Are you a slave to your emotions? When something doesn't go your way, how do you react? Do you calmly step back and assess the situation, or do you start ruminating and let your emotions get the best of you?

When you allow your emotions to dictate every decision that you make, it can have a negative effect on every area of your life.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to be an emotional person. Rather, it is how you regulate your emotions and navigate your way through challenges, that determines your success in life.

Are you a slave to your emotions? If so, I want to show you how to shift that mindset, so that you feel in control of your life. In the words of Oscar Wilde, “I don’t want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.”

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In her new book, How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett suggests that emotions do not happen to us without our willingness.

Rather, we construct our emotions by making meaning of our life experiences. We choose how you feel. That is something that we have 100% control over, whether you believe it or not. It all starts with your mindset.

Our thoughts create our emotions. Oftentimes, neither our thoughts nor our emotions are an accurate representation of what is really going on. Why? Because we all interpret the world through a different emotional lens.

If you are a slave to your emotions, commit to taking the steps needed in order to ensure that your emotions do not get the best of you. Easier said than done, right? Here are 3 ways to help you not be a slave to your emotions.

1. Take A Deep Breath

When our emotions are running high, short and shallow breathing can take over. If this happens, the best way to master your emotional state is to take a step back and take a deep breath.

I know this sounds simple, but it works.

Research proves that slowing your breath calms the mind. Patricia Gerbarg, a clinical professor in psychiatry at New York Medical School and author of a 2009 study on Pranayama, suggests that “By changing patterns of breathing, we can change our emotional states, and how we think and how we interact with the world.”

By learning how to harness the power of your breath, you are better able to balance your emotions. Are you a slave to your emotions? If so, positive habits like these are great ways to change your emotional state.

2. Take Responsibility

You are the only one that is responsible for your emotional well-being. Take responsibility for your life. You cannot control what other people think, do, or say.

The only thing that you have control over is how you respond to the external world. If you don't like how you feel, own it. When you take ownership for your life, you create the momentum that is required in order to change it.

Research shows that taking personal responsibility for your happiness involves, ultimately, adopting a “surrender mindset”, which refers to the willingness to fully accept the outcomes that you are dealt with in life.

Unlike others, who may ruminate when things don't work out the way they planned, the person with a surrender mindset is able to move on emotionally untouched.

Don't play the blame game. Step up and become the become the master of your mind.

3. Take Note Of Your Thoughts & Beliefs

Our beliefs determine what we end up attracting into our lives. If you dwell on the negative, that is what you will attract. Keep in mind that it isn't our thoughts that become things. Rather, it is our emotions that are triggered by unconscious beliefs.

The next time that you are feeling reactive and emotional, take a step back, be an observer of your own mind, and notice what it is that you are thinking about.

The belief systems that we have about ourselves and the world were created by US. If we can create them, then we can just as easily shift them, in ways that better serve our lives.

Will you be able to shift your belief system overnight? No. It takes time to re-write our stories, but when you do, emotional mastery is yours for the taking.

In the words of the late John Milton, “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.” Choose wisely. When you master your emotions, you master your life. 

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What it’s REALY like to be a millionaire. Is this something you have ever thought about? Many people have an idealized notion of what it means to be a millionaire.

Just because someone is a millionaire, that doesn’t necessarily mean that their lifestyle aligns with their bank account.

Most successful millionaires do not live how you think they do. Not only that, but they set themselves apart from others by the skills that they have mastered; like confidence, discipline, emotional intelligence, and money management; to name a few.

Becoming a millionaire doesn’t happen overnight. I know that many of you have goals and aspirations of joining the ‘millionaire club’ one day, so I’m happy to share my story with you.

Are you ready to learn what it’s REALLY like to be a millionaire? You may be surprised by what I have to say.

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

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Since I was 17 years old, becoming a millionaire was a goal of mine. I became a millionaire when I was 28 years old.  When I achieved the label of ‘millionaire', it didn’t mean that much to me, like I thought it would.

A more pivotal moment in my life was the point at which I was making a 6-figure salary. That is when my life transformed. I was able to travel, quit my 9-5 job, and I didn’t have to worry about money. I had finally achieved financial freedom.

This is what it’s REALLY like to be a millionaire.

A lot of people get consumed with the idea of making ‘big’ money, fast. Adopting this get rich quick mentality can be a form of ego gratification or an insecurity.

