even if it feels like you’ve been living the same reality for years, there’s something you need to know.
Your life CAN change. However, a big part of changing your reality is knowing what you want to move towards.
You must know the answer to the following questions.
How do you want your life to be?
Where would you like to live? What do you want to do each day? Who do you want to spend time with? Would you like to travel? What impact would you like to have with your life?
Now, sprinkle in a little destiny.
What were you born to do? Why is your uniqueness needed?
Answer all of these questions, without notions of what society considers possible or acceptable, and you have your vision.
Now test it.
Is there an emotional draw?
When you close your eyes and conjure up images of how you want your life to be, do feelings of love, inspiration and freedom occur? Does it feel like home?
If you can’t access these emotions then your vision isn’t compelling enough.
Go back to the drawing board.
Answer the above questions again but make sure you’re not limiting yourself in any way.
Remember, the negative energy of society is going to influence you to think so much is impossible. Furthermore, living what society considers a “good life” might not be enough to inspire you.
Break free from conditioned thought. Connect with your heart. Even if it’s telling you to create the first human colony on Mars, go with it. (Elon Musk doesn’t limit his thinking).
Also, be prepared to take your time.
You might have to revisit this exercise on a regular basis and refine your vision until you’ve created something really compelling.
What next?
TRAVELLING WITHIN
Now that you have a vision for how you want your life to be, you need to understand how your reality will change.
The Secret, or some people’s misinterpretation of how the book/film works, has garnered a lot of criticism for the law of attraction and visualisation.
Because thinking about your desire DOES NOT cause the immediate manifestation of your thought, many people dismiss the idea that a vision can change their reality.
On a surface level, these people may be right but how long have they persisted with their visualisation?
Have they contemplated their vision, not just in passing moments, but for every day of their life, for months, years and even decades?
It’s unlikely, because if they did, they might find that something incredible occurred.
James Allen explains it best in his book As A Man Thinketh. He writes,
The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities . . .
Your circumstances may be uncongenial, but they shall not long remain so if you but perceive and Ideal and strive to reach it. You cannot travel within and stand still without . . . Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your Vision, your Ideal.
Pay close attention to this sentence, “You cannot travel within and stand still without.” Assimilating your vision (through constant contemplation), changes you at a fundamental level (you “travel within”).
As a result, you show up in the world as a different person. This more motivated, confident, charismatic version of yourself, with greater clarity of purpose, receives a different reaction from his or her environment. Doors that were once closed will now open. Ideas that were once ignored will now be embraced.
The world will react differently to you (you travel without) because, through becoming one with your vision, you have changed.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’S VISION
To help you in this process, I thought you might benefit from an example.
Recently, I’ve been reading Arnold Schwarzenegger’s book, Be Useful: 7 Tools For Life. Arnold’s first rule is (and seemingly the most important), “Have A Clear Vision.”
At every stage in his remarkable life, Arnold had a clear vision of what he wanted to achieve. The following example highlights his vision for becoming a champion bodybuilder. Use it as guidance for creating your own.
When I fell in love with bodybuilding, I didn’t have vague hopes of becoming a champion. I had a very specific vision of it, borrowed from the pictures inside of muscle magazines of guys like Reg Park celebrating their victories. I could see myself on the top step of the winners’ podium holding a trophy. I could see the other competitors on the lower steps looking up at me enviously, but also in awe. I could see their tight smiles, I could even see the colors of their posing briefs. I could see the judges standing and applauding. I could see the crowd going wild and chanting my name. “Arnold! Arnold! Arnold!” This wasn’t a fantasy. This was a memory that just hadn’t happened yet. That’s what it felt like to me.
There are a few things you can take from Arnold’s vision.
First, notice the detail. Arnold created an in-depth scenario which he returned to, again and again, in his mind. Small details like the colour of his opponents posing briefs were included, making the vision more real.
Also, notice where he found the inspiration for this vision. This wasn’t something created entirely in his imagination. He leaned on the pages of muscle magazines to prime his imaginative motor.
You can do the same.
Use something real to base your vision upon.
Below, you can see two images I’ve used to help create my vision.
This first is a tiny photo given to me by someone who was at the 2008 Wimbledon Final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Often referred to as the greatest match in tennis history, it saw Nadal emerge out of the shadow of Federer to win his first ever non-clay court grand slam (and become world number 1 soon after).
As a Nadal fan, this represents the ultimate moment of triumph. He’s collapsed, exhausted but victorious, having played his heart out (I know the picture isn’t easy to see but the white mass is Nadal, the white line is the baseline of the court and his racket is about 10 foot below his feet).
Although I gave up on my tennis dreams decades ago, this moment of triumph resonates deeply.
In my mind, I’ll have a similar experience once I’ve sold the millionth copy of my books. I can imagine myself emotional, collapsed and elated that a journey which has taken me so long, and for which I’ve fought so hard, has finally come to an end.
The second image is from a Christmas card I received many years ago.
It resonates with me because it evokes feelings of a warm, loving home and family. I don’t know if I’d describe it as my dream home but the environment is certainly one I want to create, and live in.
These images are powerful to me. They helped me create a vision in my mind that is full of triumph, love and meaning.
OVER TO YOU
You should now create your own vision.
Remember, visions are visual, so use whatever stimulus and inspiration you can find.
Some people like to create a vision board. If this works for you, use it.
Whatever you do, make sure your vision feels real.
Take note of what Arnold Schwarzenegger writes. He describes his vision as, “a memory that just hadn’t happened yet.”
This isn’t a fantasy.
Some physicists theorise that everything that has ever happened is occurring right now, just in a different dimension.
Treat your vision the same.
It has happened.
It will happen.
Of course, you can always settle for the alternative and dismiss the idea of creating a vision for your life.
Treat it as pseudo-scientific, new age nonsense and just allow yourself to be guided by the society you live in.
Do that, though, and it’s quite certain where you’ll end up. In the words of Tony Gaskins Jr, “If you don’t build your own dream, someone else will hire you to help build theirs.”
Visions are more than just the musings of an overactive imagination.
They provide direction.
If you know what your life is about, and where you’re headed, you won’t fall for lesser goals or settle for anything less than the full expression of what you could be.
Stay true to your vision.
Stay true to yourself.
GET YOUR FREE COURSE
If you want to discover a passion you can make a living from and overcome the fears that are holding you back, check out my free course 30 Days to Escape The System. Click here to get the course right now! (You’ll find the tips on developing belief and self-confidence fascinating!)
A REQUEST
Please consider sharing this blog post if you enjoyed it or found it valuable. You can copy the link and send to a friend or share on your social media by using one of the buttons below. Thank you!
Photo by Rahul Bhosale on Unsplash