Everything in life feels difficult when you don't have a sufficient amount of willpower & discipline.

In my opinion, these two skills create the foundation for success in life. They help you make better decisions and inevitably, change your life for the better.

If willpower & discipline are so helpful, then why is it that so many people struggle to implement these skills into their daily lives? Great question.

Inside this blog, I'm going to talk about why these skills feel hard and share my secret to building lasting willpower & discipline.

Success doesn't come to those who sit on the sidelines. If you're ready to get in the game of life, keep reading…

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Willpower is like a muscle.

Just like you go to the gym and train to get more muscle, you need to do the same with willpower & discipline. If you want to build mental strength, you've got to make it a habit of flexing these skills on a daily basis.

A lot of people assume that the development of willpower & discipline requires a lot of strain. Hence, they stay away from it. Anything that feels difficult usually creates unnecessary pain and suffering, right? Well, not exactly. The very thing that you don't want to do is the very thing that you MUST do.

However, improving yourself doesn't have to be a chore. It's all a matter of perspective. Research shows that you want to train your willpower regularly, but still, allow yourself to be relaxed from time-to-time. This is what will give your willpower muscle a chance to restore its energy levels.

At its core, willpower & discipline are all about self-control. The opposite of self-control is laziness. Have you ever met a successful person who is lazy? Highly unlikely. People with high levels of self-control are consistent in their thoughts, behaviors, and actions. They don't dabble. When something gets difficult, instead of throwing in the towel and giving up, they persevere. As a result, they are more likely to achieve the goals that they set for themselves.

So, the question is, “What is the secret to building willpower & discipline?” Every single day you've got to commit to doing something that is uncomfortable. This idea was first put forth by author and researcher, Angela Duckworth. In her book, Grit she talks about the “Hard Thing” rule which she practices with her family. It is designed solely to help her family develop grit (perseverance + passion).

Mastery requires deliberate practice.

Duckworth says that whatever you choose to do, “it has to be something that requires practice, something where you're going to get feedback telling you how you can get better, and you're going to get right back in there and try again and again.”

If you want to succeed in life, you have to be willing to do hard things. What are you doing in your life right now that is really hard? Something that you don't feel like doing, but you do it anyway. You don't grow by doing things that are comfortable. You have to be willing to step outside of your comfort zone and stretch yourself.

The more that you push yourself to do things that suck, the stronger you will become. Keep in mind that stepping outside of your comfort zone on a daily basis doesn't have to be an overwhelming activity. The best approach is to slowly build up your resilience for uncomfortable experiences.

An example of an uncomfortable experience is taking a cold shower every morning.

This is the go-to hard thing that I do every day as part of my morning ritual. At the end of my hot shower, I let the water run cold for 30 seconds. This simple act doesn't feel good when I'm doing it, but over time, this willpower transfers to other aspects of my life. Other examples of things that you may not feel like doing, but that will help you build willpower & discipline include:

• Meditating
• Waking up @ 5 am
• Exercising for 30 minutes every day
• Replacing coffee with tea

Your willpower gets stronger the more that you flex it. Start small. As your self-control grows, you can integrate more hard things into your daily life. Over time, you will feel more focused, confident, and in control of your life. In this state of mind, results come naturally because you've conditioned yourself for success.

THIS is how you build willpower & discipline.

What can you do today that is going to suck, but that will challenge you to grow and become more? If you can commit to this ONE thing, I promise that your life will get better.

Do you want to know how you can flex your willpower muscle on a daily basis? CLICK HERE to get instant access to my FREE Morning Ritual Cheatsheet!

There are 7 things I wish I stopped sooner.

As I've grown older and wiser, I've taken time to reflect upon my life choices. Looking back on my past, I realize that the ways I was thinking and behaving were holding me back.

While it's not healthy to live in the past and dwell on what could have been, it's important to learn from your experiences. Doing so ensures that you don't make the same mistakes again.

The past can be an informative tool if you don’t get trapped in it. I hope the wisdom that I'm going to share with you today empowers you to take action to change your life.

If you're ready to stop doing things that don't serve your highest self, keep reading…

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What is holding you back in life?

In order to have what you want, you need to be willing to let go of what is no longer working. Knowing what you need to let go of requires self-awareness. Once you start to pay attention to how you move throughout your life, you will start to notice patterns. If these patterns are disempowering, so to will your life.

The truth will always set you free, even when it's painful to accept. If you want to become more, you have to be willing to embrace change. As Marshall Goldsmith said, “What got you here won’t get you there.” By sharing my journey and bringing attention to what I wish I had stopped sooner in my life, I hope it will help motivate you to make a change in your life.

Here are 7 things I wish I stopped sooner.

1. Being Scared Of Failure And Rejection

I used to be terrified of failing, to the point that I wouldn't try anything for fear that I would make a mistake. When I was a kid my dad was really negative and critical. My siblings and I couldn't do anything right. I didn't get enough praise or reinforcement from my dad. In turn, I created a story that I wasn't good enough.

