Motivational Monday #27

This video is tremendously motivating to me; as is this poem by Marianne Williamson:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our
darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to
be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your
playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing
enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel
insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to
make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just
in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light
shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to
do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our
presence automatically liberates others.”

One of my mentors once told me that fear is nothing but False Evidence Appearing Real.

How are you overcoming your fear of being powerful beyond measure? I’d love to hear your answer below in the comments section.

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Motivational Monday #26

I once heard that “50 percent of your success is attitude. The other 50 percent is attitude!”

If that’s the case, it looks like the star of this week’s Motivational Monday has success all figured out…

Whether we realize it or not, we all have an amazing ability to transfer emotions.  Positive attitudes are just as contagious as negative ones and this video is proof.

People want to be surrounded by people who make them feel good. Great leaders have an amazing ability to make people feel better about themselves. A major way to do that is through your positive energy.

So how can you harness that positive energy and use it to create success?!?

It’s simple…  Spend a few minutes in front of the mirror every day listing everything that you like about your life!

The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Lifestyle Freedom: Episode 30

Last month, my family and I went to Los Cabos, Mexico for a much needed vacation. Quite honestly, we didn’t do anything other than play on the beach for the first three days we were in Cabo! Finally, on the fourth day of the trip, I remembered to grab my video camera so I could shoot Episode 30 of The Unemployed Millionaire Show!

I’m not telling you about my vacation to impress you… I’m telling you about it to impress upon you how much your life can change when you finally break out of the mold society placed you in and start taking advantage of opportunities that will allow you to live your dream lifestyle!

My personal philosophy about life is this: Life is all about the experience of chasing peak experiences! Contrary to mainstream beliefs, I believe that it is possible to live life constantly wrapped up in joyous and exciting moments…

Years ago, I made the decision to become an entrepreneur so that my family and I could have the opportunity to live every day of our lives with feelings of intense happiness and well-being! That decision is exactly what separates the people who live an unconventional life with total lifestyle freedom from the people who don’t.

Most people don’t understand that in order to live an unconventional lifestyle – you have to do unconventional things (like  focusing solely on opportunities that offer you a chance to become wealthy.) Once you get comfortable with the idea of pursuing unconventional opportunities in life, you will naturally develop the ability to create an unconventional lifestyle.

Creating an unconventional lifestyle is not easy but it’s absolutely worth the extra effort… After all, life should be an experience in chasing peak experiences!

What are you doing today in order to live a life of peak experiences tomorrow? I’d love to hear your answer below in the comments section!

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10 of My Favorite Lessons For The Pursuit of Happyness

This week’s Motivational Monday Video features Chris Gardener giving the 2009 UC Berkley Commencement Keynote. (If you aren’t familiar with Chris Gardener, he’s the character Will Smith portrays in The Pursuit of Happyness – one of the most inspiring movies of all time!)

Prior to making it big on the silver screen,  the amazing story of Gardner’s life was published as an autobiography, The Pursuit of Happyness, in May 2006, and became a New York Times and Washington Post #1 bestseller.

After conquering numerous challenges to become a successful entrepreneur, Gardner became an avid motivational and aspirational speaker, know for his ability to teach techniques for overcoming obstacles and breaking cycles.

He kept his commencement speech under 9 minutes but gave away TONS of inspiring lessons for a real-life pursuit of happyness. Here are 10 of my favorites…

1. Always, always, ALWAYS be true to yourself.

Chris is spot on when he talks about having ‘people’ after you reach a certain level of success. I LOVE the fact that he ripped up the speech his ‘people’ wrote for him and said exactly what he wanted to say….

2. Show gratitude to the people who always believed in you.

The people who believe in you give you the foundation to believe in yourself which is an extraordinary gift. Be sure to take time to thank them in person because they deserve it!

3. When you write ANYTHING for an audience, consider what your audience wants (and needs) to hear before you start speaking or writing.

This commencement speech is legendary because Chris obviously considered his audience before he went on stage. Properly considering your audience in advance will allow you to bring an enormous amount of value to their lives.

4. The current economic situation is irrelevant to your future.

I love this quote from Barry Asmus: “Economists are pessimists: they’ve predicted 8 of the last 3 depressions.”

In all reality, the current economic situation is irrelevant to the success you will experience in the future so stop reading into the negative, ‘doom and gloom’ reports you see on TV or read on the internet. The only determining factor of your future is YOU!

5. Economic downturns are actually an opportunity for YOU to re-create the American dream.

Historically, after every economic downturn there is a period of record-breaking economic growth that produce legendary success stories. Whether you see it or not, there is currently a tremendous opportunity to create a success story that is so legendary that it changes the American dream as a whole. What steps are you taking today to ensure that you and your family will experience the  American dream of tomorrow?

6. The balance in your life is more important than the balance in your checking account.

The best and most important things in life are given to us for free – our mind, our body, our soul, our ability to express love and kindness… And unlike money and material things, the best things in life can never be replaced. Do NOT neglect the best things in life for things that are replaceable!

