Motivation

A Simple Mindshift for Explosive Change

Steve Bloom 17 Comments

Costa Rica

*Note: This is a guest post by Razwana Wahid.

The suspense was killing me.

The build up had been happening for weeks.

This was marketing genius.

Feverishly salivating over every email I opened leading up to the big day, I’d made my decision before the offer had even landed in my inbox.

I’d be flying to Costa Rica to play hooky from life.

It sounded magical. A 4 star hotel with panoramic views of the ocean, the promise of rainforest treks, and catamaran rides. I didn’t care that I’d never met anyone associated with the trip. The anticipation of meeting new people excited me. And most of all? It was THE thing I needed on the horizon to know that life itself was about to transform.

Finally, the email arrived. I was on a flight from Paris to Bucharest. I’d wanted to be the first in line to book my place. That wish was desperately under threat.

As I landed and made a crazy dash to the hotel, I uttered a silent prayer that the wifi there was up to speed. Technology needed to be on my side. I didn’t want to miss out on my place. There were only 20 up for grabs. I had to get mine.

I arrived at the hotel, hurriedly opened my laptop and logged in. The homepage of the Life Hooky site loaded. I momentarily marveled at the images of Manuel Antonio before switching to the sales page. Scrolling down to the bottom, I hit the ‘buy’ button…..

And then it hit me.

The price. It was much higher than I’d anticipated. The questions started whirling round and round in my head.

– What if I don’t get along with anyone there?
– What if it isn’t worth the money?
– What if something happens before the event and I can’t actually go?

And on and on and on…The confusion of questions wouldn’t stop.

But amidst them all, in the back of my mind, in the core of my gut, the only answer I had kept presenting itself repeatedly:

Don’t think about the what if…Consider: why not?

Why not take a chance to see a new beautiful country you’ve always wanted to see?

Why not do something different to pull you out of the routine of everyday life?

Why not make connections. Real connections. With people who have the same life philosophy as me – to live with freedom at all cost.

And so I did. I bought my place (I was the first after all), got my flights, sorted my insurance. I was going to Costa Rica, baby!

And that decision right there? It’s been the philosophy I live by. It’s the philosophy my friends live by. And I’m certain, since you’re part of this community, that it’s the philosophy you live by too.

Which is why today is the start of a movement. It’s been built to rally the troops, gather the pioneers and unite the renegades to drive a stake in the ground and declare:

Stop simply dreaming about what if…and start living with why not?

Because when you stop dreaming and start consciously living, your dream life starts to unfold.

When I became a raving fan of The Middle Finger Project, I had no idea that I’d eventually take a flight to an entirely different continent to meet 20 strangers and take a chance on something that excited me. Would there be laughter? Would there be rain?. Who knew. But I was 100% certain there would be wine.

I took a tiny chance on something big. And it transformed into the philosophy of my life.

And now it’s your turn. In the comments, share your story of when you took a chance on something that excited and scared you? Something small or something monumental. When did you stop thinking what if…and went wholeheartedly with why not? How did it impact your life?

Share your story with us.

We can’t wait to hear it.

Razwana Wahid is the founder of Your Work is Your Life. A copywriting and online business strategy service dedicated to coaches, consultants, healers and service providers. The ‘what if …. why not?’ movement has started. Are you in? Join us. Right here.

photo credit: Armando Maynez

The Guide to Developing Mental Toughness

Steve Bloom 37 Comments

Mental Toughness

Several years ago I went to a comedy show.  A local amateur comedian got onstage in front of about 400 people to perform his stand-up routine.

About half way through the show, someone in the audience yelled out, “You suck!”

Without hesitation, he laughed it off and told a joke at the heckler’s expense.  I don’t remember exactly what he said, but it was hilarious.

Somehow this comedian had developed the strength and composure to deliver jokes successfully to hundreds of people.

Not only that, but he had the confidence and focus to do it while hecklers tried to undermine his performance.

This is what psychologists call mental toughness.

Mental toughness is when you:

The key component of mental toughness is learning how to condition your mind to think confidently and be able to overcome frustration and negative self-talk.  It’s when nothing can mentally keep you from reaching your goal.
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The Dangers of Playing it Safe

Steve Bloom 29 Comments

The Dangers of Playing it Safe

You don’t have to go far to hear the dangers of taking risks.  When I was young, I was taught about “stranger danger”.  As I got older, people told me about the threats to travelers.

We’re reminded of them every day in the news.  Turn on the TV and it won’t take long to find dozens of reasons to be afraid and not take any chances.

But what about the dangers of playing it safe?

Look back on your life and think about all the times you took the safe, easy route.  What experiences did you miss?  What awesome people could you have met?

What seemed so scary and risky at the time now seem like missed opportunities.
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Be Like Water

Steve Bloom 18 Comments

Bruce Lee - Be Like Water

Life is full of resistance.  There are obstacles and barriers all trying to keep you away from reaching your dreams and goals.

My advice to you is this: be like water.

Well, it’s actually not my advice.  The source for this comes from a forty year old interview with martial arts star Bruce Lee.

Most people know Bruce Lee for his fighting prowess, but he was also a big proponent of Eastern philosophy.  Cobbling together various aspects of Taoism, Confucianism and just about anything else he could read, he pulled together a life philosophy that was uniquely his own.

This approach was reflected in his fighting style called Jeet Kune Do.  It relied on experimentation to get results.  Basically Bruce Lee would incorporate any styles or moves into his own that worked.  If they didn’t work, he’d get rid of them.

I find this philosophy fascinating because it works in most areas of life.  Learn what’s useful, leave out the rest.  Don’t waste your time and energy on things that won’t help you achieve your goals.
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8 Reasons to Never Give Up

Steve Bloom 20 Comments

Never Never Give Up

I’ve accomplished quite a few things in my life.  Over the years, I’ve learned to set big goals and take solid actionable steps in order to make them happen.

But as I look back on everything I’ve done, I can’t help notice how many of them I had seriously considered giving up.

In fact, some of my proudest accomplishments were nearly tossed aside simply because I didn’t know if I could keep going anymore.

Yet in each case, I persevered.  I kept going despite the doubts.  I kept pushing past the fear and ultimately reached my goals.

Whatever goals or dreams you have, you’ll inevitably feel like giving up.  It’s a fact of life.  If you pursue something long enough, you’ll give it serious consideration.

As someone who has gone through that doubt, I can honestly relate to how tempting it is to throw away a big goal.

But those who reach the finish line push past that feeling.

Here are eight reasons you should keep going.
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Follow Your Dreams – The Story of a Man Who Went from Delivering Bread to Selling Books

Steve Bloom 26 Comments

dreams and wishes. 62/365

*Note: This is a guest post by Kimanzi Constable.

Are you living or existing?

That’s a tough question to answer.  At this point, I can honestly tell you I’m living.  It wasn’t always this way though.

If you would have talked to me three years ago, you would have been depressed.  It was a cold Wisconsin morning and I was doing what I normally did at midnight, I was delivering bread.  I had been doing this job for twelve years but still couldn’t get used to those hours.

More than that, I wasn’t passionate about the job.  I wanted more – so much more – but with no college degree and no special skills, what could I do?  I had so many doubts, so many fears, so many negative voices telling me I could never chase my dream.  I simply existed.
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What Success Looks Like

Steve Bloom 24 Comments

yellow

What does success look like to you?

If you’re like most people, you’d probably say that it comes after the result of a big achievement or when a big goal is realized.

Let’s look at this scenario as an example:

A writer works on a book for about a year.  He writes, edits and puts everything together until it’s finished.  After everything is completed, it gets published.

At what moment was he successful?
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