World Class Thinking

After 30+ years as an entrepreneur building businesses in 10 countries around the world, I’ve seen my share of great performers and miserable failures. As a matter of fact, I’ve been both myself. Surprisingly enough, it’s a thin thread between the two. A few good or bad habits, beliefs or philosophies can make or break you. World-class success is rarely related to exceptional talent or education. These things certainly help, but the core of uncommon achievement is more about will than skill. After 1,389 interviews with self-made millionaires over the past 36 years, I’ve heard a lot of metaphors about failure

Even in the most highly educated countries in the world, studies show that most people live in a fear-based consciousness. Fear is an effective method of protection and self-preservation, yet it relegates us to a painful existence and limited success. The most intelligent among us quickly realize that this level of thinking is self-destructive and unnecessary, despite the number of occasions where it served their best interests. The real problem with fear and scarcity-based thinking is how it attaches itself to situations where a threat doesn’t exist, yet through projection it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The spouse that is positive he/she

John Adams, attorney representing the British Soldiers after the Boston Massacre in 1770, was preparing his closing argument for the jury. He handed the document to his wife, the brilliant Abigail Adams, for her review. Mrs. Adams, in no uncertain terms, scolded her husband, the future founding father and 2nd President of the United States, for drafting a closing statement designed to display his raw intelligence, superior education and command of the english language. John Adams, to his credit, revised the speech and the innocent soldiers were exonerated. This is a story of the dangers of Ego, and how even a

The 2020 Presidential election revealed more about the emotional intelligence of modern day Americans than it did about either one of the candidates. It’s one thing to hold a political opinion that counters your next door neighbors. It’s quite another to see your neighbor as an enemy because he/she doesn’t share your political point of view. Social media continues to be filled with hate-fueled messages, from both sides of the aisle, demonizing not the ideas, but the supposed “friends” on their feed. The golden rule of debate is that once you begin to level ad hominem attacks, you’ve lost. I’ve never

The most successful people expect to get what they want. What do you expect? Are you expecting your best life? Many psychologists recommend lowering your expectations as a psychological strategy to mitigate the risk of disappointment. If you’re satisfied with an average life, its not a bad strategy. But if you’re shooting for the big life, raising your expectations is one of the first steps. Watch this short video and I’ll look forward to your comments.

One of the best gifts you can give yourself is financial security. The peace of mind it offers is beyond compare. The first step is learning how money works, and then determining your personal goals and the cost of their achievement. Most people struggle with money their entire lives, and it causes them years of untold stress, discomfort and psychological suffering. The truth is that for most of us this is unnecessary. The secret is education followed by action. After 36 years of interviews with self-made millionaires and penning 4 books on the subject, I’ve learned some of the best tricks

Most people have never learned how to fight for a dream. They follow the traditional system of formal education that leads to gainful employment. Nothing wrong with that. It’s what the masses do, and frankly, its a far easier path. I refer to it as the zoo; a place where if you follow the rules and keep your hands out of the cages, you’re almost assured of a long, safe 40-year journey to a comfortable retirement in Boca Raton. But for the people who attempt entrepreneurship, its a whole different scenario. This is the Jungle. A dangerous place filled with obstacles

I hope you never get COVID-19. It’s a monster. The people who compare it with even the worst of flu have no idea. I suffered for 5-weeks, and many people had it far worse than me. At this time, over 200,000 Americans have died of this deadly virus. I feel for their families. The American response to has been among the worst in the world, and it’s not much better today than it was in March. I’ve never been that sick in my life. I lost 21 pounds the first 2 weeks, and even months after recovery I lack the stamina

In any rejection-heavy business/profession, the #1 reason people fail is not a lack of motivation. Years of psychological research shows that the true culprit is Approval Addiction; or the addiction to the approval of other people. Approval Addiction is an insidious emotional disease that often manifests itself when a person breaks out of the traditional work life in order to stake their claim. This is why entrepreneurs, salespeople, recruiters and others whose days consist of 99% rejection often leave these life-changing roles due to the emotional tidal wave created when addiction meets rejection. In the 1950’s, a psychiatrist in South Africa