Have you ever wondered why these subjects are off limits in mixed company? Research shows it’s not what most people think. It’s actually all about mental toughness; or lack thereof. The higher level of consciousness a person is operating at, the more open minded they are to opposing thoughts and ideas. The lower levels of consciousness are rooted so deeply in fear that people operating at these levels (90% of the population) are not only offended by opposing views on these and other major life issues; they will viciously attack anyone who has the courage to voice them. Human beings attempt to make sense of a world they’re not intellectually capable of fully understanding by establishing a series of beliefs and filtering everything that happens through them. These beliefs are like a series of dots they use to connect their experiences together so they make sense and have purpose. The major life issues of politics, sex and religion represent “dots” of substantial importance to most people, and when they’re challenged, the average person’s emotional security is threatened; which is when they attack. After all, they reason (consciously or unconsciously) “If this opposing view is correct and I’m wrong, the world no longer makes sense to me.” In essence, people who speak out on these types of topics threaten to “scramble the dots” of the person they’re speaking to. People operating at the higher levels of consciousness welcome these fascinating debates and opposing view points because at their level of thinking, fear doesn’t exist. Please listen to this 7-minute post and then give us YOUR opinion.
Steve Siebold
I want to personally thank the Canadian press for their continued interest in this blog. As you know, this community has several thousand subscribers around the world and some of the sharpest minds you’ll find making comments on any blog. We appreciate your support. Two reporters in the Canadian press asked us to take on some larger issues happening in the world within the framework of mental toughness and critical thinking. The next day Iran’s supreme leader makes yet another delusional statement: Israel is doomed. This is a man who claims to be a religious leader and presides over the welfare of 72- million Iranian citizens. This is the same guy (Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) who say’s Israel is a “cancerous tumor” and “must be wiped off the map” This is another reason the critical thinkers of the world have to continue to stand up, speak out, and get rid of these delusional leaders operating at a 4th grade level of consciousness. ( surely an insult to all 4th graders-my apologies!) As always, I can’t wait to hear what you guys have to say about this—and either can the Canadian press! This audio post is 4 minutes. Steve Siebold
My new book, in bookstores this June, is called How Rich People Think. In 26- years of interviewing the super-rich, I’ve uncovered their greatest secret: Leverage. While the middle class is worried about everything from who’s going to win the SuperBowl to Jennifer Anniston’s love life, the rich are studying the new thought leaders who are emerging in this global economic meltdown. It’s an easy prediction that the rich will get richer as they figure out the most effective way to leverage the new dynamics of this new economy. Listen to this post as I share some of the secrets the wealthy have shared with me. I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold
Critical thinking question: why is alcohol legal in the United States while pot is illegal? Alchohol is stronger and more destructive than marijuana, yet the government doesn’t seem to recognize this. The estimated annual tax revenue on the sales of marijuna is $10-14 billion dollars, and the government needs the money. Who is the government to tell rational thinking adults what they can and can’t do in the privacy of their own homes? Independent thinkers started this country and we’re the only people strong enough to take it back. We need to take a hard look at governments expanding role in our daily lives and decide whether we need these people telling us how to live our lives. I’ll look forward to hearing your comments. Steve Siebold (9:00)
14 years ago I experienced a personal tragedy that affected me so deeply it took me years to recover. The good news is after I came out of my fog I decided I would become a fearless pursuer of my dreams. That decision lead me to a lifestyle most people only see in movies. I’m not boasting, because this is possible for anyone who decides to make it happen. The secret is to stop caring about what other people think about your dreams. Psychologists call it “approval addiction”, and many mental health experts agree it’s the most debilitating and destructive of all addictions. I agree 100%. The upside is once you overcome it to any significant degree, you are free of the psychological chains that bind most people from ever experiencing world-class success. This is possible for all of us. It’s most likely the one major obstacle holding us back from living our dreams. I challenge every member of this mental toughness community to let go of any level of this addiction you may have. It was the single most important change I’ve ever made in my life, and I think it will be the same for you. Listen to this post and leave your comment. You’ve heard what i think, now it’s your turn. Stand up and be counted! This is your first challenge of 2010! Happy New Year, everyone! It’s going to be the best year of our lives! Steve Siebold
