20 Laws of Extraordinary Success - part 4

Law 16
To achieve extraordinary success you must first deal with your fears. Super Achievers understand that failure is one of the most often missed keys to extraordinary success.

-Fear can both be a roadblock to success or the greatest motivator to achieve success. It is all in how we use that fear, to be sure, fear will always be there in one form or another. The main fear that we struggle with is the fear of failure. This its always a possibility in every endeavor in life, so why let it get us down. Instead use your failures as learning experiences to make you better.

Law 17
Studying failure will prevent us from repeating it and become the building blocks for future success.

-If we can put aside our pride and blame, we can get to the root of or failure. This will enable us to make strategies that will help us to steer clear of the same pitfalls that have caused us to fail in the past. Every step that we can take will propel us ever closer to the prize that we so desperately seek.

Law 18
Avoidance of criticism will short-circuit the ability to achieve extraordinary success.

-None of us enjoy criticism. However, criticism is necessary. Whether we believe it or not, we don't know it all and often get it wrong. This is why we need the input of others to help refine us and make us better. Even the most destructive criticism can launch us into new levels of success if we can make it into a positive change.

Law 19
Becoming a positive person will help us achieve more and enjoy the ride.

-If we are negative no amount of money or success will bring us happiness. This is why many successful people commit suicide or turn to drugs and alcohol. If we are not positive people I can guarantee a life if depression, anxiety, and stress.

Law 20
You must have PASSION to achieve extraordinary success

-Passion will carry you longer, deeper, and farther than anything else when it comes to success. This is the one quality that will see you through all the difficulty and self-doubt that you will inevitably face. PASSION, PASSION, PASSION if you don't have it, no goal is worth it.

Use these 20 laws to drive and propel you into new levels of success and let me know about it..... go and make your dreams possible.

20 Laws of Extraordinary Success - part 3

Law 11
Effective partnering raises the level of success exponentially, accelerates success meteorically, and reduces risk enormously.

-At some point we have to realize that we don't know it all and we are not good at everything. In short, we all need the help and expertise of other people who have been there before, longer, and are more successful. If we can find the way to sick up or pride and partner with other people we can achieve success far greater than we could possibly imagine. You never know what doors may open from just a short conversation with someone. They may know someone or have access to resources that could change everything.

Law 12
Effective communication skills can either accelerate your achievement or stop it

-The ability to share your idea and promote it to other people is absolutely critical in success in any field. You can gain so much support for any project if you can line up the right people and communicate your vision effectively. On the flip side, if you are intrusive our overbearing with people you will find that people will run and hide rather than support your cause, even if it is worthy.

Law 13
It is the speakers responsibility to grab the listeners attention, hold that attention, give clear understanding, and appeal to their emotions.

-If you are to be an effective spokesperson for your success you have to be able to do these things. This may mean that you need to take a public speaking class or read some books dealing with those skills. I have several books on my shelf on those subjects right now. If you can grab your listeners attention and give them your passion there is no limit to your success.

Law 14
Extraordinary success can never be achieved without encountering extraordinary roadblocks, setbacks, and failures. These can only be overcome through creative persistence.

-The bigger the dream the more possibilities you have for major difficulties. However, achieving extraordinary success would not be extraordinary any other way. It is through these trials and struggles that prove our worth and drive us to overwhelming success. When we come out on the other side we will find that we have much more than we ever thought we could have.

Law 15
If you can't control your time, you won't achieve extraordinary success.

-Time management is one skill that all truly successful people must master. If we are always late or miss appointments we will never be able to move any further up the ladder of success. We must also find a way to balance our family, personal, and professional time. If any of those areas are out of synch we will never find true joy in what we do.

Stay tuned for the last five laws, next week....

20 Laws of Extraordinary Success - part 2

Law 6
Dreams without clearly defined goals, and goals without clearly defined steps, will rarely be achieved at all.

-Even though we may have big goals and dreams if we do not map out the small steps to get there it will never happen. As I work with youth I have to continually remind them that if they want to be a rapper, they may want to learn how to write poetry and do well in there English classes now because much of rap is lyrical poetry. It is so easy to get off track if we neglect to put one foot in front of the other and keep or eyes forward toward out goal.

Law 7
No one has ever achieved extraordinary success without "Shooting for the Stars".

-We can only expect to achieve things within the limitations that we place on ourselves. If we neglect to think as big as possible we only limit ourselves. I know personally I have some lofty dreams, but it is precisely those dreams that propel me forward to achieve more and love my life.

