We need to rally together and do something about this!
I heard this statistic and tweeted about it yesterday:
@DARRENHARDY Get this stat:@end of this mo. 3M kids will graduate college-2.4M will be moving in with their parents!! They need SUCCESS!! Help me!
I got flooded with people saying the want to help, but asked how.
So, I asked my SUCCESS team to perform a fire drill to come up with a solution we could collectively use.
This is the problem we are trying to impact:
Of the 3 million college students who will graduate this month, nearly 85% (2.4 million) of them have to move back in with their mom and dad!
The unemployment rate for the under-25 group is as high as 54%!
The U.S. Bureau of Labor reports 12.8 million young people (under age 30) are either unemployed, working part time or working at a job that doesn't require a college degree, after spending tens of thousands to obtain one!
Rick Raymond, of the College Parents of America, notes, "Graduates are not the first to be hired when the job markets begins to improve. We're seeing shocking numbers of people with undergraduate degrees who can't get work."
Sum Report finds that young adults without a college degree have been pushed out of the labor market entirely and are finding work at a lower rate than anytime since the end of World War II!
What can we do about this? We can help them separate from everyone else by developing the success mindset, habits, actions and persistence it's going to take to have them take personal accountability and control of their future. Whether they want to compete for their dream job or (better yet) take their ambition and initiate an entrepreneurial endeavor, they are going to need the inspiration, support, positive role models and mentors to help them realize their dreams.
There is NO better way to deliver all that to them than through a subscription to SUCCESS magazine and the personal mentorship of me and my mentor Jim Rohn. This is what I had my team put...
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, Health, SUCCESS | Posted on 03-05-2011 | 
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What do you think causes more deaths in the United States each year?
Car crashes
Drug overdoses
Alcoholism
Firearm accidents
All of those combined don't total a third of this insidious instrument of death: food.
We are literally eating our way into the grave.
Obesity (caused by bad diet and lack of exercise) kills some 400,000 people in this country every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Only smoking-related diseases account for more deaths, with a total of 435,000 annually, the CDC reports.
A staggering 129.6 million Americans are overweight or obese—that's two out of every three people in this country. Think about it. While our ancestors battled disease, famine and other deprivations, we are killing ourselves—with excess.
On top of that, we no longer have to chase down and kill our own food. Instead, we chase the world while sitting in front of a computer screen all day, every day, often neglecting to schedule in some form of physical activity.
A recent article in The New York Times cited several studies showing that sitting for extended periods—at a desk, in front of the TV, etc.—leads to weight gain and increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a variety of cancers and early death.
Author Olivia Judson, an evolutionary biologist, detailed how the body shuts down following prolonged periods of sitting, causing a metabolic disaster of such proportions that even getting a full hour of exercise each day can't offset the impact.
We DO have a healthcare problem, and most of it is SELF-inflicted. We aren't taking proper care of our own health. We need a new healthcare policy, and I don't mean one enacted by Washington—but one enacted by you. You are the only one responsible for what you put into your mouth and how often you move your body.
The June issue of SUCCESS is focused around the...
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We have been talking about how to become a ‘rock star’ presenter (Part 1, Part 2).
Let me now give you the all-so-important bread around the meat of your presentation…
The (not so) Secret Rock Concert Formula
Every rock star knows the secret to a great performance is to START and END with their very best songs to create a shock-and-awe opening and a knockout close.
Power Opening: They know if you are disappointed in their first song, it is likely they will have lost you for the entire concert. At best, it will take several songs and some pretty spectacular stunts to win you back if your first impression is a letdown. They have (at most) 5 minutes to spellbind, ‘WOW’, stun and amaze you.
Memorable, Awe-Inspiring Close: They also know that it will be the last impression and last song that you will sing on your way out and will play as an endless loop in your head as you drive home, sleep and get up the next morning. They know it better be good and they better make you feel something to keep your connection to them long after the show has folded up its tents.
What I described above is (also) YOUR formula for a memorable, effective and awe-inspiring presentation.
OPENING
Use (a form of) Pyrotechnics to Grab Your Audience’s Attention
While you (probably) cannot blow something up onstage to get your audience’s attention (although that would be cool!), there are other ways you can detonate the mind and attention of your audience right up front in your presentation—and that is with your opening headline.
I recently interviewed Hall of Fame presenter Patricia Fripp and she put it this way, “A strong opening powers the rest of the presentation.”
You, too, have only a few minutes to make that critical first impression and deliver your attention-grabbing opening statement. Just as in TV bumpers, magazine or newspaper articles, or direct response...
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Bill Gates releases mosquitoes during his
presentation to illustrate his point about malaria.
First of all, thank you for all your contributions to the discussion in Part 1 of this series. Some great ideas were shared, some of which I added to my own notes. Well done!
I interviewed Carmine Gallo recently, who wrote the book The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs: How to Be Insanely Great in Front of Any Audience. One of the many great insights I picked up from our one-on-one time together was the importance of turning your presentations into theatrics—simply meaning the use of multisensory outputs (visuals, video, audio), demonstrations, attention interrupts every 10 minutes, etc., and stories with villains and heroes, for you to introduce their problems (similar to the audience's) and your solutions.
To narrow the heart of this post I suggest we focus on one key point Carmine made, which is, "No one cares about your product; they only care about themselves."
In that vein I'd like to reiterate some advice I gave on the SUCCESS magazine CD inside our May 2011 issue on the art of connecting…
I was asked a few months back to consult on a presentation an executive group had prepared to deliver to their staff at what they call their 'State of the Union' address. When I looked over the slide deck my counsel was twofold… and I recommend you filter your presentations through these same guiding principles. Here is how I put it to the executive team:
Principle No. 1:
"What matters to you, doesn't necessarily matter to them." Don't look at your presentation from the viewpoint of what you want to tell them. Instead throw all that out and ask yourself: What do THEY want to hear? What's important to them? What problems, concerns, worries, frustrations, needs or desires do they have? What is going to give them hope, comfort, security, meaning and be exciting to...
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Success in today’s world comes down to your ability to sell your ideas, expand your influence and enroll others into a worthy mission or cause. That means you need to learn to present. In this 3-part series I will outline some key ideas to help you become a ‘rock star’ at it.
By the way, EVERYBODY is a public speaker. Maybe you’re presenting your ideas at an office meeting, interviewing for a new job, pitching your argument for why a new piece of office equipment is needed or trying to convince your friends which movie should win the Oscar. Whatever the situation, being able to speak effectively in public is essential to success.
A recent survey conducted by Distinction discovered that, of the executives and entrepreneurs surveyed, more than 86 percent said being able to present effectively has a significant impact on their income and success.
How to be Death-Defying
According to most studies, people’s No. 1 fear is public speaking. No. 2 is death. Doesn’t that sound insane? People would rather die than speak in public. That means if you go to a funeral, more people would rather climb into the casket than give the eulogy!
First off, let’s put this into proper perspective: No one has ever died giving a bad presentation… Well, except for President William Henry Harrison—he developed pneumonia after giving the longest inaugural address in U. S. history. Which I guess is our first lesson on giving a presentation—keep it short… or you might die… or at least kill the attention span of your audience.
Why we think speaking in public is an act of suicide—We come by this fear through our crazy ancestral brain wiring. You have to remember we have been walking erect for more than 4 million years. Even if you call “modern man” 6,000 years old, we have some long-living, deep-seated survival brain wiring that is really overinflated for our modern...
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We've established how critically important learning to effectively network your way to key relationships will be to your future (Part 1). I gave you the most important principle in endearing yourself to those key relationships (Part 2). Now, I don't want to wrap up this series without leaving you with a plan of action and a road map you can use to dramatically expand the reach and depth of your networking results.