When you are obsessed with making a lot of money, it is easy to lose sight of what really matters most in life – happiness. The fact is that money does not buy happiness.

Research shows that wealth may make it harder for you to appreciate simple pleasures in life, and that’s bad news for your mindset, given that most of life is made up of simple moments that have a lasting impact on our lives.

Michael Norton, co-author of the book, Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending, suggests that, while this is all well and good, the simple pleasures in life don’t seem as exciting as the extraordinary ones.

However, he points out that you can shift this perspective by giving up a simple pleasure for a period of time, which will allow you to savor it even more when you bring it back into your life.

Oftentimes our favorite moments in life don’t involve extravagant things. Rather, they are simple things, like a conversation that left you laughing for hours with people that you love.

This is what it’s REALLY like to be a millionaire.

As many of you know, I preach the value of life mastery. I believe that relationships, health, and positive emotions trump money. You can have all the money in the world, but still be depressed, lonely, and unhealthy. In my eyes, that’s not a definition of success. That’s failure.

I know that I said earlier that I don’t think that money can buy happiness, but there are some circumstances where I believe that it can.

Money allows you to travel the world and experience new and exciting things. Memories of places that I’ve gone and the people whom I’ve shared those experiences with have brought an abundance of joy and happiness to my life.

Money also allows you to invest in yourself. If you aren’t growing, you are dying. The more that you are progressing in life, the happier you will be. For example, I am able to purchase things like a PEMF EarthPulse mat for my bed, which improves my sleep, so that I can perform at my best, every day.

Lastly, one of the biggest things that money provides you with is time. When you leverage it correctly, you can use time to do more of what you really love.

To make a million dollars you need to become someone of value and develop incredible habits that translate to all areas of your life. That is what I am most proud of in my life. The money that I’ve made as a result of the work I’ve done is merely a secondary benefit.

This is what it’s REALLY like to be a millionaire.

Jim Rohn once said, “The greatest reward in becoming a millionaire is not the amount of money that you earn. It is the kind of person that you have to become to become a millionaire.”

Are you ready to upgrade your lifestyle? Be proactive and strive to become the best version of yourself. When you commit to life mastery, anything is possible.

Do you want to learn the 7 online business models that have made me an Internet millionaire in less than 3 years? CLICK HERE for instant access to my free course!

I would like to share 3 benefits of minimalism that extend to all areas of life. Through life's ups and downs, it is important that we remember to take the time to enjoy the simple things in life. We need to be grateful for what we have, and focus on finding meaning in our lives.

Life is meant to be enjoyed, not filled with stress and frustration. Minimalism is a state of being, a simple approach to life, that can help us do more with less.  In the words of Vernon Howard, “You have succeeded in life when all you really want is only what you really need.”

That is why I wanted to invite Will Chou, the founder of Will You Laugh, a self-development blog that focuses on the secrets to success, to write a guest post to talk about 3 benefits of minimalism that extend to all areas of life.

Take it away, Will!

When I first discovered minimalism, I was a mess of a person and I thought it was stupid. But everything has changed now.  To explain my change of opinion, we have to go back to the beginning. When I first discovered minimalism, I really wanted to travel the world for a living.

At the time, I was disillusioned with my career paths and confused about my future. I was struggling to find work I could enjoy and the job opportunities that I was offered, sucked. To put it simply, like many Millennials, I had chosen a tough college major that I loved (pre-med Biology) but realized too late that it wasn’t my passion (after graduation).

My days of despair led me to seek escapism on the Internet. I discovered a large group of online bloggers that had a huge following and who called themselves, “travel hackers.”

Essentially, they would travel to exotic places for a living and make their living by “hacking life.” They were able to achieve a level of financial freedom that most people would envy. At first, I wasn't sold on this whole idea of minimalism, but that soon changed. Today, I want to share with you the three benefits of minimalism that extend to all areas of life:

1. You Will Stay Organized and Clean

I had always been a messy person. Despite my best efforts to stay clean, my room would quickly morph into a mess of junk. To put it simply, the more items you have, the more opportunity it is for it to make you feel and appear messy.

When you only have a couple of items on your desk, it’s never going to look that messy no matter how long you delay cleaning it up. It’s shocking how few people understand or use this habit. Nowadays, I have applied this minimalist philosophy to every area of my life.