This pain fueled my belief that if I failed, that meant I was a failure in every aspect of my life. In effect, I was paralyzed by fear. Eventually, I hit my emoti0nal threshold. I knew that if I avoided failure and pain, I would only live a life of regret so I decided to use my pain as motivation.

A lot of people choose to stay inside their comfort zones because it feels safe. From personal experience, I have learned that nothing grows inside your comfort zone. If you want to become more, you must step into the unknown and get comfortable being uncomfortable. That is where success lies.

Once I started studying success, I found that every successful person endures failure. Not only that, but they fail well, meaning that they perceive every challenge as an opportunity for growth.

This idea was best expressed by Oprah Winfrey who said, “I don't believe in failure. Failure is just information and an opportunity to change your course.” If you want to succeed, you must be willing to fail forward. Never allow your fears to shrink who you could be. You only have so many days to live. Don't waste them.

2. Video Games

When I was a teenager, I was extremely shy. I hated school and I didn't have many friends. As a result, I was extremely isolated. Playing video games helped me escape reality and cope with my social anxiety. However, it also prevented me from developing social skills and self-confidence.

By emotionally numbing myself, I didn't have to deal with my problems which only made my problems worse. Luckily, I got to a point where I was tired of being depressed and lonely. I ended up selling all of my video games and did a 360-degree turnaround. I focused all of my energy and attention on personal growth and development.

3. Negativity and Complaining 

Today, I'm a happy and upbeat person. However, I wasn't always this way. I used to be very negative. My immediate reaction was to look for the bad in every situation. I realized that it was all a matter of interpretation. In any situation of life, what is wrong is always available, but so is what's right.

There's a lot of horrible things that are happening in the world right now. The news will constantly point out the negative because that's how they grab your attention. The more views they get, the more ad revenue they generate. We need to remember that there is also a lot of positive things that happen in the world every day.

When you train your mind to look for the good, you attract more good things into your life. When you focus on what you are grateful for in your life, you are better able to see the world in a positive light. In turn, you are less likely to focus on negativity and hate.

Today, when I'm faced with a difficult situation, I ask myself, “What is good about this situation and how can I learn from it?” No matter how awful a situation is, there is always a silver lining, if you're willing to look for it.

4. Trying To Control Life

I used to be a control freak. This was my protection mechanism. If I didn't feel like I had everything under control, I felt helpless. What a lot of people don't realize is that control is an illusion. You don't have any control over the outcome of a situation. Life will happen and people will act how they want to act.

The only thing that you have control over is how you respond to adversity. Learning to surrender and let go is the purest form of freedom. I have learned to trust in a higher power, which for me is God. Everything in my life is happening for a reason and a purpose that serves me.

I don't know why things happen, but I have learned to have faith and trust the process. Adversity is an inevitable part of life. You cannot escape from it. Instead of resisting the pain, surrender to what is so that you can make room for what will be.

5. Eating Junk Food

When I was young, every meal that I ate was junk food, meaning that it had zero nutritional value. By choosing to put toxic foods into my body, I knew that I would pay the price for this way of living down the road. I thought that health was the absence of disease, but it's not.

Just because you don't have a disease doesn't mean that you're healthy. A lot of diseases can be prevented, based on what you're putting into your body every single day. I don't want to be the richest man in the graveyard. I know that by adopting healthy habits and taking care of my body I will get more out of life and, in turn, be a happier person.

6. Pornography

I was first exposed to pornography back when there was dial-up Internet. I saw it as harmless until it started to affect every area of my life. Over time, I began experiencing depression and anxiety. Even worse, pornography was affecting my ability to connect and relate to women. At a certain stage of my life, I even experienced erectile dysfunction.

Pornography trains your brain to experience sexual arousal from pixels on a screen. I could totally relate to this. When I was being intimate with a woman, I used to struggle to connect with her on a sexual level because my mind was obsessed with the images that I was watching on porn videos.

For a long time, I was in denial that I had a problem. When I tried to stop porn altogether, I couldn't. This was a huge red flag that I was addicted to it. Once I did a dopamine detox, my entire life transformed. Not only did I stop pornography, but I had more confidence, I felt happier, and I became more attractive to women.

7. Caring What People Think Of Me

I used to be a people-pleaser, meaning I wanted to make everyone happy, at the expense of my happiness. This was because I was insecure. I wanted people to like me, even if that meant saying yes to things that went against my values. I wasn't comfortable within myself.

Once I started creating better boundaries and loving myself more, I no longer felt like I needed validation from others. When you feel whole and complete, you stop caring so much about what people think of you.

Today, when people criticize me I know that it has nothing to do with me. It speaks about what someone is going through in their world. They are suffering and projecting their pain onto me. The best thing that I can do is send them love and compassion and continue staying in my lane, trigger-free and happy.