Admittedly, the practice and discipline of consistent networking is something I had to work on. I get a chance to meet lots of people… important people… and people I really like and enjoy, but after our initial encounter, life and business tends gets in the way and I look up and a couple months have gone by and I have not kept in touch.
I made a plan to remedy this. I organized my relationships into four categories of 25-30 people each. On Sunday when planning my week, I block out 3 chunks of time where I will stop what I am doing and reach out to those contacts and find ways to make deposits into our relationship account. No agenda, besides the thrill of making deposits and watching my relationship equity grow.
The 3-15-5-1 Plan
Because I am trying to run an entire enterprise and often travelling, the networking program I have created is a per week objective of 3-15-5-1. Theses are meetings and conversations OUTSIDE of my normal business interactions. These are contacts solely for my no agenda driven networking… besides the agenda to give and deposit that is.
3 In-person meetings: Taking a page from Keith Ferrazzi's book Never Eat Alone, these 3 face-to-face get-togethers are usually over breakfast, lunch, dinner or coffee.
15 written communications: Via email or even touches on Facebook or comments on their blog or handwritten communications.
5 phone calls: Direct, just keep-in-touch phone calls.
1 gift: That is where I send a gift to at least one person a week. This might be a book I think they would really benefit from based on what...
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 15-03-2011 |
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As we discussed in Leadership for a Changing World, technology, knowledge and change are expanding exponentially. Technology and globalization will continually challenge entrepreneurs to stay relevant and competitive.
The top 10 jobs of 2010 didn’t even exist in 2004.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that today’s learner will have 10-14 jobs by age 38.Besides your continual and never-ending practice of learning and self-improvement, what will be your No. 1 asset during these expanding and fast-changing times? Unequivocally, it will be the relationships you can build.
If we want to calculate your potential for increased wealth, we would not look at your current bank balance, cars or property inventory; we would look at the inventory of your quality and high-caliber relationships.Therefore, the No. 1 skill you will want to hone, practice and master will be your ability to NETWORK. Your ability to get to, connect with and establish relationships with important and purposeful people with will be your gateway to any goal, destination or aspiration you have.
In this post, I want to pull the curtain open on one of the most spellbinding and fear-gripping illusions there are about networking and connecting with your “Big Kahuna” or dream targets.
Just like in the classic book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, people build up a front about who they are. You will remember that Oz did his best to portray himself as mysterious, powerful and frightening, appearing once as a giant head, once as a beautiful fairy, once as a ball of fire and once as a horrible monster and then at last when he finally grants an audience to Dorothy and her friends he is invisible—nothing but a disembodied voice.
But when the curtain is finally pulled back it is found that Oz is actually none of these things, but rather a kind, ordinary man from Omaha, Nebraska, who has been using a lot of elaborate magic tricks and props to make himself appear great and powerful to the...
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 08-03-2011 |
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There are only a few certainties in life: death, taxes… and change.
And the rate of change is speeding up—rapidly.
Several factors are causing this acceleration: the expansion of technology and knowledge, globalization and the changing demographic majority. Let’s take a look at how these factors are impacting the landscape of leadership.
Technology: Ray Kurzweil, in his 2001 essay “The Law of Accelerating Returns,” asserts that technology won’t experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century—it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today’s rate).
Knowledge: By 1900, it had taken 150 years to double all human knowledge. Today it takes only one or two years, and by 2020, knowledge will double every 72 days, according to estimates.
Globalization: The competition for talent, resources and attention doesn’t just come from the other members of your local chamber of commerce; it now comes from every high-rise, second bedroom and basement in the world.
Changing Demographic: The millennial generation (those born in the 1980s and 1990s) are the largest to enter the workforce since the baby boomer generation. Nurtured through a different era, this generation has a different value system, and they will play a key role in the changing nature of workplace dynamics.
Leadership over the past 50 years has been based on the premise that the organization is purely an economic entity. The priority was to develop structures, set controls and leverage capital as effectively as possible. This was accomplished through pyramids of hierarchies performing rigidly narrow tasks within clear guidelines.
Today, the speed of change demands a completely different leader: one who... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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Finishing up our series on what you do when you take one to the kisser, knocking you on your rump… (read part 1, 2, 3)
Here is Point No. 3: Turn obstacles into opportunities. Ask any great achiever who has achieved despite great obstacles, if they could go back and avoid the obstacle, would they, and the answer invariably is “no.” Even our friend Roger (born handicapped with only three fingers, one foot and three toes), if given the opportunity to have perfectly formed arms, legs, hands and feet, would chose to be born the same way he was.
This is true for Lance Armstrong and his battle with cancer. It wasn’t until after he fought and beat cancer that he developed the strength to beat everyone in the world, seven times, in one of the most grueling and punishing sport contests there is—The Tour de France.
Ask the woman heralded as the “fastest women on earth” in the 1960 Olympics, Wilma Rudolph, if she would go back and wish not to have suffered measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough and be born with polio, twisting her left leg so bad that it required a brace. It was BECAUSE of those obstacles that she had to dig up her deeper and greater potential and drive. It required her to work harder, longer and with more determination than any would-be competitor. That character, forged through difficulty, is what created the extraordinary achievements and opportunities she realized. As Albert Mensah said so eloquently to me in a recent interview, “Opportunities are cloaked in obstacles.”
In fact, to take this one step further, I have learned to see obstacles, failure and pain as positive and necessary for growth. I learned this early on from my dad, whose mantra in life was... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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Continuing our series of what you do when life gives you a roundhouse kick in the head and you suddenly end up sprawled out on the canvas… (read part 1 and 2)
Here is point No. 2: Focus on what’s good, right and possible. Stop dwelling on the obstacle.
As Roger Crawford said in our interview together, “Focus on what you CAN do instead of what you CAN’T do.”
Think about it, if you had disfigured limbs from the elbows and knees down and only three fingers… total and three toes total… on only one complete leg, it would be pretty difficult not to think about all that you couldn’t do versus what you could do.
Now look down at your hands and toes. Imagine what you can do, IF… you only focus on what you CAN do, given whatever limitations or obstacles you have, or think you have, instead of repeatedly focusing on all you cannot do. Please take this message to heart… and to your focus. As Roger said, “Problems in life are really possibilities, depending on what we choose to dwell on.”
I also have an important warning to offer you regarding this point:
Be sure the obstacle is not SERVING you.
It could be serving as a convenient excuse as to why you are not doing better or trying harder. Take notice of what you talk about. Do you continually talk about the obstacles you are facing or the positive progress you are making without even a mention of obstacles? Do you relish in lamenting, whining or even joking about the tragicomedy of your day? Or do your stories focus on the comeback, the hopefulness and the victory?
This is a key point: If you like talking about ‘woe is me,'... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 17-02-2011 |
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Continuing our series on what you do when you get knocked on your keister, let me lay out a four-point plan you can use to overcome any obstacle you will ever face in life—a plan to turn any tragedy or setback into triumph.
Here is No. 1: I interviewed Roger Crawford recently, who was born with a physical handicap that affected all four of his limbs from the elbows down and from the knees down, leaving him with two fingers on his left wrist on one on his right, a partially developed right leg with three toes, and his left leg from the knee down was amputated. But he became a world-class tennis player, recognized by Sports Illustrated as one of the most accomplished athletes in history.
During our interview Roger made this very profound statement: “We are, often times, the one who...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 17-02-2011 |
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Continuing our series on what you do when you get knocked on your keister, let me lay out a four-point plan you can use to overcome any obstacle you will ever face in life—a plan to turn any tragedy or setback into triumph.
Here is No. 1: I interviewed Roger Crawford recently, who was born with a physical handicap that affected all four of his limbs from the elbows down and from the knees down, leaving him with two fingers on his left wrist on one on his right, a partially developed right leg with three toes, and his left leg from the knee down was amputated. But he became a world-class tennis player, recognized by Sports Illustrated as one of the most accomplished athletes in history.