2. You Will Achieve More By Working Less

A lot of people make the mistake of approaching their daily to-do list with a reactive state of mind. They take on too many tasks on a daily basis, many of which are unimportant. When they look back at what they have accomplished, they are surprised by their lack of progress.

A solution is a form of minimalism called essentialism. The concept is simple. Focus on one to three tasks per day. Make sure they are the most important tasks that will make the biggest impact on the accomplishment of your goals. If you do this right, you will realize that you’re doing less work but getting more results by prioritizing and cutting out the unnecessary.

3. You Feel Happier and Less Stressed

Not so long ago, I was frustrated with my progress, both professionally and personally. I didn’t have quality friends, I wasn't earning much, and I was lost and without direction in my dating life.

It was confusing because I had always worked super hard in school and “done the right things.” After doing a lot of research on success, happy people, and the science of happiness, I came up with a simple mantra that has helped me a lot. It goes something like, “As long as I have air, water, food, a healthy mind, and a healthy body, I am happy.”

This mantra reminds me to lead a simple, happy life. By living this philosophy, I have become a much happier, more relaxed, and lighter person.

I Am Not A Minimalist And I Don’t Want You To Be. 

Wait, what? After all, I have said, I’m now revealing that I’m not a minimalist, I don’t intend to be one. Why? I can't say that I would be happy with living a lifestyle of extreme minimalism, and that’s OK. What I love about some minimalist influencers out there is that they’re not telling you to become a minimalist.

Rather, they are encouraging that you adopt the minimalist practices that work for you. That’s where I stand. I will be rich one day and I will buy expensive experiences, but the items and services I do buy will be fewer than the average person, and they will be focused on memorable experiences, rather than a desire to hold onto possession.

It’s important not to swing from one extreme perspective (“Everything you buy has value so you should hoard it.”) to the other (“Nothing has value so get rid of it all.”). The truth lies closer to the middle.

Will has spent thousands of hours studying the world's most successful people and shares his findings on his self-development blog, Will You Laugh. Get his free gift made especially for Project Life Mastery readers by CLICKING HERE!

Today, I have a powerful motivational speech for you. If you want to achieve your goals and dreams in life, you need to wake up and go beyond your comfort zone.

We all have a zone of comfort, which is comprised of a consistent set of beliefs and behaviours that we’ve grown accustomed to. According to Alan Henry, the editor in chief of Lifehacker, “Your comfort zone is neither a good or bad thing. It's a natural state that most people trend towards.”

When we live in a comfort zone, we feel safe, but the problem with this place is that nothing ever grows here. Life becomes predictable. If you don’t go beyond your comfort zone, you will never be able to become the person that you aspire to be. Growth and comfort do not co-exist.

It’s time to wake up and go beyond your comfort zone. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

At one point in my life, I was stuck in my comfort zone. I always knew that the life that I desired was possible, but I didn’t take action. I was distracted, I was a dabbler, and I was fearful.

In order to find some clarity, I decided to write a letter to my future self about my goals, dreams, and aspirations. In that letter, I asked myself:

“Stefan, what are you afraid of? I’m your hopes and goals. I wanted you as much as you wanted me, but you left me with no choice. I simply must move on. Please do not attempt to talk your way out of this. The years of indecision and lack of discipline tells me everything that I need to know. If you really wanted me, you would have found a way for us to be together. I’m so tired of seeing my hopes soar so high, just to see them dashed. I simply must move on.”

This was a letter that changed my life. It really opened me up to doing what was necessary in order to change my life. Sometimes you need to look in the mirror and have an honest conversation with yourself.

Unfortunately, a lot of people tell themselves stories about why they can’t do something, and these negative beliefs keep them stuck in a cycle of despair.

Someone once said that, “The naked truth is always better than the best-dressed lie.” If you want to change your life, you need to get real with yourself. The truth will set you free.

If you want to have more, you need to become more, which is why you need to put yourself in challenging circumstances and get out of your comfort zone. There is no better way to conquer your fears. To this day, I am constantly pushing my limits and engaging in actions that allow me to grow.

In the words of Eddie Harris Jr., “The sooner that you step away from your comfort zone, the sooner you will realize that it really wasn’t all that comfortable.” Everything that you want in life is on the other side of fear. It's time to wake up and go beyond your comfort zone. Are you ready?

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