These are the 7 things I wish I stopped sooner.

If you find yourself repeating unhealthy behavior patterns that are keeping you stuck, never forget that you have the power to change the narrative. One decision can change the trajectory of your entire life. What are you ready to let go of so that you can make room for something better?

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Would you believe me if I told you that self-help books will change your life in the most unexpected ways?

If you're reading this blog, my gut tells me that you have a passion to grow and evolve.

Whether you're on that journey now or are ready to take the leap of faith and start, thank you for your willingness to show up for yourself.

Research shows that people who intentionally set out to enrich their lives through self-growth and development report that they are happier.

How would it feel to wake up every day feeling happier knowing that you were becoming the best version of yourself?

If you're ready to give yourself the gift of personal growth, keep reading to discover the top 10 self-help books that will change your life.

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Personal growth requires that you change.

Nothing in your life will change unless you do. As Jim Rohn famously said, “For things to change, you have to change. For things to get better, you have to get better. For things to improve, you have to improve. When you grow, everything in your life grows with you.” Who I am today is the direct result of my commitment to self-development.

When I was 17 years old, I was in a dark place in my life. I was a shy and introverted kid who struggled with crippling anxiety and depression. On top of that, I was addicted to video games. The fantasy world that I created online was my way of escaping reality. It's hard to admit this, but I hated myself and my life. I felt helpless.

Self-development was my saving grace. It made me believe that I could be, do, and have ANYTHING that I wanted. All of a sudden, I discovered a world of new possibilities. Before that time, I didn't think that I could change. I assumed that I would always be anxious and depressed. I was wrong. From that moment onward, I got rid of everything that was limiting my life.

When I started my self-development journey my ultimate goal in life was to achieve self-mastery. To this day, it is something that I continuously strive for in every aspect of my life. Every day I ask myself, “How can I be better today than I was yesterday?”

I guess you could say that I am addicted to improving myself.

The benefits of investing in my personal growth and development have been far-reaching. Once you get a taste for and experience the changes that occur in your life as a result of self-help, you get a thirst for more! Over the years I have invested in my personal growth in many different ways, whether it be reading books, hiring coaches and mentors, attending seminars, or biohacking my health.

People ask me all of the time what self-help books I recommend that they read. My response is always the same, “What area of your life are you most focused on right now?” or “What problem do you want to overcome?” That is usually how I determine what books I want to read.

It is through improving yourself that you will get the most out of your life. The more that you grow and improve, the more that your income will grow too. Let's dive into the top 10 books that will change your life.

1. Awaken The Giant Within, Tony Robbins

This book changed my life when I was 18 years old. It continues to remain my favorite book of all time.

Tony Robbins has and continues to be my biggest role model in the self-development world. He has achieved mastery in multiple areas of his life. This book is like a self-mastery blueprint for how you can step up and start taking control of your life. He has a shorter summary of this book called Notes From A Friend. I encourage you to read this book anytime you are going through a difficult time in life, as it can be finishing within an hour or two. However, don't read it until you've read Awaken The Giant Within.

2. The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide To Personal Freedom, Don Miguel Ruiz

Inside this book, Ruiz talks about the Four Agreements that we should all live by, which are as follows:

1. Be impeccable with your word
2. Don't take things personally
3. Don't make assumptions and
4. Always do your best

Ruiz believes that, as children, we are conditioned to behave in a certain way. We then carry these conditioned belief systems into adulthood and accept them as “normal.” His Four Agreements prove that it is possible to break free from societal conditioning and make new rules that best serve our highest self.

3. As A Man Thinketh, James Allen

This book is a self-help classic and short read.

The message inside the book is that what you think, you become. Your thoughts create your reality, so if you want to change your life, you first need to change your thoughts. Thus, the key to mastering your life and becoming a positive and successful person is to be in control of your thoughts.

4. The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, Stephen Covey

This is, by far, one of the most inspiring books I've ever read.

Inside his book, Stephen Covey puts forth a framework for personal effectiveness and success. He stresses that real change happens from the inside out. Who we are is best understood by looking at the collection of habits that we engage in daily.

In turn, these habits impact our behaviors and decisions in life. The 7 habits Stephen addresses in the book are:

1. Be proactive
2. Begin with an end in mind
3. Put things first
4. Think win-win
5. Seek first to understand, then be understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the saw

This book will help you look at the world in a very different way.

5. 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, Jordan Peterson

Jordan is a famous Canadian clinical psychologist and University professor. He is well known for his talks on cultural and political issues. His book, The 12 Rules For Life is a different kind of self-help book.

While fascinating, it's not an easy read. This is why I recommend that you watch some of Jordan's lectures on YouTube so that you understand his position before reading this book.

The core message of his book is that we need to take responsibility for our lives. In his words, “Clean your room.” When you take care of your immediate environment first, you are better able to take on bigger challenges in life. Peterson stresses that when we blame others or the world for our problems, we lose our power. A huge part of taking responsibility means carrying our burdens while finding meaning from the adversities that we face.