During our interview Roger made this very profound statement: “We are, often times, the one who creates our own handicaps.” Meaning, many times our obstacles are self-induced. Or, even real obstacles continue to have a hold on us because of these mental handicaps. I think we lose proper perspective. So true.
This might help you gain perspective…
A few nights ago my wife was feeling a bit stressed and down about a project that had not gone according to plan. She left the house in a bummed out mood and came back a transformed human being. I asked her what the heck happened and she told me the story of Jimmy…
Jimmy always has a big giant smile on his face. Jimmy cleans people’s fingernails and toenails for a living. Georgia, curious why this man is always so happy, asked how he grew up. Jimmy explained he was one of nine from a very large Vietnamese family. Jimmy’s father had been loyal to the American military during the Vietnam War. He was ordered to pay restitution, which was promised to be an imprisonment term of 2 1/2 weeks. Three and a half years later, weak, starving and brutalized in what turned out to be a labor camp, his father was released.
With his release, Jimmy’s father was determined to leave Vietnam and take his wife and nine children to the United...
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If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know I like to point your attention and creative imagination toward what’s positive and what’s possible in the world—to look for and see the abundance, potential and opportunities of life.
And that is a good thing… and a very necessary thing if we want to move our lives in a positive direction and toward that greater abundance.
BUT, what do you do when you get knocked down. And you will. This is LIFE we are talking about. It is not always blue skies, singing birds and pretty rainbows outside. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it even storms and sometimes it even comes with the added drama (and potential pain) of lightening and thunder. What do you do then, Mr. Sunshine?
That is what we are going to address in this four-part series: When you get knocked on your tush in life, how do you get back up so you are not knocked OUT?
The interesting thing is, during the times of strife, struggle and challenge that the true achievers are born. Never mind the analogy of the true birth experience, having to overcome the incredible obstacles involved in literally being born. But after that first trying experience—and the slap of the doctor and your first cry—it is during the other challenges and obstacles of life when achievers are born.
Martin Luther King Jr. put it this way: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge.” It is only when we are presented with those challenges that we get to separate ourselves from other men and women.
Imagine this: You are at the very top of your game. Let’s say that game is in one of the most competitive and rivaled fields in the entire world. After decades of painful discipline, sacrifice and relentless commitment, you finally rise to the top, the very top in fact, and then tragedy strikes….CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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If you’ve read this blog for a while, you know I like to point your attention and creative imagination toward what’s positive and what’s possible in the world—to look for and see the abundance, potential and opportunities of life.
And that is a good thing… and a very necessary thing if we want to move our lives in a positive direction and toward that greater abundance. BUT, what do you do when you get knocked down. And you will.
This is LIFE we are talking about. It is not always blue skies, singing birds and pretty rainbows outside. Sometimes it rains, sometimes it even storms and sometimes it even comes with the added drama (and potential pain) of lightening and thunder. What do you do then, Mr. Sunshine?
That is what we are going to address in this four-part series: When you get...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 08-02-2011 |
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Now that the Super Bowl is over, it’s time to get out of the stands and into the game of YOUR life.
Now I’m all for the spirit, entertainment and release that goes along with cheering on a sports team. At the same time, I do find it odd that many people spend time following and studying the lives of other people more than they do their own.
Again, catching a sporting event when it is on is all good fun; I watched the Super Bowl too (cost me money – lost a bet with my 'cheese head' editor in chief). What I’m talking about is the investment some people give to the sports and careers other people are playing and living.
Think about it: What if the time you spend…
reading the sports page, you read a self-improvement book?
listening to sports talk radio, you listen to an instructional CD?
watching ESPN or Sports Center, you watch a seminar DVD or read a book?
talking about sports scores and players, you talk about your goals and plans to achieve them?
playing fantasy sports, you role-play your key skills training?
How would the trade of that time investment change your life scores and statistics? I’m certain it would make YOU victorious… and far happier.
Oh, and let’s not leave out the non-sports fans. What if the time you spend…
reading People magazine and other gossip rags, you read SUCCESS magazine?
watching E! Entertainment, TMZ or Access Hollywood, you watched a seminar DVD or read a book?
watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians, The Real Housewives, or Jersey Shore, you read a book about YOUR reality?
talking (or gossiping) about other people’s lives and foibles, you talked about your lessons learned in life and plans for growth?
How would the trade of that time investment change your life scores and statistics? I’m certain it would make you victorious, and far happier.
What's the primary difference between the 5% who are wealthy and the rest of the 95% who are not? CLICK HERE TO READ
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Now that the Super Bowl is over, it’s time to get out of the stands and into the game of YOUR life. Now I’m all for the spirit, entertainment and release that goes along with cheering on a sports team. At the same time, I do find it odd that many people spend time following and studying the lives of other people more than they do their own.
Again, catching a sporting event when it is on is all good fun; I watched the Super Bowl too (cost me money too – lost a bet with my cheese head editor in chief). What I’m talking about is the investment some people give to the sports and careers other people are playing and living.
Think about it: What if the time you spend…
* reading the sports page, you read a self-improvement book?
* listening to sports talk radio, you listen to an...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 01-02-2011 |
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Whether or not the title on your business card labels you as a “salesperson,” I bet you have had several sales conversations already today.
Maybe you sold a friend on seeing the great movie you just saw or trying a new restaurant you recently enjoyed. If you’re a parent, you may have sold your kids on the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast or doing well in school today. Or perhaps you sold your boss on why you need a day off, promotion or raise. The list goes on and on. All day, every day we are selling someone on something.
If you aren’t good at sales, life will be more difficult for you. It’s that simple. Selling is not just a business skill; it’s an essential life skill. But selling really isn’t as complicated or mysterious as we make it out to be. Selling is simply about influencing an outcome.
If you’re stuck in the mindset that you’re not good at selling, it’s time to shift your perspective.
Start by stopping selling. Cross out the word sell and replace it with H-E-L-P.
An early mentor of mine helped me gain proper perspective on selling when I was in real estate. I showed him my “hit list” of target prospects. He said, “Hit list! Who wants to be your next hit?! These are real people, real families, who will be going through one of the most emotional transactions of their life involving probably the most valuable asset they own—their home. Until this list is considered the list of those families whom you will help, protect and fight for next, they will not be interested in what you have to say.”
What great advice! It wasn’t just a change of word; it was an entirely different philosophy, mindset and emotional approach to every conversation and interaction. Instead of pitching, I was inquiring about their dreams, hopes, fears and worries… and listening. Then I looked for all sorts of ways I could help them, not only with their real estate needs, but in their lives. The byproduct was that I became a valued and trusted partner....
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 01-02-2011 |
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Whether or not the title on your business card labels you as a “salesperson,” I bet you have had several sales conversations already today. Maybe you sold a friend on seeing the great movie you just saw or trying a new restaurant you recently enjoyed. If you’re a parent, you may have sold your kids on the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast or doing well in school today. Or perhaps you sold your boss on why you need a day off, promotion or raise. The list goes on and on. All day, every day we are selling someone on something.
If you aren’t good at sales, life will be more difficult for you. It’s that simple. Selling is not just a business skill; it’s an essential life skill. But selling really isn’t as complicated or mysterious as we make it out to be. Selling is simply about...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 25-01-2011 |
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I am awestruck at the goofs I see people (supposedly smart and decent people) making online.
I could summarize this entire post with this: There is no such thing as a private or personal profile and then a professional one. If it is on the Internet, it ALL better be professional, period. Save your crazy private/personal persona for behind closed doors, with the computer off and the webcam draped. I’m not joking either.
Don’t believe me, believe these folks:
1. What You SAY Can and Will Be Held Against You (forever)Chicago woman tweets about her moldy apartment and gets sued for $50,000:"Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon really thinks it's okay."