If you’re a fan of Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead, or Atlas Shrugged, you absolutely MUST read My Years with Ayn Rand, by Dr. Nathanial Branden. Dr. Branden was the protege of Ayn Rand, who many people believe was one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th century. The Passion of Ayn Rand was made into a Hollywood movie about 10 years ago starring Helen Mirren. The movie focused primarily around the love affair between Ms. Rand and her protege, which is typical Hollywood, but this book takes you behind the scenes of this brilliant thinker and shows you the upside and downside of true genius. It’s a lesson in Mental Toughness and Critical Thinking and I can’t put it down. Listen to this post for more in depth details and then go read the book. I bought my copy at Amazon.com I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold
This is today’s mental toughness/critical thinking question. Celebrity after celebrity gets caught cheating on his wife. It’s been happening for centuries and it will continue forever. Men, money and monogamy don’t seem to go together. But all moral judgements aside, Tiger’s public statement today sounds the same as all the others who get caught: “I’m sorry”. The truth is probably closer to “I’m sorry i got caught”. You might be sorry for one night, but three years is a long time. Tiger is probably sorry he hurt his family, but sorry for what he did for three years? probably not. Like everyone, I LOVE Tiger Woods. I love him as much today as I did yesterday. His sex life is none of my business. He’s a great golfer and thats all I care about. The point of this post is looking at all of our actual behaviors and seeing if they are congruent with our beliefs. I hope Tiger Woods knows that his beliefs drove this behavior. That way he can adjust his beliefs and change his behavior. Otherwise, once the dust settles this will happen again and again. I won’t even begin to list the public celebrities that have fallen into this belief/behavior trap. You know them as well as I do.I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold
Tennis great Andre Agassi has been stirring up the media on the cover of People Magazine and Late Night with David Letterman. In his new book, “Open”, Agassi reveals he used Crystal Meth on the tour and that he hated tennis. The tennis world is shocked, but I wasn’t surprised because of a conversation I had with Andre 15 years ago at the Scoreboard Sports Pub in Bradenton, Florida. I’ve never spoken publically about our conversation because it was private, but now that the book is out, I’m comfortable sharing it. I’m quite sure Andre would approve. There’s a mental toughness/critical thinking lesson here for all of us seeking more success. Listen and see what you think. I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold
I’m so sorry for the loss of life and sickness that occurred at James Ray’s Spiritual Warrior Program in Sedona a few weeks ago. Before this tragedy, I’d never even heard of a sweat lodge. In the weeks following this event, James Ray has been demonized all over the media. I don’t know what happened in Sedona or who, if anyone, was responsible, but I did want to say a few things about James Ray. People are saying he’s greedy, arrogant and only in the business for the money. They’re calling him everything in the book. They’re lambasting him for living in a four million dollar mansion in Beverly Hills. People are also extending their anger by criticizing the entire personal development industry and saying all of us are only in it for the money. They’re wrong about James Ray and they’re wrong about this industry. I’ve known James Ray for about 12-13 years and I can tell you for a fact that he’s in this busines to help people. Has he become wealthy from his success? You bet. And he should be. This is still America, isn’t it? James has helped thousands of people around the world. I know because we get a lot of his people in our seminars. They love him and his programs have changed their lives. I also know most of the top speakers in this industry and honestly don’t know one who is in this business for the money. Mike McKinley, a great speaker from Wisconsin, said it best: this is the hardest business to make an easy living. No one survives in this field long term unless they’re in it to help people. Do some get rich in the process? Yes, just as they do in any other industry when they create massive success. Please listen to his post and give us your comments. This is a 9-minute audio post, and I apologize for the length. But I think it’s important enough to warrant a few extra minutes. I hope you agree. I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold
I’ve just signed an international book deal with the largest wholesaler of books in the world to place all of my products in bookstores around the globe; including my 2010 release, How Rich People Think: 101 Differences in Thinking Between the Middle class and World class. This book is going to cause more controversy than the Die Fat or Get Tough Book! I’m already getting questions from the press about the content. The bottom line is THINKING is the foundation of every great (self-made) fortune. It all starts with how you THINK about money. Most people have so many limiting beliefs about money they have almost no chance of ever becoming a millionaire…unless they upgrade their beliefs. Listen to the masses talk about money and you’ll see what I mean. Most of us were brainwashed to believe wanting to be rich is wrong, and most of us never get past it. It’s a shame, especially at a time in when there is so much opportunity to create products and services that solve problems and build fortunes. Here are my 5 reasons why I think you need to be rich. I’ll look forward to your comments. Steve Siebold (6:30)