6. Psycho-Cybernetics: A New Way to Get More Living Out of Life, Maxwell Maltz

This book teaches you about the power of visualization and the subconscious mind.

So much of your reality can be manifested based on what you visualize. Inside his book, he talks about how we all have a fixed self-image of how we perceive ourselves. Nothing in your life will change until you change your self-image. When you visualize yourself as having the self-image that you desire most, your external reality will follow suit. In turn, you will be able to attract more happiness and success in your life.

7. How to Win Friends and Influence People In The Digital Age, Dale Carnegie

The most successful people that I have met are masters at winning friends and influencing people. Persuasion is an important skill that will help you influence others to buy into your ideas and inevitably achieve your goals. This book teaches you basic communication and social skills for the goal of influencing people.

Carnegie talks about the fundamental techniques for handling people, six ways to make people like you, how to win people with your way of thinking, and how to become a leader in your personal and professional life.

8. Way of The Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives, Dan Millman

This book is based on a true story about Dan Millman, who is a popular, good looking champion athlete. He has everything that you would imagine a young person would want. However, in the book he comes to realize that he's not happy with himself. He meets a man, whom he calls Socrates, who is an old warrior. This man teaches Dan how to be more present and live as a peaceful warrior. The changes that he makes to his internal world end up changing his external world as well.

This book has a lot of valuable wisdom in it about how you can best overcome adversities in life.

9. The Alchemist: A Fable About Following Your Dream, Paulo Coelho

If you're lost in life and are looking for your purpose, this is a must-read book.

This is a fictional story of a young boy, Santiago, who is on a journey to discover his calling in life. Embedded throughout the story is the theme of following your heart's desires. With each challenge that the young boy faces, he learns a new lesson. Just like in life, if we refuse to give up and instead trust in our ability to achieve anything, the Universe will help us fulfill our dreams.

10. The War Of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, Steven Pressfield 

This book helps you overcome procrastination, fear, and laziness – pretty much anything that is preventing you from taking action in life.

Steven calls this resistance. He stresses that resistance prevents people from doing the things that will get them ahead in life. When you are able to identify the root cause of your resistance, you will feel more empowered to learn how to deal with it and eventually get past it.

***Bonus Book*** 50 Self-Help Classics: 50 Inspirational Books to Transform Your Life from Timeless Sages to Contemporary Gurus, Tom Bowdon

This book is a compilation of the 50 best self-help books of all time.

In each chapter, Tom summarizes the timeless ideas and insights from each book that have helped countless people unleash their potential in life. The 50 book topics cover everything from business to psychology to philosophy and personal biographies.

This book will give you a lot of great ideas about what books you may be interested in reading next on your self-improvement journey.

These are the top 10 self-help books that will change your life.

The wisdom and knowledge inside of these books have helped me build financial freedom and create more happiness and fulfillment in my life. I trust that these books will give you an amazing foundation to support you in achieving your goals and dreams. Read them, devour them, and take action to apply them to your life.

Are you ready to improve every aspect of yourself so that you can create more success in your life? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!

If you think you are going nowhere in life, take a deep breath and watch this.

It is important that you accept that the past is ancient history. It’s okay to remember your past, but don’t live in it. It does not dictate or determine your future in any way, unless you allow it to.

It’s time to stop worrying and start living, today. In the words of Lisa Unger, “The past is history, the future is a mystery, but the present is a gift.”  

In this very moment, you have an opportunity to make new decisions, choices, and actions in order to create the life that you desire. Who do you want to be TODAY, and what do you want to create for your future? You are the master of your destiny.

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The best way to answer this question is to create a compelling vision for your life. This is one of the most effective strategies for achieving your dreams.

Most people have a million excuses for why they can’t dream. Tap into the small child inside of you who believes that they can be and do anything in this world. What would that look like for you?

Creating a vision for your life begins by identifying your core values and your purpose. Unfortunately, for many people, a vision doesn’t seem real for them, which is why you need to break it down into smaller goals.

You need to have a yearly goal in every aspect of your life – health, emotions, finances, spirituality, career, relationships, etc. For example, if you want to make $100,000 in one year, then how much money do you need to make in the next 6 months, 3 months, or 1 month?

A vision is a powerful catalyst for doing so, because it gives you something to work towards. Don’t let your vision scare you. Everything of value in life always has a starting point. Just start!

When I was 17 years old I didn’t think that my life was going anywhere – I was shy, depressed, lonely, and I was addicted to video games.

I let my life pass me by because I wasn’t focused on creating the future that I desired. This was a big mistake. As soon as you start thinking for your future, and not just doing what is convenient and comfortable, your life changes.

If you want to invest in your future, you need to start learning and growing. When you do so, it opens up your mind to new possibilities and opportunities. Jim Rohn said it best, “If you want to have more, you need to become more.”