That’s about $575 per character.
Whatever you say online lives forever... sometimes in infamy.
Bonus tip: Careful what you tweet or post after a happy hour!More to the point: Don’t drunk tweet.
2. You’re on Candid Camera (always)
While discussing budget cuts Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wields a 2-foot-long knife on Twitter.
It didn’t go over so well. While he was making light of the situation (better not to try), people didn’t like the idea of getting their job or personal projects cut by his two-foot knife.
Ask Michael Phelps about this one. Just assume that anytime you are out in public (public being even your own friends in a private setting as Michael taught us) that the camera phones are on and rolling.
3. Don’t Make It So Easy for the CriminalsArizona guy tweets about being on vacation far away from home and... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE (GETS EVEN MORE CRAZY AND HILARIOUS!
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Business, Darren Hardy | Posted on 18-01-2011 |
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Last week I discussed the half-dozen ways people stumble on their New Year’s resolutions and goals right at the starting line. It generated a healthy discussion and I appreciate everyone’s contribution.
This week I’d like to offer you the half-dozen ways you can explode off the starting blocks and set yourself up to not only stay in the race (this time), but actually finish victorious!
1. Big 3
If you are using Living Your Best Year Ever, it guides you through making several goals in all 8 key areas of life. It then helps you reduce your plethora of goals down to your Big 3. I know you will want to accomplish ALL your goals, but it is critical you reduce it down to just 3 to supremely focus on.
Pick the 3 goals that are most important to you and would have the most dramatic...
Posted by Shelby Skrhak | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 12-01-2011 |
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Today's an exciting day. SUCCESS Publisher Darren Hardy's latest release, Living Your Best Year Ever is shipping NOW.
As the book's editor, I, too, am filled with excitement. Gratification for being selected to edit such a great project. Pride for a job well done. Oh, and relief. I can move the towering stack of drafts and revisions from my desk (see photo) and mentally make a tally mark in the "done" column. That's my favorite column.
Visit SUCCESS.com for a FREE excerpt from the 240-page leather-bound book and clip from the accompanying audio program.
Living Your Best Year and My Done Column is a post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Business, Darren Hardy | Posted on 11-01-2011 |
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Have you made New Year’s resolutions or set goals before and failed?
Have you entered a new year beating your chest and proclaiming your magnificent transformation from every mountaintop only to have it dwindle to a whimper by the time January gets torn off the calendar?
What went wrong?
In my experience, there are about a half a dozen ways you can trip yourself up right at the start. Let me help you avoid these common trip-ups:
1. Too Many, Too Much
You try to tackle too many goals, change too many ingrained behaviors and attempt too much too quickly. Look, you have probably been building, developing and reinforcing a poor habit for 10, 20, 30, maybe even 40-plus years. Breaking one poor habit and trying to install a single new success habit is tough enough (and worth it). If you try...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 06-01-2011 |
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Money, Money, Money... We want more of it; we love it and all that it affords. Yet it can be the root of some of life’s most devastating experiences—divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure and destitution.
However, money isn’t the problem.
Just like guns don’t kill people, people with guns kill people, the same misplaced blame is applied to money. Money isn't your problem; your relationship with money and what you do (or don’t do) with it is the problem.
Hardy: Our Love-Hate Relationship with Money is a post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 28-12-2010 |
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Are you feeling a little bummed or even disappointed in where you are in life right now? Did you think you would be doing a little bit better and be a little further along in life by now? Are you a little down on yourself about how you have let your body go… or your [...]
2011: How to Live Your Best Year Ever is a post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 27-12-2010 |
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I promised you in the last video I would explain the process of how goal setting, and far more important, goal ACHIEVING actually works. This is the mystery of the ‘secret’ REVEALED.
This is how the Law of Attraction really works. It is not some mysterious, esoteric voodoo, as it sometimes sounds like, as it is being described. It’s far simpler and more practical than that.
By the end you will say… "Ah, I get it." And, "Now... I know how to make it work."
More good stuff to discover in this video:
What 3 boys out hiking can teach you about kicking butt in a competition.
5 BIG reasons why most goal setting attempts fail, miserably. Don't make these mistakes. Ouch! And costly.
Oh, and what Reggie Hammond (as played by Eddie Murphy) can teach you about proclaiming your goals.
Hardy:...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 24-12-2010 |
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Editor's note: Here's a peek at what SUCCESS publisher Darren Hardy is doing to kick off 2011 with a bang. A special announcement is coming Dec. 28!
Do you remember all the big dreams you had when you were younger?
Dreams so exciting that you could barely wait to grow up so you could pursue them. You had those dreams for a reason—your inner potential was casting a vision of what is possible for you.
Somewhere along the travels, trials and tribulations of life you either forgot your goals, got distracted, or believed others who’d already lost their dream, and convinced yourself that yours wasn’t possible either.
I want to help you rekindle those dreams and show you they’re not only possible, but attainable. I want to show you the path that will lead you directly and expeditiously...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 23-12-2010 |
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Editor's note: Here's a look at what SUCCESS publisher Darren Hardy is doing to kick off 2011 with a bang. Stay tuned to blog.SUCCESS for special updates. WELCOME!
This is the first post in our exclusive 4-part video series on preparing to Live Your Best Year Ever.
As I say in the video, I see it as my job to give YOU an unfair advantage in life. If you have chosen to subscribe to SUCCESS magazine and/or this blog, I think that makes you special.
Why?
Out of 6+Billion people on the planet, you have self-selected to subscribe and take the time to read, watch, comment and participate in your learning, growth and greater success.
Yes dang-it! That DOES makes you special.
Because of that I want to be sure you have a killer advantage over everyone else,...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, Relationships | Posted on 01-12-2010 |
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What makes you happy... really?
That’s a serious question… maybe one of the most important questions of your life. But did you know most people can’t answer it correctly?
In his book Stumbling on Happiness, Harvard professor Dan Gilbert explains that most of us think we know what makes us happy, but typically we are wrong.
I have found there are three major traps in which you might be unknowingly making yourself unhappy.
The first unhappiness trap is postponing happiness. The “when I (fill in the blank), I will be happy” syndrome. The reality is happiness, isn’t something to be acquired in the future. You are either happy now or not; “then” never arrives. Living and striving for “then” results in a constant state of unhappiness. Now is the only time...
Hopefully, by now you’ve figured out that the economy… is what it is.
Your employer (if you still have one) doesn’t owe you anything. And the government isn’t going to solve your problems. No one else is going to give you an income or provide for your retirement. For that matter, no one else can keep you healthy, ensure your marriage thrives or see to it that you are happy and fulfilled. Only you can make your life better.
And because you read this blog and SUCCESS magazine, I’m betting that you’ve also figured out that wanting, wishing, hoping, praying or simply envisioning your life better doesn’t make it so.
Contrary to movie lore, you cannot just sit on your couch imagining checks coming into your mailbox. No, you have to get off that couch, walk out your front door and take action.
As one of my predecessors, a previous publisher of SUCCESS, W. Clement Stone, put it, “I think there is something more important than believing: action! The world is full of dreamers; there aren’t enough who will move ahead and begin to take concrete steps to actualize their vision.” If you want to improve your life, you have to take action. Doing must follow wanting, believing, hoping, praying and planning.
What do you want to do? What do you want to achieve? What is success to you?
When I interviewed Maria Shriver—a woman who is extremely successful by any standard—she explained that she found herself chasing the wrong definition of success until she stopped to ask herself this important question: “What is the definition of success to me?” The answer changed her life. It changed the focus of her... CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Also, as promised...
My Journal Notes with Maria Shriver
Free Core Values Assessment
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 20-10-2010 |
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When it comes to comparing superachievers and everyone else, it has less to do with what they do and more to do with what they don’t do.