Law 8
"Lack of know-how" only appears to be an insurmountable obstacle. For Super Achievers, it serves as a springboard to extraordinary achievement.

-I have always found it amazing that many of the truly successful people in the past have had little quantifiable education. They have spent their lives becoming experts in what they know best and where they find that their true passions lie. This is not to say that formal education is unimportant, however I have seen more people better equipped for success because of their struggles than those reading about it from a book. I believe it is because that the perceived "lack of know-how" propels us to be excellent in all that we do.

Law 9
Super Achievers use all the leverage possible to remove the limits of limited resources.

-If we find that we have limited resources we must remember that we have an unlimited supply in the universe. We just need to find the right people to help us. I was just reading a book and in it the author reminded me that finding funding and support for a project is really a matter of numbers because there will always be people just waiting to buy into your vision, you just have to find them.

Law 10
Every extraordinary out impossible dream ever achieved has been achieved through partnering.

-We must remember that we are communal beings. We live in community and always need other people. Not one of us can walk the road alone. We need the feedback, challenges, and support that other people provide if we are to make it in any endeavor in life. The sooner we come to realize this truth the more happy and fulfilled lives we will live.

We are now halfway through the Laws of Extraordinary Success, I hope you are finding some wisdom from these truths. I know they have helped me focus my thoughts and become a more successful person. Look for part 3 coming early next week.

20 Laws of Extraordinary Success - part 1 (adapted from Steve Scott's Mentoring Program)

Anyone that knows me, knows that I love to read. I am especially fond of library book sales. You never know what you will find and if you look hard enough you can find some unbelievable gems. The last book sale I found Steve Scott's Mentoring Program, complete with everything included. I will share, in the next four weeks, his laws of success and give my own interpretation. I hope you will glean some wisdom from these laws as I have.

Law 1
Achievers of ordinary outcomes use conventional approaches. Super Achievers that acquire extraordinary to near impossible outcomes use a different set of Master Strategies.

-The people in life that find tremendous success in all that they do certainly work from a whole different playbook than other people work from. This is why we look at the real movers and innovators of our world and find that they made their way against all odds against them. So if we are to become successful in life we need to follow our own rules and often make them up as we go.

Law 2
Super Achievers learn these Master Strategies from mentors (the fast way) or through the agonizing process of trial and error (the slow way).

-All I can say is find someone who is further along the path and learn from them. It is so important that we have people that can not only support us but also push us along in our path. Mentors can not only teach us many things that we do not currently have the experience for, but they also can save us from the many pitfalls that await us in the shadows.

Law 3
Regardless of our past, anyone can reprogram themselves by learning the right strategies for success and commit to using them.

-There are many of us that have jaded pasts or difficult upbringings. However, it is what we are willing to learn from these things that must motivate and drive us for a better future. We can become experts in any field if we are willing to devote the time and dedication to doing so, with or without a degree. Remember that the majority of Super Achievers cane from difficult backgrounds and often had little to no formal education. Its all about commitment.

Law 4
Extraordinary achievement is impossible to attain without a clear and precise vision and a detailed plan to achieve that vision.

-We must take the time to map out our vision if we ever expect to get anywhere with it. Or it will be forgotten with the many other great ideas and dreams we have never actualized. Take the time, in the end it will all be worth it.

Law 5
Vision infuses life into any project or endeavor, and the lack of vision infuses the dying process.

-When we have true vision we find the passion that drives us to complete the seemingly impossible. Where does your vision take you? It is different for all of us, which makes the diversity in life exciting and keeps our world flowing with new and exciting ideas. However, there will always be those people who are unable to catch the vision that you have and try to destroy all that you are working toward. It is your job to distance yourself from those people and allow them to have little influence in your decision making process. If not, you vision may never see the light of day.

Stay tuned for part 2 next week. Train hard and reach for your dreams.

New Horizons

This weekend I spent time at the Core Change Summit in Cincinnati. This was an initiative to bring people from the Cincinnati communities together to strategize new ways to make our community safer, more productive, have better communication, etc. I was able to work in a group that talked about supporting young people in entrepreneurial paths. We came up with a one stop shop called the Entrepreneurial Institute of Cincinnati. A place where we could give people a full range of services to grow their ideas and business and help them with resources to make their dreams a reality.