In my early 20’s, I made the decision to change my life for the better. I didn’t have much money at the time, but I was committed to personal growth.

I remember that I went to a thrift shop in Vancouver, B.C. and bought $2 self-development books and started reading as much as I could.

Reading these books made me realize what my mission and purpose in life was. From that moment on, I was hooked.

If you think you are going nowhere in life, drop that story. The beauty of life is that, at any given moment, you have the power to make a change.

Find resources, seminars, or books that target your biggest obstacle in life, and learn the strategies and habits from the people that have overcome whatever it is that is holding you back. Once you overcome your fears, you will upgrade your life.

Lastly, every month I challenge you to write down and document all of the amazing goals that you have accomplished in your life, big and small. Every month I like to capture my monthly goals, the conversations I had, the books that I read, the content I have consumed, the ways that I grew and improved myself, and the actions that I took in my business. If you do so, it will inspire and motivate you to achieve more.

If you think you are going nowhere in life, take a deep breath and watch this. Write down your vision and your goals, and then take action!

Nothing is going to change if you just consume content. You need to apply what you are learning. There is no better time than now to take a risk, push your comfort zone, and become the person that you desire to be. Are you ready?

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People have a huge impact on your life. Are your friends holding you back? A great way to find out if they are is to write down the qualities of the people that you spend the most time with. Do they support you in the achievement of your goals? Do their life choices inspire you? Do you feel happy when you are in their presence? If the answer to these questions is no, then it’s time to find new friends.

If you want to achieve success in life, you need to surround yourself with high vibe people that inspire and elevate you to live in alignment with your highest self. We all need an empowering ecosystem – a group of positive, successful individuals that are focused on growing and expanding in every area of their lives. There is an old proverb that reads, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are.”

If you choose to surround yourself with negative people, not only will they drain your energy, but their negativity will also rub off on you. Alternatively, positive people are those that challenge and inspire you to grow and elevate your game. Are your friends holding you back?

Watch the video below:

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It’s not always comfortable being around people that are smarter and more successful than you. However, it is a good thing because it helps you to raise your standards, and challenges you and inspires you to grow. If you aren't growing in life, you are dying. This is why the most successful people in the world have made it a habit of surrounding themselves with people that push them to step out of their comfort zones and achieve their goals.

I cut out anyone in my life that is negative and not supportive of me, because I know how easily these types of people can drain my emotional and mental energy. I have achieved so much success in my life is because I consciously choose to surround myself with like-minded people who are on the same path as I am, which is personal growth and development.

There is no reason for you to spend time with people who bring you down or who aren't supportive of your choices in life. Steve Jobs said it best, “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.” Are your friends holding you back?

I would like to share with you three tips for attracting positive, high vibe people into your life:

1. Let Go Of Negative Friends

The first step in finding a new tribe of positive and successful friends is to be true to yourself, which means letting go of friends that shoot down your ideas and aspirations in life. You have to eliminate the wrong people from your life before the right people will come in. It’s time to cut the ties and let go of toxic friendships. Stop sacrificing yourself and your happiness for others. It is only holding you back. In a study out of Wayne State University, researchers found a 58% higher variance in happiness in participants, attributed to the quality of close friendships in their lives. Choose wisely.

2. Be Open To New Experiences

If you want to attract successful people into your life, you need to be willing to take chances and put yourself in environments where you know inspiring people hang out. Go to seminars or workshops, attend meet-up groups, or join a mastermind group. These are all great ways to network with like-minded people. The question is, “Are you willing to take advantage of these opportunities?” Michael Dell, CEO and Founder of Dell Inc., gives this advice about finding people who are smarter than you:“In professional circles, it's called networking. In organizations it's called team building. And in life it's called family, friends, and community.”

3. Hire A Coach or Find A Mentor

The best way to get ahead in life is to learn from someone who has already achieved the success that you aspire to. A coach or a mentor is there to help you, to inspire you, and to show you that anything is possible. Richard Tirendi, CEO and Co-founder of VisionQuest says, “If you're the smartest one in the room, you're in the wrong room.” Most of the successful people that I’ve been able to surround myself with are coaches, mentors, or mastermind groups that I’ve paid to be apart of. Don't be afraid to invest in yourself. It is one of the best return of investments you can make. It is your message to the world that, “The value and potential that I possess, is important enough to me that I’m going to give it the energy, space, and time to grow and create results.” 

Do everything in your power to surround yourself with positive people. In the words of Jack Canfield, “Make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive, nourishing, and uplifting people – people who believe in you, encourage you to go after your dreams, and applaud your victories.” 

Are you ready to receive cutting edge strategies for accelerating success and mastering every area of your life, every month, LIVE? CLICK HERE to join my Life Mastery Accelerator program!

The best approach to address haters and people in your life that don’t support your decisions is to learn how to not give a f*ck.