Saying “yes” is easy; saying “no” is much harder, but it is the master skill of success.
In a world where we are constantly being tugged on from a thousand different directions, your ability to be productive and ultimately achieve your big hairy audacious goals has more to do with all the things you DON’T do versus the things you do.
Put it this way: For everything you say “yes” to you are saying “no” to something else… and you only have so much time. For most people, the ability to do MORE is impossible; you are already overwhelmed and working yourself to exhaustion 24/7.
Doing MORE is not the answer. Doing less is. Saying “no” to more things so you...
What is the most important thing in your life?
If you and I were face to face right now and I asked you that question, you’d probably promptly reply with “my family” or “my children” or “my spouse.”
But are you actually living that way? We say our family and relationships are most important, but our values are demonstrated not by our words, but by our deeds—not by what we say, but what we do.
I have found if you want to know what someone really values most, simply look at their calendar and their checkbook. How a person spends their time and money reveals what they really value most.
Well, no more lip service! It’s time to...
Hardy: The Means and the End in Life is a post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 05-10-2010 |
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Reader Deanna Gamez writes: I see you're an expert at reading books and implementing them. You wrote about how you do this in the October 2009 issue of SUCCESS, "Accomplish More by Doing Less." Your third tip was to learn less, study more and you gave a general idea of your method for studying books. Could you please expand on that subject?
There is a significant difference between learning and improving. The difference is results.
Have you ever been to a seminar, listened to an audio program or read a book that promised life transforming results in 90 days or less… and it didn’t happen?It wasn’t that the material didn’t work; you didn’t do the work. It’s not what you learn; it’s what you do with what you learn. Doing has to follow learning.
Knowing what to do is not the same as doing what you know. There are a lot of people who read all the books (or blogs!) and go to all the seminars, but their life never improves. The world is filled with broke geniuses.
“There’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” - Morpheus, The MatrixI will walk you through my process of how I turn learning into study and study into improvement/results.
SelectionI break my yearly goal achievement plans into four quarterly themes. In each quarter I focus on a particular area of my life or skill I want to improve (e.g., marriage, health, keynote speaking, interviewing, etc.).I research online and reach out to my personal network for recommendations on the best resources for improving that discipline or skill.I then buy the top 5 books, the top 3 audio programs and sign up for (at least) one seminar on that topic during that quarter.
Book StudyI don’t just read a book—I consume it. When I am done with the book it looks as if it’s been through a meat grinder.I will underline, circle, star, inscribe bolded exclamation marks, dogear, highlight, put sticky tabs all over it and write notes in the margins, at the end of chapters and in the back of the...
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Last week we started a journey together through Maslow’s 8-Ways to Self-Actualizewith my supplemented editorial and action steps to help you actuallyactualize Maslow’s principles.
We traversed through the first 4-steps last week. Many of yourrealizations and mental breakthroughs mentioned in the comments werevery inspiring. Just reading them made me want to step up my game lastweek. Thank you!
This week we will complete the journey with steps 5 – 8. Imaginethis as your climb of Mount Everest (the peak of your potential) andyou have made it all the way to Camp IV (you’ve mastered Maslow’s steps1 – 4). Now you have what is called "The Final Push” left to go to"summit” the mountain. Well, Maslow’s steps 5 – 8 are your Final Push.Let’s go!
5. Listen to your own tastes. Be prepared to be unpopular.
This one comes naturally to me. I am an anti-conformist by nature. Irecommend it to you as well. One of the greatest strengths ofleadership is the willingness to do what is unpopular. (Read: The Unpopular View of Leadership)
Don’t follow the herd. Don’t do what’s fashionable, trendy orpopular. What’s popular is what’s common. Do what’s common and you willget common results (aka mediocrity). You are looking for uncommonoutcomes, extraordinary achievements.
To do this you will have to do what Jim Rohn talked to us about—walk away from the 97%. Don’t use their vocabulary and don’t use their excuses. Don’t use their method of drift and neglect. Walk away and join the 3%. Take charge of your own life.
Action step: CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF POST
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 16-09-2010 |
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Friday is the 80th birthday of my mentor, the late Jim Rohn. It is cause for me to pause one more time to offer gratitude for the profound influence this man had on my life (and the lives of millions of others).
I met Jim when I walked into his seminar back in 1994. I wasn’t even there to meet or hear Jim. I was there to meet the promoters of the event. I needed to wait until the event was over so I sat down and listened to this willowy grey haired man with the most fascinating voice and intonations lecture about principles of success.What he said riveted me. The simplicity and purity of his message grabbed my heart. And his teachings challenged and confronted my previous beliefs about obtaining success.
I just pulled off my library shelf the journal I had with me that day. In...
No, not WWF McMahon style.
This past Sunday our good friends at ACN asked if I would come out totheir convention and interview Donald Trump live on stage in front oftheir 20,000 reps.
Donald has a reputation of being a tad bit capricious in his commentary and particularly rough on interviewers. So I was ready, I had my knives sharpened in case he started throwing down. He didn’t. Infact, he was really a sweetheart of a guy.I was asked afterward what surprised me most about the interview. I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, as every time I interview an extraordinary superachiever I walk away with the same realization. There really isn’tanything that extraordinary about them.
What I mean is their answers to all the probing success questions are simple and not extraordinary....
No, not WWF McMahon style.
This past Sunday our good friends at ACN asked if I would come out totheir convention and interview Donald Trump live on stage in front oftheir 20,000 reps.
Donald has a reputation of being a tad bit capricious in his commentary and particularly rough on interviewers. So I was ready, I had my knives sharpened in case he started throwing down. He didn’t. Infact, he was really a sweetheart of a guy.I was asked afterward what surprised me most about the interview. I shouldn’t be surprised anymore, as every time I interview an extraordinary superachiever I walk away with the same realization. There really isn’tanything that extraordinary about them.
What I mean is their answers to all the probing success questions are simple and not extraordinary. What is extraordinary is that they actually DO the simple principles of success—relentlessly, passionately and consistently. And unfortunately that IS extraordinary.
Here are some of Trump’s answers to my questions (These are not direct quotes, as I am pulling from memory on the plane flying back):
Most important advice to a new entrepreneur?
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 07-09-2010 |
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Whenever I am asked what I believe the goal and purpose of life is, my answer is the same, and it’s the theme of this issue.
Of all the great pursuits in life, to me this is the most important. Every virtue, treasure and reward in life is obtained only through this quest. What is it? It is living your potential.
Robert Louis Stevenson said it more than a hundred years ago: “To become what we are capable of becoming is the only end in life.”
But what is potential? Webster’s dictionary defines potential as possible (as opposed to what's currently actual) capable of being or becoming or a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed. So potential then is what you can become. It is the best possible version of yourself.
The first challenge, I believe,...
Whenever I am asked what I believe the goal and purpose of life is, my answer is the same, and it’s the theme of this issue.
Of all the great pursuits in life, to me this is the most important. Every virtue, treasure and reward in life is obtained only through this quest. What is it? It is living your potential.
Robert Louis Stevenson said it more than a hundred years ago: “To become what we are capable of becoming is the only end in life.”
But what is potential? Webster’s dictionary defines potential as possible (as opposed to what's currently actual) capable of being or becoming or a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed. So potential then is what you can become. It is the best possible version of yourself.
The first challenge, I believe, to living our potential—is realizing the greatness that is dormant inside of each of us.
Thomas Edison said, “If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.”
Dale Carnegie also taught, “We all have possibilities we don’t know about. We can do things we don’t even dream we can do.”
Why don’t we then? I think what stops most of us from tapping our inner genius; the hero or heroine inside each of us is fear. We are actually afraid of our greater potential.