7. Appreciation is greater than expectation.

I was blessed to learn this lesson in my early years as an entrepreneur. Tony Robbins explains the importance of appreciation flawlessly in this quote: “When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”

8. Do NOT confuse your net worth with your self worth.

Any self-made millionaire would agree that they developed their net worth after they developed their self-worth. Self-worth is the single most important component of living a rich life.

If you need help developing or maintaining your self-worth, incorporate these last two lessons into your life on a daily basis:

9. Whatever you do, always pursue happyness.

10. Start where you are.

What was your favorite lesson for the pursuit of happiness? I’d love to hear your answer below in the comments section!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Viktor E. Frankl: Why To Believe in Others

This week’s video features Viktor E. Frankl, the author of one of my all-time favorite books, Man’s Search for Meaning.  This rare video of Frankl was filmed during his 1973 lecture to the Toronto Youth Corps.

I love how Frankl is able to use 4 minutes and 22 seconds to explain why believing in other people is the greatest gift we can give. “If we take man as he is we’ll make him worse. But if we take man as he should be we make him capable of becoming what he can be”.

I’ve been in Europe for over a week now so I’ve had quite a bit of personal time for thinking and reflection.

As I reflected on the people who have had the most significance in my life, they all have one thing in common… They all believed in me which is by far the most meaningful gift I’ve ever received. Because they believed in me, I developed the foundation to believe in myself.

That’s exactly what we do when we believe in others… We give them the foundation to start believing in themselves. This week, I encourage you to look at the people in your life that you are closest to – figure out why you believe in them and let them know. By telling the people you love  most why you believe in them, you will be giving them an extraordinary gift!

Since I’ve been in Europe, I’ve also re-read Man’s Search For Meaning and  I highly recommend it…

The book opens with a lengthy and deeply moving personal essay that explains Frankl’s experiences at Auschwitz and other concentration camps  during a 5 year period. He outlines the struggle he endured to keep finding reasons to live. In the second part of Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl explains logotherapy which is the psycho-therapeutic school he created and  founded.

Frankl explains that the meaning of life is has absolutely nothing to do with money, social status or even physical appearance. Our primary motivating force in life is meaning and purpose…

P.S. What was your favorite part of this week’s Motivational Monday? I’d love to hear your answer below in the comments section!

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Motivational Monday #22

I came across this Becel commercial over the weekend while I was waiting to board my flight home after a leadership event.

At first, I wrote it off as a very interesting way to market margarine. Then I realized that there are actually a couple of pretty important success and leadership lessons hidden in this broken escalator commercial…

People who are serious about success take charge instead of waiting for help to arrive.

Unfortunately, lots of people expect the journey to success to be effortless, simple and smooth – kinda like riding an escalator. When their escalator breaks, they start stressing out and waiting for help instead of creating and following their own plan to reach the top.

We’ve all felt like we were stuck at some point in our life. The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t is simple…

Successful people are willing to take charge of their life and create a plan for how they are going to reach the top.

Obstacles are really just opportunities in disguise.

They say you can always measure the character of a man by the size of the obstacle it takes to overcome him. I sincerely believe that we are never faced with an obstacle that is impossible to overcome.

Obstacles come into our life as gifts that are meant to refine our character. People who overcome obstacles in order to reach success experience a more fulfilling life and gain the ability to motivate others.

The next time you are facing an obstacle, look at it as an opportunity to enhance your success story. I promise it’ll make overcoming obstacles a breeze!

And, if you ever find yourself stuck on a broken escalator, think of it as an opportunity to get some unexpected exercise…

What did you learn from this broken escalator commercial? I’d love to hear your answer below in the comments section.

P.S. For more lessons on success and leadership, be sure to get your copy of my book, The Unemployed Millionaire, right here: http://www.MattMorris.com/book. (You’ll also receive over $2,000 worth of bonus personal development education and help me feed 5 hungry children!)

P.P.S. If you missed last week’s Motivational Monday, watch it here: What’s One Red Paper Clip Worth?

Motivational Monday #21

One of my all-time favorite books is The Magic of Thinking Big by David J. Schwartz, Ph.D.

The Magic of Thinking Big was one of the first books I read after starting my entrepreneurial career. I’ve re-read it every six months since the first time I read it over ten years ago. The book’s principles are that important!

In less than ten minutes, this week’s Motivational Monday proves exactly how far thinking big can get you…

26-year-old Kyle McDonald’s red paper clip was worth little-to-no value (and ‘little’ walked away); yet he was determined to trade it for a house. One year later, he traded that red paper clip for a white house with red trim.

At 21, I was homeless, $30,000 in debt, living out of my beat up Honda Civic and bathing in gas station bathrooms; yet I was determined to become a millionaire by the age of 30. By the age of twenty-four, I was earning a six-figure income as an entrepreneur and by the age of twenty-nine, I became a self-made millionaire.

If you told the average thinking person Kyle’s dream and my dream before we had achieved them, they’d likely retort by saying it would be impossible for us to achieve our dreams because average thinking people don’t have the ability to see what can be.