When you are able to adopt this mindset, you find freedom.

The moment that you choose to stop caring what other people think about you, is the moment that you are on the path to success in your life. So many people worry too much about whether or not people like or accept them.

Stop trying to get people to like you.  You have to live your life for YOU. If you are focused on making everyone else happy, but you aren’t happy, than what is the point of it all?

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

Do you want to learn how to build a successful business? CLICK HERE for instant access to my free training course that teaches you 7 ways to make money online!

Make sure that you make decisions that are best for you. If other people don’t like them, that’s OK. Just remember – the trick is knowing how to not give a f*ck. When you are able to break through the limiting beliefs that hold you back from stepping into your power, freedom is yours for the taking.

When you live from a place of authenticity, you are in alignment with your true self. Being connected to your true self is essential to living a fulfilled and happy life. In the words of Brene Brown, “Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.”

You need to cultivate the mindset of a champion; someone that is already successful. It all starts in your mind. We all possess a mental blueprint, otherwise known as our story or our belief about how life should be.

Your current blueprint has gotten you exactly where you are today. If your life doesn’t match your blueprint, you won’t feel fulfilled. If you want to move from a place of fear into freedom, the first step is to understand what your current blueprint is so that you can learn what you can do in order to change it.

If you aren’t happy with the results in your life, its time to change your mindset. Ask yourself, “What feels right for me?” Focus on that. Live your vision and your purpose. When you start becoming successful, you can expect more haters to emerge into your life. I challenge you to embrace the hatred from others, because that just means that you are on the right track.

Haters hate on you because you are doing what they cannot, or are too afraid to do. Dr. Steve Maraboli said it best, “Don’t worry about the haters…they are just angry because the truth you speak contradicts the lie they live.”

In other words, learn how to not give a f*ck.

The most successful people in history all have millions of people that dislike them. Back in 2012 when I first started posting videos and blogs, not a lot of people judged me because I was always conscious about surrounding myself with the right people. I believe that who you spend time with is who you become.  It’s important to surround yourself with positive and supportive people.

If you surround yourself with negative people, they will pull you down and disempower you to take action in your life. You want your support network to be in your corner. If they aren't, it’s time to find new friends. Believe in your heart that what you are doing is right. Nurture the internal compass that is guiding you along your path to success.

When you learn how to not give a f*ck about the haters that surround you, success is yours for the taking. Use their words as fuel in order to take your life to the next level. Just be YOU. Focus on being the best that you can be.

In the words of John Assaraf, “Look in the mirror. That is your only competition.”  When you get to the point where the scariest and most fierce competitor is yourself, you know you’re on your own path to greatness (Rezendes, 2016).

Stay true to yourself and I promise you that the rest will fall into place.

Do you want to learn how to build a successful business? CLICK HERE for instant access to my free training course that teaches you 7 ways to make money online!

I want to share with you how to master your mind and emotions.

We have been raised in a reactive world.  All of us experience moments in our lives when we are triggered in a negative way.

Triggers are a normal part of life. It is up to you how you choose to interpret and respond to these events. You always have a choice. It comes down to your mindset.

If you want to master your emotions, you need to understand the difference between reactive versus proactive thinking.

Reactive people have little control over their emotions. They adopt a victim mentality, and believe that their lives are run by external factors.

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

[smart_track_player url=”http://www.buzzsprout.com/9299/469491-plm-396-how-to-master-your-mind-and-emotions.mp3″ ]

Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will teach you how to master your mind and emotions? CLICK HERE to purchase my Morning Ritual Mastery course!

Unfortunately a lot of people choose to live in a reactive state.   A life based on reactive decisions only causes pain and suffering. Alternatively, proactive people only concern themselves with what they are able to control and change, which includes the way that they react to events in their lives.

In short, they have learned how to master their emotional state. According to Stephen Covey, proactivity is one of the most important characteristics of successful and personally effective people.

He argues that, “If you’re proactive, you don’t have to wait for circumstances or other people to create perspective expanding experiences. You can consciously create your own.” You cannot control the outside world. The only thing that you have control over is your mind and emotions.

In the words of John Maxwell, “Life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it.” Attitude is everything.  How do you choose to react and interpret the events of your life? Two people can have the same experience, but interpret the meaning of that experience in an entirely different way.

It all comes down to their mindset. Research shows that a proactive personality has been found to be a prime predictor of entrepreneurial success. People who have adopted this personality trait have a mindset that focuses on the belief that they are responsible for creating their environment (Van Rooy, 2014).

The most successful people in the world have adopted a consistent morning ritual. In order to master your mind, you have to develop emotional mastery. A great way to do this is to adopt an empowering morning ritual, which puts you in an optimal state of mind, on a physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual level.

My course, Morning Ritual Mastery teaches you how to create an empowering ritual that helps you master every aspect of your life. In the words of Hal Elrod, “When you change the way that you wake up in the morning, you change your life.”