19th century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said it this way, “There is nothing of which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming.”
I know I am constantly challenged by the philosophy espoused by Marianne Williamson when she says, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t...
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 31-08-2010 |
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Vanilla Haagen-Dazs… it must be made from angel’s milk. Sheerecstasy. What heaven must be like (please!). I savor each lick until mytaste buds scream in pain for more. And when I reluctantly swallow mylast bite—that’s what hell must be like.
I recently allowedmyself to have this sweet-bitter experience at a local Haagen-Dazsstore. While eating, I temporarily awoke from my blissful nirvana tosee (in horror) that I had licked off all the ice-cream on top. I wasnot ready to bite into the cone (that is the beginning of the end!). SoI went back up to the counter with a big milk covered smile (yes,angel’s milk) and said, as charming as I could muster, "for a realpassionate lover of your great product would you kindly add agratuitous small shaving to the top here (holding my topless cone outto...
Vanilla Haagen-Dazs… it must be made from angel’s milk. Sheerecstasy. What heaven must be like (please!). I savor each lick until mytaste buds scream in pain for more. And when I reluctantly swallow mylast bite—that’s what hell must be like.
I recently allowedmyself to have this sweet-bitter experience at a local Haagen-Dazsstore. While eating, I temporarily awoke from my blissful nirvana tosee (in horror) that I had licked off all the ice-cream on top. I wasnot ready to bite into the cone (that is the beginning of the end!). SoI went back up to the counter with a big milk covered smile (yes,angel’s milk) and said, as charming as I could muster, "for a realpassionate lover of your great product would you kindly add agratuitous small shaving to the top here (holding my topless cone outto her) to help extend my joy… just a little longer?” Even with astrict policy against such allowances, she said, "It would be mypleasure” and plunked another full (albeit hollow) scoop of vanillabliss on my cone. The charm must have worked (or the promise to promotethis story on my blog – I’m kidding!). When I came back to thetable with my new (free!) scoop my wife couldn’t believe it! One, thatI asked… and two, that she gave it me! I said simply, "it never hurtsto ask.” This is true in most instances, most every day. I’m a big believer that you only get what you ask for. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. So why not ask for everything? The worst possible thing that can happen is they say no.
Ask, and Ye Shall Receive. Ye Have Not, Because Ye Ask Not
Ask your way to wealthThe most money you will ever make (penny saved is a penny earned) is by asking for it. Let me give you an example or two…I was in a retail store recently. I asked the manager, CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF POST
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Now I don’t like this fact. I would philosophically argue against this fact. But it is a fact… and the evidence is all around us.
Who makes the best-tasting hamburger in the world? Doubtful you’d anoint McDonald’s with that title, but they outsell everyone else by many billions of dollars.
What is the best wine in the world? Certainly Franzia (which comes in a box!) wouldn’t be your first or 100th guess, but it is the best selling.
What is the highest-quality bottled water? If you tested it,
it certainly wouldn’t be Aquafina (owned by PepsiCo), Dasani (owned by
Coca-Cola) or Poland Spring (owned by Nestle Waters), but those are the
number 1, 2 and 3 best selling.
Nine times out of 10 it is not the best or highest-quality clothing
line, automobile, restaurant, CPA firm, real estate agent, lawyer,
furniture manufacturer, refrigerator, etc. that sells the most or
becomes the biggest—it is the ones who market themselves the best.
This is the business axiom that I witness all around me every day:
The ultimate success of a product or service is 10% the quality of the product and 90% the quality of the marketing.
Now while I don’t necessarily LIKE that fact, as I believe the
success of a product or service should be what’s most important and it
should stand ENTIRELY on the value it delivers, that is just not how it
works in reality.
Even if you are simply an individual in a sales organization this is
true. It is not necessarily the best, the highest quality, highest
class, most refined people that make it to the top… it is the ones who
market themselves, network themselves, position themselves with
credibility amongst their peers and demonstrate their growing and
developing selves to the circle around them that end up at the top of
the sales organization.
Now, let me also add this: If your product or service is bad… or even if you are bad, unethical or without integrity, no amount of marketing will make you or your product or service...
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After a keynote training I did this past weekend, a lady came up to me to ask what I thought of Rolfing.
"I don’t enjoy ralphing at all” I quickly responded. Then she explained it was a way to "structurally integrate and manipulate the whole body into gravity.” "Okaaay,” I replied. "Why, do you ask?” She explained she wanted to rise to the top rank of her sales organization so she has been paying a "personal manifestation expert” to train her.
He has her Rolfing twice a week, psychically hugging her inner child three times a day (I kid you not), setting up her feng shui money corner and chanting affirmations out loud in front of the mirror for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes at night. "How many prospecting calls does he have you making each day?” I asked. "We haven’t talked about that” she replied.
Now the advice doesn’t need to be as off base or absurd as this to be wrong. In fact a lot of ‘expert’ advice is wrong.
Why?
What works for one person doesn’t always work for another.
The background or originating experience is different.
People have different personalities and strengths.
The timing and application is different.
Most ‘experts’ contradict each other anyway.
And frankly, there is just a lot of really bad, wrongheaded and bogus ‘expert’ advice out there. In some cases the advice is dangerous. In many cases it is simply distracting, thus productively damaging and time wasting.
As a 20-year consummate consumer of ‘expert’ personal-development material, I have heard, seen, tried and tested most all of it. As a 16-year business leader in the industry and publisher of SUCCESS, I am in the business of vetting so called ‘experts.’ (That is a big part of our job for you here at SUCCESS—to sort, filter and curate on your behalf, so you get the best and only the real-deal expert advice in SUCCESS magazine or on SUCCESS.com.)
Here is the No. 1 criterion I use to determine if someone is worthy of the ‘expert’ title... CLICK HERE TO READ...
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 10-08-2010 |
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That is a quote from my mentor Jim Rohn. When I first heard Jim say this, I thought he meant giving created indebtedness on the part of the receiver—that you gave so you could get back. But I had it all wrong. Jim taught me that the real gift—the lasting benefit of giving—is what the act itself does for you. In essence, giving to others is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
Giving feels good, but there’s more to it than that. Helping others incites physical and emotional responses within us. When we direct our energy and focus on meeting others’ needs, we push aside our brooding and negative emotions, especially those that contribute to stress-induced psychological and physical illnesses. Studies reveal that when we help others, we release extra amounts of endorphins into our...
Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 10-08-2010 |
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'Giving Starts the Receiving Process'
That is a quote from my mentor Jim Rohn. When I first heard Jim say this, I thought he meant giving created indebtedness on the part of the receiver—that you gave so you could get back. But I had it all wrong. Jim taught me that the real gift—the lasting benefit of giving—is what the act itself does for you. In essence, giving to others is the greatest gift you can give yourself.
Giving feels good, but there’s more to it than that. Helping others incites physical and emotional responses within us. When we direct our energy and focus on meeting others’ needs, we push aside our brooding and negative emotions, especially those that contribute to stress-induced psychological and physical illnesses. Studies reveal that when we help others, we release extra amounts of endorphins into our system, and we get what researchers call a “helper’s high.”
Giving has a direct impact on the body’s neurological, hormonal and immune systems—it can even prolong your life. One study found that older individuals who are actively involved in helping others outlive those who aren’t. The physical benefits of helping others have been shown to have a greater impact on longevity than exercising four times a week, if you can believe that!
The benefits extend beyond the physical, also fostering traits that undergird a successful life. As a result, our careers and relationships often improve when we purposefully seek to make a difference in others’ lives. And studies show that people of all ages who actively help others, even in small ways, feel the happiest.
This September issue of SUCCESSfeaturing Michael Dell and his wife Susan explores
the many ways real people are successfully making a difference in the world around them—and how you can, too. Now, you may be thinking, “I don’t have time to volunteer or get involved in someone else’s life. My time is stretched as it is!” Don’t worry; we’ve included a special section just for...
