BOLD AND DETERMINED

Archive for the ‘Motivational’ Category

If you want to live a rewarding life beyond the ordinary, average, everyday humdrum that most people cling to you must make your own set of rules. Following the pre-determined rules will only get you one thing: nothing that you actually want.


There is one absolute rule of the universe: People who follow all the rules never get what they want. People that break all the rules get everything they want and more.

You’ve heard people cry about it a million times “but I did every thing I was supposed to! How come I things don’t go my way?! He doesn’t do anything he’s supposed to and everything goes his way!”

Many think that following the rules is the best way to gain acceptance and respect. That could not be further from the truth. The only people who gain respect and admiration are those who go their own way and forge their own path. Think about all the hero’s you’ve ever had, all the famous people you have admired and envied, how many of those men followed societies rules? Zero. No famous man took the course of action prescribed by society. None of them went to college, got a safe degree, got a safe job and then lived life as the international playboy every man dreams of being. They chose the boring path and get to live a boring life as their reward for not daring to be bold.

If you want fame and riches you have to break the rules. No one ever got rich with their human resources job.

If you want a beautiful woman or many beautiful women you have to break the rules. No one ever had the love of a beautiful women by taking her to dinner and a movie and bringing her plenty of flowers.

If you want a life of adventure you have to break the rules. Taking a cruise every five years is hardly a life of adventure.

If you want happiness you must break the rules. Who could ever be happy following anothers set of rules with all the limitations that come along with that.

Break the rules. Make your own rules. Be your own man. Forget everything you have ever read, heard or seen. Everything you have ever been told is a lie. Forget about it. It doesn’t mean anything because you don’t need any of that bullshit to forge your own path.

Next time someone tells you what the rule is in any particular situation do the opposite and watch the admiration flowing your way.

Even in an emasculated society there are countless testosterone filled men who will not hesitate to snap your neck. If the shit hit the fan could you defend yourself or your family against a man the same size as you? Against a man bigger than you?


If a man bigger and stronger than yourself slapped you in the face in front of your wife, girlfriend, or kids would you take him out?


Or would you hang your head in shame?


Walking away is always the best option, but what if it isn’t an option? 99 times out of 100 a bar-room altercation will not come to blows, but that 1 time it does won’t end up so well for you if you get beat up. If another man strikes you you strike back. Even if you do get beat up, when you go down you go down fighting.


The late, great Jack LaLanne tells a story about being a younger man, eating in a diner and 3 punks come in and start making fun of him, calling him “muscles” and ridiculing him. Jack took the 3 punks into the parking lot and dealt with each of them and went back into the diner to finish his meal. All the patrons in the diner thanked him and clapped for him.


There is a difference in walking away from a silly fight and being a coward who has no pride.

Steps to learning to defend yourself:

Get into shape: a frail body isn’t defending anything. A man in good shape is more intimidating to someone who want to pick an easy fight.

Learn some form of defense: could be boxing, mixed martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitstu, a self defense class, or you could have a friend teach you some moves. Watch some self-defense videos if you have no other options. The confidence alone from knowing you can hold your own and defend yourself is worth more than money. Walking down the street I am comfortable in the fact that if a bigger man than myself gave me some trouble I can hold my own. I may take a few licks but I’ll give just as good as I got.

Talk yourself out of the fight: If a fight can be avoided, it should be avoided. You never know who’s carrying a knife or a gun, or if he has friends waiting in the distance.

Position yourself for easy defense: If a man is getting in your space you never keep your hands in your pocket, you keep them up to defend your face. Don’t make an overt boxing stance, you can pretend to be scratching your chin or something like that. Your hands always need to be ready to act. When the fight starts always protect your face with your forearms, hold your arms up at a 90% angle, thumbs facing your head.

If it comes to blows: Move quickly. Get your hits in as fast as you can, subdue him as fast as you can, and get away as fast as you can. A hard punch to the throat will take him out. A rear-naked choke will take him out. A hard kick to the knee will take him out. A hard knee to his face will take him out. If you’re trading blow for blow you aim for the jaw. Always keep your hands up in front of your face to protect yourself.

Fight dirty if it’s life or death: If you’re fighting for your life all rules of combat decency evaporate. This is where you kick the groin, bite the nose, poke the eyes, any severe damage you can do.

Never pick a fight: Only finish one if it is necessary. A man has no business not knowing how to stand up and fight for himself.

Fear is an excellent motivator, if you let it motivate you. Fear is also an excellent tool to keep you from succeeding, if you let it.

Those that have achieved their dreams have faced their fears and conquered them. Those that are not living their dreams have let fear control them.