My morning ritual helps ground me for the day ahead, so that I feel in control and non-reactive. When I am in this high vibrational state, I am unstoppable.  I am happier, healthier, and more productive. If you build a solid foundation and start your morning this way, you will be able to handle challenges with grace and ease.

Your success in life depends, in part, on your ability to interpret events in a positive and empowering way. Don’t always jump to a negative conclusion. Before you respond, assess a situation first.

What if you took a step back and looked at an experience from a different perspective? How you experience your life depends on the view that you have of yourself and the world around you. The next time you are triggered, ask yourself, “How can this experience benefit me? What can I learn? How can I grow?”

If you adopt this mindset, your life will transform. When you learn how to master your mind and your emotions, you master your life.

Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will teach you how to master your mind and emotions? CLICK HERE to purchase my Morning Ritual Mastery course!

In this episode of #AskStefan, I answer a question from someone about whether or not people laughed or made fun of me when I first publicly started sharing my goals in 2012.

I also talk about how it's important to not care what other people think about you.

A quote by Lao Tzu sums it up perfectly – “Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”

Everyone else will have a plan for your life and will judge you for not living what they believe is right.  I faced a lot of this growing up in my family.

Ultimately, you have to be able to make your own decisions based on what will make YOU happy and help you create the life that YOU dream about.

At the end of the day you are the only person who needs to approve of your own choices.

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

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Video transcript

What's up, everyone? This is Stefan from projectlifemastery.com coming to you guys from a beautiful little island in Thailand right now. It's called Ko Lae, and it's literally the smallest island I've ever been on. You can literally walk across it in about a minute.

We took a boat and went to Ko Phi Phi Don, went snorkeling, and then we went to Maya Bay, which is where the movie “the Beach” was filmed with Leonardo Di Caprio, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We went to hang out with monkeys, and we've just been having an awesome day. It's been great here.

I only have a few minutes right now, because our boat is parked on this island for about a half hour. I want to make sure that I get off this island because I don't want to be stranded here.

Did your friends and family laugh at you and make fun of you?

I thought I'd take out the camera and shoot a video for you guys and answer one of the AskStefan questions. Now the question that I have is from someone named Claus Schmidt, and the question, I don't have it actually in front of me, but the question was, “Did your friends and family laugh at you and make fun of you when you originally shared your goals on your YouTube channel and on your blog back in 2012?”

Just so you're clear what he's referring to, back in 2012 is when I started projectlifemastery.com and my YouTube channel. I still use Project Life Mastery as a way to be accountable, to declare my goals, to share my life. Just by publicly declaring my goals, it forces me to be accountable, step up and achieve them.

Did people laugh? Did people judge me? Did people make fun of me? The answer to that is actually no, but yes. People didn't explicitly judge me or make fun of me to my face or anything like that, and I think one reason for that is you have to understand, before 2012, I was already doing a lot of online marketing and already had a fair level of success in my life.

Maybe I didn't outwardly have a nice car or apartment, but by that point in my life, I was still doing really, really well. I had achieved financial freedom. I was making at least over $60,000 to $100,000 a year just from online marketing and was doing really well.

Before that, though, I remember when I was 21 years old and I left the family business, I was working for my dad. I decided to quit that business and then go start a dating coaching business with two friends called Lifestyle Transformations. Previously before that, I was a very shy person. That's how most of my family knew me before then. I definitely … It wasn't something that my dad really approved of back then, but you know what?

You can't live your life worrying about what other people think

You have to live your life for yourself, making sure that you're doing what makes you happy. Because if you're making everyone else happy, but you're not making yourself happy, then what's the point of it all? There's no point in doing that. You have to make sure that you make the right decisions that are best for you and your life.

If other people don't like that, that's okay. You have to be okay with that. The truth is, not everyone's going to agree with you. Not everyone's going to approve of the decisions that you make, but you have to do what's right for you, what feels right, and what ultimately is going to help you create the life that you want, the vision that you have for your life.

Despite that, I kept moving forward. I've had a lot of adversity throughout my life, a lot of judgment, a lot of negativity, a lot of rejection, but after a while, you just become numb to that. You become desensitized towards what other people think of you.

That's essentially what's happened throughout my life, because that was one of the only ways that I could actually overcome the shyness and the fear and insecurity that I had was actually to purposely go out there and face those rejections and fears, and purposely try to find ways to put myself in situations where I'd be in awkward or uncomfortable situations, and being able to move forward from that. I think that builds a lot of your confidence as well.

Now back in 2012, though, when I first posted my life and my goals and everything, another reason why a lot of people at that time didn't really make fun of me or anything is because I've always been very conscious about surrounding myself with the right people.

I've always believed that who you spend time with is who you become

It's really important to surround yourself with people that are positive, that are supportive of you.  If you have people in your life that are negative, that are pulling you down, that are making fun of you, and judging you, and laughing at you, then these aren't the people that you want in your life. Even if they're on Facebook, if they're on Facebook and they're making fun of you and stuff like that, why are you friends with them? Why would you want those people around you in your life?