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The customer is NOT always right. Sometimes they are wrong. Sometimes they are even a jerk.
I was on a Southwest flight this past week coming home from delivering a keynote talk
in Vegas. On walks this guy (late) with two big bags. It was obvious he
was (still) inebriated (it was before noon). He started making quite a
ruckus when he couldn’t find any overhead space for his gargantuan
bags. The cheerful flight attendant politely offered to take his bags
and have them checked.
He refused and insisted on taking other people’s things out of the
overhead bin trying to force his in. When the flight attendant tried to
assist he got more belligerent and cursed at her. The pilot promptly
came from the front and expediently removed him from the plane. While
doing so, the loud-mouthed guy yelled, "This is the customer service
airline? I am a customer, I am right. It’s your job to service me!” The
pilot replied, "That is what we are doing sir, servicing the rest of our customers by removing you.” And with that, the rest of the plane let out a big cheer.
This is an extreme example, but I think as a business culture we
have gone too far in this attitude of the customer always being right.
Of course, the customer is important and it is good business to deliver
a great experience, but NOT at the sacrifice of CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
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My wife had a friend over recently. In the midst of chit-chat (you know how much I like that),I probed for more meaningful conversation. I asked, "How are you andJohn doing? How’s your marriage? She replied, "It’s OK, I guess.” "You guess?” I asked. "How could you not know for sure?”
She responded with an oh-too familiar scenario…
She explained, "Well, we are both doing our part. I am taking care of the kids, the house and my elder parents, and he is working long hours providing for the family. He shows up for dinner and soccergames, so I think we are doing fine.” I responded, "Sounds like you are both performing your roles as domestic partners, but what about your relationship? How is that going?” "Well, life is so busy I think we are doing the best we can,” she said.
"That’s dangerous,” I warned. "What do you mean?” she asked.Then I drew out this diagram on a napkin. (see figure)
“Here is what happens if you don’t realize there is a third ‘person’ that needs to be cared for. Both of you are doing your part and you do it for 10, 20 or more years. You are living together, raising a family, ‘doing your part’ just fine, but this third entity is never (or rarely) cared for, fed, nurtured or nourished. It gets weak and in many cases withers and dies. You wake up 20 years later. While you are good roommates and you might genuinely care for each other, your romantic relationship has starved… to death. All the while you thought you were ‘doing fine.’ ”
I explained further, CLICK TO READ REST OF ARTICLE
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS | Posted on 20-07-2010 |
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I saw something absurd the other day. A highly engineered and specially designed high-performance race car stuck on a 35-mile-an-hour downtown street.
That is not what that car was made for. That is not what its creator (Enzo Ferrari) envisioned for it.
This 6-speed, F140 Aluminum V12, 4700cc engine with 660hp was built to go 0-60 in 3.8 seconds and race at 217 miles an hour (2010 specs). But here it is… stuck.
I see this absurdity every day. But not only in the streets—in office cubicles, conference rooms, huddled behind computer screens, and dragging luggage through airports.
People who were specially engineered and designed with special talents, skills and abilities who are traveling down the wrong road, with their potential stuck in first gear; trapped and unable to race.
That is not what their creator had envisioned for them either.
Are you… 1. Stuck. Traveling down the wrong road? Are you in a job, company or business that has you boxed in on the slow lane? Is it keeping you from being able to get out of first gear and challenge your greater abilities?
Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the road the car is on.
2. Traveling with Pintos? Are you going slow because you are keeping pace with ordinary cars, when you were designed for racing?
Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the cars it travels with.
3. Are you even aware that you are a race car? You were specially engineered and designed for speed… to race. You were built for greatness. I’m not kidding. You are a miracle of machinery. Yes, you… the one reading this. It’s likely you have never even experienced half of what your top speed is.
Sometimes it’s not the car; it’s the one given the responsibility to drive it.
If you ever really gripped the wheel, braced your neck and punched the pedal with all your might… the awesomeness of your innate...
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy | Posted on 20-07-2010 |
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I saw something absurd the other day. A highly engineered and specially designed high-performance race car stuck on a 35-mile-an-hour downtown street.
That is not what that car was made for. That is not what its creator (Enzo Ferrari) envisioned for it.
Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
People who read this also read...Pick a Fight The phrase “life balance” is malarkey. Here is another one: “LOVE is all there...
John Lennon is my real estate agent in South Beach, Miami. Seriously, that is his real name.
John sells exclusively on a single street called South Pointe Drive, located in an exclusive area called SoFi (South of Fifth). His sales territory consists of six über-luxury high-rises along the cruise ship waterway and Miami Beach front.
In the past 15 years, John has sold more than $3 billion in real estate on this street (do the math on 3 percent commission—that’s almost as much as the other John Lennon made!).
John took Georgia and me to lunch a couple days ago to give us an update on our property and the market. I took the opportunity to try and pry out the secret to his extraordinary success.
I found it! And now I will pass it along to you too…
Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
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John Lennon is my real estate agent in South Beach, Miami. Seriously, that is his real name.
John sells exclusively on a single street called South Pointe Drive, located in an exclusive area called SoFi (South of Fifth). His salesterritory consists of six über-luxury high-rises along the waterfront.
In the past 15 years, John has sold more than $3 billion in real estateon this street (do the math on 3 percent commission—that’s almost asmuch as the other John Lennon made!).
John took Georgia and me to lunch a couple days ago to give us anupdate on our property and the market. I took the opportunity to tryand pry out the secret to his extraordinary success.
I found it! And now I will pass it along to you too… CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, Uncategorized | Posted on 09-07-2010 |
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I'm in the Dallas publishing office this week assisting the world's finest magazine staff put the finishing touches on the September issue of SUCCESS. Another issue you won't want to miss—Michael Dell on the cover—very cool story!
While here, I've been revisiting emails, voicemails and blog comments with your inspiring feedback on my new book, The Compound Effect. Your stories of how the principles in the book have already made a remarkable difference in your relationships, health and income performance are awe-inspiring! WOW!
Just five minutes ago in fact, I opened up personal letters from Rudy Giuliani, Jim Collins and Dr. Kenneth Cooper on how the book affected them.
How cool is that?!
Yet, I'm bummed. You see, we launched the book offering signed copies to the first 200. They went so fast (some snuck in the system before it was even officially released!) that even most of the early birds missed out. I am seeing some of those notes now.
That sucks. I want to fix it.
We had a corporate client (thank you, Nevada State Bank!) pay extra to get 150 signed copies (they're giving a copy to their best customers . . . great idea!), so I am signing them while I am here.
Since I already have the Sharpie flying, thinking of you (and some of you being bummed), I had the warehouse bring up a few hundred more.
So here's the deal. If you buy the combo of the book and audio program (it's my strong recommendation to have and study both!), the book will come signed! If this is valuable to you, then please hurry so you don't miss it.
CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS NOW
Even if you have a copy of the book already, give that one to someone whose success you care about and keep the signed one for yourself. Or order the signed book for a valuable customer, friend, family member, employee, etc.
Okay, I hope that makes the world right again. ;-) Be sure to send me your stories on how your life is impacted by the tools shared in the book and the extra insights shared in the audio...
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in Darren Hardy, SUCCESS, Stress | Posted on 29-06-2010 |
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Stress has become a problem of pandemic proportions. I keep hearing people tell me how "stressed out” they are. It’s time to eradicate this disease of the mind.
I came across a transcript by a journalist who interviewed me for a
national newspaper a while back. I thought you might benefit from some
of these ideas and tips as well.
Tips on Avoiding and Preventing Stress
1. In your opinion, is stress an unavoidable consequence of life?
DARREN HARDY: Stress is a part of life. Life requires stress. As a
muscle needs resistance to grow stronger, so do we. Many times, stress
awakens our greater potential and makes us rise to the performance we
were capable of all along, but we needed the challenge.