When you’re contemplating doing something but you’re scared, always ask yourself what’s the worst that could happen? Likely that nothing bad will happen. If something bad could happen what are the chances? Usually a tiny chance.

If you’re scared to do something, that’s a good sign that you should do it.

Seen Jaws too many times and now you’re scared of Sharks? You need to jump in the ocean.

What’s the worst that could happen?

You encounter a shark. So what. Maybe it bites you and maybe it doesn’t. And if it kills you then it kills you. We all die and you did it facing your fears.

Want to go into business for yourself but you’re afraid of failure? You should bite the bullet and do it.

What’s the worst that could happen?

You go broke. So what. Every self-made millionaire was broke before they were rich.

Want to get into shape but you’re scared of looking like a fool in the gym? Go into the gym anyway.

What’s the worst that could happen?

People snigger behind your back. So what. See the look on their faces in 6 months when you’ve completely changed your body.

Want to ask out the pretty girl at the mall but scared she’ll say no? Ask her anyway.

What’s the worst that could happen?

She could say no. So what. At least you tried while all the other cowards wonder what could have been.

If you’re too scared to ever take a chance, you don’t deserve any rewards.

Monday’s are the best day of the week!

Mondays are the start of something new and possibly great.

Monday’s give you a chance at something new every single week.

Monday will determine the rest of your week.

If you start Monday with a kick-ass take no prisoners attitude and you bust your ass to get shit done you can bet your week will start on a good note.

If you dread your Monday and don’t get anything productive done then you can bet your week is going to be just as sour.

If you dread Mondays because that means you have to go back to work I’d say that’s a clear sign you need to change your profession. I love Mondays and I get somewhat annoyed at the weekends because I know there will be a dip in productivity.

Tips to make your Mondays more productive:

Rise early on Monday. Be up before everyone to get a head start. Benjamin Franklin said Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise and nowhere is that truer than on Monday morning.

Start your day with a nice walk, jog, or lifting session to clear your head a little.

Make a to-do list over the weekend and get everything done early in the morning. There is no better feeling in the world knowing you have been hyper-productive and have everything done before most people even have a cup of coffee.

Love Mondays and Mondays will love you back. Dread Mondays and that will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you think your day is going to suck, guess what, it probably will.

Don’t have a case of the Mondays, have a case of the “Let’s get shit done todays”.

MANIFESTO
: a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.

Another year is coming to an end. You have to ask yourself how your year went. As far as I see you can only have 2 options. 2010 was either the best year ever or the worst year ever. If it was the best year ever, great! I love it! Let’s make 2011 an even better year! If 2010 was the worst year then it should be easy to have a better year in 2010. We’re going to write our Manifesto’s for 2011. Our manifesto is going to outline our goals, dreams, hopes, and fears and is going to develop a plan of attack to make our goals a reality.

The first step is to get out your word processor or a notebook so we can write everything down. If this is to work it must be written down. If you don’t write it down you will forget about it in 15 minutes. We’re going to have it in writing so we can refer to it daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly so we can see the clear progression we have made.

Next let’s determine what our goals are for the year. Take a little while to brainstorm and write everything down. What is it that has been constantly on your mind this year but you weren’t able to fully make it a reality?

Maybe you want to…

Start your own business…

Get into great shape…

Get better with beautiful women…

Become a more confident person…

Worry less (ideally none!)…

Travel more…

Have a 300 lb bench, 400 lb squat, and 500 lb deadlift…

Do 10 pullups…

Make more $$$…

Get out of debt…

Start a jazz fusion band…

Be a more confident, bold, and determined person…

Now that you have taken some time to determine your goals for the year let’s start writing our manifesto. We’ll call this MANIFESTO 2011. You can write your goals any way you want, it is as simple as saying “my goals are…” but I think the best way to write your goals is to write them as-if you have already achieved them. For instance…

My goals for 2011 are…

I am making more money than I ever thought possible.

I am completely free of debt.

etc..

We’re going to be referring back to our Manifesto’s frequently. The subtle change of saying “I AM” instead of “i want” will work wonders. The mind is a powerful tool and if the mind believes it who’s to say the mind won’t achieve it.

Now that we have written our goals let’s draw up our plan of attack. In this section you will write “my plan of attack for starting my own business is as follows…“. Deep down in your heart you know exactly what you need to do to start your own business, or lose weight, or become a better person. You don’t need me to tell you the details. Do that for all of your goals. I kept mine to 5 broad goals, but you can and should do it for as many goals as you have.