I was able to add a element of a dream space that would allow the youth or adults to ignite or re-awaken their dreams and passions to create a business or idea that they can have success and fulfillment in their lives.

Great work and ideas this week. I was also able to attend an acro yoga class with Joe Barnett at You Do Yoga Anderson..... amazing stuff, check it out. One other exciting thing I was able to do is pay my organizer dues for a meetup.com group called Success in Cincinnati. Come check us out and find real success and fulfillment in your life.

10 Great Books that Will Help You Succeed

Those of you that know me well know that I love to read I an constantly reading something. I am always using my time to learn new ideas, strategies, and methods in different areas that make me a better equipped person. It is just amazing that you can go to a library and for free, you can learn about any subject you choose, become an expert in that subject and grow yourself and your business through that. It would be simply astounding to see what we could accomplish if more people would take that to heart and expand themselves. However, by and large, we have a culture of functioning illiterate people, who stop learning and growing as soon as school ends. I encourage you to hunger for knowledge and search for truth this quest will enable you to find true happiness and success in your life.

1. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
    - This book changed my life. It is a compilation of everything Jack learned in the last 40 years about success and life. Jack Canfield is the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. He talks about everything you can think of relating to that field and provided tangible strategies to acquire that success in your life.

2. The Secret by
    - This book is all about the law of attraction. It discusses, in detail, how to really get what you want out of life. Many successful people share their stories and tell you how this idea works. It is amazing how you will see this law work in your life after reading this book.

3. The Power by
    - The sequel to The Secret. It expand on the law of attraction and shows you even more ways to see this truth in your life. It also gives you more strategies to multiply this power in your life so that it is more effective.

4. The Power of Focus by Jack Canfield
    - This book is also coauthored by Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt. It gives ten principles and worksheets on how to make your focus laser like, so that you can find true success for you. This book will equip you with the tools to really find your purpose and guide you towards your goals.

5. The Seed by Jon Gordon
    - This is a fictional account of a man, his dog, and finding his purpose in work and life. He gets some time off work and searches the country to find the real meaning in his life. This book is a great metaphor for living with passion in or lives.

6. Surviving Your Serengeti by Stefan Swanepole
    - Another fictional account about a group if people who go on safari in Africa to find that the animals have great application on how to deal with just about every business situation. It its also a great metaphor for how we should do business.

7. The Aladdin Factor by Jack Canfield
    - This book follows the story of Aladdin and the Genie and shows us how it can apply to or lives. This story is also based in the law of attraction and goes into deep detail on every area of life.

8. Awakening the Entrepreneur Within by Michael E. Gerber
    - A book all about what it really means to be an entrepreneur. This asks the tough questions about whether you are really an entrepreneur or just a person with a hobby. It also gives you strategies on how to expand your passion and build your vision.

9. You've Got to Read This Book by Jack Canfield
    - This is a compilation of 55 successful people from every walk of life answering one question: what one book changed your life? It is amazing to hear their stories and circumstances about these books that shaped the phenomenal work that they have accomplished. I have a list of all three people and the books that affected them if you would like it.

10. Energy Addict by Jon Gordon
      - This book gives you 100 strategies for finding and creating more energy in your life. It also discusses how this energy is beneficial in all areas of life. If you feel sluggish this book will help you restructure your life to find the energy that you need and then some.

So, I would encourage you to check out some, if not all, of these books. They will help you immeasurably in your quest for success in your life.

Becoming healthy

I know it doesn't come this easy for everyone, but for me eating healthy and changing my diet to fast and cleans my system came easy this year. I say this year because over the years it has gotten easy. Last year was hard and the year before that was even harder. But this year not only did I take on a 21 day fast but I chose to go further and commit myself to 40 days of vegan living. Every day is a challenge don't get me wrong but compared to last year, this year feels like I am doing something natural. I recently started questioning if I was going to go back to my everyday diet at all. I don't know that I could be vegan forever but being vegan for this long has given me a new out look on how I eat food and what food I eat, and feed my family. I no longer feel good feeding my children some of the things that have been staples of their diets for most of their lives. That macaroni and cheese that I have been letting them eat for years suddenly looks like a list of processed ingredients that I can not pronounce and certainly don't have any idea what they are. I think from now on when I make macaroni and cheese I am going to make it from scratch.
As the fast has ended for most of you out there who followed it and you move back in to your normal every day lives I urge you to think about what is in that food you have in your hand. Do you really want that in your body? We are what we eat... and that is not just a saying we really are.