Big thinkers train themselves to see beyond what is – big thinkers develop the ability to see what can be. How are you developing your ability to think big? I’d love to hear your answer in the comments section below…

P.S. To learn the strategies I used to become a millionaire by the age of 30, pick up your copy of The Unemployed Millionaire here: http://www.MattMorris.com/blog. You’ll also receive over $2,000 worth of bonus success education!

P.P.S. If you missed the last Motivational Monday, watch it here: Motivational Monday #20 – Climbing Over Adversity.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Motivational Monday #20

Despite losing his vision at the age of 13, Erik Weihenmayer has become an accomplished mountain climber, paraglider, and skier, never allowing his blindness to interfere with his passion for life.

On May 25, 2001, Erik became the first blind man to summit Mount Everest. And on September 5, 2002, when he stood atop Mt. Kosciusko in Australia, he completed a 7-year quest to climb the Seven Summits — the highest mountains on each of the seven continents — joining only 100 others who have accomplished that feat.

Erik Weihenmayer and Mark Wellman are living proof that true leaders find a way to win not despite adversity, but because of it…

To really acheive greatness, we must face adversity head on. By understanding and harnessing the opportunities that are revealed during times of struggle, we often discover the fuel that will enable us to reach goals we never even imagined reaching.

Mark wellman created a solution that turned the impossible to the possible. I’m so amazed that he climbed all 3,000 feet of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park by pulling himself up 6 inches at a time! His decision to invent equipment that would allow him to continue climbing is extremely inspiring to me.

How did Mark and Erik’s story motivate you? I’d love to hear your answer in the comments section below!

P.S. If you missed last week’s Motivational Monday, Lessons on Dancing and Leadership, watch it right here: Motivational Monday #19.

Click here to view the embedded video.

An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Lifestyle Freedom: Episode 29

The first time I read Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, I paid close attention to finding the secret Napoleon mentions in Chapter One. I realized after re-reading Think and Grow Rich a couple of times, the secret is different for everyone who reads Think and Grow Rich.

For me, the secret turned out to be Leadership Law 7 which is Persistence and Determination…

In my first two to three years as an entrepreneur, I wound up $30,000 in debt and homeless. I experienced many sleepless nights in which I wondered if I was even cut out for a career as an entrepreneur. But ultimately, I knew that I knew that I knew, what my purpose in life is.

So I persisted, despite my failures and made it over the hump to create an amazing life. Alot of future Unemployed Millionaires consistently ask questions like: “How did you get where you are today?” “What made you decide to keep on going when you had absolutely nothing in the bank?”

The key is persistence and determination. I immersed myself in positive environments by listening to personal development audios and read personal development books constantly.

There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that if other people had become successful entrepreneurs, I could do it too. Once you develop that kind of certainty and decide that you will stop at nothing to become successful, you’ll be well on your way to success as an entrepreneur.

Because I didn’t give up, I haven’t had to think about money in years, because it’s just not a concern.

Here’s what’s important about a true leader: A true leader will always find a way over, around, or through any challenge that arises and will do whatever it takes to be a winner.

Successful people do what unsuccessful people are unwilling to do. Winners in life just don’t give up. Winners will never, ever let anyone steal their dream!

We’ve reached the end of The Unemployed Millionaire Blog’s Leadership Series and I want to learn from you! What leadership law benefited you the most? What leadership laws would you add to this series?

I can’t wait to read your answer!

P.S. For even more leadership development, get your copy of The Unemployed Millionaire here: http://www.MattMorris.com/book. You’ll also receive $2,000 in bonus personal development tools and help me feed 5 hungry children!

P.P.S. If you missed the last leadership law, check it out right here: The Unemployed Millionaire Show: Leadership Law 6.

An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Lifestyle Freedom: Episode 28

One of the most critical characteristics of a leader is a commitment to integrity and character. If a leader is willing to lie, cheat, or steal to get ahead, success is always short-term because no one will continue following someone who does not lead with integrity.

Integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. I can promise you that nothing will break an organization down faster than a leader who is willing to sacrifice morality for money.

Another definition of integrity is the condition of being whole and undivided. It’s being the same person when you’re in front of your organization as you are when the organization isn’t around.

A cardinal rule that corresponds with this Leadership Law is: Never talk behind anyone’s back in your organization. When someone hears you bad-mouthing a colleague when he or she isn’t around, that person will forever wonder if you also bad-mouth him or her. If people in your organization have even the slightest hint that you are not a loyal leader, they will not follow you for much longer.

When you always do the right thing, your team sees that. They have confidence and faith and will follow you through thick or thin, no matter what the circumstances are.

No other leadership principle is as important as integrity. With that being said, what does integrity mean to you? I’d love to hear your answer below in the comments section.

P.S. To learn more about the laws of leadership, read Chapter 7 of The Unemployed Millionaire. *Be sure to take advantage of over $2,000 in personal development bonuses by getting your copy here: http://www.MattMorris.com/book.

P.P.S. If you missed Leadership Law 5, find out what it is right here: The Unemployed Millionaire Show: Episode 27.