Next we will write our conclusion. We will write our conclusion a little differently. We are going to pretend we’re on the eve of the next year and we’re thinking back about what we accomplished in the previous year. We are going to write something like “2011 was the best year of my life. I accomplished my goals of getting into shape, starting my own business, and getting out of debt. I accomplished these goals by following this plan of attack… It was a great year and I can’t wait to make the next year even better“. Make it as detailed as possible.

Now print out your Manifesto and keep it somewhere that you can read it every day at first, then every week to every month as you begin to realize your goals. Don’t let anyone else read it. This is intensely personal and for your eye’s only. But if someone does read it never be ashamed of it. This is how you want to live and it’s how you will live.

The idea for the Manifesto sounds corny but so what. Living your life on other peoples terms is way cornier.

The start and end of a year is just an arbitrary number but it is a good way to measure progress. No need to wait until January 1st to get started, start NOW! Whatever day it is.

Each passing moment is a chance to turn it all around.

Recommended Reading:
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman

The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Escape 9-5, live anywhere, and join the new rich

The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists

Tomorrow doesn’t exist. Yesterday doesn’t exist. There is only the now. The right here and right now. When we wake up ‘tomorrow’ it becomes the now. Because there is only the now we have to make the most of it. We cannot rely on ‘doing it later’. It must be done and it must be done right now.

The past is the past. We cannot live in the past, it’s over. Let go of it. We have to look back on our successes and mistakes and we have to learn from them, so that we can do the right thing right now. The future doesn’t exist. We can’t rely on the future. No one is guaranteed a tomorrow. If you say “I’ll do it tomorrow” you might as well say “I’ll do it in 7 years”.

Learn this phrase:

“I’ll do it now!”

The most successful, happiest people in the world get that way because they don’t put anything off until later. They take care of business right here and then. You won’t hear a top CEO say “oh, I’ll take care of it next week. I want to watch this tv show now”. You won’t hear a top bodybuilder say “Oh, I’ll work out in a few days”.

Are you living in the now? Are you TRULY living in the now or are you just going through the motions? Do you love your work? Or are you filled with dread every day?

We only get one shot at this life, just one chance. We have to make it count.

Is there a girl you like but you’re too scared to call, or you think you’ll call later? Drop everything and call her this very moment! Maybe this very moment she is waiting for you to call.

Is there a business you have been dying to start but “it’s just not the right time”? There is only ever one right time and it’s right now!

Are you sick of your flabby gut but you’re waiting to go to the gym? Get up off your ass and go to the gym right now!

Quit your soul-stealing job now!

Paint a picture!

Make a movie!

Write a book!

Do it right now!

Go out for a jog!

Go talk to the pretty girl that works at the coffee shop!

Change the world!

Change your world!

Sell all your worthless electronics, sell your house, buy an RV and drive across the country!

Go to the airport right now and book a flight!

Take your dog for a long walk, get your thoughts clear and figure out what you really want!

Figure out who you really are and what your life’s purpose is! It certainly isn’t to work for someone else, come home to watch the idiot box, eating chips and soda pop.

Your life has a purpose, a meaning. You have goals and dreams.

Quit whining and complaining, quit procrastinating, don’t give in to apathy – go do something this very instant!

You are ALIVE!

Get out there right now and live your fucking life!

……if you don’t do it right now, when will you?

Rather than spoil the audio for you, I urge you to just listen to it. This is the most motivational story I have ever heard.

#1) Think and Grow Rich – If you only read one book in your entire life make it this book. This book is about the power or motivation and visualization. If you want something bad enough and you visualize it enough you WILL get it. All current motivation works have borrowed or completely plagiarized from this book. This is the end-all, be-all book for living your dreams. Highlight your favorite parts to go over again and again. Write down your favorite parts and tape them to your walls to recite daily. Sounds crazy, but it works.

#2) The Richest Man in Babylon – This book teaches you about money. Specifically about the need to save money and about the power of leveraging your money.

#3) How To Win Friends and Influence People – How can you get what you want if you can’t get people to do what you want. This is an oldie but goodie and the lessons hold up in today’s world. Maybe even more so because we are all so disconnected.

#4) The 4-Hour Workweek. – The newest book on my list. Don’t let the title fool you, the book is all about using your time wisely and becoming hyper productive. Whether you put in a few hours a week or many hours, make sure you are actually doing stuff and not being a time waster.

#5) Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder – This is the most motivating, inspiring book I have ever read. Arnold went from a tiny town in Austria to the #1 bodybuilder in the entire world, making millions as a businessman before getting into the movies, then getting into the movies to become the highest paid movie star of all time, then getting into politics and becoming the governor of the 3rd largest economy. This book details his life up until the end of his bodybuilding and the very start of his acting career.

These books have changed my life so much that I now use hundred dollar bills as bookmarks =)