I'd be personally delete and eliminate those people from your life because it's almost like you've got to pull weeds out of your garden. If you have this beautiful garden, one or two weeds can destroy the whole thing. You have to be very careful of that. Whenever there is negativity or people that are holding you back in your life, you have to be quick to eliminate that.

If it's friends, if it's family … friends, it's challenging. I've been there before. I have friends from high school that I used to be close with that I had to distance myself from over a period of time because we just weren't aligned.

I remember, actually, when I really wanted to change my life and become more outgoing and social, a lot of the friends that I had back then, they just wanted to stay at home and play video games. I just knew that wasn't what I wanted anymore. I wanted to be free from that. I wanted to evolve. I wanted to develop my social skills and confidence.

I knew that to get to where I wanted to go, I couldn't hang out with friends that just wanted to play video games on Friday and Saturday night. I had to find people that were more outgoing, that were more social, that were more confident, be around them, and distance myself, unfortunately, from a lot of the friends that didn't really have the characteristics, or the division, or the same alignment of goals and habits and behaviors and all that sort of stuff that what I really wanted.

You can distance yourself…

When it comes to family, though … I've only got a few more minutes, because they're actually calling me, but when it comes to family, the family is a tough one, because you can't just eliminate them from your life, but you can distance yourself. I remember for me just living at home when I was young, one of the best decisions I ever made, I'm so grateful for, and I'm sure many if you guys can relate to this as well, has been moving out of my parents' house.

I just remember for myself, living with your parents, at times you get frustrated with each other, annoyed, or maybe your parents have certain rules and stuff, and that can kind of limit you from really growing in your life. When you decide to move out, you become more independent, you get to make your own decisions, and it's a really good place to be.

I just remember for myself, that was a big decision for my life. Then the great thing is, once you move out you can see your family and spend time with them more on your terms. If you have people in your family that are negative and not supportive of you, then you can still hang out with those people when you see them and what not, but I would just consciously distance myself from them, at least for a period of time so that you can really focus on achieving your goals and making them happen.

The funny thing is eventually once you achieve massive success in your life, all of those people that might have laughed at you or made fun of you or judged you or thought certain things, they won't be thinking that anymore. Sure enough, they'll actually all come to you and want to know exactly what you're doing, and want to learn from you, and benefit from you as well. I can relate to that as well.

Once I started having massive success and doing these amazing things, all of a sudden all my family members, my cousins, my aunts, my uncles, my brother, sister, all of them wanted to know what I was doing. Sure enough, a lot of them got into Kindle publishing and went through my courses, and they totally treat me and respect me on a much different level now as well.

Same thing with a lot of old friends, a lot of friends from high school, people that might even just be acquaintances, they'll start reaching out to you and whatnot. It's really kind of amazing how that can happen.

Get over what people think of you

That's kind of a unique experience that you go through once you achieve massive success is that results speak for itself. People don't really judge you or make fun of you or anything like that at that point. Overall, the message that I have for you is just get over what people think of you.

Part of being a confident successful person is being the kind of person that is unfazed by that, that just is unaffected by that. They live their purpose. They do what they feel is right, make decisions that are based on the greater good, what they want to serve in the world, and also what's right in their heart.

As you become more successful, in many ways you actually get more criticism, more judgment, more negativity, but it's more so people that might be jealous of you, or insecure, or threatened, or just you become more of a target, in some ways as well. You have to be able to deal with that also, if you want to have a lot of success in your life and not be affected by it. There are people out there that don't like me.

I don't know why. I've never met these people before. Maybe it's something that I said or did, or maybe how I live my life. Who knows, but you can't let that affect you. Someone that's on the internet who you have no idea who that person is, and it's … I kind of view the internet sometimes as just kind of this fantasy world and not really as real life, because it just feels like a different universe and everything.

That's something that comes with the territory

I think just developing your confidence in who you are, and just doing what you feel is right, as long as you stay true to that, yourself, and you can look yourself in the mirror and feel good about yourself, that's ultimately the most important thing. Don't let anything like that hold you back, and stop you from sharing your goals, your life.

You want your friends, the people in your life to support you, to cheer you on, to like your posts on Facebook, cheer you on with your goals and support you. If they don't, then maybe you have the wrong people that you're surrounding yourself with. That's another thing to think about as well.

I've ranted now for about ten minutes. Hopefully, I can get off this island now, but hopefully, you guys also enjoyed this video. I feel really blessed and grateful just having this chance to be able to communicate with you guys, and share my message, and answer your questions, and be able to connect with you.

Looking forward to seeing what you guys think of this video, and I got some more videos coming for you guys soon, but I'm going to get going now. Make sure to like and leave a comment below, and I'll talk to you guys soon. Take care.