2. Why do some people seem to stress out more than others? Do
some people just naturally tolerate stressors more easily than others?
DH: Ultimately, stress is a mental illusion, an interpretation and a
perception. What is stressful to one person is blissful to another.
Heights might be stressful for one person, while free-falling out of an
airplane is sheer bliss for another. Public speaking might completely
debilitate one person but be the most empowering activity for another.
Losing $100,000 in the stock market might be less stressful for one
person than having a bad hair day is for another. Stress is a mental
perception, chosen by the perceiver.
3. Please give some of your favorite tips for managing existing stress (assuming the stressors can’t be prevented). CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
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Posted by Darren Hardy | Posted in 10 year plan, Darren Hardy | Posted on 22-06-2010 |
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Last week my wife “crossed over.” She closed the door to her 30s and strode gracefully into her 40s.
Curious what life is like on “the other side,” since I am still a mere adolescent in my 30s (for eight more months), I asked her what newfound wisdom she has gathered from the many best wishes messages, cards and conversations she has had with those already living in “the beyond.”
Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
People who read this also read...Hardy: Listen Up! Contrary to what many might think (and many practice), the most important job of...Hardy: Life Isn’t All Great I did a keynote presentation for a great company last week called Ingram Micro,...Video Update from Darren Hardy A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DARREN HARDY: Here’s a summary of week one in...
Last week my wife "crossed over.” She closed the door to her 30s and strode gracefully into her 40s.
Curious what life is like on "the other side,” since I am still amere adolescent in my 30s (for eight more months), I asked her whatnewfound wisdom she has gathered from the many best wishes messages,cards and conversations she has had with those already living in "thebeyond.”
I was so intrigued and inspired by her discoveries, I asked her ifshe would share her collected pearls of wisdom with you here on thisblog. She agreed (if I washed her car—she’s a tough negotiator!).
Advice from the ‘Other Side’ by Georgia HardyIf I had a nickel for every time someone told me that "life begins at 40,” I could buy the world a martini.
I just crossed a very important threshold in my life and spent the most glorious 40th birthday celebration weekend with my most cherished friends and family. And though there was a wide range of ages and generations represented, many of them told me similar things about being 40 and how “life happens” in one’s 40s.
What does this mean? Does this mean that I haven’t really been living? Does it mean that my 20s and 30s were just dress rehearsals for my grand 40s?
Well, I asked these very questions, and though the responses were varied, they were all very interesting.
Imperfection Is Perfect
In a conversation with my friend Valerie, she shared two important realizations that have made a difference in her life. First, she described transitioning into her 40s as a sort of... CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF POST
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Starting June 28, John Assaraf will team with SUCCESS magazine for the six-week Entrepreneur Challenge to help would-be business owners take the next step and guide existing entrepreneurs in finding renewed inspiration. Assaraf will write twice-weekly blog posts to share the secrets of success as a business owner.
Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
People who read this also read...Sell Like John Lennon John Lennon is my real estate agent in South Beach, Miami. Seriously, that is...Assaraf: How to Craft Your Marketing Message The way you communicate with your potential customers—on your website, in your e-mails, on...Objectives Strategies and Tactics… Oh My! In my earlier video blog, I talked about the rollercoaster ride of experiences that...
My mentor Jim Rohn emphasized that one of the first things everyone should work on is their physical health.He said, "How terrible would it be if the mind said, ‘let’s go conquerthe world’ and the body said, ‘I can’t even get out of bed’?” It takesyour healthy body to carry around your head full of ideas and yourheart’s desires.
There is nothing more pitiful than a ready and willing mind but an incapable body.
There is a well-known quote from the philosopher Virgil that says,"The greatest wealth is health.” I also believe that health is thebeginning of wealth. In other words, your health will help you createwealth.
Times of great danger. The great efficiencies oftechnology have made us more inactive and sedentary than ever before.Food has become more abundant, more easily accessible, super-sized,bulk packaged and mass merchandised. Commercial marketing hasproliferated into every space of attention with ingeniously creativeand utterly tantalizing commercial marketing. It has never been moredifficult to become and remain healthy.
If you are in the business of attracting, influencing, selling orleading others, how you show up, your physical appearance, speaks volumes about who you are, how you are and what you are or not capable of.
I know, people shouldn’t judge you, right? Well, here is a clue… they do!
Whether you like it or not, people make judgments and draw conclusions about you in the first 10-15 seconds they meet you, based solely on how you look. Like it or not, how you show up on the outside says a lot about you on the inside. Our body advertises our personal development. All the habits, behaviors, choices, disciplines (or lack there of) are made physical (literally) in your physique.
Here is a good question to consider: CLICK HERE TO READ REST OF POST
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My mentor Jim Rohn emphasized that one of the first things everyone should work on is their physical health. He said, “How terrible would it be if the mind said, ‘let’s go conquer the world’ and the body said, ‘I can’t even get out of bed’?” It takes your healthy body to carry around your head full of ideas and your heart’s desires.
Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
People who read this also read...Winning the Race of Life The new issue of SUCCESS hits newsstand today! This issue features our cover story...Secure Your Own Oxygen Mask First Recently, I was on a flight traveling with my 6-year-old goddaughter sitting next to...The Revolution of the Mind - Take back your mind and take back control of your life [caption id="attachment_391" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Donny...
We know you’re the type of person who wants more out of life; your career isn’t about a paycheck, it’s about creating your best possible life and becoming your best possible self.
Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
People who read this also read...Hardy: Life Isn’t All Great I did a keynote presentation for a great company last week called Ingram Micro,...Supercharge Your Creative Power We are all creative beings. The outcome of our lives is a product of...Hardy: Innovate or Die Innovate or die? I know that sounds dramatic. And while you might not physically...
The special Entrepreneurship Issue of SUCCESS with Kenneth Cole on the cover hits newsstands today!
Every issue of SUCCESS magazine is designed to support, instruct and uplift the entrepreneur. But this issue we’re focusing specifically on your needs as a business owner.
We know you’re the type of person who wants more out of life; your career isn’t about a paycheck, it’s about creating your best possible life and becoming your best possible self. That’s why, even though we pride ourselves on offering you meaningful content every issue, I believe this edition is one of the most important issues we offer all year.
Entrepreneurialism is the heart of our economic system. In a time when everyone is claiming there’s no work to be had, entrepreneurs are out there creating jobs. In fact, an entrepreneur pursuing his or her passion is the greatest stimulus package there is.
Today, according to stats from the Small Business Administration, small businesses:
• Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms
• Employ more than half the private-sector employees
• Pay 44 percent of the total U.S. private payroll
• Have generated more than 64 percent of all new jobs during the past 15 years
• And create more than half the private gross domestic product
Entrepreneurialism is also the heart of the American dream. Taking control of our dreams, pursuing our passions and following through on that wild idea not only makes life more enjoyable—it pays well! Eighty percent of self-made millionaires became millionaires because CLICK TO READ REST OF POST
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Today is the birthday of The Compound Effect—Multiplying Your Success. One Simple Step at a Time! Through all the labor pains I’ve endured while creating this book, today is the day!
As a man, I think this is as close as I can ever get to gestating, worrying about and carrying the burden of nurturing a child for nine-plus months, and then, finally (and not without pain), give birth to this thing you have worked so hard to develop and care for.
Post from: SUCCESS magazine Blog
People who read this also read...Expose Your Chest to Daggers When Les Brown, speaker, speech coach and author of Live Your Dreams, called me...In a Word—WOW! Lessons, Laughs and Key Takeaways from This Weekend’s SUCCESS Symposium What a sensational event! More than 2,000 people came from all over the...
